The Dynamics of Temporary Wetlands and: Abiotic and Biotic Disturbances

This study examines the effects of biotic and abiotic disturbances in temporary ponds in western Morocco. It combines field monitoring and controlled experiments to shed light, on the one hand, on the effect of disturbance magnitude and hydrological conditions on vegetation composition and regeneration rate, and, on the other hand, on the restoration success of plant communities characteristic of temporary ponds under biotic disturbance. The main findings show that disturbance (Benslimane pond) leads to a decrease in biomass-particularly that of perennials-but without a significant increase in the abundance of annuals. The rate of recovery of the pre-existing vegetation depends heavily on the magnitude of the disturbance and hydrological conditions. Vegetation regeneration is faster following small-scale disturbances. This recovery occurs primarily from the soil seed bank but also involves other mechanisms.