Life Sciences Commons^™

Characterization Of Current And Historical Variations In Sediment Accretion And Carbon Dynamics At The Rice Rivers Center Kimages Creek Wetland Restoration, Melissa J. Davis, Christopher D. Gatens, Edward R. Crawford, Arif Sikder

Rice Rivers Center Research Symposium

Current research of freshwater wetland soils have assessed and reported smaller stocks of soil organic carbon in restored wetlands compared to reference natural wetlands. However, a majority of these studies focus on sites restored from agricultural draining of non-tidal depressional wetlands,whereas carbon and accretion dynamics in tidal freshwater wetlands restored via dam removal is poorly understood. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimates over 80,000 dams greater than 6 feet and tens of thousands of smaller dams pepper the U.S., of which the majority are unsafe, old or no longer serve their intended purpose. Damming disrupts the natural flow of …

An Analysis Of Particulate Matter In Central Virginia, Elizabeth Garrett, Arif Sikder

Rice Rivers Center Research Symposium

Virginia is consistently rated as a state with high rates of asthma (Asthma and Allergy Foundation 2014). Although this respiratory disease has many causes, certain air pollutants can be a trigger. The EPA currently identifies, monitors, and regulates seven types of air pollutants. One of these pollutants, particulate matter, can occur both naturally and culturally. The primary anthropogenic cause of particulate matter is fly ash, which is formed during fossil fuel combustion. Different technology installed in the power plant can capture some of the fly ash but these methods are not entirely effective.

This study focused on estimating the ratio …

Assessing How Disruption Of Methanogenic Communities And Their Syntrophic Relationships In Tidal Freshwater Marshes Via Saltwater Intrusion May Affect Ch4 Emissions, David J. Berrier, Scott C. Neubauer, Rima B. Franklin

Rice Rivers Center Research Symposium

Tidal freshwater wetlands (TFW), which lie at the interface of saltwater and freshwater ecosystems, are predicted to experience moderate salinity increases due to sea level rise. Increases in salinity generally suppress CH4 production, but it is uncertain to what extent elevated salinity will affect CH4 cycling in TFW. It is also unknown whether CH4 production will resume when freshwater conditions return. The ability to produce CH4 is limited to a monophyletic group of the Euryarchaeota phylum called methanogens (MG), who are limited to a small number of substrates (e.g., acetate, H2, and formate) produced from the breakdown of fermentation products. …

Wood Frog And Spotted Salamander Abundance Across Pool Types And Wetland Networks At Fort A.P. Hill, Va, Logan Mcdonald, Will Fields, Katelyn Horn, James R. Vonesh, Kristine Grayson

Rice Rivers Center Research Symposium

Effective management of pond breeding amphibians requires identifying suitable breeding habitat and its use by different species. Suitable breeding habitat is largely characterized by pool type, physical habitat, and position within the landscape. Parameters such as vegetative cover, hydrology, and water chemistry are known to influence amphibian occupancy of vernal pools. While seasonal vernal pools have been the focus of conservation efforts, pools that are an artifact of anthropogenic disturbance, such as road ruts, may be an important component of the landscape for amphibians. The role of wetland isolation within a landscape has been well studied, but less consideration has …

Effects Of Olfactory Cues On The Foraging Behavior Of A Carabid Beetle, Calosoma Wilcoxi, A Predator Of A Forest Defoliator., Kennesha J. Myrick-Bragg, Karen Kester, Derek M. Johnson

Rice Rivers Center Research Symposium

Arthropod predators use environmental cues such as kairomones to locate herbivore prey. Several species have been shown to be attracted to volatiles emitted by herbivore host plants, as well as olfactory cues produced by the herbivore. Calosoma wilcoxi is a voracious predator that specializes on lepidopteran larvae often found in the forest canopy, showing a preference for the fall cankerworm. It is unknown whether C. wilcoxi uses olfactory cues associated with prey or their host plants to locate foraging sites.

The objective of this study is to use fall cankerworm frass, caterpillars, damaged oak leaves, and conspecifics to determine if …

Tower-Based Greenhouse Gas Fluxes In A Restored Tidal Freshwater Wetland: A Shared Resource For Research And Teaching., Ellen J. Stuart-Haëntjens, Scott C. Neubauer, Christopher M. Gough

Rice Rivers Center Research Symposium

The goals of this study are: 1) to use an eddy-covariance system to continuously measure wetland-atmosphere CO2 and CH4 exchange in a restored forested wetland, 2) to quantity C sequestration in plant biomass and soils in restored (Kimages Creek watershed) and old-growth (Harris Creek watershed) forested wetlands, and 3) to establish a shared long-term, shared research and teaching platform centered on eddy-covariance tower measurements. Since the old-growth forest wetland has had longer to accumulate C, the current C stocks are likely much larger than those of the restored wetland; however, the rate of C accumulation (i.e., C sequestration or net …

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Over A Tidal Cycle In A Freshwater Wetland, Joseph C. Morina, Rima B. Franklin

Rice Rivers Center Research Symposium

Tidal freshwater wetlands are located at the interface of non-tidal freshwater riverine systems and estuarine tidal systems. These habitats experience freshwater tides, creating unique redoximorphic soil characteristics while simultaneously presenting an opportunity for hydrologic nutrient transport into the system. Because of this periodic flooding and draining, tidal freshwater wetlands are systems of intense biogeochemical transformations, which are microbially mediated. Several microbial transformations (e.g., methanogenesis, incomplete denitrification, and nitrification) result in the production of greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4, and N2O) at globally-significant levels. For example, wetlands are one of the greatest sources of methane on Earth, accounting for 20-33% of the …

Using The Past To Restore The Future: Quantifying Historical Vegetation To Assist In Tidal Freshwater Wetland Restoration, Christopher D. Gatens, Richard Ward, Edward R. Crawford

Rice Rivers Center Research Symposium

Wetlands have been providing humans with critical natural ecosystem services throughout our time on Earth. Nevertheless, these invaluable ecosystems have been habitually altered as a cost of human progression. Two of the most common alterations to wetlands are hydrologic, in the form of damming, and filling. Both occurred along Kimages Creek in Charles City County, VA during the 19th and 20th centuries. In 2010 the Lake Charles dam was partially removed, restoring the creek's tidal communication with the James River and beginning tidal forested freshwater wetland restoration. Upon the recession of the body of water, numerous woody stumps were revealed.