Habitat heterogeneity affects ecological functions of macrobenthic communities in a mangrove: Implication for the impact of restoration and afforestation

Mangroves have been dwindling rapidly in the last few decades due to human activities, and thus restoration is commonly conducted to recover the ecological functions of degraded mangroves. However, afforestation (i.e. mangrove plantation in mudflats) can lead to habitat conversion and hence modify the ecosystem functions by increasing habitat heterogeneity. Mudflats are scarce in mangroves, but provide vital ecological functions by the macrobenthos. As such, the present study investigated how habitat heterogeneity affects the ecological functions of macrobenthic communities in a mangrove by analysing functional diversity, functional redundancy and biological trait patterns. Samples were collected from different habitats with increasing order of habitat heterogeneity (mudflat