Linking ecosystem function and hydrologic regime to inform restoration of a forested peatland

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dc.contributor.authorSchulte, Morgan L.en
dc.contributor.authorMcLaughlin, Daniel L.en
dc.contributor.authorWurster, Frederic C.en
dc.contributor.authorBalentine, Karenen
dc.contributor.authorSpeiran, Gary K.en
dc.contributor.authorAust, W. Michaelen
dc.contributor.authorStewart, Ryan D.en
dc.contributor.authorVarner, J. Morganen
dc.contributor.authorJones, C. Nathanen
dc.contributor.departmentForest Resources and Environmental Conservationen
dc.contributor.departmentSchool of Plant and Environmental Sciencesen
dc.date.accessioned2020-03-04T13:59:08Zen
dc.date.available2020-03-04T13:59:08Zen
dc.date.issued2019-03-01en
dc.description.abstractDrainage is a globally common disturbance in forested peatlands that impacts peat soils, forest communities, and associated ecosystem functions, calling for informed hydrologic restoration strategies. The Great Dismal Swamp (GDS), located in Virginia and North Carolina, U.S.A., has been altered since colonial times, particularly by extensive ditch networks installed to lower water levels and facilitate timber harvests. Consequently, peat decomposition rates have accelerated, and red maple has become the dominant tree species, reducing the historical mosaic of bald cypress, Atlantic white-cedar, and pocosin stands. Recent repair and installation of water control structures aim to control drainage and, in doing so, enhance forest community composition and preserve peat depths. To help inform these actions, we established five transects of 15 plots each (75 plots total) along a hydrologic gradient where we measured continuous water levels and ecosystem attributes, including peat depths, microtopography, and forest composition and structure. We found significant differences among transects, with wetter sites having thicker peat, lower red maple importance, greater tree density, and higher overall stand richness. Plot-level analyses comported with these trends, clearly grouping plots by transects (via nonmetric multidimensional scaling) and resulting in significant correlations between specific hydrologic metrics and ecosystem attributes. Our findings highlight hydrologic controls on soil carbon storage, forest structure, and maple dominance, with implications for large-scale hydrologic restoration at GDS and in other degraded forested peatlands more broadly.en
dc.description.adminPublic domain – authored by a U.S. government employeeen
dc.description.notesThis work was funded by the Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, and U.S. Geological Survey. ("Any use of trade, product or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government") Special thanks to Ray Ludwig and Will Doran for data collection assistance and Tal Roberts for technical support.en
dc.description.sponsorshipVirginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge; U.S. Geological SurveyUnited States Geological Surveyen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.12.042en
dc.identifier.eissn1095-8630en
dc.identifier.issn0301-4797en
dc.identifier.pmid30590264en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/97129en
dc.identifier.volume233en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.rightsCreative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedicationen
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/en
dc.subjectForested wetlandsen
dc.subjectPeaten
dc.subjectRed mapleen
dc.subjectRestorationen
dc.subjectDisturbanceen
dc.subjectGreat Dismal Swampen
dc.titleLinking ecosystem function and hydrologic regime to inform restoration of a forested peatlanden
dc.title.serialJournal of Environmental Managementen
dc.typeArticle - Refereeden
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten
dc.type.dcmitypeStillImageen

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