Woody Vegetation Indicators vary with time Since Wetland Restoration

Successful wetland restoration depends on the development of the vegetation community post-restoration. Woody vegetation provides functional and structural support to the wetland ecosystem and community development post-restoration dictates restoration outcomes. We investigated basal area, stem density, and species richness of woody vegetation in 40 restored wetlands across West Virginia, USA, ranging in age from 1 to 29 years post-restoration. We aggregated field-collected data into eight indicators at the site scale and investigated stem size distribution to describe the overall woody vegetation community. Generalized linear regression shows native species richness slightly declined as wetland site age increased. In contrast, the total basal area increased over time since restoration. Total stem density did not vary by age. Regardless of age, all sites were dominated by woody vegetation with a stem diameter < 9.1 cm, whereas the frequency of stems > 9.1 cm increased as wetland age increased. This study demonstrates that the development of woody vegetation post-restoration occurs over decades in central Appalachian wetlands and shows the diverse conditions between restoration sites.