Growing Atlantic White Cedars for Wetland Restoration Sites
Sensor Deployment for Supplemental Planting at Upper Coonamessett
On a bright late-August day, our team returned to the newly restored Upper Coonamessett River Wetland Complex to take another important step in supporting a test planting Atlantic white cedar (AWC) cedar trees. This effort is part of Living Observatory’s collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Ecological Restoration (DER) monitoring efforts, focused on linking age at planting and hydrology with plant survival in restored wetlands.
Atlantic white cedar seedlings are sensitive to groundwater, soil and air moisture conditions. When air conditions are too dry for a long period of time, the leaf structure becomes desiccated. If too much of the root ball is submerged in groundwater, they will die. By monitoring soil moisture and shallow groundwater at each planting block we can adjust our interpretation of growth and survivorship data.
Christine Hatch led the installation of piezometers following a standard protocol we have developed with Division of Ecological Restoration. Brian Mayton shared a newly built EC-5 hand-held probe that helped us identify "representative moisture” locations in each block for ideal deployment of the sensors. Together a team that included Glorianna Davenport, Lyn Watts and other students in Christine's summer program, we installed the sensors, updated the Living Observatory database, and documented conditions with photos and notes.
By the end of the day, eight soil moisture sensors and three piezometers were in place, linked to a MicroRX station streaming live data. With these tools now quietly logging beneath the soil, we’ve begun building the record that will connect water patterns with the growth of AWC seedlings in the years to come.
- Soil Moisture Sensors: Eight total, installed across four planting blocks (two per block, at 5 cm and 15 cm depth).
- Water Level Monitoring: Three piezometers following Dr. Hatches standard monitoring protocol for DER sites.
- MicroRX Station: Mounted near the stream in Cell B for live data transmission.
- Documentation: Photos, GPS points, field notes, and LO asset database updated for each installation.
Data from the first week of the installation. A ~1" rain event occurred prior to overnight on August 29, resulting in a sharp increase in moisture followed by a return to baseline.
This photo shows installation of the EC-5 sensors at UCB-27. A classic peat sand "layer cake" is visible in cranberry in the soil profile at UCB-27.
August 28, 2025
