Life Sciences Commons^™

Restoration Strategies For Wetlands In The Arid West: Seeding And Planting Approaches For Lakeshore Ecosystems, Jes Braun

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Wetlands are widely recognized for their valuable benefits such as providing habitat, improving water quality, and reducing the impacts of flooding. However, wetlands face threats from development, drought, and invasive species. This is particularly apparent in the arid west, where upstream water use and drought make water scarcer and contribute to dramatically changing water levels. Here, I investigated revegetation techniques for lakeshore wetlands, using Utah Lake as a case study. Although recent management efforts have minimized invasive Phragmites cover, the desired plant communities are not returning as quickly as needed, highlighting the need to research restoration techniques. Through my research, …

Herders And Wetland Degradation In Northern Cameroon, E. Tedonkeng Pamo, F. Tendonkeng, J. R. Kana

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Livestock rearing in Northern Cameroon is carried out under two majors systems: the nomadic and the transhumance production systems (Pamo & Pamo, 1991). Nomadism is the practice of wandering from place to place, while transhumance involves seasonal displacement of flocks from one area to another by herders. These production systems involved large grazing areas, which may encompass different ecosystems. The Yaére, the only wetland of the northern Cameroon, is the major dry season grazing lands for livestock and wildlife. The main characteristic of this wetland is that the whole area is excluded from grazing during the growing season as a …

Overcoming Barriers To Aquatic Plant Restoration: Addressing Gaps In Species Identification And Planting Techniques In The Intermountain West, Kate A. Sinnott

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Aquatic ecosystems provide many critical and economically valuable benefits, including drinking water, food, recreational opportunities, and water supply for irrigation and agriculture. However, the health of these systems has been severely impacted by human activities such as pollution, land conversion, and introductions of harmful species. Restoring native aquatic plants can help reverse this damage and reestablish benefits, though it is not a common practice. With an objective to increase capacity for aquatic plant restoration in the Intermountain West, I identified and addressed two major barriers: 1) a lack of confidence in aquatic species identification among wetland professionals, and 2) underdeveloped …

A Remote Sensing Approach To Assess The Historical Invasion Of Phragmites Australis In A Brackish Coastal Marsh, Jason S. Hagani, John Y. Takekawa, Steven C. Chappell, Richelle L. Tanner, Adrienne R. Ernst, Karin M. Kettenring

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Introduction: Coastal estuarine wetlands provide important habitats for a variety of endemic flora and fauna but are particularly vulnerable to biological invasions. Regular monitoring of changes in these vulnerable wetlands has become increasingly important for effective management, especially considering threats from climate change effects and human disturbance. Historical analyzes of plant invasions may guide targeted management strategies to eradicate harmful species. Estimating the distribution of invasive species has never been more accessible with the improved availability of high-resolution data and innovations in remote sensing, estimating the distribution of invasive species has never been more accessible.

Methods: We assessed the spread …

Determining The Impact Of Post-Harvest Water Management On Chironomid Abundance, Agrochemical Biomass And Potential Trophic Biomagnification, Mason Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

Agriculture has diminished shorebirds’ natural habitat in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. Remaining natural stopover sites are supplemented with agricultural fields during the fall and winter. This study evaluates the impact of 4 different post-harvest water management strategies on shorebird food abundance and potential agrochemical biomagnification. Chironomid samples estimated abundance, biomass, and chironomid agrochemical concentration in each field. A risk assessment of agrochemical biomagnification to shorebirds was made across all treatments. Of treatments represented on all study sites, winter treatment had greatest chironomid abundance and biomass. Models indicated that days since flood initiation, start date, and temperature are significant predictors of …

Keystone Species Explorer Website, Claire Hutchings

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

This project is an educational resource (in the form of a website) for elementary and middle school students to explore the ecological concept of keystone species. This site has been designed to provide young students with an accessible, engaging introduction to ecology. The website was created with the design platform Wix. This site is going to be a project in continued development, with entries covering content on several keystone species. The first species covered on the site is the North American beaver. Traditionally-rendered illustrations accompany various pages of content. These pages review the biology and behavior of this animal, its …

Herders And Wetland Degradation In Northern Cameroon, E. Tedonkeng Pamo, F. Tendonkeng, J. R. Kana

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

Livestock rearing in Northern Cameroon is carried out under two majors systems: the nomadic and the transhumance production systems (Pamo & Pamo, 1991). Nomadism is the practice of wandering from place to place, while transhumance involves seasonal displacement of flocks from one area to another by herders. These production systems involved large grazing areas, which may encompass different ecosystems. The Yaére, the only wetland of the northern Cameroon, is the major dry season grazing lands for livestock and wildlife. The main characteristic of this wetland is that the whole area is excluded from grazing during the growing season as a …

Amphibian Occupancy And Diversity On A Post-Mined Landscape, Emma M. Buckardt

Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Amphibian populations are declining globally, with habitat loss and fragmentation being a leading cause for their decline. Anthropogenic changes to a landscape, such as urbanization, agriculture, and surface mining, leave few native habitats intact, which can influence amphibian populations and communities to varying degrees. Amphibians can provide insight into the health of ecosystems because they are sensitive to changes in their environment. Thus, they can be considered indicator species in anthropogenically altered wetlands. The goal of this study was to characterize amphibian communities that are using surface mined lands that have undergone vegetative succession. For Chapter I, we used call …

Effects Of Land-Use And Disturbance On Pollinators In Wetlands, Nicholas V. Oldham

Masters Theses

While pollinators and wetlands both provide important ecosystem services (e.g., the pollination of flowering plants and improving water quality), the relationship between the two is not well understood. Wetland quality can determine the local floral community, which likely mediates local pollinator populations. In this study, we investigated how land-use, including a gradient of urban development at the landscape scale, and anthropogenic disturbance affects pollinators in wetlands. We surveyed the abundance and diversity of plant communities in a range of different wetlands across two years. We also measured abiotic factors, such as water quality, light availability, and temperature for insights into …

Nutrient Uptake And Water Quality In Great Salt Lake Wetland Impoundments, Rachel L. Buck

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Great Salt Lake (GSL) is the largest inland body of water on the Pacific flyway, a major pathway for migratory birds in the Americas that extends from Alaska to Patagonia. The lake is surrounded by approximately 360,000 acres of wetlands, providing critical food, shelter, cover, nesting areas, and protection to between 4–6 million birds that visit each year. Impounded wetlands were created as part of the GSL ecosystem to support waterfowl habitat. These large, shallow, submergent wetlands are diked to control water levels to sustain aquatic plants which are an important food source. Besides providing critical habitat, these impoundments …

"Biology 4920g: Benefits Of Ecological Restoration Techniques", Umama Karim, Olivia Tran, Winston Herold

Community Engaged Learning Final Projects

No abstract provided.

Mp765: Creating The Orono Bog Boardwalk: A Facility For Education, Research, And Recreation, Ronald B. Davis

Miscellaneous Publications

A memoir by Dr. Ronald Davis detailing the creation of the Orono Bog Boardwalk. The Orono Bog Boardwalk is a premier destination in the Bangor/Orono area for persons wishing to experience the beauty and fascinating plants and animals of a Maine bog. The 1-mile boardwalk loop trail begins at the forested wetland edge in the Bangor City Forest, and after 800 feet crosses the Orono town line into the portion of the Orono Bog owned by the University of Maine. Along the way the boardwalk passes through a wide range of changing vegetation and environments on its way to the …

Wetland Restoration Efforts Result In Increasing Phylogenetic Diversity, Nicholas T. Foster

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Over the course of ecological restoration efforts, it has been observed that, despite restoration activities, species richness sometimes declines in a given habitat. While this response can be interpreted to mean that restoration activities are ineffective, other measures known as Phylogenetic Diversity Metrics can show that the community is actually becoming more diverse. Utilizing plant inventories collected as transect data from 1992-2021 of five wetland sites under various types of restoration in northern Illinois, a regional wetland community phylogeny was assembled. The community phylogeny was then analyzed for phylogenetic diversity measures through this 30-year period across the five sites. Additionally, …

Brood Abundance And Invertebrate Availability In Crop-Dominated Landscapes In The Prairie Pothole Region, Catrina V. Terry

LSU Master's Theses

The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) is the most important region for ducks in North America, producing over half the ducks on the continent, and it is a priority landscape for wetland and grassland conservation. Agricultural expansion has changed the PPR, and the majority of grasslands and potholes have been converted into row-crops. The loss of nesting habitat has directly caused nest success to decline. Most of the remaining wetlands are surrounded by row-crops, and are considered lower quality because they receive runoff of sediment and chemicals, which may decrease primary forage for young ducklings as well as inhibit wetland vegetation. …

The Third Generation Of Pan-Canadian Wetland Map At 10 M Resolution Using Multisource Earth Observation Data On Cloud Computing Platform, Masoud Mahdianpari, Brian Brisco, Jean Granger, Fariba Mohammadimanesh, Bahram Salehi, Saeid Homayouni, Laura Bourgeau-Chavez

Michigan Tech Publications

Development of the Canadian Wetland Inventory Map (CWIM) has thus far proceeded over two generations, reporting the extent and location of bog, fen, swamp, marsh, and water wetlands across the country with increasing accuracy. Each generation of this training inventory has improved the previous results by including additional reference wetland data and focusing on processing at the scale of ecozone, which represent ecologically distinct regions of Canada. The first and second generations attained relatively highly accurate results with an average approaching 86% though some overestimated wetland extents, particularly of the swamp class. The current research represents a third refinement of …

Selenium Burdens In Painted Turtles (Chrysemys Picta), Holly A. Gerberding

Honors Thesis

Tile drain systems are a critical advancement in agriculture that move excess water from crop fields to streams, ditches, and wetlands. Selenium is a necessary mineral but is considered toxic at high levels. Previous research indicates that wetlands with tile drains are at a higher risk for elevated selenium concentrations. Selenium enters the aquatic ecosystem via these tile systems and us taken up by invertebrates and continues to bioaccumulate mainly via direct transfer in higher trophic level taxa such as fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. For this study, painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) served as a model organism to …

Understanding Effects Of Large-Scale Development On Bird Migration And Habitats Through Cutting Edge Avian Monitoring Techniques, Lei Cao, Fanjuan Meng, Qingshan Zhao

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The linkage created by migratory birds in time and space and between different global ecosystems, local biodiversity and diverse human culture epitomises the concept of “All Life on Earth”. The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat, referred to as the Ramsar Convention below, uses bird abundance as a means to identify the relative significance of Wetlands of International Importance, tightly linking the most threatened wetlands on our planet with waterbird conservation. Wetland loss and degradation in Asia has caused a dramatic decrease in waterbird abundance and diversity, underlining the critical need for monitoring and conserving those …

Fecal Findings: Investigating Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake Diet Using Dna Metabarcoding, Alyssa Swinehart

Masters Theses

Characterizing the diet of imperiled species using minimally invasive methods is crucial to understanding their conservation requirements. DNA metabarcoding methods have been used to characterize the diet primarily in mammalian systems, while reptiles are heavily underrepresented in this literature. Here, we apply a DNA metabarcoding approach to study the diet of the eastern massasauga rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus); a Federally Threatened snake found throughout the Great Lakes Region. Eighty-three fecal samples collected across 10 different massasauga populations located in Michigan were sequenced. We use universal metazoan primers and develop a host-specific oligonucleotide blocker to uncover the full potential diet …

The Possible Presence Of Mycorrhizae In The Chuckanut Marsh Wetland And The Lamentable Absence Of Personality In Scientific Communication, Evangeline Schmitt

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

A surge in research about mycorrhizae over the past few decades has revealed mycorrhizal associations to be critical to plant ecosystems. They are present in over 90% of plant species and allow them to share nutrients and information through fungal mycelia. The question of how pervasive mycorrhizae are in different habitats receives ever-changing answers as research continues. In this literature review, I explore what mycorrhizal species are likely to be present in a local ecosystem with diverse plant communities: the Chuckanut marsh estuary. I explain how I cross-referenced a plant species list from a Chuckanut marsh characterization study with plant …

Accumulation Of Chromium, Cadmium And Arsenic In White-Tailed Sea-Eagle Feathers (Aves:Haliaeetus Albicilla ) From The Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve And Surrounding Areas(Romania), Vasile Alexe, Adrian Burada, Liliana Teodorof, Mihai Marinov, Alexandru-Catalin Doroşencu, Lucian Eugen Bolboaca, Cristina Despina, Dana Seceleanu, Marta Peraita, Marian Tudor, Janos-Botond Kiss, Dumitru Murariu

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Haliaeetus albicilla is a top raptor that can be used as a model for contaminants transfer in trophic chain. In this study we studied the accumulation of three contaminants on feathers from breeding individuals of white-tailed sea-eagle collected between 2012 and 2018 in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve and its surroundings. The concentrations of two heavy metals (chromium, cadmium) and one metalloid (arsenic) were determined by inductively coupled mass spectrometry. Chromium concentrations ranged from 0.32 to 1.33 mg/kg for juveniles and between 0.68 to 2.92 mg/kg in the case of adult birds. Cadmium concentrations in juveniles were between 0.007 to …

Study On Methane Diurnal Emission Nearby Cuona Lake In Naqu Of Tibet With Different Humidity, Zhongxin Zhang, Yunfan Wan, Yu'e Li, Qingzhu Gao

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

No abstract provided.

Root Colonization By Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi In Plants Of Lhalu Wetland, Jingping Gai, Yan Dai, Guizhen Li, He Zhou, Xianglin Li, Yunwei Zhang, Fuyu Yang

IGC Proceedings (1997-2023)

No abstract provided.

An Evaluation Of Arthropod Assemblages In Great Salt Lake Wetland Habitats: Differences Between Native And Invasive Vegetation And Implications For Restoration, Emily E. Leonard

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Wetlands provide important habitat for various birds. Invasive plants can disrupt wetland food webs by altering the arthropod assemblages (invertebrate animals such as spiders, mites, insects, centipedes, and millipedes) on which these birds rely. However, differences between the wetland arthropods found in invasive vs. native vegetation are poorly defined. Wetlands are often managed for the creation of bird habitat through invasive species removal and native plant revegetation, yet few studies have examined the effects of these restoration methods on arthropod bird food sources. Phragmites australis (common reed), is an aggressive grass species in wetlands surrounding the Great Salt Lake, Utah, …

The Partitioning Of Temporal Movement Patterns Of Breeding Red-Crowned Crane(Grus Japonensis) Induced By Temperature, Minghao Gong, Zhongyan Gao, Shiliang Pang, Qiang Dai, Xu Pan, Wanyu Wen, Huixin Li, Fawen Qian, Wenfeng Wang

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Patterns of movement through time are important components of animal behavior and key to understanding animal ecology. Due to methodological challenges, including tracing and analyzing movements and their changes, they are seldom studied to identify both seasonal patterns and their driving forces. Using seven GPS-collared red-crowned cranes (Grus japonensis, RCCs), we recorded their moving distances and concurrent climatic data to analyze the relative importance of these factors in RCC movements. Temperature was identified as the most important of these climatic variables in RCC movements. Based on temperature dependence and researcher expertise, we determined RCC temporal movement patterns as mating, brooding, …

The Interactive Effects Of Microtopography And Hydrology On Ground Layer Vegetation And Soil Gas Flux Responses To A Simulated Emerald Ash Borer Infestation In Black Ash Wetlands, Elisabeth Stimmel

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Black ash (Fraxinus nigra Marshall) wetlands are at risk of significant ecological and functional changes due to the invasive emerald ash borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae)), which kills trees in the Fraxinus (ash) genus. Simulated EAB infestations consisting of girdle treatments and ash cut treatments have been implemented in black ash wetlands to study the impacts of black ash canopy dieoff in these systems. Initial findings include ground layer vegetation shifts and impacts to carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) release from soils, but these factors and their interactions with microtopography in …

Relation Between Soil Salinity And Species Composition Of Halophytic Plant Communities: A Baseline Data Inventory For Wetland Monitoring, Kemal Tulühan Yilmaz, Erhan Akça, Hali̇l Çakan, Yüksel Ünlükaplan, Seli̇m Kapur

Turkish Journal of Botany

Our study sets forth the outcomes of an interdisciplinary project conducted in order to fill the information gap on the management of a wetland ecosystem, in the case of a protected area on the south-eastern coast of Turkey. The hypothesis of the study is that the pattern of species composition reflects soil salinity level and some species can act as relevant indicators. The study aimed to discover a relationship between soil salinity and vegetation composition and establish some indicators useful for monitoring. For this aim, the temporal and spatial changes of soil salinity were monitored and the distribution of coastal …

The Best Management Practices For Addressing Human-Caused Riparian And Wetland Degradation, Aldo Lopez

Master's Projects and Capstones

Riparian and wetland ecosystems accomplish a variety of significant ecological purposes, especially in the State of California where a majority of these ecosystems have been removed, degraded, or altered due to human interferences. A large portion of this interference comes from a strong agricultural presence throughout the state. In order to combat further ecological loss, private and public entities have begun strong restorative and managerial efforts. This project reviews the effects of agriculture in riparian and wetland areas, and what are the best management practices focusing on the Santa Clara River Watershed and the Elkhorn Slough found in Monterey Bay. …

Vultures And Kites From Marala Wetlands, Zahid Bhatti, Fida Muhammad Khan, Muhammad Asif Gondal

Journal of Bioresource Management

The family Accipitridae consists of approximately 254 known living species that include eagles, hawks, vultures and kites. Forty species from this family are extant in Pakistan, of which 24 are resident. Only six species from the Accipitridae family were observed at Marala Head; Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus), Pariha Kite (Milvus migrans), White-Backed Vulture (Gyps bengalensis), Long-billed Vulture (Gyps indicus), Shikra (Accipiter badius) and Black-Winged Kite (Elanus caeruleus). The highest number of any species from this family observed was of Gyps bengalensis (23) in December. Elanus caeruleus was the …

Incorporating Early Life History And Recruitment In Analysis Of Population Dynamics Of Wetland Fishes, John Vincent Gatto

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hydrological variation is believed to be the major abiotic factor influencing fish recruitment in floodplain ecosystems. However, past studies fail to address the impact of hydrology on the three major drivers of recruitment: age-specific growth and mortality, and dispersal. I examined long-term recruitment dynamics for six fish species inhabiting the Everglades by addressing the impact of hydrology on these important characteristics. I then linked these changes to annual fluctuations in population size.

Before interpreting time-series data on recruitment, I evaluated the impact of size-selective bias from sampling gear on our interpretation of hydrological drivers of recruitment. Analyses revealed that individuals …

Floodplains Provide Important Amphibian Habitat Despite Facing Multiple Ecological Threats, Meredith A. Holgerson, Adam Duarte, Marc P. Hayes, Michael J. Adams, Julie A. Tyson, Keith A. Douville, Angela Strecker

Environmental Sciences Faculty and Staff Publications

Floodplain ponds and wetlands are productive and biodiverse ecosystems, yet they face multiple threats including altered hydrology, land use change, and non-native species. Protecting and restoring important floodplain ecosystems requires understanding how organisms use these habitats and respond to altered environmental conditions. We developed Bayesian models to evaluate occupancy of six amphibian species across 103 off-channel aquatic habitats in the Chehalis River floodplain, Washington State, USA. The basin has been altered by changes in land use, reduced river–wetland connections, and the establishment of non-native American bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana = Lithobates catesbeianus) and centrarchid fishes, all of which we …