The Use of Dredged Sediments as a Soil Amendment for Improving Plant Responses in Prairie Restorations

Abstract

doi:10.3368/er.41.2–3.70 Ecological Restoration Vol. 41, Nos. 2–3, 2023 ISSN 1522-4740 E-ISSN 1543-4079 ©2023 by the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. (Timpane-Padgham et al. 2017). Future disturbances such as climate change and loss of Fraxinus spp. due to Agrilus planipennis (emerald ash borer) are likely to shift forest composition (Hufnagel and Garamvolgyi 2014, Herms et al. 2007) and create gaps where species with appropriate plant functional traits can establish alternative stable states (Fukami 2015, Perez-Hernandez and Gavilan 2021). The continued tree growth, low annual mortality and increase in diversity metrics suggest this restoration is on a trajectory to meet the goal of becoming a mature maplebasswood forest, able to adapt to environmental changes.