USGS National Wetlands Research Center: Plant Community Dynamics

Plant Community Dynamics

Plant communities in wetland habitats can be affected by many factors, both biotic and abiotic, including physical or chemical stressors, intraspecific and interspecific competition, human-induced disturbance, and herbivory. Through a combination of manipulative field and greenhouse experiments, researchers at the NWRC study how the structure and composition of wetland plant communities change over time in response to these factors, and how wildlife populations are affected by the vegetation changes. Some projects focus on plant response to salinity and flooding stress, which can be caused by saltwater intrusion associated with hydrologic manipulations, severe weather (e.g., hurricanes), or climate change. The ability of various communities to recover when stressors are removed is also studied. In addition, managed wetlands are studied: the frequency, depth, and duration of flooding are often controlled in managed wetlands to influence plant community succession in a technique called moist soil management, and research of managed wetlands at NWRC is designed to quantify the relationship between plant community composition and environmental factors in those wetlands. The effects of management practices on waterbird habitat value is an additional focus area. These research projects provide information needed to effectively manage wetland ecosystems under various stress and disturbance scenarios and to restore important wetland systems that have been degraded. This information can also be used to help identify areas where restoration activities are likely to be successful.

Research

Dynamics of Freshwater-Intermediate Marsh Plant Communities under Disturbed Salinity and Waterlogging Regimes (Dr. Rebecca J. Howard)
Links Between Moist Soil Plant Community Development and Environments Created by Management (Dr. Rebecca J. Howard)

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