Monitoring of Wetland Restoration Properties

This project involves the development and use of standardized monitoring protocols to measure change on cranberry farm properties in Southeastern Massachusetts that have been or are in the process of being restored to wetlands. The core protocols were developed by members of the LO community and focus on change to the hydrology, soil, and vegetation before, during, and after active restoration. Data has been collected for properties in the Division of Ecological Restoration (DER)'s Cranberry Bog Restoration Program under contracts with the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration of the Department of Fish and Game.

Additional monitoring involves biological and supplemental monitoring protocols that may not be part of DER's Monitoring effort.

Studies that informed the Monitoring Plan

Long-Term Development and Ecosystem Functions of Restored Cranberry Bogs

The Anthropogenic Aquifer

Vegetation Trajectories in Retired Cranberry Bogs in Southeastern Massachusetts

Supplemental Monitoring

Bird Monitoring at Select Cranberry Bog Restoration Sites in Southeastern Massachusetts

Monitoring Biological Responses to restoration: temporal and spatial shifts in the community structure of amphibians and reptiles in restored and retired cranberry bogs.

Potential Nitrogen Removal by Restoring Wetlands on Retired Cranberry Bogs

Quantifying Nutrient Transport and Transformation in Stream Channels Associated with Active, Retired, and Restored Cranberry Farms

Using Thermal Mapping to Identify Groundwater Inflows in the Wetland

Growing Atlantic White Cedars for Wetland Restoration Sites

Properties

Bayview Bogs

Century Bog

Cold Brook Preserve

Coonamessett Lower/Middle River

Upper Coonamesset River Wetlands Complex

Eel River Headwaters

Childs River - Farley

Foothills Preserve

Frost Fish Creek

Childs River - Garner

Pinnacle Watercourse Bogs

South Meadow Preserve

Stuart Bogs

Upper Bass River

Tidmarsh Wildlife Sanctuary

Windswept Bog

Recent Updates

Comparing Methods for Vegetation Monitoring

By Adrian Wiegman on March 11, 2026

Francesca LoPresti, Pat Ferrar and Chris Neill have been working with Kelly Omand and Nantucket Conservation Foundation scientists to compare methods for assessing the vegetation community. Francesca LoPresti gave talk at the sandplain grasslands conference that compares the point intercept (used by NCF) and plot based methods (used by Woodwell Climate Research Center). In summary, one point intercept transect identified an equivalent number of species to one 3 by 3 m quadrat. The point intercept methods yields higher estimate of percent cover compared to plots. The plots require less time to monitor than transects, so plots tend to be more practical for identifying species when high throughput monitoring is needed. See the

Visit to Windswept Bogs on Nantucket

By Glorianna Davenport on September 13, 2022

On September 8, 2022, Jess and Melissa from DER and I took the 9:30 ferry from Hyannis to Nantucket to visit Windswept Bogs, a DER priority project. The property is owned by the Nantucket Conservation Foundation and Karen Beattie, the Foundation's Vice President of Science and Stewardship and Jenn Karberg, Director of Research and Partnerships. It was a perfect day, and we were able to visit most of the bog cells, pause for lunch at stump pond, and examine some plots that had been plowed and harrowed to explore possible surface treatments.

Publications

Kate Ballantine, Glorianna Davenport, Linda Deegan, et al. Learning from the Restoration of Wetlands on Cranberry Farmland: Preliminary Benefits Assessment, Technical report, Living Observatory, Plymouth, MA, December 2020.

Download PDF

View Online

Remove Publication