# Collaborative Research: Climate variability causes catastrophic loss of a foundation species; secondary succession pathways determine the consequences

> **NSF 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT** · Texas A&M University (TX) · $199,476

## Abstract

Variability in weather can have strong effects on ecological communities, especially near geographic range limits. Mangroves (salt tolerant trees) and salt marsh plants (mostly grasses) both live on the coast, but mangroves cannot tolerate hard freezes and so are more common in the tropics. A hard freeze will kill most mangroves, leaving behind bare sediment. In the following years, these areas of bare mud may become occupied by either marsh plants or mangroves, or remain bare mud. Because people rely on coastal wetlands for many “services”, such as protection from storms, a better understanding of which plants recover after a freeze, and how quickly they recover, will help coastal communities understand if mangroves near their high-latitude range limits are reliable “green infrastructure” that can be counted on to protect coastlines from storms and erosion. This knowledge will help guide the design and management of wetland restoration and green infrastructure projects. More generally, this project will provide new insights into how ecological systems respond to and recover from severe weather events.
The project builds on more than ten years of research on the Texas coast at an experimental site (ten, 24 x 42 m plots) in which mangroves were thinned to create plots ranging from zero to 100 percent mangrove cover, and at several survey sites dominated by either mangroves or marsh plants. A hard freeze in 2021 killed most of the mangroves at these sites. This research will d

## Key facts

- **NSF award ID:** 2451828
- **Awardee organization:** Texas A&M University (TX)
- **SAM.gov UEI:** JF6XLNB4CDJ5
- **PI:** Anna R Armitage
- **Primary program:** 01002526DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
- **All programs:** —
- **Estimated total:** $199,476
- **Funds obligated:** $199,476
- **Transaction type:** Standard Grant
- **Period:** 08/15/2025 → 07/31/2030

## Primary source

NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2451828

## Citation

> US National Science Foundation, Award 2451828, Collaborative Research: Climate variability causes catastrophic loss of a foundation species; secondary succession pathways determine the consequences. Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-07 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nsf/2451828. Licensed CC0.

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