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Urban Wetland Characterization in South-Central New York State

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Abstract

Urban wetlands can serve to reduce flooding and improve water quality, yet we know little about their plant communities. Our study aims to characterize the vegetation and soil parameters of these important ecosystems, and to compare these features to those of previously sampled natural wetlands in south-central New York. Vegetation and soil characteristics were sampled in eight urban wetlands and compared to six forested wetlands, five scrub-shrub wetlands, and seven emergent wetlands. Urban sites had significantly lower species richness and a higher percent cover of invasives, including Typha x glauca, Phalaris arundinacea, and Lythrum salicaria. However, non-invasive species were also common in urban flora, including Leersia oryzoides, Ludwigia palustris, and Sagittaria latifolia. Urban wetlands had a high percentage of obligate wetland species, and most closely resembled emergent wetlands in their vegetation composition. Soil pH and soil electrical conductivity were significantly higher in urban sites, but potential net N-mineralization rates were significantly lower. Urban wetland vegetation and soil characteristics are different than those in nearby natural wetlands, and our increased knowledge of these urban ecosystems will lead to more successful restoration and creation projects.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Kate Foley, Meaghan Petix, and Sarah Lister for their assistance in the field and lab, as well as Dr. Julian Shepherd and Dr. Mark Blumler for assistance in plant identification. We also thank Stephanie Craig and two anonymous reviewers for their comments on the manuscript. This study was partially supported by a USEPA Region 2 grant to the Upper Susquehanna Coalition Wetland Program subcontracted to Binghamton University and a Wallace Research Foundation grant to Binghamton University.

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  1. Department of Biological Sciences, State University of New York at Binghamton, P.O. Box 6000, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA

    Megan A. Larson, Rebecca L. Heintzman, John E. Titus & Weixing Zhu

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  1. Megan A. Larson
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  2. Rebecca L. Heintzman
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  3. John E. Titus
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Correspondence to Megan A. Larson.

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Larson, M.A., Heintzman, R.L., Titus, J.E. et al. Urban Wetland Characterization in South-Central New York State. Wetlands 36, 821–829 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-016-0789-9

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