Dataset Information

Structural and functional loss in restored wetland ecosystems.

ABSTRACT: Wetlands are among the most productive and economically valuable ecosystems in the world. However, because of human activities, over half of the wetland ecosystems existing in North America, Europe, Australia, and China in the early 20th century have been lost. Ecological restoration to recover critical ecosystem services has been widely attempted, but the degree of actual recovery of ecosystem functioning and structure from these efforts remains uncertain. Our results from a meta-analysis of 621 wetland sites from throughout the world show that even a century after restoration efforts, biological structure (driven mostly by plant assemblages), and biogeochemical functioning (driven primarily by the storage of carbon in wetland soils), remained on average 26% and 23% lower, respectively, than in reference sites. Either recovery has been very slow, or postdisturbance systems have moved towards alternative states that differ from reference conditions. We also found significant effects of environmental settings on the rate and degree of recovery. Large wetland areas (>100 ha) and wetlands restored in warm (temperate and tropical) climates recovered more rapidly than smaller wetlands and wetlands restored in cold climates. Also, wetlands experiencing more (riverine and tidal) hydrologic exchange recovered more rapidly than depressional wetlands. Restoration performance is limited: current restoration practice fails to recover original levels of wetland ecosystem functions, even after many decades. If restoration as currently practiced is used to justify further degradation, global loss of wetland ecosystem function and structure will spread.

SUBMITTER: Moreno-Mateos D

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3265451 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Structural and functional loss in restored wetland ecosystems.

Moreno-Mateos David D Power Mary E ME Comín Francisco A FA Yockteng Roxana R

PLoS biology 20120124 1

Wetlands are among the most productive and economically valuable ecosystems in the world. However, because of human activities, over half of the wetland ecosystems existing in North America, Europe, Australia, and China in the early 20th century have been lost. Ecological restoration to recover critical ecosystem services has been widely attempted, but the degree of actual recovery of ecosystem functioning and structure from these efforts remains uncertain. Our results from a meta-analysis of 62 ...[more]

PMID: 22291572

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Project description:In response to national policy obligations, many mining companies in Ghana have restored/reclaimed degraded mined out sites through revegetation. The area extent of such restored areas is unknown and there is also paucity of data on success of restoration, species diversity and compositional dynamics of such restored landscapes, particularly using mixed species. This study assessed stand structure, diversity and composition dynamics of sites restored with mixed species and models species abundance distribution on these sites. Three reclaimed and one control site (adjacent natural forest) were inventoried using 27, 30 x 30 m plots on the Hwini-Butre and Benso concession of the Golden Star Wassa Limited. Overall 3057 (per 24 plots) and 150 (per 3 plots) individual trees were recorded in the overstorey of the reclaimed and control sites, respectively. In all, 31 species in 13 families occurred on the reclaimed site while 61 species in 29 families occurred on the control. Species richness, abundance and diversity were significantly lower in the reclaimed sites than the control in the overstorey (p≤0.018), mid-storey (p ≤ 0.032), and understorey (p≤ 0.031). Species composition of the reclaimed and control sites were mostly dissimilar in the overstorey, midstorey, and understorey. However, the midstorey and overstorey of the reclaimed sites showed high similarity in composition (Jaccard's index = 0.817). Pioneer and shade-tolerant species were most dominant in the understorey of the control while only shade-tolerant species (mostly herbs and grasses) dominated the reclaimed sites. Species abundance distribution of both reclaimed and control sites followed the geometric series model, indicating that both sites are disturbed but at different intensities. It is concluded that reclamation with mixed species does not necessarily lead to rapid restoration of indigenous climax species on mine spoils. Nonetheless, it may lead to accomplishments of short-term goals of stabilizing and protecting landscapes while conditioning the sites for colonisation of the climax species.

Dataset Information

Structural and functional loss in restored wetland ecosystems.

Publications

Structural and functional loss in restored wetland ecosystems.

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