Wetland Restoration Techniques and Associated Costs in Southeastern North Dakota

Abstract

Degraded wetlands are a common occurrence throughout the Prairie Pothole Region of the United States. Many restoration attempts have been conducted to restore these unique ecosystems to their previous conditions. However, many restored wetlands fail to regain the appearance and functions of natural wetlands. Two studies were completed in southeastern North Dakota to determine if restoration of these areas is possible. Research objectives were to; (1) determine if one year of glyphosate application is enough to impact a soil seedbank of a previously cultivated wetland, and (2) estimate costs of three different vegetation restoration methods to better understand cost/benefit ratios of restoration methods. Seedbank analysis showed significant differences with one year of glyphosate application, and restoration costs were determined for the different techniques. These results will be utilized to help aid restoration efforts in the future to make them more time and cost effective.