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Influence Of Abiotic Drivers And Plant Community Interactions On Bald Cypress (Taxodium Distichum) Seedlings: Implications For Restoration, Victoria Ellis

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Forested freshwater wetlands are valuable ecosystems that provide habitat for numerous species, sequester carbon, and act as sinks for excess water and nutrients. Historically, these ecosystems have been heavily degraded by anthropogenic activities leading to loss of ecosystem services and a desire to restore freshwater forested wetland habitat. Thus, science-backed approaches for the restoration of freshwater forested wetlands are necessary to ensure restoration goals are met. This body of research employed the Stress Gradient Hypothesis to test whether a multi-species planting approach using Juncus effusus (L.) (soft rush) could facilitate the survival of Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich. (bald cypress) seedlings …

Efficacy Of Sediment Contaminant Remediation Of The Benthos In A Segment Of The Southern Branch Of The Elizabeth River, Colton Martin

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The bottom sediment of the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River, a tributary of Chesapeake Bay, was historically contaminated with hydrocarbons from industrial sources especially wood treatment facilities. The Elizabeth River Project selected a section of the bottom off Money Point in the Southern Branch for a sediment contaminant remediation effort. Prior to initiation of remediation efforts, a survey occurred in summer 2010 to characterize the ecological condition of the benthic communities off Money Point compared to benthic communities of a benthic region across the channel and northwest of Money Point near Blows Creek. That study characterized the benthos of …

Naturalization Of Salt Marsh Restoration Sites In The Elizabeth River, Virginia, Assessed By Feeding Activity And Trophic Level Of Mummichogs (Fundulus Heteroclitus), Moriah Anne Good

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Recent efforts to mitigate environmental issues within the Southern Branch of the Elizabeth River, Virginia, designated a “Region of Concern” by the Chesapeake Bay Program, include several salt marsh restorations. By examining gut contents and stable isotopes values (δ13C and δ15N) from mummichogs (Fundulus heteroclitus), the functional equivalency of restored salt marshes compared to natural marshes was measured. In July 2013 I collected mummichogs from three restored and three reference salt marshes in the Southern Branch. Fish were collected for gut content analysis and were analyzed for stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N).

I removed gut contents from 16 fish per …