Testing a passive revegetation approach for restoring coastal plain depression wetlands
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Published source details
De Steven D., Sharitz R.R., Singer J.H. & Barton C.D. (2006) Testing a passive revegetation approach for restoring coastal plain depression wetlands. Restoration Ecology, 14, 452-460.
Published source details De Steven D., Sharitz R.R., Singer J.H. & Barton C.D. (2006) Testing a passive revegetation approach for restoring coastal plain depression wetlands. Restoration Ecology, 14, 452-460.
Actions
This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
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Restore/create freshwater marshes or swamps (multiple actions) Action Link |
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Restore/create freshwater marshes or swamps (multiple actions)
A replicated, before-and-after, site comparison study in 2000–2003 involving 15 ephemeral freshwater wetland restoration sites in South Carolina, USA (De Steven et al. 2006) reported that multiple interventions changed the vegetation type, cover and species richness. Before intervention, the sites were dominated by facultative wetland trees (see original paper for data on individual species abundance). They contained 22 plant species on average (including 5 wetland-characteristic) and had 143% vegetation cover (herbaceous: 6%; wetland-characteristic: 29%). One and two years after intervention, during a dry spell, restored wetlands were dominated by facultative and wetland-characteristic herbs. They contained 36–44 plant species (including 14–20 wetland-characteristic) and had 65–78% vegetation cover (herbaceous: 40–60%; wetland-characteristic: 24–37%). In the third, wetter year, the vegetation in restored wetlands was dominated by facultative trees (as saplings or resprouts) with some submerged, floating and emergent herbs. There were now only 17 plant species/wetland (including 8 wetland-characteristic) and vegetation cover was only 23% (herbaceous: 13%; wetland-characteristic: 13%). Three unrestored wetlands retained similar vegetation to pre-restoration conditions throughout the study (e.g. dominated by woody vegetation; 18–27 plant species). Methods: In 2000–2001, fifteen degraded wetlands (≤2 ha; drained and overgrown but with actively flowing remnant ditches) were subjected to multiple restoration interventions: plugging drainage ditches, cutting and removing existing trees, and applying herbicide to resprouting stumps. Eight of the wetlands were also sparsely planted with seedlings of wetland-characteristic trees; see Barton et al. (2004) and (12). Vegetation was sampled in August before intervention (2000) and for three years after (2001–2003). Three unrestored wetlands were also monitored for comparison. Some of the restored wetlands in this study were used in (11), and all were used in (12).
Additional Reference: Barton C.D., De Steven D. & Kilgo J.C. (2004) Mitigation bank promotes research on restoring coastal plain depression wetlands. Ecological Restoration, 22, 291–292.
(Summarised by: Nigel Taylor)
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