Comparison of wetland structural characteristics between created and natural salt marshes in southwest Louisiana, USA

Edwards, Keith R.

doi:10.1672/10-20

Cited by 109 publications

(83 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…For comparison, we present estimates of the amount of time for soil C pools to become equivalent to natural reference wetlands in several other wetland types: created brackish marshes in NC (70-90 years) (Craft and others 2002), restored freshwater marshes in New York (>55 years) (Ballantine and Schneider 2009), created freshwater marshes in Ohio ($300 years) (Hossler and Bouchard 2010), created salt marshes in Louisiana ($32 years) (Edwards and Proffitt 2003), and created herbaceous wetlands in Virginia ($7 years) (Wolf and others 2011). Our results coincide with a meta-analysis of wetland restoration outcomes which found that wetland ecosystem recovery can be more rapid in warmer climates and in wetlands that are linked to tidal or riverine flows (Moreno-Mateos and others 2012).…”

Section: Soil Change After Mangrove Wetland Creation: Peat Developmenmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecosystem Development After Mangrove Wetland Creation: Plant–Soil Change Across a 20-Year Chronosequence

et al. 2012

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Mangrove wetland restoration and creation efforts are increasingly proposed as mechanisms to compensate for mangrove wetland losses. However, ecosystem development and functional equivalence in restored and created mangrove wetlands are poorly understood. We compared a 20-year chronosequence of created tidal wetland sites in Tampa Bay, Florida (USA) to natural reference mangrove wetlands. Across the chronosequence, our sites represent the succession from salt marsh to mangrove forest communities. Our results identify important soil and plant structural differences between the created and natural reference wetland sites; however, they also depict a positive developmental trajectory for the created wetland sites that reflects tightly coupled plant-soil development. Because upland soils and/or dredge spoils were used to create the new mangrove habitats, the soils at younger created sites and at lower depths (10-30 cm) had higher bulk densities, higher sand content, lower soil organic matter (SOM), lower total carbon (TC), and lower total nitrogen (TN) than did natural reference wetland soils. However, in the upper soil layer (0-10 cm), SOM, TC, and TN increased with created wetland site age simultaneously with mangrove forest growth. The rate of created wetland soil C accumulation was comparable to literature values for natural mangrove wetlands. Notably, the time to equivalence for the upper soil layer of created mangrove wetlands appears to be faster than for many other wetland ecosystem types. Collectively, our findings characterize the rate and trajectory of above-and below-ground changes associated with ecosystem development in created mangrove wetlands; this is valuable information for environmental managers planning to sustain existing mangrove wetlands or mitigate for mangrove wetland losses.

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Section: Soil Change After Mangrove Wetland Creation: Peat Developmenmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecosystem Development After Mangrove Wetland Creation: Plant–Soil Change Across a 20-Year Chronosequence

et al. 2012

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“…Similarly, Edwards & Proffitt (2003) and Shafer & Streever (2000) found higher clay and silt content in saltmarshes restored using dredged sediments compared to natural saltmarshes. In contrast, Fearnley (2008) and Moy & Levin (1991) found that restored saltmarshes constructed using dredged sediments had lower proportions of silt and clay compared to natural saltmarshes, suggesting that the silt and clay content at sites restored using dredged materials is largely dependent on the source of the dredged sediment.…”

Section: Comparison Of Sediment Characteristics In Restored and Naturmentioning

confidence: 84%

“…The few studies which have examined changes in sediment characteristics have only provided a snap-shot several years following restoration (e.g. Edwards & Proffitt, 2003;Spencer et al, 2008) and detailed short-term changes in the sediment characteristics have been largely overlooked to date (Blackwell et al, 2004). This lack of baseline data presents an obstacle to the success of future schemes for the beneficial re-use of dredged sediments as there is insufficient understanding of the effect of these changes in sediments characteristics on saltmarsh plant development.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In order to assess the restoration of ecological attributes in restored saltmarshes, studies have compared vegetation and sediment characteristics in restored and natural saltmarshes (Craft et al, 1999(Craft et al, , 2002Shafer & Streever, 2000;Edwards & Proffitt, 2003) and the majority found progressions towards natural saltmarsh conditions but with considerable differences in many of the key sediment characteristics (such as dissimilar textures, organic matter deficiency and poor nutrient availability in the restored saltmarsh). As a result, Craft et al (2002) concluded that it may take several decades before most restored saltmarshes would function in the same capacity as natural saltmarshes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sediment characteristics of a restored saltmarsh and mudflat in a managed realignment scheme in Southeast England

et al. 2011

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Sediment characteristics and vegetation composition were measured in a restored and natural saltmarsh and mudflat at Wallasea Island managed realignment scheme (Essex, UK) from January to December 2007. The similar sediment characteristics in the restored and natural mudflat indicated that the sediment in the restored mudflat was approaching natural conditions. However, the sediment characteristics in the restored saltmarsh were not becoming similar to those in the natural saltmarsh. The sediment moisture content, organic matter content and porosity were lower while the sediment bulk density, salinity and pH were higher in the restored compared to the natural saltmarsh. The dissimilarities were mainly due to differences in the vegetation abundance and organic matter content. Although, 18 months after restoration the restored saltmarsh was only sparsely vegetated and there was no net change in the sediment characteristics, the occurrence of Salicornia europaea L. demonstrated that pioneer saltmarsh vegetation establishment preceded the development of sediment characteristics.

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“…Species distributions in our study wetlands are arrayed along strong tidal gradients of inundation, soil aeration and salinity, thus meeting this environmental gradient assumption. Wetlands of any type generally exhibit elevation gradients and sampling along those gradients should be similarly effective (e.g., Galatowitsch and van der Valk 1996, Edwards and Proffitt 2003, Leck 2003. A principal critique of gradsect methodology is the concern that the primary environmental gradient will not be selected (e.g., Bullock 2006).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Efficiency in assessment and monitoring methods: scaling down gradient-directed transects

et al. 2011

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Abstract. Rapid survey methods are needed that accurately detect both species richness and relative abundance for surveying new sites and/or for long-term monitoring. We investigate whether the large-scale gradsect survey method of Gillison can be adapted for a smaller scale more suitable for monitoring or research. Three different designs that are compared are typical random small plot sampling and two transect designs that are modifications of gradient-directed transects (gradsects). We did intensive work at one site, and surveyed another eight sites. In contrast to most methods comparison work, we develop a baseline reference dataset for 'true species richness and relative abundance' by using more than 400 randomly-located small plots. Monte Carlo randomizations determined the minimum sample number for each type of sampling method for thresholds of species richness and abundance. The modified gradientdirected transects were accurate for both richness and abundance, even for uncommon species, and with much greater efficiency than random sampling.

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Comparison of wetland structural characteristics between created and natural salt marshes in southwest Louisiana, USA

Cited by 109 publications

References 22 publications

Ecosystem Development After Mangrove Wetland Creation: Plant–Soil Change Across a 20-Year Chronosequence

Ecosystem Development After Mangrove Wetland Creation: Plant–Soil Change Across a 20-Year Chronosequence

Sediment characteristics of a restored saltmarsh and mudflat in a managed realignment scheme in Southeast England

Efficiency in assessment and monitoring methods: scaling down gradient-directed transects

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