Vegetationsetablering i anlagda våtmarker i södra Skåne

Abstract: Scanian wetlands were extensively drained in the late 19th and early 20th century, with as little as 10% of historical wetlands remaining today. However, due to an increased understanding of the many important functions served by wetlands in the agricultural landscape, there’s now a strong incentive to restore these systems. In this study, 83 wetlands created as part of Kävlingeåprojektet were visited with the aim of assessing the need for maintenance. As a secondary aim, the relationship between wetland age and vegetation coverage was examined statistically in an attempt to provide an estimate for the average time required for a wetland in the region to become overgrown. 43 of the examined wetlands were estimated to be in some need of vegetation removal, though this need was usually quite minor and likely manageable by hand. 10 in- and outlets appeared to be in need of some maintenance; but only 4 of these were deemed to require more than a simple clearing by hand. Statistically significant links between age and vegetation cover were found for total shoreline vegetation cover, trees & shrubs and reed-like vegetation along the shoreline, though low r2-values means that the estimated timespans needed to achieve an overgrown status based on linear regression have a low predictive value.