• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.363-376
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• 2010

Vegetative communities of created wetlands often display lower species richness, less cover, higher occurrence of non-native or invasive species, and fewer obligate wetlands species than those in natural wetlands, thus failing to meet basic success criteria for wetland mitigation. This study examined the effects of two design elements, disking-induced microtopography and hydrologic regime, on the first year vegetation development pattern of a mitigation wetland newly created in the Virginia piedmont. Elevation and species cover were measured along replicate multiscale circular transects in two adjacent wetland sites that are different in their hydrologic regime. Two microtopographic indices, tortuosity (T) and limiting elevation difference (LD), were calculated from the elevation measurements. Both indices were higher in disked plots than non-disked plots, showing the effect of disking on microtopography. Out of forty-one vegetation taxa observed in the wetland, 29 taxa were naturally colonized and 12 taxa were seeded. All plots except one non-disked plot were dominated by wetland vegetation. Species richness and diversity were higher in disked than in non-disked plots. Vegetation community development seemed also influenced significantly by hydrologic regime of the site. The effect of microtopography on species richness and diversity was more pronounced in a relatively dry site compared to a wet site. In addition, percent cover, species richness and diversity of vegetation were positively correlated with microtopographic indices such as T and LD. Two design elements, microtopography and hydrologic regime, should be considered and incorporated in wetland creation to enhance plant community development.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.151-156
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• 2013

Several soil properties were studied from three young created mitigation wetlands (<10 years old), which were hydrologically comparable in the Piedmont region of Virginia. The properties included soil organic matter (SOM), soil organic carbon (SOC), pH, gravimetric soil moisture, and bulk density ($D_b$). No significant differences were found in the soil properties between the wetlands, except SOM and SOC. SOM and SOC indicated a slight increase with wetland age; the increase was more evident with SOC. Only about a half of SOC variability found in the wetlands was explained by SOM ($R^2$ = 0.499, p < 0.05). The majority of the ratios of SOM to SOC for these silt-loam soils ranged from 2.0 to 3.5, which was higher than the 1.724 Van Bemmelen factor, commonly applied for the conversion of SOM into SOC in estimating the carbon storage or accumulation capacity of wetlands. The results may caution the use of the conversion factor, which may lead to an overestimation of carbon sequestration potentials of newly created wetlands. SOC, but not SOM, was also correlated to $D_b$, which indicates soil compaction typical of most created wetlands that might limit vegetation growth and biomass production, eventually affecting carbon accumulation in the created wetlands.