Soil factors determining the distribution of Phragmites australis and Phacelurus latifolius in upper tidal zone

Abstract

To assess the environmental factors determining the zonation between Phacelurus latifolius and Phragmites australis, vegetation survey and soil analysis were performed at a tidal marsh. The vegetation of the tidal marsh was classified into P. latifolius and Suaeda japonica dominated quadrats, P. latifolius and P. australis dominated quadrats, P. australis dominated quadrats, and P. australis and other land plants dominated quadrats. The density of P. latifolius (83.7 ± 5.5 shoots m−2) was higher than that of P. australis (79.3 ± 12.1 shoots m−2) in each dominated quadrat but height of two species were similar. Soil environmental characteristics of P. latifolius dominated quadrats appeared to be affected by tide based on higher soil electric conductivity (ECPL = 1530 ± 152μScm−1; ECPA + PL = 689 ± 578μScm−1; ECPA = 689 ± 578μScm−1) and lower pH (pHPL = 5.96 ± 0.16; pHPA + PL = 6.28 ± 0.31; pHPA = 6.38 ± 0.22). In redundancy analysis, environmental characteristics of P. latifolius dominated quadrats and P. australis dominated quadrats were clearly separated and those of P. latifolius and P. australis co-dominated quadrats were similar to P. australis dominated quadrats. From our investigation, P. latifolius showed relatively high competitiveness when compared to P. australis in lower tidal zone rather than upper tidal zone. Zonation of P. latifolius and P. australis seems to be a transitional zone between halophytes and land plant species.