Restored saltmarshes have low beta diversity due to limited topographic variation, but this can be countered by management

1. Spatial heterogeneity of species (beta diversity) is an important attribute of ecological communities, but is less frequently considered when assessing restoration success than other aspects of diversity (gamma and alpha). Differences in beta diversity between restored and natural sites may arise due to differences in environmental heterogeneity.

2. We use a nested sampling design to survey plant communities and environmental conditions (elevation, redox potential and metrics of topography) on four pairs of restored and natural saltmarshes. We assess whether there are differences in both alpha and beta diversity between natural and restored sites, and analyse their environmental drivers.

3. Topography was an important driver of plant alpha diversity and beta diversity. The effects of topography were partly indirect, mediated though changes in redox potential, but topography also influenced plant communities independently of both elevation and redox.

4. Restored saltmarshes w...