Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2025
DOI
10.1111/rec.70046
Publication Title
Restoration Ecology
Volume
Article in Press
Pages
15 pp.
Abstract
Ecological restoration is essential for improving the ecological integrity of degraded ecosystems to enhance ecosystem services and biodiversity. In this study, we assessed the effectiveness of wetland restoration on retired cranberry farms by analyzing vegetation recovery and surface-water dynamics using the enhanced vegetation index (EVI) and normalized difference water index (NDWI) derived from Sentinel-2 satellite imagery. To quantify temporal dynamics of both vegetation recovery and surface-water cover, we identified the spectral distinctions among restored wetland plant communities. Our results indicated the emergence of distinct plant communities upon restoration. Restored wetlands in general showed significant and progressive vegetation recovery and expanding surface-water cover with clear spectral differentiation among plant communities, as indicated by improved EVI and NDWI estimates. Wetlands restored in 2016 showed higher EVI estimates compared to both reference wetlands and those restored in 2020, suggesting more advanced vegetation recovery. Wetlands restored in 2020 displayed greater variability in EVI, particularly for open-water wetlands, with less consistent patterns compared to the 2016 restorations. Reference wetlands consistently exhibited the highest NDWI values, indicating that restored wetlands have not yet achieved full hydrological saturation. Notably, wetlands restored in 2020 had significantly greater surface-water coverage than those restored in 2016. Our study suggests that restored wetlands have gained remarkable progress in vegetation recovery, although they are yet to reach the desired state of hydrological saturation compared to reference wetlands. By providing insights into the ecological trajectories of restored wetlands, our study supports evidence-based management practices for fostering sustainable wetland ecosystems.
Rights
© 2025 The Authors.
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.
Original Publication Citation
Surasinghe, T. D., Chen, Y.-H., & Singh, K. K. (2025). Restored wetlands show rapid vegetation recovery and substantial surface-water expansion. Restoration Ecology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.70046
Repository Citation
Surasinghe, T. D., Chen, Y.-H., & Singh, K. K. (2025). Restored wetlands show rapid vegetation recovery and substantial surface-water expansion. Restoration Ecology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.70046
ORCID
0000-0003-4809-5718 (Chen)
Supporting Information
Included in
Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Plant Sciences Commons, Systems Engineering and Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons