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Plant Community DynamicsWetland plant communities are affected by both biotic and abiotic factors, including intraspecific and interspecific competition, herbivory, physical and chemical stressors, human-induced disturbance, and eutrophication. Through a combination of manipulative field and greenhouse experiments, researchers at the NWRC study how the structure, function, and composition of wetland plant communities respond over time to these factors, and how wildlife populations are in turn affected by vegetation change. Research focus areas include plant response to salinity and flooding stress, which can be caused by saltwater intrusion associated with hydrologic manipulations, severe weather (e.g., hurricanes), or climate change. The resiliency of various plant communities, measured as the ability to recover when stressors are removed, is an important aspect of this research. Another research focus area concerns plant community dynamics in managed wetlands where the frequency, depth, and duration of flooding are often controlled. Seasonal impoundments in bottomland hardwood forests, a technique called green-tree reservoir (GTR) management, are often used on public lands to improve habitat for wintering waterfowl. Studies at the NWRC employ long-term data on tree vigor, survival, and reproduction to determine the consequence of GTR practices on forest sustainability. Information from these studies is needed to effectively manage wetland ecosystems under various stress and disturbance scenarios and to restore important but degraded wetland systems. Research
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U.S. Geological Survey
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Page Last Modified: Monday, 31-Dec-2012 11:31:21 EST
