Temporal Patterns in Recruitment from the Seed Bank During Drawdowns in a Prairie Wetland

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Abstract
(1) We describe temporal patterns in seedling recruitment of seven wetland plant species in a Canadian prairie marsh. Recruitment occurred during artifical drawdown or drainage of dyked marshes. Two-year and one-year drawdown treatments initiated in different years are compared. (2) Within a season, most seedlings were recruited during June when soil moisture was high, temperature was moderate, and conductivity was low. (3) Differences between drawdown treatments in first-year recruitment of certain species appear to be due to differences between years in soil moisture and temperature, not differences in densities of seeds in the soil prior to drawdowns. (4) Far fewer emergents but more mud-flat annuals were recruited during the second year of the 2-year drawdown than during the first. Considerable mortality occurred during the second year in seedlings of emergent species established in the first year of the 2-year drawdown. (5) The implications of these results for management of wetlands as waterfowl habitat are discussed.