Relative influence of sediment variables on mangrove community assembly in Leizhou Peninsula, China

Effective conservation of mangroves requires a complete understanding of vegetation structure and identification of the variables most important to their assembly. Using canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) combined with variation partition, we determined the independent and joint effects of sediment variables, including physicochemical characteristics and heavy metals, on mangrove community assemblies in the overstory and understory in Leizhou Peninsula, China. The results indicated that the contributions of sediment physicochemical variables to community assembly were greater than were those of heavy metals, particularly in overstory vegetation. However, the independent contributions of heavy metals were higher in understory mangrove vegetation than in the overstory. The TOC, TP, and salinity of the sediment, distance from the coastline, and concentration of As were limiting factors for mangrove assembly in overstory vegetation, while understory vegetation may be affected to a greater degree by the distance from the coastline, electrical conductivity, and concentration of As and Pb in the sediment.