USGS National Wetlands Research Center: Marsh Restoration

Marsh Restoration

High rates of wetland loss continue to be a problem along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast, and projects to restore degraded wetlands remain a priority for resource management agencies in this region. Research at the NWRC is directed to provide information that increases the effectiveness of wetland restoration efforts. The success of restoration projects depends on the development of appropriate vegetation, soils, and hydrology. In created or restored marshes, the establishment and subsequent vigor of the plant community will often determine overall success of the project. NWRC scientists conduct field, laboratory, and greenhouse studies that examine interspecific and intraspecific (i.e., clonal) variations in plant growth under a variety of conditions that can be associated with restoration sites, including salinity levels, soil types, and hydrologic regimes. Plant effects on sedimentation and soil surface elevation are important components of these studies. If plants growing at restoration sites can produce enough organic matter to supplement outside sources of sediments and accretion exceeds local subsidence, elevations sufficient to support continued plant growth will be maintained and the wetland will persist. The importance of maintaining a genetically-diverse assemblage of plants in restored wetlands and the suitability of plant materials used in restoration projects are also areas for research at the NWRC.

Research

Relation Between Plant Community Structure and Function and the Effectiveness of Wetland Restoration Efforts (Dr. Rebecca J. Howard)
Effects of Marsh Impoundment and Management on the Plant Growing Environment of Louisiana's Deltaic Wetlands (Dr. Rebecca J. Howard)
Native Plants for Effective Coastal Wetland Restoration (Dr. Rebecca Howard)

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