Wetland Restoration Methods
Synopsis: Restoration methods of wetlands are not one size fits all.
Jimmy Webb, Conservation Biology (BIOL 834), Spring 2011
General Introduction Wetlands are a vital ecosystem. Wetlands support great biological diversity of species (Russell et al. 2002 and Liner et al. 2008). Even though wetlands contain great diversity, wetlands are often undervalued and overlooked (Russell et al. 2002). Scientists have estimated that approximately 50% of all wetlands have been lost since the colonization on the United States (Lehtinen and Galatowitsch 2001). There has been an estimated loss of 84% of wetlands in the southern states alone over the last 30 years (Russel et al. 2002). Efforts to restore these lost wetlands and the native species that inhabit them continues (Lehtinen and Galatowitsch 2001). These restoration efforts have been evaluated and many deemed unsuccessful for a number of reasons. Hilderbrand et al. (2005) outline some of the methods used to restore wetlands and the short comings of each of these approaches. The methods utilized to restore wetlands in a given area are not a one size fits all as it relates to future successes. Humans inevitably have an impact on any ecosystem they come in contact with. With this in mind, one must manage ecosystems based on the effect that human inflict (Hilderbrand et al. 2005). Hilderbrand et al. (2005) states that conservation of ecosystems after degradation is not enough. For example, “No Net Loss” policy for U.S wetlands have not been effective since losses still exceed gains or are not functionally equal (Dahl and Alford 1996, Zedler 2000a). Attempts to limit further losses of wetlands have failed since wetlands are still disappearing at an alarming rate in spite of the “No Net Loss” policy. Also, the “No Net Loss” policy implies that wetland restoration will be equivalent to the pre-degradation wetland. In reality very few restored wetlands have achieved equivalency to existing wetlands (Zedler
Jimmy Webb, Conservation Biology (BIOL 834), Spring 2011
General Introduction Wetlands are a vital ecosystem. Wetlands support great biological diversity of species (Russell et al. 2002 and Liner et al. 2008). Even though wetlands contain great diversity, wetlands are often undervalued and overlooked (Russell et al. 2002). Scientists have estimated that approximately 50% of all wetlands have been lost since the colonization on the United States (Lehtinen and Galatowitsch 2001). There has been an estimated loss of 84% of wetlands in the southern states alone over the last 30 years (Russel et al. 2002). Efforts to restore these lost wetlands and the native species that inhabit them continues (Lehtinen and Galatowitsch 2001). These restoration efforts have been evaluated and many deemed unsuccessful for a number of reasons. Hilderbrand et al. (2005) outline some of the methods used to restore wetlands and the short comings of each of these approaches. The methods utilized to restore wetlands in a given area are not a one size fits all as it relates to future successes. Humans inevitably have an impact on any ecosystem they come in contact with. With this in mind, one must manage ecosystems based on the effect that human inflict (Hilderbrand et al. 2005). Hilderbrand et al. (2005) states that conservation of ecosystems after degradation is not enough. For example, “No Net Loss” policy for U.S wetlands have not been effective since losses still exceed gains or are not functionally equal (Dahl and Alford 1996, Zedler 2000a). Attempts to limit further losses of wetlands have failed since wetlands are still disappearing at an alarming rate in spite of the “No Net Loss” policy. Also, the “No Net Loss” policy implies that wetland restoration will be equivalent to the pre-degradation wetland. In reality very few restored wetlands have achieved equivalency to existing wetlands (Zedler
Bibliography: Ansola, G, Fernandez A, de Luis A. 1995. Removal of organic matter and nutrients from urban wastewater by using an experimental emergent aquatic macrophyte system. Ecological Engineering 5:13-19. Campbell DA, Cole CA, Brooks RP. 2002. A comparison of created and natural wetlands in Pennsylvania, USA. Wetlands Ecology and Management. 10:41-49. Clewell AF, Rieger J, Munro J. 2000. Guidelines for developing and managing ecological restoration projects. Society for Ecological Restoration, Tucson, Arizona, USA. Ehrenfeld JG. 2000. Evaluating wetlands within an urban context. Ecological Engineering. 15:253-265. Hilderbrand RH, Watts AC, Randle AM. 2005. The myths of restoration ecology. Ecology and Society. 10(1):1-11. Hobbs R J, Harris JA. 2001. Restoration ecology: repairing the Earth’s ecosystems in the new millennium. Restoration Ecology 9:239–246. Hobbs R J, Norton DA. 1996. Towards a conceptual framework for restoration ecology. Restoration Ecology 4:93–110. Kadlec RH, Knight RL. 1996. Treatment wetlands. Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, Florida, USA. Kangas PC. 2003. Ecological engineering: principles and practice. Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, Florida, USA. Knowlton MF, Cuvellier C, Jones JR. 2002. Initial performance of a high capacity surface flow treatment wetland. Wetlands. 22:522-527. Lehtinen RM, Galatowitsch SM. 2001. Colonization of restored wetlands by amphibians in Minnesota. American Midland Naturalist. 145:388-396. Liner AE, Smith LL, Golladay SW, Castleberry SB, Gibbons JW. 2008. Amphibian distributions within three types of isolated wetlands in southwest Georgia. American Midland Naturalist. 160:69-81. Lockwood JL, Pimm SL. 1999. When does restoration succeed? Pages 363-392 in E. Weiher and P. A. Keddy, editors. Ecological assembly rules: perspectives, advances and retreats. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. Mitsch WJ. 1997. Olentangy River Wetland Research Park at the Ohio State University. Annual Report 1996. School of Natural Resources, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA. Mitsch, WJ, Wilson RF. 1996. Improving the success of wetland creation and restoration with know-how, time, and self-design. Ecological Applications 6:77–83. Mitsch WJ, Wu X, Nairn RW, Weihe PE, Wang N, Deal R, Boucher CE. 1998. Creating and restoring wetlands. BioScience. 48:1019-1030. National Research Council. 2001. Compensating for wetland losses under the Clean Water Act. National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., USA. Peterson HG. 1998. Use of constructed wetlands to process agricultural wastewater. Canadian Journal of Plant Science 78:199–210. Richter BD, Matthews R, Harrison DL, Wigington R. 2003. Ecologically sustainable water management: managing river flows for ecological integrity. Ecological Applications 13:206–224. Russell KR, Guynn Jr. DC, Hanlin HG. 2002. Importance of small isolated wetlands for herpetofaunal diversity in managed, young growth forests in the coastal plain of South Carolina. Forest Ecology and Management. 163:43-59. Seabloom EW, van der Valk AG. 2003. Plant diversity, composition, and invasion of restored and natural prairie pothole wetlands: implications for restoration. Wetlands 23:1-12. Simenstad CA, Thom RM. 1996. Functional equivalency trajectories of the restored Gog-Le-Hi-Te estuarine wetland. Ecological Applications 6:38–56. Wilkins S, Keith DA, Adam P. 2003. Measuring success: evaluating the restoration of a grassy eucalypt woodland on the Cumberland Plain, Sydney, Australia. Restoration Ecology. 11:489-503. Zedler JB. 2000a. Progress in wetland restoration ecology. Trends in Ecology and Evolution. 15:402-407. Zedler JB. 2000b. Handbook for restoring tidal wetlands. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, USA. Zedler JB, Callaway JC. 1999. Tracking wetland restoration: do mitigation sites follow desired trajectories? Restoration Ecology. 7:69-73.