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Wetlands mitigation evaluation vegetation studies : Final report to the city of Norfolk
Priest, Walter I
Priest, Walter I
Abstract
Coastal wetlands in Virginia represent a finite resource which is being subjected to ever increasing development pressures. As a means of reducing these losses while accomodating necessary economic development, the policy of wetlands mitigation through compensation is increasingly being utilized by both regulatory agencies and developers. This practice generally involves the grading of an upland area to the appropriate elevation and planting it with wetlands vegetation to replace a mar sh being lost in another area. The technology to plant and grow marsh vegetation for this and other purposes has been well demonstrated . In as few as two growing seasons the appearance and primary productivity can be very similar to natural marshes, but the length of time necessary for them to become fully functional in an ecological sense is unknown (Woodhouse et al, 1974) . This question remains unanswered and the need still exists to conduct both short and long term studies of planted marshes to evaluate their success at replacing the wetlands resources being lost to development. These studies need to include not only the plant community but also the physical environment and the utilization of these areas by invertebrates, fishes, birds, and mammals (Zedler, 1984). In an effort to address some of these questions this portion of the study was designed to 1) compare the vegetative characteristics of a manmade marsh with those of similar natural marshes and 2) investigate the role of elevation and tidal inundation in the development of the marsh.
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1989-07-01
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Priest1989.pdf
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Research and Technical Reports, Wetlands -- Virginia -- Norfolk; Wetland conservation -- Virginia -- Norfolk
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Virginia Institute of Marine Science
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https://doi.org/10.21220/V5775V