PhD Reza Erfanzadeh 2009 - Ghent Ecology - Universiteit Gent

In chapter 3, all plots of which inundation frequency data were available and vegetation data
were sampled in 2003, 2005 as well as 2007 were included; this concerns a total of 119 plots,
all situated in the newly created salt-marsh area (Appendix B).
In chapter 4, data collected in five exclosure and five neighbouring enclosures in 2005 and
2007 were used (Appendix C). Each exclosure and each enclosure consisted of 5 permanent
plots, leading to a total of 40 subplots, in which vegetation composition, plant species cover,
and plant species forage quality determinants were measured (for further explanation, we refer
to the method-part of chapter 4).
In chapter 5, we used 155 plots that were sampled in 2005, of which soil factors and elevation
were measured. Of these, 95 were situated in the newly created salt-marsh and 60 in the
adjacent old salt-marsh (Appendix D).
Finally, in chapter 6, vegetation and soil seed bank were measured in 90 plots; they were
sampled in 2006. These plots are located in four salt-marsh entities, i.e. IJzer estuary-old
marsh, IJzer estuary-new marsh, Zwin and Saeftinghe (see Appendix E.1, E.2 and E.3).
Table 1.1 shows the material (mostly vegetation) and methods (mostly permanent plots) used
in each chapter, separately.
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