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 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 Memoirs of an Environmental Science Professor written by William Mitsch and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2023-07-31 with total page 161 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book shows, through real and current examples from the field of environmental and wetland science, that personal and professional success depends on persistence and a refusal to compromise on "doing the right thing" which for Professor Mitsch meant saving some of the world’s most important ecosystems, as well as educating future researchers and the general public along the way. Case studies described in this book illustrate that persistence pays off especially when the cause is motivated by something as important as improving our natural environment. They explain clearly that success is not easy, disasters and failures are part of the process, but having goals result in meaningful steps toward it. Features Emphasizes how it is possible to develop long-term goals and persistence for success both in the academic and environmental world. Offers examples set in universities across America and highlights important national wetlands such as the Florida Everglades, the Kankakee River Marshlands in the Great Lakes region, and Ohio’s Olentangy River Wetland Park, a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance. Speaks to scientists from across the country and the world. Discusses chronologically the developments and the achievements of environmental /wetland fields on a global scale. Explains how his personal achievements contributed to the growth of wetland and environmental sciences. Students and professionals in the physical and biological sciences, including chemistry, environmental science, ecological fields, and environmental policy, and especially environmental consultants such as scientists, managers, and engineers, will feel a sense of camaraderie with Professor Mitsch. His longstanding career and devotion to environmental and wetland sciences are an inspiration to all who currently work in the field, aspire to, or simply harbor a sense of appreciation about the natural world and want to learn more about steps that can be taken to manage and protect our planet and the environment.
Download or read book Creating and Restoring Wetlands written by Christopher Craft and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2022-05-12 with total page 466 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Creating and Restoring Wetlands: From Theory to Practice, Second Edition describes the challenges and opportunities relating to the restoration of freshwater and estuarine wetlands in natural, agricultural, and urban environments in the coming century. This second edition is structured by clearly defined chapters based on specific wetland types (e.g. Peatlands, Mangroves) and with a consistent and coherent organization for ease of discoverability. The table of contents is divided into four main subjects: Foundations, Restoration of Freshwater Wetlands, Restoration of Estuarine Wetlands, and From Theory to Practice, each with multiple chapters. Part 1, Foundations, contains chapters describing definitions of wetlands, ecological theory used to guide restoration, and considerations on where to implement restoration on the landscape. In Parts 2 and 3, restoration of specific freshwater (marshes, forests, peatlands) and estuarine (tidal marshes, mangroves) wetlands are described. Part 4, From Theory to Practice, contains chapters describing performance standards to gauge success of projects and case studies describing small-scale and large-scale restoration projects of various freshwater and estuarine wetlands. Each chapter contains clearly labeled sections which assist the reader to quickly and easily key in on the subject matter that they are seeking. The approach of Creating and Restoring Wetlands is unique in that, in each chapter, it links ecological theory important to ecosystem restoration with practical techniques to undertake and implement successful wetland restoration projects, including recommendations for performance standards to gauge success as well as realistic expectations and timescales for achieving success. Each chapter ends with a summary table describing keys to ensure success for a given wetland ecosystem. - Each chapter ends with a summary table describing keys to ensure success for a given wetland ecosystem - Written by a single author, providing a consistent structure that is coherent, cohesive and well referenced - Contains case studies of small- and large-scale restoration activities ensuring relevance to individuals and organizations
Download or read book Wetland Plants written by Julie K. Cronk and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2001-06-13 with total page 482 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A detailed account of the biology and ecology of vascular wetland plants and their applications in wetland plant science, Wetland Plants: Biology and Ecology presents a synthesis of wetland plant studies and reviews from biology, physiology, evolution, genetics, community and population ecology, environmental science, and engineering. It provides a thorough discussion of the range of wetland plants adaptations to conditions such as life in water or saturated soils, high salt or high sulfur, as well as low light and low carbon dioxide levels. The authors include the latest research on the development of plant communities in newly restored or created wetlands and on the use of wetland plants as indicators of ecological integrity and of wetland boundaries. Over 140 figures, including over 70 original photographs, allow you to visualize the concepts, 40 tables give you easy access to definitions and data, and international examples provide you with a broad base of information. The growing consensus in wetlands literature and research suggests that methods are needed to assess the ecological health or integrity of wetlands, to set goals for wetland restoration, and to track the status and trends of wetlands. Wetland plants are emerging as important indicators, and becoming an important part of this research. Wetland Plants: Biology and Ecology contains up-to-date information on this increasingly important area in wetlands technology.
Download or read book Compensating for Wetland Losses Under the Clean Water Act written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2001-11-06 with total page 348 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Recognizing the importance of wetland protection, the Bush administration in 1988 endorsed the goal of "no net loss" of wetlands. Specifically, it directed that filling of wetlands should be avoided, and minimized when it cannot be avoided. When filling is permitted, compensatory mitigation must be undertaken; that is, wetlands must be restored, created, enhanced, and, in exceptional cases, preserved, to replace the permitted loss of wetland area and function, such as water quality improvement within the watershed. After more than a dozen years, the national commitment to "no net loss" of wetlands has been evaluated. This new book explores the adequacy of science and technology for replacing wetland function and the effectiveness of the federal program of compensatory mitigation in accomplishing the nation's goal of clean water. It examines the regulatory framework for permitting wetland filling and requiring mitigation, compares the mitigation institutions that are in use, and addresses the problems that agencies face in ensuring sustainability of mitigated wetlands over the long term. Gleaning lessons from the mixed results of mitigation efforts to date, the book offers 10 practical guidelines for establishing and monitoring mitigated wetlands. It also recommends that federal, state, and local agencies undertake specific institutional reforms. This book will be important to anyone seeking a comprehensive understanding of the "no net loss" issue: policy makers, regulators, environmental scientists, educators, and wetland advocates.
Download or read book The Influence of Herbivory on Macrophyte Community Structure and Nitrogen Retention in Created Wetlands written by Evan Squier and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 57 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Wetlands are frequently created to mitigate the loss of natural wetlands due to commercial expansion. However, wetland ecosystem function is determined by complex abiotic and biotic interactions that are not well understood in natural wetlands, and even less so in created wetlands. This lack of understanding may lead to shortcomings in meeting desired restoration outcomes. Key abiotic drivers in wetlands include hydrology and nutrient availability, while herbivory provides both direct and indirect controls on plant communities and biogeochemical cycling. I hypothesized that by decreasing emergent plant biomass and shifting plant community structure to favor submerged plants, large grazers such as geese would promote cascading impacts on nitrogen immobilization, denitrification, nitrogen fixation and sediment nutrient regeneration. To assess these effects, paired caged and uncaged plots were established in three created emergent freshwater wetlands in Western New York State. At the site with high waterfowl abundance, emergent macrophyte cover was reduced and there was a shift towards submerged plants. More complex impacts were observed at other sites where grazing pressure was lower: grazer exclusion substantially increased emergent growth at one site and had no effect where the dominant macrophyte Nymphea odorata covered the water surface. Potential denitrification was lowest in the fall, with significantly higher values where submerged plant cover was higher. While sediment nitrogen fixation was consistently below detection limits, periphyton nitrogen fixation, which was dominated by heterotrophs, was slightly higher in caged plots. Sediment nutrient fluxes exhibited some seasonality, with higher rates in spring than summer or fall. These results suggest that grazers have a significant impact on vascular plant community structure, leading to shifts in nitrogen cycling and a reduction of nitrogen fixation. Exclusion of grazers may be a management tool to protect wetland plants during the early stages of wetland development."--Abstract.
Download or read book Restoration of Aquatic Ecosystems written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1992-01-01 with total page 580 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Aldo Leopold, father of the "land ethic," once said, "The time has come for science to busy itself with the earth itself. The first step is to reconstruct a sample of what we had to begin with." The concept he expressedâ€"restorationâ€"is defined in this comprehensive new volume that examines the prospects for repairing the damage society has done to the nation's aquatic resources: lakes, rivers and streams, and wetlands. Restoration of Aquatic Ecosystems outlines a national strategy for aquatic restoration, with practical recommendations, and features case studies of aquatic restoration activities around the country. The committee examines: Key concepts and techniques used in restoration. Common factors in successful restoration efforts. Threats to the health of the nation's aquatic ecosystems. Approaches to evaluation before, during, and after a restoration project. The emerging specialties of restoration and landscape ecology.
Download or read book Responses of Submersed Vascular Plant Communities to Environmental Change written by Graham J. Davis and published by . This book was released on 1980 with total page 84 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Relating Plant Spatial Pattern Plant Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function to Management Practices in Experimental Restored Wetlands written by Erika Brandt and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 68 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Understanding the effects of management practices on shifting relationships between structure and function over the course of ecosystem development should be a central goal of ecosystem restoration. Yet many of these relationships, such as those between plant biodiversity, spatial pattern of vegetation and community metabolism, remain poorly understood. In a decade-long experiment, we investigated the impact of different initial planting treatments and of nutrient enrichment on relationships among plant biodiversity, plant spatial pattern, and ecosystem function in restored wetland ecosystems. In 2003, six identical and hydrologically-isolated 0.18 ha experimental wetland "cells" were constructed in marginal farmland in northeast Ohio. Cells were subjected to one of three initial planting and management treatments, which were later simplified into two treatment groups. In 2010 and 2011, nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers were applied to one cell from each of the three treatments to simulate agricultural run-off. Changes and differences in ecosystem function were assessed by measuring aquatic community metabolism, above ground biomass, soil organic matter, and nutrient concentrations. Structure was characterized through annual plant biodiversity inventories and aerial photographs of plant cover that were analyzed to quantify vegetation spatial patterns. We found significant relationships among plant biodiversity, plant spatial pattern, and planting treatments. We observed significant and sustained differences in plant biodiversity, resulting from both planting treatment and habitat attributes of cells. Relationships between ecosystem function and both biodiversity and spatial pattern were more ambiguous. We found no direct relationships between biodiversity or spatial metrics and any measures of ecosystem function. These findings support the importance of initial wetland structure in achieving plant biodiversity in restored wetlands, but provide little additional evidence that species diversity has a major effect on nutrient retention, primary productivity, or soil organic matter in restored wetland systems. Over multiple years, biodiversity metrics correlated positively with spatial metrics, including mean patch shape complexity and contagion. This suggests that restored wetland landscapes comprised of patches with complex shapes (high edge-to-area ratios) that are highly clumped are home to a more diverse array of plant species. Links between biodiversity and spatial pattern suggest that aerial imagery may provide wetland managers with a robust tool for assessing plant biodiversity.
Download or read book The Effects of Restoration Treatments and Flooding Regime on Plant Community Composition in Restored Geographically Isolated Wetlands written by Kimberley Russell and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 62 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Wetland plant community diversity is an important structural quality to assess in wetland creation or restoration projects because it is typically used as a proxy for other functional processes that are more difficult to measure. To determine the drivers of plant community diversity, eight wetlands within Jackson Lane, a large scale, fragmented wetland mitigation project, were sampled for species richness and fourteen additional environmental variables almost a decade after mitigation. Results show that size, straw type, and soil chemistry and texture are influential variables on plant species diversity. In addition, differences in average percent vegetative cover, average percent litter cover, coarse woody debris (CWD), and soil chemistry and texture are related to differences in wetland plant community composition. Coarse woody debris application and applications of straw are restoration practices that should be used in any depression wetland mitigation in order to increase plant diversity.
Download or read book Wetland Plants written by Julie K. Cronk and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2016-04-19 with total page 484 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A detailed account of the biology and ecology of vascular wetland plants and their applications in wetland plant science, Wetland Plants: Biology and Ecology presents a synthesis of wetland plant studies and reviews from biology, physiology, evolution, genetics, community and population ecology, environmental science, and engineering. It provides a
Download or read book National Wetlands Newsletter written by and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Riparian Areas written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2002-10-10 with total page 449 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Clean Water Act (CWA) requires that wetlands be protected from degradation because of their important ecological functions including maintenance of high water quality and provision of fish and wildlife habitat. However, this protection generally does not encompass riparian areasâ€"the lands bordering rivers and lakesâ€"even though they often provide the same functions as wetlands. Growing recognition of the similarities in wetland and riparian area functioning and the differences in their legal protection led the NRC in 1999 to undertake a study of riparian areas, which has culminated in Riparian Areas: Functioning and Strategies for Management. The report is intended to heighten awareness of riparian areas commensurate with their ecological and societal values. The primary conclusion is that, because riparian areas perform a disproportionate number of biological and physical functions on a unit area basis, restoration of riparian functions along America's waterbodies should be a national goal.
Download or read book Sedges written by Robert H. Mohlenbrock and published by SIU Press. This book was released on 2001-07-18 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One half of a two volume set that presents illustrations and descriptions of all of the known sedge plants located in Illinois. In addition to the descriptions, information is presented on habitat, range, and distribution of the plants. The black and white illustrations detail all parts of the plant from flowering parts to the root system. This new edition of the 1976 work adds six additional taxa of sedges and takes into account a number of nomenclatural changes and distributional records that have been added. Annotation copyrighted by Book News Inc., Portland, OR.
Download or read book Responses of Submersed Vascular Plant Communities to Environmental Change Summary written by Graham J. Davis and published by . This book was released on 1980 with total page 15 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Vascular Plant Flora of Highland Heights Community Park written by Suneeti K. Jog and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
