Improving Native Species Recruitment in Seed-based Wetland Restoration

One of the greatest threats to Great Salt Lake wetlands is the invasion of Phragmites australis. Recent research has highlighted effective control strategies for Phragmites, however natural recolonization of native plants needed to support wetland functions has been limited. Seeding is a feasible restoration option, however seedling mortality is often high. Understanding the mechanisms that drive early seedling outcomes by quantifying regeneration traits can improve our ability to manipulate and predict restoration actions. Additionally, managers involved in wetland restoration need to know how many seeds to sow, which sites should be prioritized for restoration, and when they should seed. I developed a simulation model to explore changes in native and invasive seed germination across initial seeding density, restoration site, and seasonal timing scenarios. Additionally, I incorporated the influence of seed mass on native species germination into my model. This approach represents a starting point for developing an important management tool that can be used to identify targeted, cost-effective wetland restoration strategies following Phragmites treatment.

大盐湖湿地所面临的重大威胁之一即为对南三棱的入侵。近期研究已突显出对南三棱进行有效控制的策略，然而，支持湿地功能的本土植物的自然再殖民化受到了限制。播种是一种可行的恢复选项，然而幼苗的死亡率通常较高。通过量化再生特征，理解驱动早期幼苗结果机制，能够提升我们操控和预测恢复行动的能力。此外，参与湿地恢复的管理人员需要了解应播种多少种子，哪些地点应优先考虑恢复，以及何时进行播种。我开发了一个模拟模型，以探索在初始播种密度、恢复地点和季节性时间情景下，本土及入侵种子发芽的变化。此外，我还将种子质量对本土物种发芽的影响纳入了我的模型。此方法为开发一项重要的管理工具提供了起点，该工具可用于在处理南三棱后识别具有针对性的、成本效益的湿地恢复策略。