| Prior land use has a major influence on how well restored wetlands will recover and resume critical functions. It is unlikely that all functions of restored wetlands will return to full capacity because of events that have occurred since settlement. A number of events have likely impacted the recovery of functions in restored wetlands, including siltation, invasion of exotic plants and the loss of native species. A goal of our restored wetland study is to determine how well restored wetlands recover and to identify ways to maximize the capacity of critical functions. This figure illustrates the general loss of wetland functions that resulted from settlement and drainage of the prairie landscape and also the potential of restoration programs to partially recover critical wetland functions.
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