Abstract
Ecosystem restoration has been globally recognized as a key component of conservation programs and is considered essential to the long-term sustainability of many ecosystems. However, little information exists on the impacts these ecologically-based land management activities have on environmental quality. Exposing bare mineral soil following prescribed fire and herbicide treatment can result in surface erosion and increased sediment transport to stream channels. Beyond sediment transport, it is known that fires result in large fluxes of nitrate that leach into surface and groundwater. Any activities that increase nitrate delivery to surface water could further exacerbate eutrophication in local streams and hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico and require serious consideration. To understand the impacts of coastal forest ecosystem restoration activities, we established a field experiment at the Infinity Science Center in Pearlington, Mississippi in summer 2020 to monitor long-term changes in water quality and soil health. Water quality measurements of surface and shallow groundwater include electrical conductivity, pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, nitrate, ammonium, total nitrogen, phosphate, total phosphorus, and dissolved organic carbon. Soil quality measurements include total carbon, total nitrogen, inorganic nitrogen transformations, and respiration. While laboratory analyses are still pending, results from this study are expected to aid in our understanding of the association between different land management activities commonly employed in restoration efforts on water quality and soil health.
