The flooded conditions also likely explain the lower percent cover found off the
 hummocks in the Cargill wetland than in the other two wetlands. The trend can be seen in
 the Iluka wetland as well. Later in the growing season, when standing water began to
 accumulate, the percent cover off the hummocks in the Iluka wetland began to decrease.
 High soil moisture conditions similar to those found early in the growing season in the
 Iluka wetland are conducive to a high volume of vegetation growth. The trend can be
 seen in the Agrifos wetland. Early in the growing season, when the wetland was dry,
 there is little vegetation cover. As the wetland began to fill with water and the soil
 became moister, the percent cover went up. The Agrifos wetland never experienced
 flooded conditions as seen in the Cargill and Iluka wetlands, so the downward trend was
 never seen. The moist conditions allow rapid uptake of nutrients for those plants tolerant
 of the high moisture conditions, which leads to higher growth. Lower percent cover was
 seen on the hummocks than off the hummocks in all situations when flooded conditions
 did not exist. This lends further credence to the idea that the high moisture conditions
 lead to more plant growth. The lower moisture conditions found at the top of the
 hummocks during non-flood stage do allow growth different species than in the high
 moisture conditions, but do not allow as much growth due to lower nutrient uptake.

 The community similarity (Table 5.3) shows that the plants growing on the
 hummocks are different than those growing off the hummocks. The difference in water
 regime between the two communities confines most plants to one of the two community
 types. Some plants tolerant of a wide range of moisture conditions are found on the
 hummocks and off the hummocks as indicated by the Sorensen coefficient.

 Increased tree growth is the other supposed advantage of hummocks. Bukata
 (1999) noted that hummocks appear to provide sites, which allow for increased
 survivorship and growth of wetland tree stock. Table 5.4 shows that cypress trees planted
 on the hummocks in the Iluka wetland have grown more than those planted off the
 hummocks. This is likely because when a tree is stressed, as it would be in flooded
 conditions, more energy goes to overcoming the stressed condition than goes to growth.
 On the hummock, where soil conditions are drier, the tree can put more energy towards
 growth than maintenance. Unfortunately, little can be said about the trees in the Agrifos
 wetland. Initial data on the numbers and sizes of trees planted off the hummocks were
 unattainable because of the planting conditions. Data for survivorship, as seen for on
 hummock conditions, can not be calculated. Little can be said about growth at this time
 either. The relatively slow growth of trees makes one growing season of data hard to
 decipher. The trees on the hummocks look like they grew taller than the trees off the
hummocks, and those off the hummocks look to be shorter with wider trunks. Water
regime might account for the difference, but without initial planting data, that can not be
stated as fact.


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