Journal
WETLANDS
Volume 40, Issue 6, Pages 2163-2177Publisher
SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s13157-020-01333-1
Keywords
Habitat diversity; Phragmites australis; Ecosystem services; Multifunctionality; Scales of biodiversity
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Funding
- Utah Division of Forestry, Fire & State Lands Great Salt Lake Technical Team grant
- Utah State University Extension grant [EX00029]
- Utah State University Ecology Center
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Like many wetlands worldwide, Great Salt Lake (GSL) wetlands have been declining. Yet, little is known about the ecosystem functions provided by the different GSL wetland plant species. This knowledge gap hinders predictions of the effects of species loss and restoration practices on ecosystem functioning. To better understand how the loss of different habitat types affects the provisioning of ecosystem functions, we quantified eight functions and multifunctionality (the support of multiple functions simultaneously) across seven dominant GSL wetland habitat types. Habitats varied greatly in their capacity to perform functions. However, no single habitat type supported all eight functions even at 20% of the maximum value for each individual function. We found that native plantsTypha latifoliaandSchoenoplectus acutusand invasivePhragmites australishad the highest levels of multifunctionality. Although these three species were able to support more functions, we found that a diversity of habitats are required to maintain the breadth of ecosystem functions examined. This study supports the idea that habitat heterogeneity is critical in supporting a multifunctional environment, and that habitat homogenization may cause a reduction in functioning provided by GSL wetlands.
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