Parthenocissus quinquefolia from coastal sand dunes are more tolerant than inland populations to salt spray, but neither sand burial nor seedling emergence in sand

Current standard practices of planting Ammophila breviligulata and other grasses to stabilize dunes on the North American Atlantic Coast, may be enhanced by the North American woody vine Parthenocissus quinquefolia. A series of five greenhouse experiments tested if there are ecotypes of P. quinquefolia that will perform better in coastal sand dune restoration using plants sampled from coastal and inland habitats. We tested the growth responses of potential ecotypes in response to common dune stressors: salt spray, sand burial, and germination in sand. Individuals sampled as vine cuttings and grown from seeds sampled from dunes showed higher tolerance to foliar salt spray treatment than those from inland habitats. Plants grown from seed sampled from dunes regrew thicker leaflets than those from inland habitats after defoliation. In response to sand burial, plant provenance had no effect. All P. quinquefolia vines treated with sand burial grew larger than those that received no sand treatment, indicating that burial stimulates growth. Seed provenance also had no effect on seed mass nor on seedling emergence when sown into beach sand. These results show that these responses to dune stressors are not related to seed provenance. Coastal land managers looking to improve habitat value of dunes by planting P. quinquefolia may not need to prioritize the use of dune ecotypes over inland sources.