Data for: Restoring riparian wetlands for carbon and nitrogen benefits and other critical ecosystem functions

This study evaluated the short- and long-term ecological outcomes of riparian wetland restoration in the Lower Loddon landscape, Victoria, Australia. Using a multiple sites before-after control-impact (MBACI) design, we monitored three paired wetlands (restored and control) and one long-term restored wetland. Restoration involved hydrological reinstatement (rewetting) and active revegetation with native wetland species. Data collection included greenhouse gas flux measurements, vegetation surveys, leaf litter input and decomposition assessments, and soil organic carbon and nitrogen stock analyses across different wetland inundation zones (submerged, emergent, and fringing zone) and time points (before, during, and after restoration). The goal was to quantify the benefits of restoration for carbon dynamics, plant communities, and soil properties.