Comparison between restored and reference sedge meadow wetlands in south-central Wisconsin

Hydrologic and soil parameters were surveyed in three wetlands to determine the prevailing influences on vegetation distribution and composition. Five hydrologic parameters, four soil parameters, and the relative elevation of sampling plots in two restored wetlands and one reference wetland were compared. Bray-Curtis ordination techniques were used to discern correlations between the measured environmental parameters and the presence and abundance of twelve wetland plant species. Species' environmental preferences were then related to differences in vegetation distribution and composition between reference and restored wetlands. Data analysis revealed the strongest correlations between average water level, minimum water level, and depth of peat and the presence and abundance of the twelve wetland plant taxa. The relatively thin layer of peat found in the restored areas, and the consequent lower average and minimum water levels, was correlated with the presence and spread of Salix spp. The thicker layer of peat found in the reference area was correlated with the greater presence of the co-dominants Carer aquatilis and Calamagrostis canadensis.