Ecological impacts of herbicide control in a protected coastal wetland of Chongming Island (Yangtze River Estuary, eastern China) assessed using macrobenthic indicators
Zhu, T.; Yang, L.; Liu, H.; Qiu, S.; Jiang, Q.; Lv, W.; Wang, Y. (2026). Ecological impacts of herbicide control in a protected coastal wetland of Chongming Island (Yangtze River Estuary, eastern China) assessed using macrobenthic indicators. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 228: 119601. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2026.119601
In: Marine Pollution Bulletin. Macmillan: London. ISSN 0025-326X; e-ISSN 1879-3363, meer
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| Author keywords |
Macrobenthic communities; Estuarine wetland; Invasion management; Ecological quality assessment |
| Auteurs | | Top |
- Zhu, T.
- Yang, L.
- Liu, H.
- Qiu, S.
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- Jiang, Q.
- Lv, W.
- Wang, Y.
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| Abstract |
This study employed a suite of macrobenthic indices, including diversity indices, abundance-biomass comparison (ABC) curves, non-metric multidimensional scaling (nMDS), the AZTI Marine Biotic Index (AMBI), and multivariate AMBI (M-AMBI), to evaluate the ecological effects of management interventions for the invasive Spartina alterniflora in the northern coastal wetland reserve of Chongming Island, implemented using haloxyfop-R-methyl (HM) and imazapyr acid (IA) treatments. Eight different management zones (S1-S8) were sampled in July 2023 (23–7), November 2023 (23−11), and July 2024 (24–7). In total, 20 macrobenthic species were recorded. The results indicate that broadcast HM application in areas with low initial diversity (S2, S3) markedly disrupted macrozoobenthic community structure, with community attributes shifting toward a disturbed/degraded state. By contrast, the high-baseline-diversity area (S4) exhibited lower sensitivity to HM intervention, and its seasonal successional trajectory more closely resembled that of the pristine reference site (S1). The HM precision application area (S5) showed reduced diversity and altered community structure, while M-AMBI suggested partial recovery in ecological quality after one year. The combined mowing plus precision HM treatment area (S6) showed a rapid short-term loss of diversity following intervention and then a degree of recovery with seasonal progression; however, community stability and maturity remained perturbed, indicating potential lagged and fluctuating recovery dynamics. The IA precision-application areas (S7, S8) generally exhibited weaker disturbance signals, promoted shifts in dominant taxa and reorganization of functional groups. Overall, this study integrates multiple macrobenthic indices to provide a practical management and monitoring approach for invasive plant control. |
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