2014/04/28 by Mark D. Bertness, Caitlin P. Brisson, Tyler C. Coverdale +3 · 1 citation
Environmental Science · #Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics #Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies #Isotope Analysis in Ecology
paper · pdf · doi:10.1111/ele.12287
openalex publication_date 2014/04/28 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21
Salt marsh habitat loss to vegetation die-offs has accelerated throughout the western Atlantic in the last four decades. Recent studies have suggested that eutrophication, pollution and/or disease may contribute to the loss of marsh habitat. In light of recent evidence that predators are important determinants of marsh health in New England, we performed a total predator exclusion experiment. Here, we provide the first experimental evidence that predator depletion can cause salt marsh die-off by releasing the herbivorous crab Sesarma reticulatum from predator control. Excluding predators from a marsh ecosystem for a single growing season resulted in a >100% increase in herbivory and a >150% increase in unvegetated bare space compared to plots with predators. Our results confirm that marshes in this region face multiple, potentially synergistic threats.