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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the success of establishment of specific saltmarsh vegetation in engineered soils. This will identify efficient and cost-effective procedures to reestablish pre-existing vegetation of saltmarshes after construction, repair, or maintenance in GDOT rights-of-way. The study involved evaluating the growth of Spartina alterniflora, Juncus roemerianus, Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani, and Borrichia frutescens in eight engineered soil mixtures that imitated the physical and chemical properties of saltmarsh soils, along with two controls providing baselines for growth in potting soil, as well as, growth in the material specified in the current GDOT construction specifications for restoration of disturbed saltmarshes. This study included a greenhouse experiment, in which biological and aqueous chemistry measurements were collected. This study provides recommendations for each vegetation type, including which engineered soil is advised and the best method to measure success within and adjacent to Georgia’s estuaries and saltwater marshes.