Abstract

This study investigated vegetation and soil properties in a beaver-created freshwater wetland located on the Coastal Plain of Virginia near Washington, DC. We focused on the associations among floristic quality, soil physicochemistry, denitrification, and hydrologic conditions of the wetland to understand links between the effects of beaver engineering and ecosystem function. The floristic quality assessment index (FQI) and denitrification are two important indicators often used to examine overall habitat quality and ecosystem functioning of a wetland. Samples were collected from ten plots (10 m × 10 m each) in August 2014. Vegetation attributes included total percent cover, species richness (S), diversity, FQI, and prevalence index (PI). Soil attributes included organic matter (OM), total carbon, total nitrogen, gravimetric moisture (GM), pH, bulk density (Db), and denitrification potential (DP). FQI was greater in the higher of the two standing water level categories, where Db was lower, and was negatively associated with Db but no other soil nutrient properties. DP was positively associated with soil nutrients, OM, and GM, but not with measured vegetation attributes nor standing water levels. We found higher soil GM, lower plant community PI, and lower plot S in this study compared to our previous study, with no changes to other vegetation or soil attributes, indicating enduring beaver activity and a resilient plant community. The outcome of the study includes regression models that best explain the association between structural and functional attributes of the ecosystem, which can be applicable to the study of other beaver-created wetlands. The study also provides partial evidence for the notion that low-lying areas dug out by beaver positively impact the FQI of wetlands.

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