Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons^™

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 …

What Are The Impacts Of Deer Browsing And Japanese Stiltgrass (Microstegium Vinenium) On Native Sapling Growth In A Residential Wetland In Southeastern Georgia?, Josie Richards

Honors College Theses

Wetlands promote biodiversity, act as climate stabilizers, and regulate water flow, yet are vulnerable to invaders. An invasive species can affect the biodiversity, abiotic conditions, and increase vulnerability of an ecosystem over time and deer browsing can actively affect new growth by removing the apical buds of young woody vegetation. Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum), a wetland specific invader, has been shown to compete against native species for limited resources and actively crowd them out. Growth of native saplings can be further complicated by the presence of white tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), which browse woody vegetation and limit recruitment of trees. …

An Integrative Salt Marsh Conceptual Framework For Global Comparisons, Erik S. Yando, Scott F. Jones, W. Ryan James, Denise D. Colombano, Diana I. Montemayor, Stefanie Nolte, Jacqueline L. Raw, Shelby L. Ziegler, Luzhen Chen, Daniele Daffonchio, Marco Fusi, Kerrylee Rogers, Liudmila Sergienko

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Salt marshes occur globally across climatic and coastal settings, providing key linkages between terrestrial and marine ecosystems. However, salt marsh science lacks a unifying conceptual framework; consequently, historically well-studied locations have been used as normative benchmarks. To allow for more effective comparisons across the diversity of salt marshes, we developed an integrative salt marsh conceptual framework. We review ecosystem-relevant drivers from global to local spatial scales, integrate these multi-scale settings into a framework, and provide guidance on applying the framework using specific variables on 11 global examples. Overall, this framework allows for appropriate comparison of study sites by accounting for …

Hydrodynamic Limitations To Mangrove Seedling Retention In Subtropical Estuaries, Kelly M. Kibler, Christian Pilato, Linda Walters, Melinda Donnelly, Jyotismita Taye

Flow-biota Interaction and Natural Infrastructure Design

Mangrove forest sustainability hinges upon propagule recruitment and seedling retention. This study evaluates biophysical limitations to mangrove seedling persistence by measuring anchoring force of two mangrove species (Rhizophora mangle and Avicennia germinans). Anchoring force was measured in 362 seedlings via lateral pull-tests administered in mangrove forests of two subtropical estuaries and in laboratory-based experiments. Removal mechanism varied with seedling age: newly-established seedlings failed due to root pull-out while seedlings older than 3 months failed by root breakage. Anchoring force of R. mangle seedlings was consistently and significantly greater than A. germinans (GLM: p = 0.002), however force to …

Wetland Biogeochemical Responses To Predicted Climate Change Scenarios, Angela R. Shaffer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Wetlands are one of the world's largest known carbon sinks while comprising only a small amount of the Earth's surface. However, the amount of carbon sequestered by wetlands is shrinking as droughts and human disturbance increases. Carbon in wetlands is stored through the contrast of decomposition and sedimentation of organic matter and absorption of CO₂ from the atmosphere by soil microbes. Understanding how changing hydrological regimes and increased wildfires will affect wetland soil and microbial processes is important in the face of predicted climate change for future wetland conservation practices. Specifically, I seek to understand the response of southeastern …

Population Health Of Spotted Salamanders (Ambystoma Maculatum) In Created Vernal Pools: An Integrative Approach, Alice R. Millikin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Habitat creation is an important tool for conservation to counteract habitat loss and degradation. Vernal pools are susceptible to destruction due to limited detection, protection, and regulation. These wetlands provide fishless breeding habitat for many amphibian species including spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) in eastern North America. Determining whether created vernal pool habitat is successful is often determined by demographic data of colonizing populations. I suggest that hormone levels, population genetics, and disease prevalence can improve our understanding of population health in created habitat. The goal of this dissertation was to assess the health of spotted salamander larvae in …

Coastal Wetland Dynamics Under Sea-Level Rise And Wetland Restoration In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico Using Bayesian Multilevel Models And A Web Tool, Tyler Hardy

Master's Theses

There is currently a lack of modeling framework to predict how relative sea-level rise (SLR), combined with restoration activities, affects landscapes of coastal wetlands with uncertainties accounted for at the entire northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM). I developed such a modeling framework – Bayesian multi-level models to study the spatial pattern of wetland loss in the NGOM, driven by relative RSLR, vegetation productivity, tidal range, coastal slope, and wave height – all interacting with river-borne sediment availability, indicated by hydrological regimes. These interactions have not been comprehensively investigated before. I further modified this model to assess the efficacy of restoration …

Application Of Genomics To Develop A Monitoring Tool For Stormwater Treatment Wetlands, Jessica Lenoble, Chris Johnston, James Atwater, Susan Baldwin

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Urban stormwater treatment wetlands benefit communities because they filter pollutants from receiving waters and provide habitat for urban wildlife and birds. The installation of wetlands is often avoided because stormwater quality is highly variable, which makes it both challenging and expensive to ensure that the wetlands are effectively mitigating the impacts of stormwater runoff. For decades, macroscopic species, such as benthic invertebrates, have been used as biological indicators of watershed health. With recent advancements in genomics (the branch of science that studies the function and structure of DNA within a single cell), it may now be feasible to use microscopic …

Using Traditional Ecological Knowledge To Protect Wetlands: The Swinomish Tribe's Wetlands Cultural Assessment Project, Todd Mitchell, Nicole J. Casper

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

“Traditional” wetland physical assessment modules do not adequately identify Tribal cultural values of wetlands and thus wetlands may not be adequately protected for cultural uses. This Swinomish Wetlands Cultural Assessment Project has developed a cultural resource scoring module that can be incorporated into wetland assessments to better inform wetland protections. Local native knowledge was gathered about the traditional uses of 99 native wetland plant species. A cultural scoring matrix was developed based on the presence of traditionally used plants in several use categories including: construction, ceremonial, subsistence, medicinal, common use, plant rarity, and place of value for each wetland. The …

A Naturalist’S Guide To The Great Plains, Paul A. Johnsgard

Zea E-Books Collection

This book documents nearly 500 US and Canadian locations where wildlife refuges, nature preserves, and similar properties protect natural sites that lie within the North American Great Plains, from Canada’s Prairie Provinces to the Texas-Mexico border. Information on site location, size, biological diversity, and the presence of especially rare or interesting flora and fauna are mentioned, as well as driving directions, mailing addresses, and phone numbers or internet addresses, as available. US federal sites include 11 national grasslands, 13 national parks, 16 national monuments, and more than 70 national wildlife refuges. State properties include nearly 100 state parks and wildlife …

Wetlands And Greenhouse Gas Fluxes: Causes And Effects Of Climate Change – A Meta-Analysis, Robert E. Ventura

Pomona Senior Theses

Climate change is one of the largest problems facing this generation. Anthropogenically caused increases of greenhouse gas emissions is a significant culprit to this problem. Although the obvious problems such as cars, industry, and urbanism garnish a significant amount of the criticism, natural sources such as wetlands are also beginning to contribute to this issue. This is becoming increasingly significant as wetlands shift from being sinks of greenhouse gases to becoming sources as various anthropogenic impacts, including global warming itself, begin to affect the health of the wetlands. The aim of this project is to look at four common types …

Evidence For 20th Century Climate Warming And Wetland Drying In The North American Prairie Pothole Region, Brett A. Werner, W. Carter Johnson, Glenn R. Guntenspergen

Natural Resource Management Faculty Publications

The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of North America is a globally important resource that provides abundant and valuable ecosystem goods and services in the form of biodiversity, groundwater recharge, water purification, flood attenuation, and water and forage for agriculture. Numerous studies have found these wetlands, which number in the millions, to be highly sensitive to climate variability. Here, we compare wetland conditions between two 30-year periods (1946–1975; 1976–2005) using a hindcast simulation approach to determine if recent climate warming in the region has already resulted in changes in wetland condition. Simulations using the WETLANDSCAPE model show that 20th century climate …

Active Fluorometry Improves Nutrient-Diffusing Substrata Bioassay, Sarah Whorley, Steven Francoeur

Articles & Book Chapters

Benthic algal nutrient bioassays traditionally have been done by measuring periphytic algal biomass that has grown on fertilized or unfertilized patches of habitat produced by nutrient-diffusing substrata (NDS). This method requires destruction of the accumulated periphyton communities and, thus, does not allow for convenient monitoring through time. Variable fluorescence methods of estimating algal biomass and photosynthetic activity have been used in aquatic environments, but generally not over different nutrient treatments and not for a substantial duration. We evaluated the use of a pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) fluorometer for measuring algal biomass and photosynthetic activity in conjunction with NDS over several …

Greenhouse Gas Fluxes In Southeastern U.S. Coastal Plain Wetlands Under Contrasting Land Uses, Jennifer L. Morse, Marcelo Ardón, Emily S. Bernhardt

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Whether through sea level rise or wetland restoration, agricultural soils in coastal areas will be inundated at increasing rates, renewing connections to sensitive surface waters and raising critical questions about environmental trade-offs. Wetland restoration is often implemented in agricultural catchments to improve water quality through nutrient removal. Yet flooding of soils can also increase production of the greenhouse gases nitrous oxide and methane, representing a potential environmental trade-off. Our study aimed to quantify and compare greenhouse gas emissions from unmanaged and restored forested wetlands, as well as actively managed agricultural fields within the North Carolina coastal plain, USA. In sampling …

A Proposed Plan For Managing Eastern Nebraska's Saline Wetlands, Vandhana Rabadinanth

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Abstract Eastern Nebraska’s saline wetlands play a major role in Nebraska’s environmental place in the world. Besides the role of scientific changes being important, education also is essential in the conservation of these wetlands. Through the observation of Salt Creek tiger beetle (Cicindela nevadica lincolniana) and soil electroconductivity, I propose that we need to reform Nebraska’s education system to help schools play a bigger part in environmental issues such as this one. There is a drastic trend in the correlations between Salt Creek tiger beetle populations and wetland degradation. Since many Lincoln residents have a limited knowledge of what is …

Casco Bay Watershed Wetlands Characterization, State Planning Office

Maine Collection

Casco Bay Watershed Wetlands Characterization

State of Maine Executive Department - State Planning Office

Augusta, Maine, May 2001

Contents: Abstract / Background / Getting Started / Designing the System / The Characterization / The Prioritization / Results / Cautions / Significance of the Approach / Literature Cited / Figure 1 - Biophysical Regions of Maine / Appendix A: Steering Committee Members / Appendix B: Field Verification Form / Appendix C: Contacts

Hydrologic Events And Water Quality In The Pigeon River, Ottawa County, Michigan, Neil W. Macdonald, Richard R. Rediske, Jonathan E. Van Denend

Peer Reviewed Publications

The Pigeon River drains a 16,765-ha agricultural watershed in western Ottawa County, Michigan and discharges into south-central Lake Michigan. Extensive areas of wetlands in the upper watershed were drained in the 1920s, causing significantly altered hydrology characteristics by flashy discharges during storms and periods of snowmelt. We studied stream chemistry and hydrology for a four-year period between September, 1996, and October, 2000, to determine water quality status, to estimate annual nutrient exports, and to evaluate the effects of different seasonal flow types. Results of our study confirmed that the upper reaches of the Pigeon River experience chronically degraded water quality, …

Comparison Of Sapling Community Structure In Created And Natural Forested Wetlands In Southeastern Virginia, Sharon Ann Haines

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Forested wetlands are being destroyed at a rapid rate. Wetlands are valuable for flood control, aquifer recharge, and for their role in denitrification and storage of global carbon. When wetlands are lost, their functions and value to humans are lost as well. One response to the continued development of wetlands has been the artificial creation of new wetlands. This study compared the species density, relative density, coverage and frequency of occurrence of the woody vegetation in two southeastern Virginia created wetlands with that in two reference wetlands, also in southeastern Virginia, to determine the structural similarity of their respective communities. …

Maine Nonpoint Source Pollution Assessment Report, Bureau Of Water Quality Control

Maine Collection

Maine Nonpoint Source Pollution Assessment Report

Prepared by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Water Quality Control, Augusta, Maine 1989.

Contents: Executive Summary / Introduction / Methodology / Statewide Water Quality Summary / State And Local Agency Programs for Control of Nonpoint Source Pollution / Process for Identification of Best Management Practices and Associated Standards / List of References / List of Figures / List of Tables

Las Vegas Wash Multispectral Scanner Survey, T. H. Mace, M. V. Olsen, Environmental Protection Agency

Publications (WR)

At the request of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Boulder City, Nevada, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory at Las Vegas collected multispectral scanner imagery of Las Vegas Wash on October 1, 1982.

A combined maximum likelihood classification and editing procedure was used to classify the multispectral scanner imagery into 12 categories of land cover. The classification identified four categories of marsh vegetation, one category of riparian, two categories of mixed scrub, and two desert categories. Turbid water and cultivated land formed an "other" category. Area tabulations were formed by georeferencing the classification to the Universal Transverse …

Inventory Of Lake Studies In Maine, Charles F. Wallace Jr., James M. Strunk

Maine Collection

Inventory of Lake Studies in Maine

By Charles F. Wallace, Jr. and James M. Strunk

State Planning Office, Water Resources Planning Division, July 1973.

"Printed under Appropriation Number 4248.5 and financially assisted by planning grants from the United States Water Resources Council Title III funds."

Contents: Introduction / Investigating Agencies / Federal Agencies / State Agencies / Regional Planning Commissions and Economic Development Districts / Maine Colleges and Universities / Private / Other Private / Other / Appendices

Phytoplankton Successions And Lake Dynamics In Las Vegas Bay, Lake Mead, Nevada, Ervon R. Koening, Richard W. Tew, James E. Deacon

Publications (WR)

Phytoplankton successions, applications of the general growth equation, and physical measurements have been employed to investigate events occurring at the interface between industrial and sewage effluent contained in Las Vegas Wash and the waters of Lake Mead, Nevada. The data indicate that the entering waters tend to form a density current interrupted at intervals by dynamic effects generated in the lake. The dynamic relationships described here for the spring months suggest that a much more thorough understanding of physical, chemical and biological interactions is necessary to permit solution of the numerous problems of Las Vegas Bay discussed or alluded to …

Report On Water Pollution Problems In Las Vegas Wash And Las Vegas Bay, Environmental Protection Agency

Publications (WR)

This report was prepared by the Federal Water- Quality Administration, Pacific Southwest Region, now the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Region IX, at the request of the State of Nevada, Department of Health, Welfare, and rehabilitation. In a letter, dated December 5, 1969, this agency asked for technical assistance, as authorized by the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, in developing discharge standards appropriate for Las Vegas Bay, Lake Mead, and the Lower Colorado River. The subsequent study was performed by EPA from January through August, 1970. The establishment of Nevada State Water Quality Standards for these waters will enable responsible officials …