Mobil Guy Branch M03 NSP1 (referred to as Guy Branch) is the area
surrounding a narrow stream located on Nichols Mine. This site is extremely wet, with
the water level ranging from approximately 20-50 cm. It was planted in 1982.

 IMC-Agrico Morrow Swamp FG13 (referred to as Morrow Swamp) is located
on land owned and managed by Agrico Chemical Corporation at Fort Green Mine. This
depressional wetland is adjacent to the floodplain of Payne Creek in southwest Polk
County. This 60.7-hectare experimental wetland reclamation project was mined in 1978
and 1979. Reclamation construction ended in May 1982. The soils used in recontouring
were a combination of sand tailings added to overburden piles. Revegetation techniques
included the addition of topsoil mulching in several small patches, with seeding, planting,
and natural invasion of wetland plants. Within the experimental area sampled, Taxodium
distichum and Taxodium distichum var. nutans were planted in rows with equal spacing.
These were the only two canopy trees planted in this particular area. This site is
extremely wet with an average water level depth of 5 cm, with a range from 0-16 cm on
the downward slope towards the fringing lake.

 Mobil Sink Branch (referred to as Sink Branch) is a reclaimed stream planted in
 1980. It is located on the Mobil Fort Meade Mine. During sampling two distinct stream
 channels were present creating an area of mixed obligated and facultative wetland species
 in the middle. Soils used in recontouring were a combination of different treatments
 including mulch, overburden, and/or sand tailings. Trees planted included Acer rubrum,
 Fraxinus caroliniana, Magnolia virginiana, Pinus elliottii (slash pine), Quercus
 laurifolia, Quercus laevis Walt. (turkey oak), Quercus virginiana Mill. (live oak), and
 Taxodium distichum. Possible understory species planted include Panicum distichum
 (maidencane), Pontedaria cordata (pickerel weed), and Sagittaria sp. (arrowhead).


 CHRONOSEQUENCE SAMPLING DESIGN

 Sampling in the chronosequence of sites was designed both to address the relative
 dominance of vines on phosphate mined lands and to determine how that dominance
 might change with community development. As a result, methods of data collection were
 designed to determine the presence and abundance of vines and the abiotic and biotic
 conditions that prevail where vines occur and do not occur.


 Site Selection

 Nine wetlands were selected representing canopy development from no canopy to
 completely closed canopy and an array of ages from 0.5-years to 18-years-old. Table 6.1
 provides a brief description of physical characteristics and management history for each
 site, including site preparation, generalized wetland hydrology, species planted during
 construction, date of completion, and exotic/nuisance species management history. Site
 information was extracted from Bersok (1986), Best and others (1997), and on-site
 observations.


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