activities and it was relatively difficult to eliminate it from our study site, by
performing several actions, such as cutting aerial biomass, burning, flooding,
spraying, and injecting with herbicide. There is a need for further information
about more effective treatment to control this species and eliminate its re-sprouting
capacity.
Typha domingensis is a native wetland species whose dominance has been
increasing throughout the restoration process at our study site. Rejmánková et al.
(1995) and Johnson and Rejmánková (2005) found that marshes dominated by this
species occupied areas with high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus. Soil phosphorus was the most important factor affecting Typha abundance; however, other
dominant species, such as Eleocharis spp. and Cladium jamaicense, correlated
negatively with soil phosphorus. The increasing dominance of Typha at our restoration site is a non-desired situation as Typha creates monodominated patches;
therefore, the monitoring and selective extraction of this species will have to be
addressed.
16.4.2 Plant Diversity Recovery
The species diversity recorded at the 4-year restored site is low compared with
European dune slacks (Grootjans et al. 2004), but similar to diversity records in
wetland dune lake vegetation (Peralta Peláez and Moreno-Casasola 2009) and in
other freshwater marshes along the coastal plain of Veracruz (Moreno-Casasola
et al. 2010). This similarity is probably the result of longer inundation periods,
which have favored organic accumulation, as occurs in other wetlands. Few
species are shared with those dominant (Hydrocotyle bonariensis, Lippia nodiflora, Cyperus articulatus) of wet slacks found in the same dune (Moreno-Casasola
and Vázquez 1999), and in this study, they were present along the restoration
process, but had a low importance value.
Moreno-Casasola et al. (2010) obtained hydrographs for different types of
broad-leaved marshes in the state of Veracruz, which showed that flooding periods
for Sagittaria and Pontederia floristic associations was around 10 months per year.
At the restoration site, hydrographs for the different wetland types varied, but some
of them (Fig. 16.3) showed that areas remained flooded all year round (both
controls and the Echinochloa–Typha zone) or for several months (Echinochloa,
Sagittaria, and Dalbergia zones). In other dune slacks of this same system,
flooding lasts only for 2–3 months (Martínez et al. 1997). This may explain the
difference in the species composition found, and the similarity to other wetlands
along the floodplain.
266
H. López-Rosas et al.
performing several actions, such as cutting aerial biomass, burning, flooding,
spraying, and injecting with herbicide. There is a need for further information
about more effective treatment to control this species and eliminate its re-sprouting
capacity.
Typha domingensis is a native wetland species whose dominance has been
increasing throughout the restoration process at our study site. Rejmánková et al.
(1995) and Johnson and Rejmánková (2005) found that marshes dominated by this
species occupied areas with high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus. Soil phosphorus was the most important factor affecting Typha abundance; however, other
dominant species, such as Eleocharis spp. and Cladium jamaicense, correlated
negatively with soil phosphorus. The increasing dominance of Typha at our restoration site is a non-desired situation as Typha creates monodominated patches;
therefore, the monitoring and selective extraction of this species will have to be
addressed.
16.4.2 Plant Diversity Recovery
The species diversity recorded at the 4-year restored site is low compared with
European dune slacks (Grootjans et al. 2004), but similar to diversity records in
wetland dune lake vegetation (Peralta Peláez and Moreno-Casasola 2009) and in
other freshwater marshes along the coastal plain of Veracruz (Moreno-Casasola
et al. 2010). This similarity is probably the result of longer inundation periods,
which have favored organic accumulation, as occurs in other wetlands. Few
species are shared with those dominant (Hydrocotyle bonariensis, Lippia nodiflora, Cyperus articulatus) of wet slacks found in the same dune (Moreno-Casasola
and Vázquez 1999), and in this study, they were present along the restoration
process, but had a low importance value.
Moreno-Casasola et al. (2010) obtained hydrographs for different types of
broad-leaved marshes in the state of Veracruz, which showed that flooding periods
for Sagittaria and Pontederia floristic associations was around 10 months per year.
At the restoration site, hydrographs for the different wetland types varied, but some
of them (Fig. 16.3) showed that areas remained flooded all year round (both
controls and the Echinochloa–Typha zone) or for several months (Echinochloa,
Sagittaria, and Dalbergia zones). In other dune slacks of this same system,
flooding lasts only for 2–3 months (Martínez et al. 1997). This may explain the
difference in the species composition found, and the similarity to other wetlands
along the floodplain.
266
H. López-Rosas et al.