The Plant Ecology of Miranda Wetland: Restoration Options

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The Plant Ecology of Miranda Wetland: Restoration Options http://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/ Research Commons at the University of Waikato Copyright Statement: The digital copy of this thesis is protected by the Copyright Act 1994 (New Zealand). The thesis may be consulted by you, provided you comply with the provisions of the Act and the following conditions of use: Any use you make of these documents or images must be for research or private study purposes only, and you may not make them available to any other person. Authors control the copyright of their thesis. You will recognise the author’s right to be identified as the author of the thesis, and due acknowledgement will be made to the author where appropriate. You will obtain the author’s permission before publishing any material from the thesis. The Plant Ecology of Miranda Wetland: Restoration Options A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Biology at the University of Waikato by Dougal Clyde Strahan. University of Waikato Hamilton, New Zealand 1997 ii Abstract Wetlands are increasingly recognised and valued. Communities are accepting the challenges of restoring these severely degraded ecosystems. This study discusses the problems and opportunities associated with restoring Miranda wetland, that forms part of the Firth of Thames, and is an internationally recognised wetland area. A review of wetland restoration emphasises the unique characteristics and interacting factors operating in wetland ecosystems. Sound planning including specific objective setting and Vegetation communities were surveyed for composition, distribution and structure. Basic environmental factors were measured monthly to form community type characteristics and assist in delineating habitat boundaries. Impacts affecting native vegetation types are assessed and specific attention is given to the control of Carex divisa including tests on salinity tolerance to identify potential competitor species. Restoration options include revegetation, continued grazing, and returning the original hydrology. iii Acknowledgments I would like to thank my supervisor, Keith Thompson, for his advice and guidance. I am thankful for the time and assistance of a number of others involved in the formatiqn of my thesis; Merilyn Merrett for many helpful suggestions; Catherine Beard in plant identification; Margaret Auger who helped set up and put up with my greenhouse experiment; Caroline Huang and Steve Cooke in the earth science laboratory for teaching me how to use the lazer sizer and autoanalyzer. Also I am very grateful to Bruce and Bev Clarkson at Landcare Hamilton for advice and assistance with the compilation of data using the PATN computer program. Thanks to my friends and especially my family who have helped in fieldwork and script revisions and for their encouragement and support. Thanks also goes to Keith Woodley and the members of Miranda Naturalist's Trust for their warm hospitality and freedom to use their facilities. Environment Waikato are acknowledged for generously sponsoring this research. iv Table of Contents Abstract .......................................................................................................................... .ii Acknowledgments ......................................................................................................... .iii Table of Contents .......................................................................................................... .iv List of Figures .............................................................................................................. viii Chapter 1 General Introduction: Coastal Wetlands 1.1 Coastal Wetland Values ............................................................................................. 1 1.2 Site Description ......................................................................................................... 3 1.2.1 Surrounding Landuse ................................................................................ 3 1.2.2 History of Human Impact .......................................................................... 5 1.3 Study Objectives ........................................................................................................ 6 1.4 Chenier Description ................................................................................................... 6 1.4.1 Chenier Definition ..................................................................................... 6 1.4.2 Chenier Development ................................................................................ 6 1.4.3 Chenier Vegetation Interaction .................................................................. 7 1.5 Wetland Management in New Zealand ....................................................................... 9 1.5.1 International Agreements .......................................................................... 9 1.5.2 National Level. ........................................................................................ 10 1.5.3 Legislation Governing Wetland Management.. ........................................ 10 1.5.4 Division of Responsibilities ..................................................................... 1 1 1.5.5 Monitoring .............................................................................................. 12 1.5.6 Other Legislation Relating to Wetlands ................................................... 12 1.6 District Plan Provisions ............................................................................................ 13 1.6.1 Implementing Regional and District Plans in the Coastal Zone ................ 14 Chapter 2 Restoration of Salt Marsh Wetlands: A Literature Review 2.1 Introductioll ............................................................................................................. 15 2.2 Definition of Coastal Wetland Restoration ............................................................... 16 2.3 Physical Factors Important for Coastal Wetland Restoration .................................... 17 v 2.3 Physical Factors Important for Coastal Wetland Restoration .................................... 17 2.3.1 Hydrology ............................................................................................... 17 2.3.2 Salinity .................................................................................................... 18 2.3.3 Wave climate ........................................................................................... 19 2.3.4 Substrate ................................................................................................. 19 2.3.5 Nutrients ................................................................................................. 19 2.3.6 Ground water levels ................................................................................. 19 2.3.7 Climate .................................................................................................... 20 2.4 Restoration Methods with a Focus on Revegetation ................................................. 20 2.4.1 Transplanting .......................................................................................... 20 2.4.2 Direct seeding ......................................................................................... 21 2.4.3 Seedbanks ............................................................................................... 21 2.4.4 Timing .................................................................................................... 21 2.5 Aerial Photography .................................................................................................. 22 2.6 Future Research Trends ............................................................................................ 22 2.7 Restoration Planning ................................................................................................ 23 2.7.1 Objectives ............................................................................................... 23 2.7.2 Design ..................................................................................................... 26 2.7.3 Implementation ....................................................................................... 26 2.7.4 Monitoring .............................................................................................. 26 2.7.5 Evaluation ............................................................................................... 26 References ..................................................................................................................... 27 Chapter 3 Methodology 3.1 Vegetation Survey .................................................................................................... 31 3.2 Measurement of Environmental Factors ................................................................... 33 3.2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................ 33 3.2.2. Elevation ................................................................................................ 33 3.2.3 Groundwater Levels ................................................................................ 34 3.2.4 Soil Analysis ........................................................................................... 34 3 .2.5 Water Content ......................................................................................... 34 3.2.6 Bulk Density ..........................................................................................
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