PubMed · 2026-06-06
Controlling a resident Canada goose population in a Washington D.C. wetland restoration allowed native plant communities to bounce back strongly, with more plant cover, species diversity, and richness recovering to near-exclosure levels within a few years of goose management.
After goose population control began, unprotected plots recovered to closely resemble fenced exclosure plots in total plant cover, species richness, and Shannon-Wiener Diversity Index.
Community composition (which species were present) recovered more slowly than cover or richness metrics, lagging behind other indicators of restoration success.
The initial vegetative state of plots in 2009 continued to influence recovery trajectories through 2025, demonstrating a long-lasting legacy effect on plant dynamics even after 16 years.