Ecological Context and Vegetation Restoration

Baseline information on flora is critical for planning salt marsh restoration in New Haven, Connecticut’s West River Memorial Park. This information will be important for evaluating existing site conditions and success or failure of the restoration. This chapter presents results of a plant inventory and addresses the ecological considerations necessary to return salt marsh plants to the site. Aerial photographic interpretation and ground reconnaissance indicate that the potential restoration area is dominated by plant species common to coastal marshlands that have been cut off from tidal exchange for a number of years. The salt marsh community has been replaced by a community dominated by common reed (Phragmites australis) with mixes of woody vegetation, cattail (Typha latifolia), and a variety of herbaceous dicots such as goldenrod (Solidago spp.) and smartweed (Polygonum spp.). Restoration at this site is complicated by the presence of fill that was placed on the marsh surface during the 1920s. The fill has raised surface elevations and allowed trees to grow over some areas of the former tidal salt marsh surface. Restoration efforts, therefore, will require a combination of techniques, including the reintroduction of tidal exchange, the removal of fill, and regrading of the surface. Based on similar sites throughout Connecticut, the restoration effort will require ten to twenty years for completion. Periodic ground surveillance and interpretation of future aerial photographs will be required to monitor the success of the restoration. Tidal salt marshes have been shown to be very important to the health and quality of the coastal zone (Gosselink et al. 1974). Marshes provide habitat for many birds, migratory waterfowl, and a number of macroinvertebrates. These systems are also extremely important in providing spawning grounds and nurseries for many of our commercial fisheries. Tidal salt marshes play a major role in filtering river and coastal waters of sediment and pollutants, thus protecting adjacent bodies of water from damage. They absorb energy from coastal storms and store large volumes of water during storm events. Tidal salt marshes are second only to tropical rain forests in the amount of biomass (organic matter) that they produce. They are among the most biologically productive habitats in nature (De la Cruz 1973). There are three types of tidal marshes in New England, each defined by the concentration of salt in the water. These three marsh types (salt, brackish, and fresh) can be readily identified by the plants that grow in them (Chapman 1960). Tidal salt marshes are located in areas along the coast regularly inundated by sea water. Because salt concentrations remain above 23 ppt (parts per thousand), this type of tidal marsh is dominated by salt tolerant grasses belonging to the genus Spartina, such as saltwater cordgrass