Digital Commons Network^™

On Designing The Meadow Agrocenosis Of The Polissya (Region) Of Ukraine, V F. Shchesyuk, A Y. Baluta, O V. Shchesyuk

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Geobotanical studies of the natural meadow associations in the wetland areas of the Polissya rivers of the Ukraine were conducted. The Polissya represents a forested region and the rivers include the Western Buh, Vyzhivka, Turia, Stokhid, and Styr. The dominant species is Digrappis arundinacea with Poa palustris, Bromus inermis, Latirus pretense, Latirus palustris, Vicia sepium, and Urtica dioica as codominants. Research demonstrated that the green feed production of Digrappis arundinacea, in combination with Poa palustris, was significantly greater (9.5 t ha-1) than for Digrappis arundinacea alone while the crude protein content of the forage, at early flowering, …

Revitalizing Turtle Creek Park, Michael Hardyway, Ethan Harm, Abbey Jacoby, Casey Stephenson

Final Reports in ENST 411: Environmental Community Projects

We current ENST 411 students, Abbey Jacoby, Michael Hardyway, Ethan Harm, and Casey Stephenson have chosen to work with Jim Knight, East Buffalo Township, the Merrill Linn Land and Waterways Conservancy, and many others in an attempt to revitalize Turtle Creek Park for a plethora of reasons. Three of us are majoring in biology, and two are majoring in environmental science, which makes much of the information and techniques relevant in Turtle Creek applicable to our courses of study. This project included heavy hands on work which allowed us students to leave a memorable and impactful influence on the Lewisburg …

Influence Of Four Veterinary Antibiotics On Constructed Treatment Wetland Nitrogen Transformation, Matthew V. Russell, Tiffany L. Messer, Deborah A. Repert, Richard L. Smith, Shannon L. Bartelt-Hunt, Daniel D. Snow, Ariel P. Reed

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

The use of wetlands as a treatment approach for nitrogen in runoff is a common practice in agroecosystems. However, nitrate is not the sole constituent present in agricultural runoff and other biologically active contaminants have the potential to affect nitrate removal efficiency. In this study, the impacts of the combined effects of four common veterinary antibiotics (chlortetracycline, sulfamethazine, lincomycin, monensin) on nitrate-N treatment efficiency in saturated sediments and wetlands were evaluated in a coupled microcosm/mesocosm scale experiment. Veterinary antibiotics were hypothesized to significantly impact nitrogen speciation (e.g., nitrate and ammonium) and nitrogen uptake and transformation processes (e.g., plant uptake and …

Vegetation Dieback In The Mississippi River Delta Triggered By Acute Drought And Chronic Relative Sea-Level Rise, Tracy Elsey-Quirk, Austin Lynn, Michael Derek Jacobs, Rodrigo Diaz, James T Cronin, Lixia Wang, Haosheng Huang, Dubravko Justic

Journal Articles

Vegetation dieback and recovery may be dependent on the interplay between infrequent acute disturbances and underlying chronic stresses. Coastal wetlands are vulnerable to the chronic stress of sea-level rise, which may affect their susceptibility to acute disturbance events. Here, we show that a large-scale vegetation dieback in the Mississippi River Delta was precipitated by salt-water incursion during an extreme drought in the summer of 2012 and was most severe in areas exposed to greater flooding. Using 16 years of data (2007-2022) from a coastwide network of monitoring stations, we show that the impacts of the dieback lasted five years and …

Native Wetland Plant Seed Collection And Cleaning Guide For The Intermountain West, Rae Robinson, Maddie Houde, Elana Feldman, Samantha R. Kurkowski, Nathan M. Crawford, Stephanie Aristizabal, Karin M. Kettenring

All Current Publications

Collecting and cleaning seeds from wildlands is an essential part of ecosystem restoration, management, and conservation. Here, we summarize best practices for native wetland plant seed collection and cleaning in the Intermountain West.

A companion guide on seed testing, "Seed Viability Testing Guide for Common Wetland Plant Species," is also available (https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/extension_curall/2389/).

Navigating Murky Waters: State-Level Strategies For Wetland Preservation And Tile Drainage Regulation After Sackett V. Epa, Caleb M. Swanson

Honors Thesis

Wetlands are some of the world’s most valuable ecosystems, serving as provisioners of species habitat, carbon sequestration, flood mitigation, water quality purification, and other ecosystem services. Human development has resulted in substantial wetland loss the world over. In the 1970s, the United States Congress passed the Clean Water Act, giving the EPA broad authority over wetland protection. However, in the summer of 2023, the United States Supreme Court decided Sackett v. EPA, limiting the EPA’s jurisdiction over wetlands to those indistinguishably connected to generally recognized “Waters of the United States” and removing federal protection for millions of acres of wetlands, …

Developing Metrics Of Ecological Integrity For Wetlands On The Pyramid Lake Paiute Reservation, Rebecca Baggott

AES Theses

This study highlights the critical function that benthic macroinvertebrates (BMIs) play in monitoring ecological health and provides a thorough framework for creating metrics to evaluate the ecological integrity of wetlands on the Pyramid Lake Paiute Reservation. This research aims to improve wetland management by introducing a multi-metric index (MMI) based on benthic macroinvertebrate taxonomy data, in light of the important ecological roles of inland freshwater wetlands, such as decomposition, biogeochemical cycling, and support for biodiversity. Along with the urgent need to address anthropogenic pressures that pose risks to these ecosystems, these wetlands are of cultural and environmental importance to the …

Species Abundance Modelling Of Arctic-Boreal Zone Ducks Informed By Satellite Remote Sensing, Michael Allan Merchant, Michael Battaglia, Nancy H. French, Kevin Smith, Howard V. Singer, Llwellyn Armstrong, Vanessa B. Harriman, Stuart Slattery

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 2

The Arctic-Boreal zone (ABZ) covers over 26 million km2 and is home to numerous duck species; however, understanding the spatiotemporal distribution of their populations across this vast landscape is challenging, in part due to extent and data scarcity. Species abundance models for ducks in the ABZ commonly use static (time invariant) habitat covariates to inform predictions, such as wetland type and extent maps. For the first time in this region, we developed species abundance models using high-resolution, time-varying wetland inundation data produced using satellite remote sensing methods. This data captured metrics of surface water extent and inundated vegetation in the …

Sackett V. Environmental Protection Agency, Meridian Wappett

Public Land & Resources Law Review

In 2007, the Sacketts began developing a property a few hundred feet from Priest Lake in Northern Idaho by filling their lot with gravel. The EPA determined the lot constituted a federally protected wetland under the WOTUS definition because the lot was near a ditch that fed into a creek flowing into Priest Lake, a navigable intrastate lake. The EPA halted the construction. The Sacketts sued the EPA, arguing the CWA did not apply to their property. The Supreme Court held that the CWA did not apply to the Sacketts property because the CWA only covers wetlands and streams that …

Seed Viability Testing Guide For Common Wetland Plant Species, Rae Robinson, Sandra E. Johnston, Elana Feldman, Maddie Houde, Samantha R. Kurkowski, Amanda Mast, Jes V. Braun, Karin M. Kettenring

All Current Publications

Seeds are used in many aspects of plant research as well as in applications such as ecosystem restoration. However, not all seeds are living (i.e., viable). To successfully work with seeds, it is essential to know how many seeds are viable. Seed viability can be assessed through a few different avenues, such as a basic cut test (i.e., is the embryo fully developed), germination assays, x-ray imaging, or the most common—a tetrazolium (TZ) test. This document focuses on best practices for TZ testing for a wide array of common wetland species that have been the focus of research and restoration …

Censo Neotropical De Aves Acuáticas En Venezuela 2022 / Neotropical Waterbird Census In Venezuela 2022, Cristina Sainz-Borgo, Carolina Dávila, Juan Carlos Fernández-Ordoñez, José Ferrebuz, Gilberto Figueroa, Luis Lárez, Alejandro Luy, Anahy Marcano, Miguel Matta-Pereira, Miguel Nieves, Sabino Silva, Lermith Torres, Miguel Ángel Torres Vargas

Revista Venezolana de Ornitología

El Censo Neotropical de Aves Acuáticas de Venezuela (CNAAV) es un programa de monitoreo regional y a largo plazo que se viene realizando en el país desde el año 2006. Durante los censos del año 2022, se cuantificaron 118.575 individuos (64.114 en febrero y 54.461 julio); 81 especies, 48 residentes (45 en febrero y 38 en julio), 25 migratorias (23 en febrero y 18 en julio), y 9 residentes con poblaciones que migran desde o hacia la región neártica (9 en febrero y 6 en julio). Las familias con mayor riqueza fueron Scolopacidae con 17 especies y Ardeidae con 15. …

Censo Neotropical De Aves Acuáticas En Venezuela 2021 / Neotropical Waterbird Census In Venezuela 2021, Cristina Sainz-Borgo, Gianco Angelozzi-Blanco, Wilber Bernay-Alfonzo, Juan Carlos Fernández-Ordóñez, Alejandro Luy, Margarita Martínez, Miguel Nieves González, Sabino Silva, Lermith Torres, Miguel Ángel Torres

Revista Venezolana de Ornitología

El Censo Neotropical de Aves Acuáticas (CNAAV) es un proyecto regional a largo plazo que en 2021 cumplió 16 años consecutivos en Venezuela. Se cuantificaron 78 especies (73 en febrero y 55 en julio), 35.662 avistamientos (30.546 en febrero y 5.116 en julio), pertenecientes a 19 familias (18 en febrero y 16 en julio). Durante los conteos del 2021,se registraron 49 especies residentes (47 en febrero y 31 en julio), 22 migratorias (21 en febrero y 16 en julio), y ocho residentes con poblaciones que migran desde o hacia la región neártica (6 en febrero y 6 en julio), para …

Censo Neotropical De Aves Acuáticas En Venezuela 2020 / Neotropical Waterbird Census In Venezuela 2020, Cristina Sainz-Borgo, Alexis Araujo-Quintero, Gianco Angelozzi-Blanco, Juan Carlos Fernández-Ordóñez, José Ferrebuz, Gaizkale Garay, Oswaldo Hernández, Alejandro Luy, Margarita Martínez, Sabino Silva, Lermith Torres, Miguel Ángel Torres

Revista Venezolana de Ornitología

El Censo Neotropical de Aves Acuáticas (CNAA) arribó a sus 17 años de realización consecutiva en Venezuela durante el 2020. Durante este año los conteos se realizaron del 01 al 16 de febrero y del 04 al 19 de julio. Se contaron un total de 23.781 avistamientos (20.021 en febrero y 3.760 en julio), pertenecientes a 95 especies (92 en febrero y 40 en julio) y 19 familias, siendo las de mayor riqueza Scolopacidae y Ardeidae. Las especies residentes más abundantes fueron la Garcita Reznera Bubulcus ibis (3.318 avistamientos), el Yaguaso Cariblanco Dendrocygna viduata (2.337 avistamientos) y la Zamurita Phimosus …

Censo Neotropical De Aves Acuáticas En Venezuela 2017 / Neotropical Waterbird Census In Venezuela 2017, Cristina Sainz-Borgo, Frank Espinoza, Juan Carlos Fernández-Ordóñez, Jorge Matheus, Carlos Rengifo, Lermith Torres, Carlos Verea

Revista Venezolana de Ornitología

En este trabajo se presentan los resultados del Censo Neotropical de Aves Acuáticas de Venezuela (CNAAV) durante el 2017. El censo incluyó dos períodos de muestreo: febrero (15 días) y julio (15 días). Su ejecución estuvo a cargo de 16 censistas y abarcó 12 localidades de seis estados. Comparado con censos anteriores, hubo una reducción marcada en la cantidad de censistas, localidades y estados participantes. Asimismo, solo cinco de las 95 Áreas Bajo Régimen de Protección Especial en Venezuela fueron censadas. En total se registraron 69 especies (67 en febrero; 30 en julio), una de las riquezas más bajas reportadas …

Censo Neotropical De Aves Acuáticas En Venezuela 2016 / Neotropical Waterbird Census In Venezuela 2016, Cristina Sainz-Borgo, Frank Espinoza, Juan Carlos Fernández-Ordóñez, Rafael Gianni Zurita, Eduardo López, Jorge Matheus, Margarita Martínez, Carlos Rengifo, Sabino Silva, Lermith Torres, Sandra Giner

Revista Venezolana de Ornitología

El Censo Neotropical de Aves Acuáticas (CNAA) es un proyecto regional a largo plazo, que en 2016 arribó a su décimo año consecutivo en Venezuela. En este trabajo se presentan los resultados del CNAA 2016 para Venezuela, donde se registró un total de 503.613 individuos, 489.631 en febrero y 13.982 en julio, pertenecientes a 96 especies, 84 en febrero y 71 en julio. Los censos se realizaron en nueve estados y 42 localidades. Se registraron 58 especies residentes, 25 migratorias y 10 residentes con poblaciones que migran desde o hacia la región Neártica. En cuanto a las especies migratorias, la …

Censo Neotropical De Aves Acuáticas En Venezuela 2015 / Neotropical Waterbird Census In Venezuela 2015, Cristina Sainz-Borgo, Sandra Giner, Frank Espinoza, Juan Carlos Fernández-Ordóñez, Daniel García, Eduardo López, Jorge Matheus, Carlos Rengifo, Adriana Rodríguez-Ferraro, Alberto Porta, Virginia Sanz, Lermith Torres

Revista Venezolana de Ornitología

El Censo Neotropical de Aves Acuáticas Venezuela (CNAAV) 2015 se realizó en 10 estados del país (Apure, Anzoátegui, Carabobo, Cojedes, Falcón, Mérida, Miranda, Nueva Esparta, Portuguesa y Zulia). Se registraron 86 especies en febrero y 61 en julio. Se visitaron 34 localidades, 33 en febrero y 31 en julio. Participaron 24 voluntarios, 24 en Febrero y 16 en Julio. Se observaron 1.043.334 individuos en febrero y 921.138 en julio. El estado con mayor cantidad de avistamientos fue Zulia con 1.890.598 y Anzoátegui con 47.455, seguido de Falcón con 7.273 La especies residentes más abundantes fueron la Cotúa Olivácea Phalacrocorax brasilianus …

Censo Neotropical De Aves Acuáticas En Venezuela 2014 / Neotropical Waterbird Census In Venezuela 2014, Cristina Sainz-Borgo, Sandra Giner, Frank Espinoza, Juan Carlos Fernández-Ordoñez, Daniel García, Eduardo López, Margarita Martínez, Alberto Porta, Virginia Sanz, Lermith Torres

Revista Venezolana de Ornitología

Los estudios a largo plazo en ornitología constituyen una herramienta fundamental que permite el monitoreo de las poblaciones a lo largo del tiempo. En este sentido, el Censo Neotropical de Aves Acuáticas (CNAA) constituye un estudio a largo plazo de las aves acuáticas a nivel regional. En Venezuela se viene realizando desde el año 2006, llenando un vacío de información en cuanto a censos realizados en el país. El objetivo de este trabajo consiste en presentar los resultados del CNAA en Venezuela (CNAAV) durante el año 2014. Se contabilizaron un total de 1.532.261 avistamientos, 771.082 en febrero y 760.132 en …

Dinámica Temporal De Las Aves Playeras En Las Albuferas Del Refugio De Fauna Silvestre Cuare, Estado Falcón, Venezuela / Temporal Dynamics Of Shorebird In Mudflats At Cuare Wildlife Refuge, Falcon State, Venezuela, Sandra B. Giner, Jorge Pérez-Emán

Revista Venezolana de Ornitología

Las aves playeras son aves vadeadoras que se alimentan en las orillas de humedales con aguas someras, donde las especies migratorias reponen su energía durante las migraciones. La utilización estacional de los humedales por estas aves es poco conocida en Venezuela, siendo los humedales costeros del estado Falcón uno de los sitios donde llegan estas aves. En este estudio se evaluó la dinámica mensual de la disponibilidad de hábitats y su uso como sitio de parada, de las albuferas de Cuare en el estado Falcón por las aves playeras, durante los años 2007–2008. Se realizaron censos entre julio de 2007 …

Censo Neotropical De Aves Acuáticas En Venezuela 2013 / Neotropical Waterbird Census In Venezuela 2013, Cristina Sainz-Borgo, Daniel García, Eduardo López, Frank Espinoza, Génesis Yáñez, Lermith Torres, Margarita Martínez, Marieta Hernández, Sabina Caula, Virginia Sanz, Sandra Giner

Revista Venezolana de Ornitología

Con el propósito de realizar un seguimiento a largo plazo de las poblaciones de aves acuáticas en Venezuela, la Unión Venezolana de Ornitólogos (UVO) realiza anualmente y de forma consecutiva el Censo Neotropical de Aves Acuáticas de Venezuela (CNAAV) desde hace ocho años. En este artículo se presentan los resultados del CNAAV 2013. Como en años anteriores se hicieron dos conteos, uno en febrero y otro en julio, con la participación de 26 censistas voluntarios (20 en febrero, nueve en julio). Se censó en seis estados para un total de 26 localidades censadas (21 en febrero, 20 en julio). Se …

Wildar Northeast Florida, Kailan Sindelar

UNF Faculty Research and Scholarship

Learn about some of the unique aspects of life in the wetlands and rivers of Northeast Florida and how we study them. In this app players see the memories of a student at the University of North Florida play out in front of them in AR. This app was created with funding the Digital Humanities Institute at the University of North Florida and informed by subject matter experts at the university.

Deconstructing The Mangrove Carbon Cycle: Gains, Transformation, And Losses, M. F. Adame, N. Cormier, P. Taillardat, N. Iram, A. Rovai, T. M. Sloey, E. S. Yando, J. F. Blanco-Libreros, M. Arnaud, T. Jennerjahn, C. E. Lovelock, D. Friess, G. M. S. Reithmaier, C. A. Buelow, S. M. Muhammad-Nor, R. R. Twilley, R. A. Ribeiro

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Mangroves are one of the most carbon-dense forests on the Earth and have been highlighted as key ecosystems for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Hundreds of studies have investigated how mangroves fix, transform, store, and export carbon. Here, we review and synthesize the previously known and emerging carbon pathways in mangroves, including gains (woody biomass accumulation, deadwood accumulation, soil carbon sequestration, root and litterfall production), transformations (food web transfer through herbivory, decomposition), and losses (respiration as CO₂ and CH₄, litterfall export, particulate and dissolved carbon export). We then review the technologies available to measure carbon fluxes in …

Implications Of Nanopesticides On Downstream Wetland Ecosystems, Kiley Power

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

Nanopesticides are thought to be a promising course of action for reducing agricultural impacts on the environment, however, little is known regarding the fate and transport of nanopesticides, specifically their influence on downstream wetland ecosystems. The objective of this study was to assess the implications of a nano-Cu fungicide (Kocide 3000) and a neonicotinoid insecticide (imidacloprid) on downstream wetland habitats, particularly their effects on wetland nutrient cycling, using fifteen mesocosm wetlands. The complex interactions between nitrogen, Kocide 3000, and imidacloprid were found to increase nitrate removal rates, decrease phosphate removal rates, and inhibit nitrogen uptake in below-ground biomass. Each treatment, …

Wetland Treatment Systems For Municipal Wastewater At A Bourbon Distillery And Potential Value Of Incorporating Stillage For Water Treatment Enhancement, Katherine J. Ristola

Theses and Dissertations--Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering

The use of constructed treatment wetlands, as a secondary treatment method for wastewater effluent from package treatment plants and distillery stillage has potential to be an innovative, sustainable method for improving water quality in the Central Kentucky region. However, the use of constructed wetlands to treat stillage and wastewater treatment plant effluent has been limited. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to: 1) quantify constructed wetland removal as a secondary treatment method for distillery’s wastewater; 2) explore the potential to utilize constructed treatment wetlands to remove nutrients from bourbon stillage; and 3) optimize treatment design to meet wastewater effluent …

Herbicide Management Alters Fungal Biomass And Community Composition In Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands, Erica Danae Lathers

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Wetlands provide many ecosystem services, and invasive species and their management can alter these services. Plant responses to wetland management actions are typically monitored, but less is known about how soils respond. Phragmites australis, an invasive wetland plant, can alter soil conditions, potentially impacting soil microbial structure and function. We sampled soil communities in Great Lakes coastal wetlands in southeastern Michigan dominated by Phragmites and sites that had been previously invaded by Phragmites then treated with herbicide from 2011-2017, to understand how herbicide management alters soil fungal communities. We assessed microbial and fungal biomass, fungal community composition, greenhouse gas emissions, …

The Comparison Of Different Wetland Fish Assemblages Over Time, Robert Edward Adelstein

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Wetlands provide essential ecosystem services. Historically, we have drained and filled 73% of wetlands for agricultural use throughout the United States from the 1780s to the 1980s (Dahl, 1990). A nationwide focus on restoring wetlands has since occurred. Literature on restored/mitigated wetlands is rife with examples that do and do not support the same ecosystem services as natural wetlands (Langston, 1997; Meil, 2014). Restoration of wetlands occurred at the Green Bottom Wildlife Management Area (GBWMA) over several decades. Various sections of the wetland were classified by age, water depth, and vegetation. One hypothesis was that differences in fish assemblage would …

Restoration For The Small And Slimy: How Pond-Breeding Amphibians Utilize Natural, Restored, And Created Wetlands, Miranda Florent

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This research project for the Williams Honors College sought to examine how local pond-breeding amphibians utilized natural, restored, and created wetlands. Presence/absence data was gathered from field surveys, historical records, and iNaturalist data for the six study sites. It was predicted that created and restored wetlands may support less sensitive species with lower coefficient of conservatism scores, based on past surveys of a similar nature. No statistically significant results were found in this survey, but that could be due to low sample sizes and limited data sets, among other considerations. Therefore, more in-depth studies should still be undertaken to examine …

Draft Uncontrolled Surface Flow Areas Pre-Design Investigation Work Plan, Woodard & Curran

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Using Remote Sensing To Determine Riparian Resilience In Beaver Dammed Versus Un-Dammed Corridors Following Whiplash Weather, Sophie Charlotte Valérie Aubry

Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects

Beaver complexes slow and store water allowing for riparian growth which in turn fosters biodiversity, retains carbon, and enhances resistance to fires and drought. Given the benefits associated with beaver complexes and the potential they have for climate mitigation, California hopes to reintroduce beavers and restore their habitat throughout the state. However, the impact of high peak flow events on beaver complexes and their adjacent riparian corridors is less understood and requires more documentation at various spatial scales. To better understand the potential beavers may have as climate change mitigators it is important to understand beaver complex resiliency following a …

Enhancing Urban Water Quality Through Biological-Chemical Treatment: Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Community And Temporal Chlorophyll-A Response, Matthew Chaffee

Department of Biological Systems Engineering: Dissertations and Theses

With a growing human population, urbanization is impeding a plethora of natural waterways. Of these, urban ponds play a vital role in nutrient sequestration, flood prevention, and habitat sanctuaries. However, nutrient loading can reduce habitat effectiveness and promote harmful algae blooms. To reduce internal nutrient loads, a biological-chemical treatment strategy consisting of floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) and lanthanum were applied to two urban retention ponds, Densmore and Wilderness Ridge Ponds. To measure effectiveness, chlorophyll-a samples were collected and correlated with Sentinel-2. A novel band algorithm termed 3BR1 produced a strong correlation (R² = 0.72) to physical chlorophyll-a …

Sackett V. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: "Waters Of The United States" Defined By 0.63 Acres, Brian Gillis

Golden Gate University Law Review

This case note analyzes Sackett v. U.S. Env’t Prot. Agency, 8 F.4th 1075, 1080 (9th Cir. 2021), a case wherein the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit set forth the proper test for determining whether wetlands are “waters of the United States” within the meaning of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. §1251 et seq. (1972)). In 2007, the Sacketts had purchased a 0.63 acre lot in Idaho, obtained building permits, and began constructing a house, which resulted in the deposit of sand and gravel in areas of standing water on the property. Soon thereafter, the Environmental …