Changes in Response to Cattail-Control

AbsTRACT The Palo Verde marsh restoration was performed in Costa Rica to reduce invasive Typha domingensis stands. The invasion of this cattail in the 1980s decreased the habitat quality, and thousands of waterbirds that used this seasonal marsh were not returning. In 2002, the Organization for Tropical Studies decided to manage the marsh using a tractor with angle-iron-paddle wheels to crush cattail. We evaluated the land cover changes in response to the prescribed management activities through GIS and vegetation-assessment analysis. Crushing activities started in July 2002. We defined three management plots: A and B) with crushing activities for different lengths of time and C) the control plot with passive management. We evaluated wetland cover changes, richness, and dominance of plant species in the three plots. We found that owin