Riparian vegetational biodiversity and environmental gradients in Southwestern Ontario created wetlands
Standing
Undergraduate
Type of Proposal
Oral Research Presentation
Challenges Theme
Open Challenge
Faculty Sponsor
Dr. Catherine Febria
Proposal
In response to the widespread loss and degradation of wetland habitats locally and globally, restoration efforts have included the creation of new wetlands. Despite being a common management practice, there is a wide range in approaches and a lack of evaluation of their effectiveness. Wetlands support a variety of vegetation types which influence and respond to wetland characteristics (e.g., soil composition) and as a result, vegetational assemblages represent important indicators of ecological health. Specifically, the riparian land-water transition zone is highly dynamic and may support high vegetational biodiversity. There remains a knowledge gap for such relationships in inland created wetlands particularly in terms of vegetational trajectories. This is particularly relevant for Southern Ontario, a known biodiversity hotspot and crisis ecoregion with few remaining wetlands. We explored vegetational composition and abundance and relationships with environmental variables in ten created wetlands grouped by age, seeding and location across Essex County and Pelee Island. Surveys included three transects measuring species abundances in two 1m² quadrats and a variety of environmental variables (e.g., soil carbon, vegetation cover). We found that sites differed the most based on age in terms of vegetation and environmental variables. Features such as higher species richness, abundance of conservation valued species and approximate 37% seeded species recovery, in seeded sites suggest that applied wetland restoration strategies are fostering restoration goals. This study provides a critical baseline and a protocol for assessing local wetland ecosystems and offers transferable insight into understanding patterns for restoration success and informing future wetland restoration projects.
Grand Challenges
Viable, Healthy and Safe Communities
Riparian vegetational biodiversity and environmental gradients in Southwestern Ontario created wetlands
In response to the widespread loss and degradation of wetland habitats locally and globally, restoration efforts have included the creation of new wetlands. Despite being a common management practice, there is a wide range in approaches and a lack of evaluation of their effectiveness. Wetlands support a variety of vegetation types which influence and respond to wetland characteristics (e.g., soil composition) and as a result, vegetational assemblages represent important indicators of ecological health. Specifically, the riparian land-water transition zone is highly dynamic and may support high vegetational biodiversity. There remains a knowledge gap for such relationships in inland created wetlands particularly in terms of vegetational trajectories. This is particularly relevant for Southern Ontario, a known biodiversity hotspot and crisis ecoregion with few remaining wetlands. We explored vegetational composition and abundance and relationships with environmental variables in ten created wetlands grouped by age, seeding and location across Essex County and Pelee Island. Surveys included three transects measuring species abundances in two 1m² quadrats and a variety of environmental variables (e.g., soil carbon, vegetation cover). We found that sites differed the most based on age in terms of vegetation and environmental variables. Features such as higher species richness, abundance of conservation valued species and approximate 37% seeded species recovery, in seeded sites suggest that applied wetland restoration strategies are fostering restoration goals. This study provides a critical baseline and a protocol for assessing local wetland ecosystems and offers transferable insight into understanding patterns for restoration success and informing future wetland restoration projects.