Carbon Accumulation in Created Temperate Wetlands: Temporal and Spatial Soil Development.

Natural and created wetlands are very productive systems that introduce large amounts of organic matter in their soil. There is controversy to whether or not created wetlands can function as natural ones over time. Soils of two riverine wetlands created in 1994 in central Ohio have been studied since creation date for development of hydric conditions and nutrient sink capacity. Carbon accumulation was measured in 1994 and 2004. This study compares preliminary results obtained for carbon accumulation in 2009 (15 years after creation date) with results from 1994 and 2004. Accumulation rates will also be compared to carbon sequestration rates obtained for similar natural wetlands in the same region, with the intention of testing the hypotheses that created wetlands can be as effective sequestering carbon as natural wetlands.