Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Evaluating Ecological Equivalence In Created Marshes, Christopher Bromley Llewellyn

LSU Master's Theses

The overall goal of coastal wetland restoration is to achieve ecological equivalence through the reproduction of structural and functional characteristics. This study sought to examine ecological equivalence using a chronosequence of temporal replicates of created marshes using traditional structural measures of equivalence and tested the use of stable isotopes as a measure of functional equivalence. The objectives of this study were to: (1) compare measures of structural equivalence at created and reference marshes; (2) use stable isotope analysis of blue crab muscle and hepatopancreas tissues to compare functional equivalence at created and reference marshes; and (3) determine if there is …