Assessing wetland mitigation efforts using standing vegetation and seed bank community structure in neighboring natural and compensatory wetlands in north-central Texas
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Published source details
Wall C.B. & Stevens K.J. (2015) Assessing wetland mitigation efforts using standing vegetation and seed bank community structure in neighboring natural and compensatory wetlands in north-central Texas. Wetlands Ecology and Management, 23, 149-166.
Published source details Wall C.B. & Stevens K.J. (2015) Assessing wetland mitigation efforts using standing vegetation and seed bank community structure in neighboring natural and compensatory wetlands in north-central Texas. Wetlands Ecology and Management, 23, 149-166.
Actions
This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
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Restore/create freshwater marshes or swamps (specific action unclear) Action Link |
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Restore/create freshwater marshes or swamps (specific action unclear)
A replicated, site comparison study in 2008–2009 of four floodplain wetlands in Texas, USA (Wall & Stevens 2014) found that created wetlands contained a different plant community to a natural wetland, with fewer wetland plant species. After 7–8 years, the plant community composition in the created wetlands was only 14–35% similar to the natural wetland. In three of four created wetlands, the proportion of wetland species was significantly lower (20–87%) than in the natural wetland (96%). Wetland plant species richness was lower in created than natural wetlands in seven of eight comparisons (for which created: 0.3–0.5 species/m2; natural: 2.0–3.3 species/m2; other comparison no difference). Total plant species showed mixed results depending on the wetland and year: similar in created and natural wetlands in four of eight comparisons (created: 2.0–4.5 species/m2; natural: 2.0–4.3 species/m2) lower in created wetlands in three comparisons (created: 0.5–2.8 species/m2; natural: 2.5–4.2 species/m2) and higher in created wetlands in one comparison (created: 3.8 species/m2; natural: 2.5 species/m2). For data on the presence/absence of individual plant species, see original paper. Methods: In summer/autumn 2008 and 2009, plant species were recorded in four created wetlands and one nearby natural wetland (sixty 1-m2 quadrats across all sites). The study does not clearly report the interventions used for wetland creation, but does note that culverts were installed in 2001 to allow water flow between the wetlands, and that no vegetation was introduced. However, the created wetlands were ephemerally flooded whilst the natural wetland was permanently flooded.
(Summarised by: Nigel Taylor)
Output references
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