Methods of accelerating re-vegetation at Bay of Fundy salt marsh restoration sites : a practical comparison

Abstract

Tidal wetlands provide important coastal protection, and interest in their restoration is growing in response to climate change. In Atlantic Canada, tidal wetland restoration has focused on restoring tidal flow, without planting vegetation. I evaluated five methods of planting eight native species at Bay of Fundy restoration sites by comparing growth and health of plants over two years. Planting potted seedlings facilitated the most growth of desired species and had 75% survival while plants transplanted from adjacent sites had higher mortality. Growth, health, and winter survival were all more strongly related to site than treatment. Important differences in elevation, inundation, salinity and soil nutrients may explain these differences in performance. These techniques show promise for accelerating re-vegetation at recovering sites, and my results highlight the need for an understanding of site conditions to inform planting schemes. Depending on budget, some combination of the tested planting techniques may be appropriate.