Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Impacts Of Stream Habitat Restoration On Macroinvertebrate Assemblages: A Systematic Literature Review, Morgan E. Seitzer

University Honors Theses

Globally, river restoration has become a popular tool for improving the health of a watershed and restoring ecosystem services, but still has significant knowledge gaps. In certain areas and scientific communities, special attention has been given to the response of macroinvertebrates as a measure of restoration success. This systematic literature review aims to highlight and discuss the patterns in studies that have comparable before-and-after restoration data on macroinvertebrates after reconnecting stream channels to their floodplains. Macroinvertebrate sampling is a simple if not time-consuming task that can reveal important data about habitat quality. Because they serve as an important food source …

The Effects Of Salt Marsh Restoration On The Hydrology Of Salt Marsh Channels, Isis Kontas

University Honors Theses

Salt marshes produce many ecosystem services, from water purification to protection from hurricanes. Despite their benefits, salt marshes have been impacted negatively by human activities. There are many salt marsh restoration projects that intend to bring back all ecological functions and services. Quantifiable measurements are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of such restoration efforts. Earlier work by Reagan Thomas demonstrated what happens to the hydrology of salt marsh channels when they are adjacent to restored salt marshes. This study builds on Thomas’ work and uses the sinuosity of channels as a quantitative, representative metric of salt marsh hydrology restoration effectiveness. …

Analysis Of Benthic Macroinvertebrate Response To Restoration Flows And Scour In The Trinity River, Northern California, Sarah Gutierrez, Julie Avina

Cal Poly Humboldt Capstone Honor Roll

This study investigates the ecological impact of restoration flows and scouring events on benthic macroinvertebrate (BMI) communities within the Trinity River, an ecosystem historically impacted by anthropogenic activities. Central to this study is the examination of how hydrologic alterations, especially the construction of the Lewiston Dam, have influenced these vital ecological indicators. Using data collected earlier in 2023 from a current study by Benjamin King, we analyzed BMI samples from three river sites (Junction City, Pear Tree, and Lorenz Gulch), both prior to and following a major scouring event in January 2023. This paper utilizes statistical analyses, including ANOVA and …

Increasing Use Of Natural And Nature-Based Features To Build Resilience To Storm-Driven Flooding, Final Report, Center For Coastal Resources Management, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science, Pamela Mason, Jessica Hendricks, Julie Herman, Karen Duhring, Carl Hershner

Reports

In coastal Virginia today, local governments are dealing with recurrent flooding driven by coastal storms, exacerbated by rising sea level and increased frequency of intense rain events. At the same time, they are confronted with increasing demands on limited resources to address issues coastal flooding in concert with water quality, wetlands management, shoreline erosion, habitat, and community needs such as infrastructure, flood insurance and open space. One solution is to maximize the protection of existing and implement new natural and nature-based features (NNBFs) to capitalize on the provision of multiple benefits to address many of these coastal issues.

There are …

Identifying Key Stream Restoration Variables In An Agriculturally Impaired Chesapeake Bay Watershed, Julia Portmann

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The Chesapeake Bay watershed spans several states, supports diverse ecosystems, and is crucial to local economies. However, agricultural practices in this region impair water quality. The Smith Creek watershed, within the Shenandoah Valley, was designated a showcase watershed in 2010 by the United States Department of Agriculture to demonstrate the efficacy of implementing restoration projects. We sampled fifteen farms ranging from unrestored to thirty-six years since restoration. At each site, we conducted a kick-net survey for macroinvertebrates, measured canopy cover, algal density, substrate size, and bank height and angle. We identified macroinvertebrates to family and calculated the Chesapeake Basin-wide Index …

The Effects Of Environmental Restoration On Housing Prices In Northern Colorado, Jack Steketee

Capstones and Honors Theses

Hedonic valuation is a method of using a market, such as the housing market, to estimate the value of non-market goods. An example of a non-market good we might want to value is environmental quality. Proper valuation of the environment can help make informed policy decisions, as well as help better protect or restore it. We use the hedonic valuation model This research uses data from a housing market in Colorado to estimate the value homeowners place on an environmental restoration project. We hypothesized that overall, we would see an increase in home value after a restoration project was completed …

Stream Restoration, Spring/Summer 2011, Issue 24

Sustain Magazine

No abstract provided.

Operationalizing Ecological Resilience Concepts For Managing Species And Ecosystems At Risk, Jeanne C. Chambers, Craig R. Allen, Samuel A. Cushman

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

This review provides an overview and integration of the use of resilience concepts to guide natural resources management actions. We emphasize ecosystems and landscapes and provide examples of the use of these concepts from empirical research in applied ecology. We begin with a discussion of definitions and concepts of ecological resilience and related terms that are applicable to management. We suggest that a resilience-based framework for management facilitates regional planning by providing the ability to locate management actions where they will have the greatest benefits and determine effective management strategies. We review the six key components of a resilience-based framework, …

Cape Elizabeth Culvert And Habitat Assessment Study, Steve Harding, Jake Aman, Matthew Craig, Robert Malley, Maureen O'Meara

Publications

Executive Summary:

In early 2017, Jake Aman, representing the Wells National Estuary Research Reserve (WNERR), met with the Cape Elizabeth Public Works Director and Town Planner to talk about culverts. Jake shared aerial photos of culverts located in the Spurwink Marsh where scouring of adjacent habitat areas was evident. He inquired if the town was considering any culvert replacements, in which case WNERR and The Nature Conservancy might be able to partner with the town to promote a habitat sensitive replacement. The outcome of the meeting was a jointly sponsored assessment of major town culverts, including those located in the …

Long Reach Lane At Long Marsh, Harpswell, 2018 Post-Project Monitoring Report; Year 5 Of 5, Matthew Craig

Publications

No abstract provided.

Annual Report 2018, Casco Bay Estuary Partnership

Publications

CBEP has been collaborating for over 25 years with a multitude of partners working hard to protect Casco Bay. 2018 brought us new and exciting collaborations.

The Casco Bay Nutrient Council, convened by CBEP, met for almost two years and produced a report that laid a path forward for all partners to tackle nutrient pollution.

CBEP worked closely with the EPA to establish the Casco Bay Monitoring Network, made up of over 20 member organizations, aimed at coordinating and upgrading monitoring in the Bay. The Network is currently updating the Casco Bay Monitoring Plan.

CBEP is an active participant in …

The Measure Of Nematode Diversity In Response To Varying Management Practices And Features In Restored And Remnant Prairie Ecosystems, Heaven A. Hulshizer

UCARE Research Products

"Tallgrass prairies are the most endangered ecosystem in North America” (Helen et al 2013). “Surveys suggest that since European settlement, declines in area of native prairie range as high as 99.9%”(Sampson, Fred and Fritz Knopf 1994). Prairie ecosystem services are abundant and range from mitigating floods to promoting biodiversity. (USDA Forest Service).Given these benefits, restoring prairies and maintaining native areas should be an important conservation priority. Nematodes, the most abundant animal species on earth, have been used as bio-indicators of soil quality (Neher; Todd). To better understand the dynamics of nematode diversity in native and restored prairies we examines whether …

Development And Application Of A Gis-Based Long Island Sound Eelgrass Habitat Suitability Index Model, Jamie M.P. Vaudrey, Justin Eddings, Christopher Pickerell, Lorne Brousseau, Charles Yarish

Department of Marine Sciences

The primary objectives of the Eelgrass Habitat Suitability Index Model (EHSI Model) are to assist in the evaluation of sites being considered for eelgrass restoration efforts in the Long Island Sound (LIS) area and to identify areas where water quality issues reduce or eliminate the potential for natural eelgrass colonization. To achieve this goal, geospatial processing of data available from the Long Island Sound area was conducted using ArcGIS v10.0 including the 3D Analyst and Spatial Analyst extensions. The result is a series of maps presented in this report and a GIS-based model available for users to interact with the …

Slides: Environmental Water In Australia, Chris Arnott

Conversation with Water Management Reps from Colorado and Australia: "Adapting to Climate Change: Lessons Learned from Australia" (February 14)

Presenter: Chris Arnott, Managing Director, Alluvium Consulting

30 slides

Aquatic Ecosystem Response To Storm Water Abatement Measures In The Ravines Of The Gvsu Allendale Campus: Establishment Of Base-Line Biological Condition, Eric Snyder, Jason Nelson, Jason Drogowski, Michelle Harju

Technical Reports

The ravine tributary streams surrounding Grand Valley State Universities Allendale campus represent unique and understudied ecosystems, worthy of significant restoration efforts and of long-lasting protection. They are variously affected by storm water runoff, representing a spectrum from severely impacted to relatively pristine. Quantitative macroinvertebrate samples taken from six streams in late June 2007, indicated that insect diversity was positively correlated to ammonium (p=0.057), while total abundance was negatively correlated to phosphate and chlorophyll-a concentration (n.s.). In addition, phosphate, nitrate, sulfate and iron concentrations were elevated in streams that experience significant storm-water runoff and these streams also tended to have …

Final Technical Report: Integrated Restoration Strategies Towards Weed Control On Western Rangelands, Robert Nowak

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

Invasive species are having severe ecological (Mack et al. 2000) and economic (Pimentel et al. 2005) impacts on ecosystems around the world. Invasive species can alter many ecosystem processes (Crooks 2002, Walker & Smith 1997) including: water and nutrient availability, such as form and amount of N if the soil (Evans et al. 2001, Sperry et al. 2006); primary productivity, through shifts in growth rates or efficiency of resource use; disturbance regimes, including the type, frequency, and severity of disturbances such as fire (D’Antonio 2002); and community dynamics, such as species replacements (Alvarez & Cushman 2002). The economic losses and …

Floodplain Habitat Restoration At Thunder Ranch, Utah, U.S. Department Of The Interior, Bureau Of Reclamation

All U.S. Government Documents (Utah Regional Depository)

The Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program (Recovery Program) is proposing to restore endangered fish habitat at 330 acres of Green River bottomlands located on the Thunder Ranch near Jensen, Utah. The Recovery Program acquired a total of 455 acres of easement from Thunder Ranch to protect and improve floodplain habitat for the benefit of endangered Colorado River fishes. The project area is located adjacent to the Green River within an old meander river channel. Several ponds and wetlands exist in the project area, but are isolated from the Green River by an earth-filled levee. By notching the existing …

Phytosociological Analysis Of Restored And Managed Grassland Habitat Within An Urban National Park, Andrew M. Greller, Celestine Durando, Leslie F. Marcus, D. Siril A. Wijesundara, Michael D. Byer, Robert Cook, John T. Tanacredi Ph.D.

Faculty Works: CERCOM

Floyd Bennett Field (FBF), 579 ha in extent, is a division of Gateway National Recreation Area. It is the site of a former airfield, constructed by filling salt marshes with dredged materials. Except for the portion known locally as the “North Forty,” all sections of FBF have been cut over to maintain low vegetation. A grassland management plan (GRAMP) for 165 ha was initiated in 1986, to maintain habitats for open-country birds. Over the next few years, encroaching woody vegetation was removed manually and mechanically from the management area. Since then, it has been maintained as a grassland and receives …

Bulletin No. 34: Tidal Marshes Of Long Island Sound: Ecology, History And Restoration, Glenn D. Dreyer, William A. Niering

Bulletins

No abstract provided.