Restoration of Carolina Bay Depression Wetlands
Carolina
bays and similar depressions are characteristic wetlands of the
Coastal Plain, with diverse hydrologies, soils, and vegetation.
They provide essential habitat for semi-aquatic fauna, but many
have been destroyed or severely altered by ditching, draining,
and conversion to agriculture. As "isolated" wetlands, they have
limited regulatory protections and are further threatened. Thus
there is critical need for information to assist their conservation
and restoration. The Center is conducting and collaborating in
experimental research to test approaches for restoring small Carolina
bay wetlands on the Savannah River Site, South Carolina . Altered
depressions have been hydrologically restored by plugging drainage
ditches, and alternative methods for vegetation establishment and
site management are being tested.
Cooperative
research studies are addressing questions such as:
- Can
simple techniques successfully restore hydrological and biogeochemical
functions?
- How
do hydrology and soils affect vegetation response in restored
wetlands?
- Can
vegetation be restored by passive techniques (seed banks, dispersal),
or are more active measures (planting, management) required?
- How
do wildlife species respond to wetland restorations?
Results
of these studies will enhance our capability to guide restoration
efforts and predict how different management approaches provide
suitable habitat for key wetland species and communities.
For
more information, contact:
Dr. Diane De Steven
phone:(843)769-7015
e-mail: ddesteven@fs.fed.us
Sweetgrass
Habitat Restoration
Sweetgrass
( Muhlenbergia filipes ) is a culturally valued species
used in the production of coiled seagrass baskets, a traditional
African art form still practiced in coastal African-American communities.
Urban development, fire suppression, and possible hydrologic changes
have greatly reduced the extent of accessible coastal habitats
that support sweetgrass. The Center, The College of Charleston,
and the South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium formed a partnership
to develop methods to restore sweetgrass habitats and increase
sustainable populations. Research includes surveys to estimate
the historical extent of sweetgrass habitat and experiments to
assessing the effects of flooding treatments and prescribed burning
on success of planted sweetgrass in trial restoration sites.
For
more information, contact:
Dr. Marianne Burke
phone:(843)769-7010
e-mail:mburke@fs.fed.us
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Bottom
Hardwood Restoration
The
Center has led collaborative research to develop restoration and
assessment techniques for bottomland hardwood wetlands. A restoration
project was implemented in Pen Branch Creek, a 3 rd order stream
impacted by thermal cooling water discharges on the Savannah River
Site, South Carolina . Through experiments and use of successional
chronosequences, the research takes a holistic ecosystem approach
to determine the biotic and abiotic factors that can influence
restoration progress and provide assessment criteria. In cooperative
studies with various partners, researchers have examined ecosystem
components ranging from soil carbon and nutrients to vegetation,
stream communities, and wildlife. The findings will enable future
restoration efforts to be more effectively performed and evaluated.
For
more information, contact:
Dr. Diane De Steven
phone: (843)769-7015
e-mail: ddesteven@fs.fed.us
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