Nature Communications (Aug 2016)

A keystone mutualism underpins resilience of a coastal ecosystem to drought

  • Christine Angelini,
  • John N. Griffin,
  • Johan van de Koppel,
  • Leon P. M. Lamers,
  • Alfons J. P. Smolders,
  • Marlous Derksen-Hooijberg,
  • Tjisse van der Heide,
  • Brian R. Silliman

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms12473
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7, no. 1
pp. 1 – 8

Abstract

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Intensifying drought has caused massive die-offs in ecosystems worldwide. Here, Angelini et al.use observations, experiments, and models in US salt marshes to show that a key mutualism increases ecosystem resilience by maintaining stress-resistant habitat patches that aid post-drought recovery.