A goal of wetland restoration is the establishment of resilient plant communities that persist under a variety of environmental conditions. We investigated the role of intraspecific and interspecific variation on plant community establishment in a brackish marsh that had been restored by sediment addition. Plant growth, sediment accretion, and surface elevation change in planted, not-planted, and nearby reference sites (treatments) were compared. Four perennial macrophytes were planted: Bolboschoenus robustus, Distichlis spicata, Phragmites australis, and Schoenoplectus californicus. There was 100% survival of the planted species, and all exhibited rapid vegetative spread. Intraspecific variation in stem height and cover was identified, and interspecific comparisons also indicated differences in species cover. Treatment comparisons revealed that final total cover at not-planted sites was equivalent to that at reference sites, and was highest at planted sites where P. australis became dominant. Species richness was initially highest at the reference sites, but final richness was equivalent among treatments. Soil surface elevation was greater at planted compared to not-planted and reference sites. Because of the rapid cover and increased surface elevation generated by planted species, the resiliency of restored coastal marshes may be enhanced by plantings in areas where natural colonization is slow and subsidence is high.
Citation Information
| Publication Year | 2020 |
|---|---|
| Title | Plant community establishment in a coastal marsh restored using sediment additions |
| DOI | 10.1007/s13157-019-01217-z |
| Authors | Rebecca Howard, Patricia S. Rafferty, Darren J. Johnson |
| Publication Type | Article |
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Series Title | Wetlands |
| Index ID | 70206282 |
| Record Source | USGS Publications Warehouse |
| USGS Organization | Wetland and Aquatic Research Center |
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Plant community establishment in a coastal marsh restored using sediment additions, Barataria Basin, Louisiana
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Plant community establishment in a coastal marsh restored using sediment additions, Barataria Basin, Louisiana
This data release consists of vegetation cover, soil surface elevation (also called vertical land motion of the wetland (VLMw)), and vertical accretion data collected over 23 months beginning in May 2001 in a restored brackish marsh in southeast Louisiana, USA. Vegetation cover was estimated in permanent plots, and soil cores were collected for determination of bulk density, organic matter content - Connect