Typhaxglauca dominance and extended hydroperiod constrain restoration of wetland diversity

Urban wetlands typically have few plant species. In wetlands designed to improve water quality, nutrient-rich water and highly variable water levels often favor aggressive, flood-tolerant plants, such as Typhaxglauca (hybrid cattail). At Des Plaines River Wetlands Demonstration Site (Lake Co., IL),...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ecological engineering 2007-03, Vol.29 (3), p.232-244
Main Authors: Boers, A M, Veltman, RLD, Zedler, J B
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Freshwater
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Urban wetlands typically have few plant species. In wetlands designed to improve water quality, nutrient-rich water and highly variable water levels often favor aggressive, flood-tolerant plants, such as Typhaxglauca (hybrid cattail). At Des Plaines River Wetlands Demonstration Site (Lake Co., IL), we assessed T.xglauca dominance and plant community composition under varying hydroperiods in a complex of eight constructed wetlands. Plots flooded for more than 5 weeks during the growing season tended to be dominated by T.xglauca, while plots flooded fewer days did not. Plots with high cover of T.xglauca had low species richness (negative correlation, R super(2)=0.72, p
ISSN:0925-8574
DOI:10.1016/j.ecoleng.2006.04.011