Wetlands restoration is a complicated task, especially when dealing with bottomland hardwood (BLH) forest areas that have been converted to agricultural use. The restoration process becomes more complex because of the climatic and environmental differences between the two areas. Scientists have found that seedlings which naturally regenerate in a BLH forest may barely survive when planted in an open field. In order to determine what climatic and environmental factors contribute to the success or failure of seedling growth and survival, scientists from the U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station, under the Wetlands Research Program, will be conducting field experiments in the Delta National Forest and an adjacent agricultural field that is to be restored to BLH. The study site (Fig. 1 (25K)) is located in Sharkey County, near Anguilla, Miss., which is approximately 60 to the north of the Waterways Experiment Station. This Corps of Engineers' study is part of an interagency wetland restoration project. Major research studies are conducted in the area by the National Biological Survey, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Soil Conservation Service.
In addition to the principal investigators, several WES contract students are actively involved with the Sharkey County project. Contract students Monica Craft, a biologist who recently received her Masters Degree from Alcorn State University, and Kimberly Seeley, a new graduate student at Louisiana State University, are actively conducting field work at the site. This field work included selecting the location for the weather stations, planting seedlings, installing groundwater wells, and setting up weather stations. With initial preparations completed, Craft and Seeley will be responsible for equipment maintenance and data collection during the next 12 months of the experiment.
Water levels have significant bearing on the outcome of the seedlings' growth and survival because soil saturation within the root zone can cause anaerobic conditions which stress the plants. The groundwater data collected in this investigation will be studied in conjunction with the data collected from seedlings and weather stations.
The weather stations' purpose is to collect meteorological and hydrological data. Instruments gather data through sensors located on various parts of the weather station (Fig. 2 (86K)). These sensors register soil moisture, soil temperature, precipitation, relative humidity, wind vectors, wind speed, air temperature, solar radiation, and barometric pressure. The data collected by these sensors are transferred to a data logger. A hand-held polycorder is brought to the test sites to download the meteorological and hydrological data for statistical analyses. The information will then be processed to identify trends in the climates for each environment. The meteorological and hydrological data from the weather stations will be analyzed in conjunction with data collected from the seedlings.
Data collection in the Sharkey County experiment is set to begin on Oct. 1, 1994 and will continue through Sept. 30, 1995, one water year. Once the experiment is underway, Seeley will check the weather stations every two weeks, and maintain the weather database. During these routine site visits, Seeley will download the data and test the sensors and loggers to make sure that they are still functioning properly.
Since a primary objective of this experiment is the tying of seedling physiology, morphology, and survival rate to meteorological data from the weather station and ground water wells, the seedlings and groundwater wells will also be checked every two weeks. Data about the seedlings' and groundwater wells' changes will then be recorded.
Wetlands Research Program scientists will analyze the collected data for evidence of the climatic and environmental factors that contribute to the success or failure of seedling establishment. Findings from the Sharkey County experiment should contribute to the successful completion of future wetlands restoration projects.
Additional information about the WRP project is available from Barb Kleiss at (601) 634-3836 or Steve Sprecher at (601) 634- 3957.
