VEGETATION DYNAMICS IN RESPONSE TO ORGANIC MATTER LOADING RATES IN A CREATED FRESHWATER WETLAND IN SOUTHEASTERN VIRGINIA

Created wetlands are often limited in soil organic matter, a product that usually accumulates with long-term ecosystem succession. Although many studies have tested the effect of adding organic material to these systems, few have quantified the effect of various loadings of organic matter (OM) in cr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Wetlands (Wilmington, N.C.) N.C.), 2007-12, Vol.27 (4), p.936-950
Main Authors: Bailey, David E., Perry, James E., Lee Daniels, W.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
altitude
application rate
Biomass
carbon
constructed wetlands
created wetlands
equations
freshwater
Load distribution
Loading rate
lowland forests
nitrogen
organic amendments
Organic matter
Organic soils
phosphorus
plant growth
REGULAR SUBMISSIONS
Similarity
soil amendments
Soil nutrients
Soil organic matter
Soil surfaces
Soils
Species diversity
Species richness
Standing crop
surface layers
trees
Vegetation
wetland plants
wetland soils
wetland vegetation
Wetlands
Woody plants
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Summary:Created wetlands are often limited in soil organic matter, a product that usually accumulates with long-term ecosystem succession. Although many studies have tested the effect of adding organic material to these systems, few have quantified the effect of various loadings of organic matter (OM) in created wetlands. The purpose of this study was to determine how vegetation composition, standing crop biomass, and woody vegetation development varied in a created freshwater wetland with respect to different loadings (0, 56, 112, 224, or 336 Mg ha−1) of a soil OM amendment. Soil C, N, and P were positively related to loading rate, as was soil surface elevation. Species richness, evenness, and diversity measurements, along with the Ellenberg Community Coefficient Similarity Index, suggested an overall similarity of plant assemblages regardless of loading rate. Standing crop biomass (580–790 g m−2) was not significantly correlated with OM loadings, but showed a significant curvilinear relationship with plot surface elevation. Woody vegetation development was correlated with OM loadings, plot elevation, and soil P, indicating a positive relationship with all three factors. An amendment loading of 112 Mg ha−1 provided the maximum benefit because it provided soil nutrient levels that were within the range of natural wetlands while also minimizing changes in soil surface elevation due to the added bulk material.
ISSN:0277-5212
1943-6246
DOI:10.1672/0277-5212(2007)27[936:VDIRTO]2.0.CO;2