Abstract
Created wetlands are often limited in soil organic matter, a product that usually accumulates with long-term ecosystem succession. Although many studies have tested the effect of adding organic material to these systems, few have quantified the effect of various loadings of organic matter (OM) in created wetlands. The purpose of this study was to determine how vegetation composition, standing crop biomass, and woody vegetation development varied in a created freshwater wetland with respect to different loadings (0, 56, 112, 224, or 336 Mg ha−1) of a soil OM amendment. Soil C, N, and P were positively related to loading rate, as was soil surface elevation. Species richness, evenness, and diversity measurements, along with the Ellenberg Community Coefficient Similarity Index, suggested an overall similarity of plant assemblages regardless of loading rate. Standing crop biomass (580–790 g m−2) was not significantly correlated with OM loadings, but showed a significant curvilinear relationship with plot surface elevation. Woody vegetation development was correlated with OM loadings, plot elevation, and soil P, indicating a positive relationship with all three factors. An amendment loading of 112 Mg ha−1 provided the maximum benefit because it provided soil nutrient levels that were within the range of natural wetlands while also minimizing changes in soil surface elevation due to the added bulk material.
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