Opportunities in wetland restoration: trends in the Massachusetts cranberry industry favor the restoration of formerly-cultivated riparian wetlands

Authors: HOEKSTRA, BENJAMIN - University Of Massachusetts; Kennedy, Casey; NEILL, CHRISTOPHER - Woods Hole Research Center

Submitted to: Restoration Ecology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/28/2019
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Cranberries have historically been an important part of New England agricultural production, yet competition with growers in the upper Midwest and Canada challenge the viability of cranberry production in Massachusetts. Given these economic conditions, cranberry growers are faced with two options: (1) renovation of unprofitable bogs and planting of new hybrid cultivars, (2) or retirement and restoration of old acreage. In this study, we describe a framework through which to view restoration based on the geographic, economic, social, and ecological context of cranberry bogs retired from production. We document that 20% of the active cranberry bogs feature riparian hydrology, conditions which lead to decreased yields and more challenging management operations. Retirement and restoration of riparian bogs therefore represents a unique opportunity to ease economic pressure on growers and develop an ecosystem potentially able to provide valuable ecosystem services.

Technical Abstract: The valuable ecosystem services provided by wetlands and their imperilment as a result of residential and agricultural development makes wetland protection and restoration a vital conservation goal. Selection of sites for conservation easements and restoration is a challenging process due to limited funding and the existence of local geographic, economic, social, and ecological factors which influence the cost-efficiency and amenability of different sites for restoration. We report trends in the Massachusetts cranberry industry which suggest that growing operations located along rivers are particularly suited for restoration practices aimed to enhance their characteristics and functions as riparian wetlands. We propose a systematic method for the classification of cranberry bogs based on their (1) crop status, (2) renovation status, and (3) hydrological conditions, and apply it on the Wareham River watershed in southeastern Massachusetts. We document that 20% of the active cranberry bogs in this watershed feature riparian hydrology, conditions which lead to decreased yields and more challenging management operations. The planting of all such riparian bogs with low-yielding native cultivars, the scarce planting of high-yielding hybrid cultivars in un-renovated bogs (<24%), and the concentration of 100% of the highest-yielding hybrid cultivars in renovated bogs suggests a conscious strategy on the part of growers to focus their investment on bogs which do not feature riparian hydrology. Retirement and restoration of riparian bogs therefore represents a unique opportunity to ease economic pressure on growers and develop an ecosystem potentially able to provide valuable ecosystem services such as habitat provision, nitrogen removal, and recreation.