Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/11681/26652
Title: Restoring bottomland hardwood forests on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lands : 2016 monitoring report
Authors: Berkowitz, Jacob F., 1979-
Evans, Darrell E. (Darrell Edward), 1957-
Philley, Kevin D.
Pietroski, Jason P.
Ehorn, Casey H.
Beane, Nathan R.
Keywords: Restoration ecology
Wetland restoration
Forest restoration
Delta (Miss.: Region)
Environmental monitoring
Publisher: Environmental Laboratory (U.S.)
Engineer Research and Development Center (U.S.)
Series/Report no.: Technical Report (Engineer Research and Development Center (U.S.) ) ; no. ERDC/EL TR-18-4
Abstract: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) – Vicksburg District manages over 12,000 ha of restored bottomland hardwood forests within the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley. Restored forest stand ages within the region vary from five 5 to 26 years, providing opportunities to document increases in wetland function across a restoration chronosequence. Additionally, conducting repeated monitoring at restored sites over multiple years allows for an examination of restoration benefits as forest succession occurs. During 2016, wetland functional assessment data was collected and analyzed from 606 sample locations collected within 12 restored bottomland hardwood forest sites. Results indicate that (1) wetland assessment variables show continued progress toward mature forest conditions; (2) wetland assessment variables follow expected recovery trajectories; (3) wetland functional scores display statistically significant increases across the restoration chronosequence; and (4) wetland functional scores improve over multiple years of monitoring. Results display a functional lag between restored areas undergoing ecological succession and mature (e.g., 80-year-old) reference forests. However, a subset of wetland functions in restored sites have attained reference conditions in areas approaching or exceeding tree diameter and canopy closure thresholds.
Description: Technical Report
Gov't Doc #: ERDC/EL TR-18-4
Rights: Approved for Public Release; Distribution is Unlimited
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/11681/26652
http://dx.doi.org/10.21079/11681/26652
Appears in Collections:Technical Report

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