Remnant seed banks and vegetation as predictors of restored marsh vegetation

Abstract

Selection of sites for wetland restoration requires analysis of probable success at recreating diverse natural vegetation. We studied the seed banks and the remnant vegetation at restoration sites to determine their degree of similarity to the vegetation that developed following restoration of wetland hydrology. The study sites had been used for forage crops and pasture following long-term drainage. The seed bank was a very poor predictor of plant species abundances following restoration. Similarity between remnant vegetation and restored vegetation was consistently higher than similarity values using seed banks at both restored and natural wetlands. Our results suggest that seed-bank analysis is an inefficient technique for predicting restored vegetation in sites with prolonged disturbance, and that analysis of remnant vegetation on the sites is probably more useful. However, results would probably differ at sites with tile drainage that have limited remnant vegetation or created wetlands with bare soil where seed germination would play a greater role in revegetation. In addition, seed-bank studies are important to determine if aggressive invasive species are present at potential restoration sites.Key words: seed banks, wetlands, restoration, marshes, vegetation.