A CONTINUED SURVEY OF VEGETATION COMMUNITIES AND SOIL
TYPES IN A RECENTLY CONSTRUCTED MITIGATION WETLAND

Karri Ungs
Environmental Sciences Program, University of Dubuque,
2000 University Avenue, Dubuque, Iowa 52001


The Iowa Department of Natural Resources in
conjunction with the City of Dubuque, constructed a
mitigation wetland in the Mississippi River
floodplain, near Dubuque, Iowa.  As part of the
monitoring effort, the vegetation of the area was
surveyed and mapped in Fall 1994.  We present a
continuation of this evaluation of the successional
stage of the wetland.

The soil type was determined to be Dorchester Silt
Loam, characteristic of a recently flooded area.  The
predominant plant communities consisted of early
successional stage vegetation, primarily colonizing
species and surviving forest species greater than ten
years in age (e.g. unconsolidated bottom, scrub-shrub,
and forest broad-leaved communities).  No evidence of
wetland species planted following the construction
phase was detected.  It is our impression that the
most critical factor in determining the successional
stage of the vegetation was the flooding in 1993. 
This occurred shortly after planting of both wetland
and prairie species, and was of sufficient size and
duration to have a negative influence on this effort. 
The present vegetation communities appear to be
similar to other early successional stage wetlands,
and development of the community should follow the
expected pattern.

Keywords:  palustrine, wetland, vegetation,
succession, mitigation

Karri Ungs
University of Dubuque
Dubuque, Iowa
(319)589-3598
Fax (319)556-8633
email kungs@univ.dbq.edu
Poster
Student Author