Floristic and Macroinvertebrate Responses to Different Wetland Restoration Techniques in Southeastern Wisconsin
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APPLIED WETLAND SCIENCE
Floristic and Macroinvertebrate Responses to Different Wetland Restoration Techniques in Southeastern Wisconsin Rachel Schultz 1,2
&
Jacob Straub 1 & Marissa Kaminski 1 & Abbie Ebert 1
Received: 15 August 2019 / Accepted: 27 January 2020 # Society of Wetland Scientists 2020
Abstract Assessments of wetland restoration quality, especially comparisons among restoration techniques, are essential to adaptive management, but are rarely reported. We evaluated wetlands in southeastern Wisconsin that were restored using different hydrological techniques along with wetlands in two reference groups: wetlands without hydrological modification and Waterfowl Production Areas. Our objectives were 1) to compare condition of wetlands using indices for plant communities and macroinvertebrates and 2) evaluate provisioning of macroinvertebrates for waterfowl broods as a measure of habitat quality. Overall, floristic quality of sedge meadows and emergent marshes was poor in restored wetlands (weighted mean C-values were 1.55 ± 0.13 (SE) and 1.47 ± 0.25, respectively); however, sedge meadow quality was greater in wetlands without surface modification (weighted mean C-value = 3.43 ± 0.82). On a scale from “excellent” to “very poor”, we classified condition of open water communities as “good” based on the macroinvertebrate index across all restoration categories. Density and abundance of macroinvertebrate taxa preferred by waterfowl broods were similar across restoration categories and indicated that wetland basins provide ample food resources. We recommend that conservation planners and wetland managers state quantifiable, appropriate objectives for restoration ahead of implementation and address conflicting objectives with stakeholders. Keywords Wetland restoration assessment . Floristic quality . Landscape-scale . Index of biotic integrity
Introduction Worldwide we have lost approximately 54–57% of all wetlands, and inland wetlands have been lost to a greater extent than coastal wetlands (Davidson 2014). The decrease in wetland area corresponds to a decline in valuable ecosystem services including wildlife habitat, water purification, and flood mitigation, which have been estimated at >$25,000 per hectare per year for inland systems (de Groot et al. 2012). From the 1950s to 1970s, inland wetland loss in the United States was estimated at 177,250 ha per year and 54% of the losses were Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-020-01269-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. * Rachel Schultz [email protected] 1
College of Natural Resources, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Stevens Point, WI, USA
2
Present address: Department of Environmental Science and Ecology, SUNY Brockport, Brockport, NY, USA
from freshwater emergent wetlands, which declined by 14% in the 20 year period (Frayer 1983). The rate of wetland loss in the United States has slowed since the 1970s due to changes in regulations and conse
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