Use of experimental disturbances to assess resilience along a known stress gradient

We conclude that experimental disturbances accurately assessed stress along a known stress-gradient. They also provided additional information about the underlying stress in the system. In particular, it was intriguing that in stressed areas S. alterniflora grew in elevated “hummocks” which appeared unable to send rhizomes into denuded areas or to recover after root death. Because recovery after experimental disturbances depends on a variety of plant-soil processes, we suggest that this recovery can be used as a bio-indicator of ecosystem condition that provides insight into important underlying determinants of structure and function.