Vernal pools are small, shallow and ephemeral freshwater wetlands, often located in forests. Despite harboring high levels of biodiversity and being biochemical hotspots, they have been severely degraded by human activities. Restoration of vernal pools has become a priority for resource managers, and monitoring of restoration projects is needed to track the effectiveness of restoration techniques. In this study, we analyzed the ecological functioning of natural and restored vernal pools in the forest of Chinon (France) four years after a restoration project. Specific aims were to: (1) compare organic-matter decomposition rates between natural and restored pools, and (2) evaluate the main drivers of organic-matter decomposition in these two types of pool. In five natural and nine restored vernal pools, a standardized organic-matter decomposition assay (cotton strip) was deployed for up to 57 days. Each pool was characterised in terms of vegetation type, water and soil quality. We found that decomposition rates did not differ between natural and restored pools. The natural pools, however, had the greater stores of total organic carbon (TOC) content, and Sphagnum moss cover. Across both pool types, decomposition rates were positively associated with canopy openness and vascular plant cover, suggesting a possible ‘priming effect’ of primary producers on microbial decomposers. Sphagnum moss cover and some soil variables, such as TOC, were associated with slowed decomposition, highlighting the potential of Sphagnum spp. at influencing microbial activity. We suggest that future studies couple the cotton strip assay with biotic indices to assess the overall functioning of these wetlands.

春季水池是小型，浅而短暂的淡水湿地，通常位于森林中。尽管具有高水平的生物多样性和是生化热点，但由于人类活动，它们已严重退化。恢复弹簧库已成为资源管理者的优先事项，并且需要监视恢复项目以跟踪恢复技术的有效性。在这项研究中，我们分析了恢复项目四年后的Chinon（法国）森林天然和恢复的春季水池的生态功能。具体目标是：（1）比较天然池和恢复池中有机物的分解速率，以及（2）评估这两种类型池中有机物分解的主要驱动因素。在五个自然和九个恢复的春季池中，进行了长达57天的标准化有机物分解试验（棉条）。每个水池都以植被类型，水和土壤质量为特征。我们发现自然池和恢复池之间的分解率没有差异。但是，天然池中的总有机碳（TOC）含量更大，并且泥炭藓覆盖。在这两种类型的库中，分解速率与冠层的开放度和维管植物的覆盖率呈正相关，这表明初级生产者可能对微生物分解剂产生“启动效应”。泥炭苔藓覆盖，有些土壤变量，如TOC，用分解减缓相关，凸显S的电势phagnum属。影响微生物活性。我们建议未来的研究结合棉条测定法和生物指数来评估这些湿地的整体功能。