Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Evaluating Restoration Success By Tracking The Structural And Functional Recovery Of Restored, Drained, And Intact Wetlands, Renee C. Howard

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Wetland restoration efforts have increased on the Canadian prairies to compensate for widespread loss of wetland area, form, and function. Restoration activity presumes a direct replacement for natural wetlands, where restored wetlands provide equivalent ecological functions and services. However, restoration projects often show limited recovery success in biological structure and biogeochemical function. Using plant functional traits is an emerging approach to assessing ecological process and may provide a better indicator of wetland functional recovery than vegetation structural indicators alone. Here, I tracked vegetation structural metrics (i.e., species richness, composition, and cover) and plant functional traits over a chronosequence of restored …