Using Meta-Analysis to Develop Evidence-Based Recovery Trajectories of Vegetation and Soils in Restored Wetlands in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

Ebbets, Allison L.; Lane, Diana; Dixon, Philip M.; Hollweg, Terill A.; Huisenga, Mary T.; Gurevitch, Jessica

doi:10.1007/s12237-019-00536-y

Cited by 13 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…Sequential recovery of ecological functions of restored marshes must be considered when trying to discern attraction versus production of fish and crustaceans in an ecosystem. The absence of a discernable trend over time in fish in our meta-analysis, coupled with the fact that fish densities approached reference conditions prior to typical recovery rates for marsh vegetation (see Ebbets et al 2019), suggest that the sampled nekton may not have been Bproduced^by the restored marsh, but rather represent local pools of fish in proximate areas. This, in addition to the high variability we observed, may indicate that total fish density is not a strong indicator of restoration success.…”

Section: Nekton Recoverymentioning

confidence: 81%

“…To investigate how nekton densities measured at restored sites at a given age compare to densities at reference sites, we calculated mean response ratios for total nekton density, total fish density, and total crustacean density (1) during the first 5 years following restoration (defined as the Bearly^time period) and (2) during a later time period where the age of the restored site was greater than 5 years (defined as the Blatet ime period). We used this 5-year threshold because existing literature suggests that aboveground biomass at restored marsh sites generally recovers within 2 to 5 years following restoration (Craft et al 2002(Craft et al , 2003Strange et al 2002;Ebbets et al 2019). We separated comparative analyses between studies that sampled nekton from the marsh platform and studies that sampled nekton in the open-water away from the marsh edge, including both NVB and areas with SAV.…”

Section: Paired Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although structural attributes of a created marsh such as vegetative structure (e.g., above-ground biomass and percent cover) may recover in the first few years, other ecological functions recover more slowly (Craft et al 2002(Craft et al , 2003Strange et al 2002;Ebbets et al 2019). Because emergent marsh vegetation is likely the principal source of organic matter to soils (Craft et al 1988a(Craft et al , 1988bBroome et al 2000) and many marsh creation projects often use dredged material that is low in organic matter content (Broome et al 2000;Streever 2000), soil organic matter at a restored site would be expected to accumulate slowly over time, following the establishment of vegetation.…”

Section: Nekton Recoverymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Due to the highly mobile nature of nekton, newly created marshes-following the development of the physical structure-are able to attract fish in the first few years after restoration (e.g., Minello and Zimmerman 1992;Minello and Webb 1997). However, there is likely a delay in the ecosystem support for these species, as other functions recover more slowly (Craft et al 2002(Craft et al , 2003Strange et al 2002;Ebbets et al 2019). Other measures of functional equivalency have been suggested as important indicators of overall ecosystem fisheries support when comparing restored and reference marshes, including growth, mortality, community composition, condition, and food web structure (Minello and Webb 1997;Callaway et al 2001;La Peyre et al 2007;Rozas and Minello 2009;Llewellyn and La Peyre 2011).…”

Section: Nekton Recoverymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Meta-analysis of Nekton Recovery Following Marsh Restoration in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

Hollweg

Christman

Lipton

et al. 2019

Estuaries and Coasts

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To investigate regional patterns in marsh recovery following restoration, a meta-analysis of nekton densities at restored and reference marshes in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) was conducted. Results were variable at both restored and reference sites, but general trends with respect to the age of the restored site were observed. Pooled together, mean total nekton density in restored marshes during the first 5 years following restoration was approximately 50% of reference marsh densities [95% confidence interval (CI): 26.6-93.0%]. Mean total nekton density in restored marshes in subsequent years (age of restored sites: 6 to 30 years) was approximately 73% of reference marsh densities (95% CI: 46.1-116.1%). Relative densities of crustaceans in restored marshes tended to be lower than in reference marshes during both the initial 5 years following restoration (mean = 36%; 95% CI: 16.6-76.7%) and in subsequent years (mean = 71%; 95% CI: 42.7-119.2%). Mean densities of fish species also tended to be somewhat lower in restored marshes than in reference marshes, but relative densities were highly variable during both the initial 5-year period (mean = 85%; 95% CI: 33.5-215.3%) and in subsequent years (mean = 77%; 95% CI: 39.3-152.7%). A generally increasing trend in total nekton and total crustacean densities was observed over the first 15 years following restoration; mean densities at restored sites were comparable to paired reference locations by approximately year 13. Findings from this study indicate that marsh restoration may not consistently result in nekton production similar to that of natural sites, particularly in the earlier years following restoration when baseline ecosystem processes are developing.

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Section: Nekton Recoverymentioning

confidence: 81%

Section: Paired Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Nekton Recoverymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Nekton Recoverymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Meta-analysis of Nekton Recovery Following Marsh Restoration in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

Hollweg

Christman

Lipton

et al. 2019

Estuaries and Coasts

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“…In this REA application, the recovery trajectories are expressed as a response ratio, or the response of a given metric at a restored site compared to a reference site over time, with performance capped at 100% of reference conditions. For the Barataria Bay example, we calculated the metric-based function (φ t ) in year t for aboveground biomass, belowground biomass, total live cover, amphipod density, and periwinkle biomass using a series of recovery trajectories based on meta-analysis of empirical data from studies conducted using paired marsh restoration projects and reference marshes in the Gulf of Mexico region, as described in Ebbets et al (2019) and Baumann et al (2018). These metrics were selected to represent different components of the marsh ecosystem with a range of different-shaped response curves.…”

Section: Vegetation and Faunal Function (Fwp)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Modeling Coastal Marsh Restoration Benefits in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

Fricano¹,

Baumann²,

Fedeli³

et al. 2020

Estuaries and Coasts

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Extensive salt marsh restoration is expected in the northern Gulf of Mexico over the next several decades, funded in part by settlements from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Understanding the ecological benefits of restored marshes over time is integral to setting appropriate restoration targets and performance criteria and in determining the restoration area needed to achieve desired restoration goals and offset quantified natural resource injuries. We present a method for quantifying anticipated ecological benefits associated with marsh restoration projects, particularly marsh creation or enhancement through the placement of dredged material, in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Using salt marsh vegetation (percent cover, aboveground biomass, and belowground biomass) and indicator faunal species (periwinkle snails and amphipods) as representative marsh community components, we used resource equivalency analysis (REA) to model projected ecological benefits over time and quantified total net project benefits for a hypothetical marsh creation project in Barataria Bay, Louisiana. Sensitivity analysis of the resulting model suggests that the recovery trajectories for each marsh component were the most important drivers of modeled restoration benefits and that model uncertainty was greatest for marsh fauna, which has limited data availability compared to marsh vegetation and high natural variability. Longer-term monitoring at restored restoration sites and/or targeted monitoring of older restoration projects would reduce variability in the recovery trajectories for the marsh community components examined in this case study and improve the reliability of the REA model for projecting benefits associated with salt marsh restoration.

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Meta‐analysis of salt marsh vegetation impacts and recovery: a synthesis following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

Zengel¹,

Weaver²,

Mendelssohn

et al. 2021

Ecological Applications

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Marine oil spills continue to be a global issue, heightened by spill events such as the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the largest marine oil spill in US waters and among the largest worldwide, affecting over 1,000 km of sensitive wetland shorelines, primarily salt marshes supporting numerous ecosystem functions. To synthesize the effects of the oil spill on foundational vegetation species in the salt marsh ecosystem, Spartina alterniflora and Juncus roemerianus, we performed a meta‐analysis using data from 10 studies and 255 sampling sites over seven years post‐spill. We examined the hypotheses that the oil spill reduced plant cover, stem density, vegetation height, aboveground biomass, and belowground biomass, and tracked the degree of effects temporally to estimate recovery time frames. All plant metrics indicated impacts from oiling, with 20–100% maximum reductions depending on oiling level and marsh zone. Peak reductions of ~70–90% in total plant cover, total aboveground biomass, and belowground biomass were observed for heavily oiled sites at the marsh edge. Both Spartina and Juncus were impacted, with Juncus affected to a greater degree. Most plant metrics had recovery time frames of three years or longer, including multiple metrics with incomplete recovery over the duration of our data, at least seven years post‐spill. Belowground biomass was particularly concerning, because it declined over time in contrast with recovery trends in most aboveground metrics, serving as a strong indicator of ongoing impact, limited recovery, and impaired resilience. We conclude that the Deepwater Horizon spill had multiyear impacts on salt marsh vegetation, with full recovery likely to exceed 10 years, particularly in heavily oiled marshes, where erosion may preclude full recovery. Vegetation impacts and delayed recovery is likely to have exerted substantial influences on ecosystem processes and associated species, especially along heavily oiled shorelines. Our synthesis affords a greater understanding of ecosystem impacts and recovery following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and informs environmental impact analysis, contingency planning, emergency response, damage assessment, and restoration efforts related to oil spills.

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Using Meta-Analysis to Develop Evidence-Based Recovery Trajectories of Vegetation and Soils in Restored Wetlands in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

Cited by 13 publications

References 44 publications

Meta-analysis of Nekton Recovery Following Marsh Restoration in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

Meta-analysis of Nekton Recovery Following Marsh Restoration in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

Modeling Coastal Marsh Restoration Benefits in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

Meta‐analysis of salt marsh vegetation impacts and recovery: a synthesis following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

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