Download or read book Long Term Hydrology Patterns and Plant Community Composition of Disturbed and Undisturbed Wetlands in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park Ohio USA written by Nathan Manning and published by . This book was released on 2006 with total page 90 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The hydrology of wetlands is a key abiotic factor in the determination of the type of wetland and the maintenance of these important ecosystems. By understanding the typical hydrologic and ecological response of these systems at a landscape scale it may be possible to predict how groups of similar wetlands will behave when large scale impacts are planned. This study consists of just that sort of investigation. This research was conducted within the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CVNP) in northern Summit and southern Cuyahoga counties in northeastern Ohio. Sixteen wetlands were selected for this project. The selection of these sites was based on size, type of wetland, location within sub-watersheds, and anthropogenic impacts within the sub-watersheds. Monitoring wells were used to monitor water levels within the sites and determine minimum, maximum and median water levels for each site as well as determining the variance and range of water level for each site. A modified Vegetative Index of Biotic Integrity (VIBI) protocol was used to collect plant community data. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) were used to determine the interactions of several different environmental factors in determining water level and plant community composition in disturbed and undisturbed wetlands. The results of this study show that there is a strong interaction effect between disturbance and environmental factors such as wetland and watershed size, and wetland type. This interaction makes it possible to begin to predict the reaction of different wetland types when human impacts encroach on natural areas."--abstract.
Download or read book An Assessment of Plant Community Composition and Structure of Forested Mitigation Wetlands and Relatively Undisturbed Reference Forested Wetlands in Ohio written by John Edward Reinier and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 133 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abstract: The ecological functions provided by mature forested wetlands are continually being lost through permitted impacts associated with residential, commercial and agricultural development. In response, regulatory agencies require that forested wetlands be restored, established, enhanced or preserved (i.e., wetland mitigation) to replace those ecological functions. Assessments of wetland mitigation projects often focus on plant community characteristics as indicators of ecological integrity. Using the Vegetation Index of Biotic Integrity (VIBI) sampling protocol, we collected herbaceous and woody plant community data as well as physical habitat attribute data at four forested mitigation areas and four relatively undisturbed reference forested wetlands within the Erie/Ontario Drift and Lake Plains and Eastern Corn Belt Plains ecoregions of Ohio. The objectives of the study were to compare the plant community composition and structure of these areas and to identify factors that may be influencing their development. Our analyses revealed both compositional and structural differences between mitigation and reference areas and indicated that certain physical habitat features (e.g., hummocks, macrotopographic depressions and coarse woody debris) may influence plant community development. Past land use, disturbance history and landscape setting also likely played an important role in shaping the plant communities of the sampled areas. Mitigation areas supported fewer ecologically conservative species than reference areas and lacked a subcanopy of native, shade-tolerant wetland tree and shrub species. VIBI results indicated that reference areas were characterized by the presence of seedless vascular plants, a high Floristic Quality Assessment Index score, the importance of native, shade-tolerant species as well as high percent cover of sensitive species, hydrophytes and bryophytes. Mitigation areas were characterized by ecologically tolerant species, the importance of canopy tree species, and many trees in small diameter classes. These results suggest that forested mitigation wetlands may support plant communities dominated by species with a wide range of ecological tolerance and may lack the structure that characterizes mature forested wetlands. Assuming mitigation areas are on a desirable trajectory, several decades may pass before areas currently used for forested wetland mitigation begin to resemble relatively undisturbed areas in terms of plant community composition and structure. As more and more forested wetlands are negatively impacted by residential, commercial and agricultural development, there will likely be a continual decline in the functions provided by mature forested wetlands throughout Ohio.
Download or read book Hydrology and Tree distribution Patterns of Karst Wetlands at Arnold Engineering Development Center Tennessee written by William J. Wolfe and published by . This book was released on 1996 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Structure and Function of Vascular Plant Communities in Created and Restored Wetlands in Ohio written by Kay Christine Stefanik and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 132 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Structural and functional characteristics of the dominant vegetation of mitigation bank wetlands (
Download or read book Vegetation Patterns Hydrology and Water Chemistry in Small Watersheds in the Hoh River Valley Olympic National Park Classic Reprint written by Robert L. Edmonds and published by Forgotten Books. This book was released on 2018-04-25 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Excerpt from Vegetation Patterns, Hydrology, and Water Chemistry in Small Watersheds in the Hoh River Valley, Olympic National Park Chapter 2: Study Sites West Twin Creek Topography. Climate Soils Vegetation Hoh Lake Topography. Climate Soils Vegetation. Chapter 3: Vegetation Communities in the West Twin Creek and Hoh Lake Watersheds Methods Results and Discussion. Lower Watershed Upper watershed. Plant Communities in the Hoh Lake Watershed Plant Community Classification and Ordination. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
Download or read book An Assessment of Wetland Impacts and Compensatory Mitigation in the Cuyahoga River Watershed Ohio USA written by Chad Isaac Kettlewell and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abstract: Current federal and state regulations allow wetlands to be destroyed as long as impacts are mitigated through restoration, creation, enhancement, or preservation of additional wetlands. In this research, we explore how effective these regulations are and if any cumulative changes to wetland and landscape structure are occurring as a result of wetland policy. A watershed-based assessment of wetland impacts and compensatory mitigation was conducted for the Cuyahoga River watershed in northeastern Ohio, USA. Twenty-three Section 401 certifications and Ohio Isolated Wetland permits were evaluated with regards to permit compliance, wetland structure, and landscape context. Although there was a net gain in wetland area as a result of the 23 permits, the Cuyahoga River watershed experienced a net loss of wetlands due to the exportation of mitigation. The majority of projects (67%) that restored or created wetlands independently (not at a mitigation bank) were not successful at meeting permit requirements. The comparison of impacted and mitigation wetland vegetation types revealed an increase in emergent and open water wetland area and a decrease in scrub/shrub and forested wetlands. There was a decrease in the number of wetlands from impacted wetlands (134) to mitigation wetlands (65). Impacted wetlands were also significantly smaller than replacement wetlands (p = 0.027, df = 74, t = 2.26). Landscape composition was variable for the 9 mitigation projects that were evaluated, varying from 17-75% natural land uses and from 18-82% human land uses. Results indicate that an improvement in compliance with permit requirements is necessary. Current wetland policy allows for the exportation of wetlands for mitigation purposes which can result in the loss of wetland function from some hydrologic units. The consideration of wetland structure needs to be incorporated into the regulatory process in order to avoid a shift in wetland types that are present. Instead of reviewing projects on a site-by-site basis, a landscape approach should be taken in order to avoid the loss of upland-wetland heterogeneity and the placement of wetlands in harsh landscapes which could potentially threaten wetland function.
Download or read book The Mechanisms Behind Alternative Community States Understanding Producer Composition in Temporary and Semipermanent Wetlands written by Sigrid Smith and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In many ecological communities, variation in composition appears discontinuous, in that a discrete set of community states (or distinct taxa assemblages) have been observed repeatedly in one ecosystem type. Many hypotheses have been proposed to explain this discontinuous variation in community composition over space and time. I examined the applicability of these hypotheses to understand the structure of producer communities of temporary and semipermanent wetlands in Michigan, USA. I identified several distinct community states, with each characterized by dominance of particular functional groups (submerged, floating, or emergent plants) or the absence of plants throughout a season. I developed a framework for differentiating among these hypotheses by characterizing how community composition varies (1) over space, (2) over time, and (3) with possible drivers. I applied this framework to my survey data of the producer communities of wetlands over four years (n = 21-35 wetlands). I found that several environmental variables (pH, light, depth, and permanence) were associated with community composition based on multivariate analyses in these wetlands. Alternative stable states or interactions among several drivers were the most strongly supported explanations for the expression of multiple community states. I further examined factors driving dominance of free-floating plants in wetland producer communities in two additional studies. I evaluated the roles of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and N:P ratio in driving floating plant dominance in a separate survey dataset and in a field experiment. In the observational work, N, P, and N:P ratios all were associated with producer community composition. I manipulated the three variables in enclosures in two experimental ponds with floating and submerged plants. I found N supply rates drove these patterns more strongly than P and N:P. However, submerged plant composition and pH levels also affected floating plant responses. Finally, I evaluated the role of light in changing the response of floating plants to N. In my observational data, I found that submerged and emergent plants only dominated wetlands with open tree canopies, and that floating plants more consistently dominated systems at intermediate N levels when light availability was low. To investigate this relationship further, I manipulated light, N, and initial densities of floating plants in an outdoor mesocosm experiment with floating plants and algae. In this experiment, I found that floating plants exhibited a light x nutrient interaction. Competition with other plant groups and photoinhibition are discussed as possible mechanisms driving these patterns. In summary, a complex suite of environmental variables drives the expression of multiple community states in temporary and semipermanent wetlands. While there is some support for the hypothesis that nutrients and light drive alternative stable states between floating plants and other producers, several other variables play important roles in regulating dominance of floating plants as well.
Download or read book Geological Monitoring written by Rob Young and published by Geological Society of America. This book was released on 2009 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Geologic Monitoring is a practical, nontechnical guide for land managers, educators, and the public that synthesizes representative methods for monitoring short-term and long-term change in geologic features and landscapes. A prestigious group of subject-matter experts has carefully selected methods for monitoring sand dunes, caves and karst, rivers, geothermal features, glaciers, nearshore marine features, beaches and marshes, paleontological resources, permafrost, seismic activity, slope movements, and volcanic features and processes. Each chapter has an overview of the resource; summarizes features that could be monitored; describes methods for monitoring each feature ranging from low-cost, low-technology methods (that could be used for school groups) to higher cost, detailed monitoring methods requiring a high level of expertise; and presents one or more targeted case studies."--Publisher's description.
Download or read book Evaluating the Impacts of Land Use and Climate Change on the Hydrology of Headwater Wetlands in the Coastal Plain of Virginia written by Pamela Braff and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Located at the interface between uplands and surface water networks, headwater wetlands act as a natural filter to improve downstream water quality and play a critical role in maintaining the ecological integrity of downstream aquatic ecosystems. Vulnerable to development pressure, as well as indirect impacts from land use and climate change, the loss and alteration of headwater wetlands has been linked to the loss of biodiversity and regional water quality declines worldwide. The overall goal of this dissertation is to address some of the challenges associated with the management and conservation of headwater wetlands in the coastal plain of Virginia including: the identification of palustrine forested wetlands in flat coastal landscapes (Chapter II); and improved understanding of the impacts of land use (Chapter III) and climate change (Chapter IV) on the hydrologic regime of headwater wetlands. First, a simple model of wetland distribution was developed by characterizing the depth to groundwater using widely available geospatial data, including surface water features and a high-resolution digital elevation model. Comparison with the National Wetland Inventory (NWI) and targeted field validation indicated that this model provides an effective approach to identify palustrine forested wetlands often unmapped by NWI. Results from this study indicate that there may be at least 37% more wetland area than is currently mapped within the study area; and that in the future, modeling approaches should be used in addition to NWI mapping to better understand the full extent and distribution of wetlands in forested areas. The impacts of land use and climate change were then investigated through field studies of headwater wetland hydrology and community composition. Potential differences in headwater wetland hydrology were evaluated through an index of hydrophytic vegetation occurrence, the wetland prevalence index (PI). Changes in PI between sapling and canopy strata, with respect to local land use, indicated that decreased forest cover was associated with a shift in plant community composition, and that increasing road density was associated with a shift towards more upland type species, while increasing agricultural cover was associated with a shift towards more wetland type species. The effects of climate change, including rising temperatures and altered precipitation patterns were evaluated by developing an empirical model of water table depth for coastal headwater wetlands. Wetland water levels were simulated under current and potential future conditions to evaluate the impact of climate change on the hydrologic regime of headwater wetlands. Based on the model scenarios applied in this study, it appears that decreasing water availability may lead to drier conditions at headwater wetlands by the end of the 21st century, with a substantial decline in minimum water levels and a 3-10% decline in average annual percent saturation. Collectively, the results of this dissertation provide practical insights for improving the conservation and management of coastal headwater wetlands. Improved understanding of the extent and distribution of previously unmapped forested wetlands can improve the capacity to monitor wetland loss and degradation. Additionally, clarifying the influence of land use and climate on the hydrologic regime of these wetlands, can help improve the capacity to forecast and then mitigate potential future impacts to wetland hydrology.
Download or read book Vegetation and Algal Community Composition and Development of Three Constructed Wetlands Receiving Agricultural Runoff and Subsurface Drainage 1998 to 2001 written by Lee Marie Luckeydoo and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 522 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Urban Stormwater Management in the United States written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2009-03-17 with total page 611 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The rapid conversion of land to urban and suburban areas has profoundly altered how water flows during and following storm events, putting higher volumes of water and more pollutants into the nation's rivers, lakes, and estuaries. These changes have degraded water quality and habitat in virtually every urban stream system. The Clean Water Act regulatory framework for addressing sewage and industrial wastes is not well suited to the more difficult problem of stormwater discharges. This book calls for an entirely new permitting structure that would put authority and accountability for stormwater discharges at the municipal level. A number of additional actions, such as conserving natural areas, reducing hard surface cover (e.g., roads and parking lots), and retrofitting urban areas with features that hold and treat stormwater, are recommended.
Download or read book The Ecology of Old Woman Creek Ohio written by Charles E. Herdendorf and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comprehensive ecological study of a Lake Eric estuary and its watershed, including chapters on geology, soils, climatology, hydrolesy, biology, ecology, archaeology, history, and land use. This book serves as a site profile of the only Nation a Estuarine Research Reserve in the Great Lakes Resion. Over 200 color illustrations.
Download or read book The Los Angeles River written by Blake Gumprecht and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2001-04-30 with total page 390 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Winner of the J. B. Jackson Prize from the Association of American Geographers Three centuries ago, the Los Angeles River meandered through marshes and forests of willow and sycamore. Trout spawned in its waters and grizzly bears roamed its shores. The bountiful environment the river helped create supported one of the largest concentrations of Indians in North America. Today, the river is made almost entirely of concrete. Chain-link fence and barbed wire line its course. Shopping carts and trash litter its channel. Little water flows in the river most of the year, and nearly all that does is treated sewage and oily street runoff. On much of its course, the river looks more like a deserted freeway than a river. The river's contemporary image belies its former character and its importance to the development of Southern California. Los Angeles would not exist were it not for the river, and the river was crucial to its growth. Recognizing its past and future potential, a potent movement has developed to revitalize its course. The Los Angeles River offers the first comprehensive account of a river that helped give birth to one of the world's great cities, significantly shaped its history, and promises to play a key role in its future.
Download or read book Coastal lagoons written by Pierre Lasserre and published by . This book was released on 1982 with total page 484 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Old Growth in the East written by Mary D. Davis and published by . This book was released on 1993 with total page 158 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book To Life written by Linda Weintraub and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 2012-09-01 with total page 380 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This title documents the burgeoning eco art movement from A to Z, presenting a panorama of artistic responses to environmental concerns, from Ant Farms anti-consumer antics in the 1970s to Marina Zurkows 2007 animation that anticipates the havoc wreaked upon the planet by global warming.
Download or read book State of the Lakes Ecosystem Conference 1996 written by and published by . This book was released on 1996 with total page 80 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
