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"Plant Responses and Ecosystem Resilience Following Restoration of Former Cranberry Bogs"
Dr. Chris Neill
March 7, 2020
Held at Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
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"The Once and Future Forests: What 21,000 Years of Prehistory Tells Us to Expect in a Warming World"
NEBC Distinguished Speaker
Dr. Jacquelyn L. Gill
April 4, 2020
Held at Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
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2019-2020 Program Calendar

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NEBC meetings to be held on Saturdays in 2019-2020. More info.

The Nonvascular Herbarium work session schedule for Fall 2019/Spring 2020 is published on What's New.

Dr. Diana Jolles of Plymouth State University has been awarded the 2019 Junior Faculty Award for her project titled "Reproductive biology and lineage diversification in the Pink Lady's Slipper, Cypripedium acaule Ait. (Orchidaceae)." .

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Dr. Christopher Neill

Senior Scientist
Woods Hole Research Center
Woods Hole, MA

"Plant Responses and Ecosystem Resilience Following Restoration of Former Cranberry Bogs"

Mark your calendar for the next NEBC Meeting on Saturday, March 7, 2020 at Harvard University's Haller Hall, 4:00pm.

Abstract: The Massachusetts cranberry industry currently faces challenges caused by overproduction and competition with growers in Wisconsin and other locations. Massachusetts cranberry bogs are closely associated with surface waters and almost all were created from former wetlands. Our new analysis indicates that 20% of all Massachusetts cranberry bogs are highly likely to be retired in several years to a decade and another 35% are moderately likely to be retired. This creates a large and current opportunity to restore wetlands on former cranberry bogs. Restoration of former bogs has potential to expand stream and adjoining habitats, improve water quality and provide climate resilience by removing water control structures and restoring hydrological connections. Techniques to restore wetlands are a work in progress but three projects have been completed to date. These projects have successfully restored stream channels and fish passage, and promoted establishment of wetland vegetation through a combination of channel and landform re-engineering and reliance on germination of buried seeds from former wetland vegetation. I will present results from a detailed before-and-after study of a restoration project on the Lower Coonamessett River Bog in Falmouth, MA that found that removal of sand, lowering of elevation and creation of microtopography dramatically increased diversity and cover of native wetland-dependent plants within two years without increasing colonization by non-native and invasive plants was very low. Removal of water control structures also increased the ability of the new wetland system to absorb flooding from storm and high tide surges. I will discuss potential for expanding restored wetlands onto retired bogs across southeastern Massachusetts.