Review Draft Eastern Gateway Wetland Restoration Site -- Annual Report <br /> present. In the frequency sampling, all species present in the 1m sample <br /> quadrats were measured. <br /> After one year, the flora and vegetation of this site is very diverse. In all, about <br /> 102 species of vascular plants occurred within the sampling quadrats (Table 2), <br /> about 52 native species and 50 non - native (although 3 native Carex species <br /> were planted, they were only seedlings this year and could not be identified to <br /> species). Of the 36 native species that were planted by seed, 30 species (83 %) <br /> were recorded at least once in the frequency quadrats (and at least one <br /> additional species was observed growing on the site outside the plots). The <br /> remaining 22 native species apparently colonized naturally from a persistent soil <br /> seed bank or from adjacent existing wetlands. <br /> Insert tables here <br /> While over 100 species were recorded in the sampling, many of these occurred <br /> at only low frequency. For example, in Macroplot 1, only nine species had a <br /> frequency of 50% or greater. All of these nine species were native species, and <br /> eight of nine are indicators of hydrophytic vegetation, with a wetland status <br /> (Reed, 1988) of FAC, FACW, or OBL. For Macroplot 2, 10 species had' a <br /> frequency of 50% or greater. Again, all were native species, and all ten are <br /> indicators of hydrophytic vegetation. Macroplot #3 was the most diverse, with <br /> over 100 plant species recorded; 19 of these species had a frequency of 50% or <br /> greater. Only seven of the 19 were native species, and nine of the 19 are <br /> indicators of hydrophytic vegetation. However, Deschampsia cespitosa, the <br /> desired dominant species in this wetland community, had the second highest <br /> frequency at 91.7 %. <br /> Projected Trends of Vegetation Establishment: <br /> A newly established wetland habitat is a dynamic environment, capable of <br /> undergoing rapid change. The sampling methods, and use of permanent <br /> macroplots, for the 1994 cover and frequency data will permit ready comparison <br /> of changes between 1994 and subsequent years. <br /> Given that the wetland vegetation goals for the site were to establish diverse <br /> stands of native emergent meadow, vernal pool, and wet prairie vegetation, it <br /> appears that the site is on a good track to meet those goals. Macroplots 1 and 3 <br /> represent areas where wet prairie vegetation was intended. Sampling data and <br /> --- • field observations support a conclusion that a diversity of nati Wet prairie <br /> species have established and are in a good position to develop into the desired <br /> result. Not only has the dominant species of the wet prairie community, <br /> Deschampsia cespitosa, established well in these macroplots (32% and 92% <br /> frequency, respectively), but a respectable diversity of native perennial forbs has <br /> begun to establish. It remains to be seen whether these seedlings continue to <br /> Page 11 <br />