Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2006MN153B

Factors Affecting Revegetation Success in Lakeshore Restorations

Institute: Minnesota
Year Established: 2006 Start Date: 2006-03-01 End Date: 2008-02-29
Total Federal Funds: $54,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $114,928

Principal Investigators: Susan Galatowitsch

Project Summary: Revegetating aquatic zones is crucial to the overall success of lakeshore restoration since improving fish habitat and reducing wave impacts depend on the development of emergent plant beds. Currently, there is little understanding of why most aquatic plantings fail while a few succeed. Information based on experimental findings (rather than anectdotal observations) is needed on the importance of the effects of planting time, water depth, and kind of transplant used. Although aquatic plantings often include several species, Scirpus validus (soft-stem bulrush) is likely the most commonly used species in the northern freshwater lakes because of its tolerance to a wide range of environmental conditions. This study is a within-lake experiment of bulrush transplant survival and establishment. Within 5 lakes in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, a split-split plot experimental planting will be conducted in 2006. A 30 m length of lakeshore within each lake will be divided into two depth zones: 0-35 cm, 36-70 cm. Within each zone, transplanting of two types of propagules (large containers and mats) will be installed at monthly intervals. Data on number and conditions of shoots will be collected prior to planting, 30 days after planting (initial success), and after winter (in summer 2007). We expect to identify combinations of factors that can increase the chances of transplant survival and post-planting expansion. Without such basic information, the recent widespread efforts to restore lakeshores will likely result in minimal change and interest may not be sustained.