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Phosphorus export from a restored wetland ecosystem in response to natural and experimental hydrologic fluctuations
Abstract
Wetland restoration is a commonly used approach to reduce nutrient loading to freshwater
and coastal ecosystems, with many wetland restoration efforts occurring in former
agricultural fields. Restored wetlands are expected to be effective at retaining or
removing both nitrogen and phosphorus (P), yet restoring wetland hydrology to former
agricultural fields can lead to the release of legacy fertilizer P. Here, we examined
P cycling and export following rewetting of the Timberlake Restoration Project, a
440 ha restored riverine wetland complex in the coastal plain of North Carolina. We
also compared P cycling within the restored wetland to two minimally disturbed nearby
wetlands and an adjacent active agricultural field. In the restored wetland we observed
increased soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) concentrations following initial flooding,
consistent with our expectations that P bound to iron would be released under reducing
conditions. SRP concentrations in spring were 2.5 times higher leaving the restored
wetland than a forested wetland and an agricultural field. During two large-scale
drawdown and rewetting experiments we decreased the water depth by 1 m in ∼10 ha of
inundated wetland for 2 weeks, followed by reflooding. Rewetting following experimental
drainage had no effect on SRP concentrations in winter, but SRP concentrations did
increase when the experiment was repeated during summer. Our best estimates suggest
that this restored wetland could release legacy fertilizer P for up to a decade following
hydrologic restoration. The time lag between restoration and biogeochemical recovery
should be incorporated into management strategies of restored wetlands. Copyright
2010 by the American Geophysical Union.
Type
Journal articlePermalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/4017Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.1029/2009JG001169Publication Info
Ardón, M; Montanari, S; Morse, JL; Doyle, MW; & Bernhardt, ES (2010). Phosphorus export from a restored wetland ecosystem in response to natural and experimental
hydrologic fluctuations. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences, 115(4). pp. G04031. 10.1029/2009JG001169. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/4017.This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this
article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
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Emily S. Bernhardt
James B. Duke Distinguished Professor
Emily Bernhardt is an ecosystem ecologist and biogeochemist whose research is principally
concerned with tracking the movement of elements through ecological systems. Dr. Bernhardt's
research aims to document the extent to which the structure and function of aquatic
ecosystems is being altered by land use change (urbanization, agriculture, mining)
global change (rising CO2, rising sea levels) and chemical pollution. Ultimately this
information is necessary to determine whether and how
Martin Doyle
Professor in the Environmental Sciences and Policy Division
Martin Doyle is a Professor at Duke University focused on the science and policy of
rivers and water in the US. His work ranges from fluid mechanics and sediment transport
to infrastructure finance and federal water policy. His first book, The Source (WW
Norton, February, 2018), is a history of America’s rivers. His second book, Streams
of Revenue (MIT Press, 2021) is an analysis of ecosystem markets. In addition to his
role as a professor, D
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