Alternative Stable States of Tidal Marsh Vegetation Patterns and Channel Complexity
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Brodhead Watershed Conservation Plan
Brodhead Watershed Conservation Plan January, 2002 Prepared by: Brodhead Watershed Association With: BLOSS Associates Brodhead Watershed Conservation Plan Acknowledgements The Watershed Partners were the backbone of this planning process. Their commitment to preserving and protecting the watershed underlies this entire plan. Watershed Partners / Conservation Plan Steering Committee Monroe County Commissioners – Mario Scavello, Donna Asure, James Cadue, Former Commissioner Janet Weidensaul Monroe County Conservation District – Craig Todd, Darryl Speicher Monroe County Planning Commission – John Woodling, Eric Bartolacci Monroe County Historical Association – Candace McGreevey Monroe County Office of Emergency Management – Harry Robidoux Monroe County Open Space Advisory Board – Tom O’Keefe Monroe County Recreation & Park Commission – Kara Derry Monroe 2020 Executive Committee – Charles Vogt PA Department of Environmental Protection – Bill Manner Pennsylvania State University – Jay Stauffer Penn State Cooperative Extension – Peter Wulfhurst Stroudsburg Municipal Authority – Ken Brown Mount Pocono Borough – Nancy Golowich Pocono/Hamilton/Jackson Open Space Committee – Cherie Morris Stroud Township – Ross Ruschman, Ed Cramer Smithfield Township – John Yetter Delaware River Basin Commission – Pamela V’Combe, Carol Collier U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Susan McDowell Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area – Denise Cook National Park Service, Rivers & Trails Office – David Lange National Institute for Environmental Renewal (no longer -
Comparison of Swamp Forest and Phragmites Australis
COMPARISON OF SWAMP FOREST AND PHRAGMITES AUSTRALIS COMMUNITIES AT MENTOR MARSH, MENTOR, OHIO A Thesis Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for The Degree Master of Science in the Graduate School of the Ohio State University By Jenica Poznik, B. S. ***** The Ohio State University 2003 Master's Examination Committee: Approved by Dr. Craig Davis, Advisor Dr. Peter Curtis Dr. Jeffery Reutter School of Natural Resources ABSTRACT Two intermixed plant communities within a single wetland were studied. The plant community of Mentor Marsh changed over a period of years beginning in the late 1950’s from an ash-elm-maple swamp forest to a wetland dominated by Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steudel. Causes cited for the dieback of the forest include salt intrusion from a salt fill near the marsh, influence of nutrient runoff from the upland community, and initially higher water levels in the marsh. The area studied contains a mixture of swamp forest and P. australis-dominated communities. Canopy cover was examined as a factor limiting the dominance of P. australis within the marsh. It was found that canopy openness below 7% posed a limitation to the dominance of P. australis where a continuous tree canopy was present. P. australis was also shown to reduce diversity at sites were it dominated, and canopy openness did not fully explain this reduction in diversity. Canopy cover, disturbance history, and other environmental factors play a role in the community composition and diversity. Possible factors to consider in restoring the marsh are discussed. KEYWORDS: Phragmites australis, invasive species, canopy cover, Mentor Marsh ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS A project like this is only possible in a community, and more people have contributed to me than I can remember. -
The Evolution of the Artificial Wildbird Tidal Mudflat in Fukuoka, Japan
1 The Evolution of the MIA DOCTO + SCOTT WALLS Jacob Bintliff, Mariana Chavez, Daniela Peña Corvillon, Artificial Wildbird Tidal Johanna Hoffman, Katelyn Walker, UC Berkeley, LA 205 Studio Mudflat in Fukuoka, Japan Spring 2012 2 PRESENTATION CONTENT INTRODUCTION // SCIENTIFIC ANALYSIS // WETLAND DESIGN // HUMAN INTERFACE // CONCLUSIONS 3 CONTEXT 4 5 6 CONTEXT BEFORE PRESENT 7 ISLAND CITY 8 9 ITERATIONS ORIGINAL WETLAND PLAN 10 ITERATIONS JAPAN STUDENT WORKSHOP 11 ITERATIONS 2008 Land Use Plan ~8.5 - 9 ha ~12 ha ~10 ha ~10 ~7 ha Setup of the central area ~8.75 ha ~38.25 ha We will establish a lively ~7 ha interactive space by inviting urban functions such as commercial and ~ 6.75 ha corporate functions, and dissemination of information on education, ~2.25 ha Wild Bird Park 3.9 ha 3.1 ha School and Amenities culture, and art. Further, public transportation Green Space facilities and facilities for 4.1 ha convenience are invited Assigned Facilities Teriha Town to improve the business Hospital ~18 ha environment in the area. Apartments 4.1+ ha Joint Independent Houses Spcialist Clinic 1.8 ha ~1.5 ha Commercial Elderly Elderly Center? Center Planned Subdivision 1.6 ha 1.2 ha Coporate (Sold) 0.9 ha Planned Use/Mixed Use Idustrial and hatches based on legend color code and denote use type Research & Development Currently Built Port Warf 1000 m UC BERKELEY LAND USE PLAN 12 ITERATIONS UC BERKELEY LAND USE PLAN 13 ITERATIONS 16 Hectare Wild Bird Park UC BERKELEY - JAPAN WETLAND DESIGN 14 DESIGN GOALS Provide natural habitat for migrating bird species -
Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (2012)
FGDC-STD-018-2012 Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard Marine and Coastal Spatial Data Subcommittee Federal Geographic Data Committee June, 2012 Federal Geographic Data Committee FGDC-STD-018-2012 Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard, June 2012 ______________________________________________________________________________________ CONTENTS PAGE 1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Objectives ................................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Need ......................................................................................................................... 2 1.3 Scope ........................................................................................................................ 2 1.4 Application ............................................................................................................... 3 1.5 Relationship to Previous FGDC Standards .............................................................. 4 1.6 Development Procedures ......................................................................................... 5 1.7 Guiding Principles ................................................................................................... 7 1.7.1 Build a Scientifically Sound Ecological Classification .................................... 7 1.7.2 Meet the Needs of a Wide Range of Users ...................................................... -
James T. Kirby, Jr
James T. Kirby, Jr. Edward C. Davis Professor of Civil Engineering Center for Applied Coastal Research Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering University of Delaware Newark, Delaware 19716 USA Phone: 1-(302) 831-2438 Fax: 1-(302) 831-1228 [email protected] http://www.udel.edu/kirby/ Updated September 12, 2020 Education • University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware. Ph.D., Applied Sciences (Civil Engineering), 1983 • Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island. Sc.B.(magna cum laude), Environmental Engineering, 1975. Sc.M., Engineering Mechanics, 1976. Professional Experience • Edward C. Davis Professor of Civil Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Delaware, 2003-present. • Visiting Professor, Grupo de Dinamica´ de Flujos Ambientales, CEAMA, Universidad de Granada, 2010, 2012. • Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Delaware, 1994-2002. Secondary appointment in College of Earth, Ocean and the Environ- ment, University of Delaware, 1994-present. • Associate Professor of Civil Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Delaware, 1989- 1994. Secondary appointment in College of Marine Studies, University of Delaware, as Associate Professor, 1989-1994. • Associate Professor, Coastal and Oceanographic Engineering Department, University of Florida, 1988. • Assistant Professor, Coastal and Oceanographic Engineering Department, University of Florida, 1984- 1988. • Assistant Professor, Marine Sciences Research Center, State University of New York at Stony Brook, 1983- 1984. • Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Delaware, 1979-1983. • Principle Research Engineer, Alden Research Laboratory, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 1979. • Research Engineer, Alden Research Laboratory, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 1977-1979. 1 Technical Societies • American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) – Waterway, Port, Coastal and Ocean Engineering Division. -
Journal of the Oklahoma Native Plant Society, Volume 2, Number 1
54 Oklahoma Native Plant Record Volume 2, Number 1, December 2002 Schoenoplectus hallii and S. saximontanus 2000 Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge Survey Dr. Lawrence K. Magrath Curator-USAO (OCLA) Herbarium Chickasha, OK 73018-5358 A survey to determine locations of populations of Schoenoplectus hallii and S. saximontanus was conducted at Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in August and September 2000. One or both species were found at 20 of the 134 locations surveyed. A distinctive terminal achene character was found specifically that the transverse ridges of S. hallii appeared to be rounded and S. saximontanus appeared to be rounded with a projecting narrow wing. Basal macroachenes have not yet been properly described but are borne singly at the base of each culm and are about 3-4 times larger than the terminal achenes. It is speculated that amphicarpy may be related to grazing pressure, the basal macroachene being produced even if the upper portion is consumed, as a response to grazing. Both species are grazed/disturbed by bison, elk, and longhorns on the Refuge. Introduction the drawdown mud, sand, or gravel flats. A survey to determine locations of However in some places they occur in shallow populations of Schoenoplectus hallii (A. Gray) water up to a depth of about a foot [30.5cm]. S.G. Smith (Hall’s bulrush) and S. saximontanus They seem to compete with perennial emergent (Fernald) J. Raynal (Rocky Mountain bulrush) plants and with most emergent annuals. was conducted on the Wichita Mountains In addition to the 36 sites that I Wildlife Refuge during late August through personally examined, WMWR staff examined September 2000. -
Wetlands, Biodiversity and the Ramsar Convention
Wetlands, Biodiversity and the Ramsar Convention Wetlands, Biodiversity and the Ramsar Convention: the role of the Convention on Wetlands in the Conservation and Wise Use of Biodiversity edited by A. J. Hails Ramsar Convention Bureau Ministry of Environment and Forest, India 1996 [1997] Published by the Ramsar Convention Bureau, Gland, Switzerland, with the support of: • the General Directorate of Natural Resources and Environment, Ministry of the Walloon Region, Belgium • the Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Denmark • the National Forest and Nature Agency, Ministry of the Environment and Energy, Denmark • the Ministry of Environment and Forests, India • the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, Sweden Copyright © Ramsar Convention Bureau, 1997. Reproduction of this publication for educational and other non-commercial purposes is authorised without prior perinission from the copyright holder, providing that full acknowledgement is given. Reproduction for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. The views of the authors expressed in this work do not necessarily reflect those of the Ramsar Convention Bureau or of the Ministry of the Environment of India. Note: the designation of geographical entities in this book, and the presentation of material, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Ranasar Convention Bureau concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Citation: Halls, A.J. (ed.), 1997. Wetlands, Biodiversity and the Ramsar Convention: The Role of the Convention on Wetlands in the Conservation and Wise Use of Biodiversity. -
Marsh-Pond-Marsh Constructed Wetland Design Analysis for Swine Lagoon Wastewater Treatment
Ecological Engineering 23 (2004) 127–133 Marsh-pond-marsh constructed wetland design analysis for swine lagoon wastewater treatment K.C. Stonea,∗, M.E. Poacha, P.G. Hunta, G.B. Reddyb a USDA-ARS, 2611 West Lucas Street, Florence, SC 29501, USA b North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC, USA. Received 29 March 2004; received in revised form 23 July 2004; accepted 26 July 2004 Abstract Constructed wetlands have been identified as a potentially important component of animal wastewater treatment systems. Continuous marsh constructed wetlands have been shown to be effective in treating swine lagoon effluent and reducing the land needed for terminal application. Constructed wetlands have also been used widely in polishing wastewater from municipal systems. Constructed wetland design for animal wastewater treatment has largely been based on that of municipal systems. The objective of this research was to determine if a marsh-pond-marsh wetland system could be described using existing design approaches used for constructed wetland design. The marsh-pond-marsh wetlands investigated in this study were constructed in 1995 at the North Carolina A&T University research farm near Greensboro, NC. There were six wetland systems (11 m × 40 m). The first 10-m was a marsh followed by a 20-m pond section followed by a 10-m marsh planted with bulrushes and cattails. The wetlands were effective in treating nitrogen with mean total nitrogen and ammonia-N concentration reductions of approximately 30%; however, they were not as effective in the treatment of phosphorus (8%). Outflow concentrations were reasonably correlated (r2 ≥ 0.86 and r2 ≥ 0.83, respectively) to inflow concentrations and hydraulic loading rates for both total N and ammonia-N. -
Exploring Our Wonderful Wetlands Publication
Exploring Our Wonderful Wetlands Student Publication Grades 4–7 Dear Wetland Students: Are you ready to explore our wonderful wetlands? We hope so! To help you learn about several types of wetlands in our area, we are taking you on a series of explorations. As you move through the publication, be sure to test your wetland wit and write about wetlands before moving on to the next exploration. By exploring our wonderful wetlands, we hope that you will appreciate where you live and encourage others to help protect our precious natural resources. Let’s begin our exploration now! Southwest Florida Water Management District Exploring Our Wonderful Wetlands Exploration 1 Wading Into Our Wetlands ................................................Page 3 Exploration 2 Searching Our Saltwater Wetlands .................................Page 5 Exploration 3 Finding Out About Our Freshwater Wetlands .............Page 7 Exploration 4 Discovering What Wetlands Do .................................... Page 10 Exploration 5 Becoming Protectors of Our Wetlands ........................Page 14 Wetlands Activities .............................................................Page 17 Websites ................................................................................Page 20 Visit the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s website at WaterMatters.org. Exploration 1 Wading Into Our Wetlands What exactly is a wetland? The scientific and legal definitions of wetlands differ. In 1984, when the Florida Legislature passed a Wetlands Protection Act, they decided to use a plant list containing plants usually found in wetlands. We are very fortunate to have a lot of wetlands in Florida. In fact, Florida has the third largest wetland acreage in the United States. The term wetlands includes a wide variety of aquatic habitats. Wetland ecosystems include swamps, marshes, wet meadows, bogs and fens. Essentially, wetlands are transitional areas between dry uplands and aquatic systems such as lakes, rivers or oceans. -
Multiple Stable States and Regime Shifts - Environmental Science - Oxford Bibliographies 3/30/18, 10:15 AM
Multiple Stable States and Regime Shifts - Environmental Science - Oxford Bibliographies 3/30/18, 10:15 AM Multiple Stable States and Regime Shifts James Heffernan, Xiaoli Dong, Anna Braswell LAST MODIFIED: 28 MARCH 2018 DOI: 10.1093/OBO/9780199363445-0095 Introduction Why do ecological systems (populations, communities, and ecosystems) change suddenly in response to seemingly gradual environmental change, or fail to recover from large disturbances? Why do ecological systems in seemingly similar settings exhibit markedly different ecological structure and patterns of change over time? The theory of multiple stable states in ecological systems provides one potential explanation for such observations. In ecological systems with multiple stable states (or equilibria), two or more configurations of an ecosystem are self-maintaining under a given set of conditions because of feedbacks among biota or between biota and the physical and chemical environment. The resulting multiple different states may occur as different types or compositions of vegetation or animal communities; as different densities, biomass, and spatial arrangement; and as distinct abiotic environments created by the distinct ecological communities. Alternative states are maintained by the combined effects of positive (or amplifying) feedbacks and negative (or stabilizing feedbacks). While stabilizing feedbacks reinforce each state, positive feedbacks are what allow two or more states to be stable. Thresholds between states arise from the interaction of these positive and negative feedbacks, and define the basins of attraction of the alternative states. These feedbacks and thresholds may operate over whole ecosystems or give rise to self-organized spatial structure. The combined effect of these feedbacks is also what gives rise to ecological resilience, which is the capacity of ecological systems to absorb environmental perturbations while maintaining their basic structure and function. -
MUD CREATURE STUDY Overview: the Mudflats Support a Tremendous Amount of Life
MUD CREATURE STUDY Overview: The mudflats support a tremendous amount of life. In this activity, students will search for and study the creatures that live in bay mud. Content Standards Correlations: Science p. 307 Grades: K-6 TIME FRAME fOR TEACHING THIS ACTIVITY Key Concepts: Mud creatures live in high abundance in the Recommended Time: 30 minutes mudflats, providing food for Mud Creature Banner (7 minutes) migratory ducks and shorebirds • use the Mud Creature Banner to introduce students to mudflat and the endangered California habitat clapper rail. When the tide is out, Mudflat Food Pyramid (3 minutes) the mudflats are revealed and birds land on the mudflats to feed. • discuss the mudflat food pyramid, using poster Mud Creature Study (20 minutes) Objectives: • sieve mud in sieve set, using slough water Students will be able to: • distribute small samples of mud to petri dishes • name and describe two to three • look for mud creatures using hand lenses mud creatures • describe the mudflat food • use the microscopes for a closer view of mud creatures pyramid • if data sheets and pencils are provided, students can draw what • explain the importance of the they find mudflat habitat for migratory birds and endangered species Materials: How THIS ACTIVITY RELATES TO THE REFUGE'S RESOURCES Provided by the Refuge: What are the Refuge's resources? • 1 set mud creature ID cards • significant wildlife habitat • 1 mud creature flannel banner • endangered species • 1 mudflat food pyramid poster • 1 mud creature ID book • rhigratory birds • 1 four-layered sieve set What makes it necessary to manage the resources? • 1 dish of mud and trowel • Pollution, such as oil, paint, and household cleaners, when • 1 bucket of slough water dumped down storm drains enters the slough and mudflats and • 1 pitcher of slough water travels through the food chain, harming animals. -
Ectomycorrhizal Fungal Communities at Forest Edges 93, 244–255 IAN A
Journal of Blackwell Publishing, Ltd. Ecology 2005 Ectomycorrhizal fungal communities at forest edges 93, 244–255 IAN A. DICKIE and PETER B. REICH Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, USA Summary 1 Ectomycorrhizal fungi are spatially associated with established ectomycorrhizal vegetation, but the influence of distance from established vegetation on the presence, abundance, diversity and community composition of fungi is not well understood. 2 We examined mycorrhizal communities in two abandoned agricultural fields in Minnesota, USA, using Quercus macrocarpa seedlings as an in situ bioassay for ecto- mycorrhizal fungi from 0 to 20 m distance from the forest edge. 3 There were marked effects of distance on all aspects of fungal communities. The abundance of mycorrhiza was uniformly high near trees, declined rapidly around 15 m from the base of trees and was uniformly low at 20 m. All seedlings between 0 and 8 m distance from forest edges were ectomycorrhizal, but many seedlings at 16–20 m were uninfected in one of the two years of the study. Species richness of fungi also declined with distance from trees. 4 Different species of fungi were found at different distances from the edge. ‘Rare’ species (found only once or twice) dominated the community at 0 m, Russula spp. were dominants from 4 to 12 m, and Astraeus sp. and a Pezizalean fungus were abundant at 12 m to 20 m. Cenococcum geophilum, the most dominant species found, was abundant both near trees and distant from trees, with lowest relative abundance at intermediate distances. 5 Our data suggest that seedlings germinating at some distance from established ecto- mycorrhizal vegetation (15.5 m in the present study) have low levels of infection, at least in the first year of growth.