Does Living Shoreline Design Affect Vegetation Diversity?
Does Living Shoreline Design Affect Vegetation Diversity?
Kyle Runion Chesapeake Bay Trust
Introduction:
Results:
Conclusions:
A living shorelines is a natural bank stabilization technique. Additions of plant, sand, and rock provide shoreline protection and valuable habitat. As the concept of living shorelines has become more common, several different design types have evolved. Continuous Sill
•
Low Energy • Segmented and Overlapping Sills High Energy • Segmented Sills Preference of Low Energy
• •
Spartina Patens is more likely to grow at segmented or overlapping sills Continuous Sill tended to have lower diversity. Low Energy tended to have higher species richness.
Hypothesis:
Vegetation at Segmented sills will be less diverse, and low energy sites will have higher diversity. Overlapping Sill
0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2
Methods: • • • Segmented Sill
Simpson's Index of Diversity
Measure site and divide into up to 10 transects Sample 1m2 at every other meter of transect until project edge Count shoots and estimate percent cover of each plant
0.1 0
Continuous Sill
Overlapping Sill
Segmented Sill
Spartina Patens 60 50 40
Low Energy
30 20 High Energy
10 0
Continuous Sill
Overlapping Sill
Segmented Sill
Kyle Runion Chesapeake Bay Trust
Introduction:
Results:
Conclusions:
A living shorelines is a natural bank stabilization technique. Additions of plant, sand, and rock provide shoreline protection and valuable habitat. As the concept of living shorelines has become more common, several different design types have evolved. Continuous Sill
•
Low Energy • Segmented and Overlapping Sills High Energy • Segmented Sills Preference of Low Energy
• •
Spartina Patens is more likely to grow at segmented or overlapping sills Continuous Sill tended to have lower diversity. Low Energy tended to have higher species richness.
Hypothesis:
Vegetation at Segmented sills will be less diverse, and low energy sites will have higher diversity. Overlapping Sill
0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2
Methods: • • • Segmented Sill
Simpson's Index of Diversity
Measure site and divide into up to 10 transects Sample 1m2 at every other meter of transect until project edge Count shoots and estimate percent cover of each plant
0.1 0
Continuous Sill
Overlapping Sill
Segmented Sill
Spartina Patens 60 50 40
Low Energy
30 20 High Energy
10 0
Continuous Sill
Overlapping Sill
Segmented Sill
