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Comparative Study
. 2025 Jul 2;15(1):23604.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-07784-y.

Comparing and quantifying the ecological niches of the saltmarsh grass Spartina alterniflora and major mangrove species in China

Lina Cui  1 , Jianwei Qiu  2 , Uta Berger  1 , Minmin Cao  2 , Weiyang Li  2 , Jiang Jiang  3
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Comparing and quantifying the ecological niches of the saltmarsh grass Spartina alterniflora and major mangrove species in China

Lina Cui et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

The concept of niche similarity is crucial for understanding species invasions. An in-depth understanding of different niches can aid in developing effective control strategies, not only at the community level but also in population interactions. In this study, we investigated the invasion of Spartina alterniflora in China by selecting nine major mangrove species along the Chinese coast. Utilizing an ensemble species distribution model (ESDM), we compared the niche characteristics of these mangroves with S. alterniflora. We found that S. alterniflora has a broad latitudinal adaptability (39.22-21.67˚N), significantly greater than the mangroves. Excoecaria agallocha has the largest potential distribution area (74,729 km2), while Kandelia obovata shows the widest climatic adaptability (latitude: 30.85˚N to 18.19˚N). The ecological niches of the mangroves and S. alterniflora overlap (D.overlap: 0.015-0.254, Niche similarity index: 0.044-0.551), driven by different species-specific factors. K. obovata and S. alterniflora have the highest niche similarity due to the similarities in precipitation during the driest month and precipitation seasonality. Overall, mangroves in China are vulnerable to invasion by S. alterniflora. Strengthening mangrove protection is essential for their healthy development, especially under frequent extreme weather conditions, with a focus on protecting K. obovata.

Keywords: Biology invasion; Coastal wetland; Ensemble species distribution model (ESDM); Niche similarity.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The study area considers potential coastal habitats ranging 20 km from the coastline landwards. The figure created in ArcGIS v10.4 (https://desktop.arcgis.com).
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Framework of this study.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Potential distribution of mangroves and Spartina alterniflora at the coastline of China. For a better overview, the line is shown separately for each species. The figure created in ArcGIS v10.4 (https://desktop.arcgis.com).
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Contributions of environmental factors to mangroves and Spartina alterniflora. Notes: Annual mean temperature:bio01; Mean diurnal range:bio02;Isothermality:bio03; Max temperature of the warmest month:bio05; Mean temperature of the wettest quarter:bio08; Precipitation of the wettest month:bio13; Precipitation of the driest month:bio14; Precipitation seasonality:bio15; Precipitation of the coldest quarter:bio19; Distance to coastline: Distance; Electrical conductivity: ECE; Mean diurnal range of SST:sst02; Isothermality of SST:sst03; Max SST of the warmest month:sst05; Mean SST of the driest quarter:sst09.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
(a–j) Climatic niches of between mangroves and Spartina alterniflora. The green represents density of Spartina alterniflora, red shading represents density of mangroves, and blue shading represents overlapping ecological niches between them. (h) Principal component analysis distance biplot for the occurrences on 17 environmental variables (see Table 1 for the explanation of the variables). Arrows indicate the relative contributions of each climatic/environmental variables to the principal components.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
The comparison of environmental factors between mangrove species and Spartina alterniflora distributed. Notes: * means P < 0.05, **means P < 0.01, *** means P < 0.001. The color represents the species. Annual mean temperature: bio01; Mean temperature of the wettest quarter: bio08; Precipitation of the driest month: bio14; Precipitation seasonality: bio15; Precipitation of the coldest quarter: bio19; Electrical conductivity: ECE; Isothermality of SST: sst03; Max SST of the warmest month: sst05.
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References

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