RSS 1.0Environmental Science and Ecology Faculty Publications
Recent Submissions
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Influences of seasonality and habitat quality on Great Lakes coastal wetland fish community composition and dietsGreat Lakes coastal wetlands (GLCW) have been severely degraded by anthropogenic activity over the last several decades despite their critical role in fish production. Many Great Lakes fish species use coastal wetland habitats for spawning, feeding, shelter, and nurseries throughout the year. The goal of our study was to compare GLCW fsh community composition in the spring, summer, and fall months and investigate how water quality relates to fish diversity, the presence of functional groups, and juvenile fsh diets. We summarized fsh data collected from GLCW across the basin and used the coastal wetland monitoring program’s water quality-land use indicator to quantify water quality. Basin-wide, we found taxonomic and functional group diferences in community composition among three sampling seasons, as well as across the range of water quality. Water quality was positively associated with the abundance of small cyprinids and the relative abundance of some habitat and reproductive specialists. Seasonal differences were also observed for many of these functional groups, with more temperature- and pollution-sensitive fishes captured in the spring and more nest-spawning fishes captured in the summer and fall. In our diet study, we found that age-0 fish primarily consumed zooplankton in the fall, whereas age-1 fish primarily consumed macroinvertebrates in the spring. Moreover, wetland quality was positively associated with trichopteran prey abundance. We concluded that taxonomic and functional composition of fish communities in GLCW vary markedly with respect to water quality and season. Thus, a full understanding of communities across a gradient of quality requires multi-season sampling.
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Evaluating the use of hyperspectral imagery to calculate raster-based wetland vegetation condition indicatorField observations and measurements of wetland plants have traditionally been used to monitor and evaluate wetland condition; however, there has been increasing use of remote sensing applications for rapid evaluations of wetland productivity and change. Combining key aspects of field- and remote sensing-based wetland evaluation methods can provide more efficient or improved biological indices. This exploratory study set out to develop a raster-based Wetland Vegetation Condition Indicator system that used airborne hyperspectral imagery-derived data to estimate plant-community quality (via wetland classification and Coefficient of Conservatism) and vegetation biomass (estimated using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index). The Wetland Vegetation Condition Indicator system was developed for three Lake Ontario wetland areas and compared to a field-based floristic quality index and a dominant-plant based Floristic quality indexdom. The indicator system serves as a proof-of-concept that capitalized on the spatial and spectral attributes of high-resolution imagery to quantify and characterize the quality and quantity of wetland vegetation. A Pearson correlation analysis showed moderate r values of 0.59 and 0.62 for floristic quality index and floristic quality indexdom, respectively, compared to the indicator method. The differences are potentially due to the spatial resolution of the imagery and the indicator method only accounting for the dominant plants within each assessment unit (pixel), therefore disregarding understory plants or those with low abundance. However, the multi-metric Wetland Vegetation Condition Indicator approach shows promise as an indicator of wetland condition by using remotely sensed data, which could be useful for more efficient landscape-scale assessments of wetland health, resilience, and recovery.
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Failure of Walleye Recruitment in a Lake with Little Suitable Spawning Habitat Is Probably Exacerbated by Restricted Home RangesOver eight million walleye (Sander vitreus) fry are stocked annually in Honeoye Lake, a small lake in the Finger Lakes Region of west-central New York. The objectives of our study were to find and describe the spawning locations and habitats of walleye and describe the spawning locations and habitats of walleye and to assess natural production of fry. Twenty-thee adult walleye were radio-tagged and tracked for up to 2.5 years. They established relatively small home ranges (24-188 ha) and moved more during the three-week spawning season (149 m/d)than the rest of the year (37 m/d) No naturally produced walleye eggs were collected in the Honeoye inlet channel where adults congregated during the 2002 and 2003 spawning season, nor were fry collected in the lake until after 8.7 million were stocked in 2003. Radio-tagged walleye exhibited homing and site fidelity in Honeoye Lake but not in the few known areas with suitable spawning substrates (no eggs were collected at these locations.
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Two Congener‑specifc Models Estimate PCB TEQ Hazard to American Mink (Neovison vison) Living near a Western New York CreekWe present two models to monitor the health of ecosystems by assessing hazard from a persistent organic compound to a top predator species. Our diet model predicts the dietary exposure of American Mink (Neovison vison) to PCB toxic equivalents (TEQ) by combining concentrations in their prey using weighted average proportions consistent with literature-based mink diets. Our bioaccumulation model predicts the dietary exposure of mink to PCB TEQ based on each congener’s total concentration in water (dissolved plus particulate fractions), the octanal/water partition coefcient (log Kow) of the compound, and the trophic levels of prey taxa. Both models predict mink dietary concentrations which can be directly compared with each other and with lowest observable adverse efects concentrations (LOAECs) to assess chronic and acute hazards of PCB TEQ to mink. By our choice of certain parameters in the bioaccumulation model, we forced it to match the diet model within less than 5% for Eighteenmile Creek in western New York State. When the two models were used for a similar creek about 25 km away, the diferences in their predictions were of the same magnitude.
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The Doctorate: The Next Educational Step in Librarianshipdegree in librarianship, that does not have to be the case. As a mid-career library professional, you may feel like you have reached a point at which you don’t know where to go. If you have decided that management is not for you right now, yet you still want to grow, a doctorate can stretch you and help you to gain more knowledge, research expertise, and leadership skills. Pursuing and accomplishing this goal will open career possibilities, including promotion, administration, and teaching positions in library schools where you could help effect change in librarianship by educating future librarians. S
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Levels of Bioaccumulative Chemicals of Concern in Air, Water, Sediment and Sentinel Species of the Rochester Embayment of Lake OntarioIn the 1980s, the International Joint Commission (IJC) began the process of creating and implementing remedial action plans (RAPs) in 43 areas of concern (AOCs) throughout the Great Lakes Basin of Canada and the United States. An area identified as an AOC violated one or more of 14 “use impairments” listed by the IJC. For example, “fish and wildlife consumption advisories” due to the presence of bioaccumulative chemicals of concern (BCCs) is a use impairment identified for the Rochester, NY Embayment of Lake Ontario AOC.
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Eighteenmile Creek Area of Concern Mink Prey Survey and Oak Orchard Creek Add-onIn the Great Lakes Basin, the International Joint Commission (IJC) has identified 43 Areas of Concern (AOC) where pollution from past industrial production and waste disposal practices has created hazardous waste sites or contaminated sediments. Beneficial Use Impairments (BUI) have been identified for each AOC, and for an AOC to be delisted removal of each of its BUIs must be documented. This study assessed whether chemicals of concern (COC) could negatively impact mink populations along Eighteenmile Creek (EMC) and addressed two BUIs: Degradation of Fish and Wildlife Populations and Bird or Animal Deformities or Reproductive Problems. Criteria for removing these two BUIs in the EMC AOC are in Table 1 and definitions of acronyms used in this report are in Table 2.
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Fen development along the southern shore of Lake OntarioFen development along a drowned-river-mouth tributary to Braddock Bay, Lake Ontario was studied to address its formation. Nested piezometers were installed to assess groundwater contributions and obtain water chemistry samples. Soil and geology information came from existing sources. We converted paleo lake levels from published reports to IGLD1985 and calendar years BP for use in analyzing vegetation changes over time using a combination of peat-core plant macrofossils and modern surveys. Piezometer data showed upward discharge, water at 3-m depth had pH 6.9, specific conductivity of 508 lS/cm, and alkalinity 206 mg/L as CaCO3. Hydraulic head and mineralized water chemistry decreased at shallower depths. Vegetative development began 1790 cal yr BP with sedges and brown moss when land surface was 0.135 m above lake level. Lake levels increased, and by 1590 cal yr BP, water was 0.17 m deep and sedges were joined by shoreline emergent species. Water depth then increased to 0.525 m but began decreasing as lake levels fell. Peatland species appeared around 810 cal yr BP when water depth was reduced to 0.225 m. About 585 cal yr BP, additional peatland species appeared when land surface was 0.075 m above lake level. Sphagnum became prominent 80 cal yr BP (0.81 m above lake level), representing 67 % mean cover in modern vegetation. Isolation of the surface from calcareous groundwater resulted in transition from rich fen to poor fen. These wetlands are rare in the lower Great Lakes and deserve protection of their characteristic hydrology, water chemistry, and vegetation structure.
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Testing restoration methods for Lake Ontario wetlands at a wetland scaleSedges and grasses have a competitive advantage over cattails at higher elevations in Great Lakes wetlands where periodic low lake levels result in soils too dry to support cattails. Regulation of Lake Ontario water levels eliminated low lake-level years, resulting in cattail invasion. At a wetland scale at two Lake Ontario sites, we tested restoration methods by dredging channels through cattails, using spoil materials to create mounds suitable for sedge/grass growth, seeding mounds, and controlling cattails (T. glauca) using methods adapted from experimental studies. Soil moisture and subsidence of mound soils were monitored. Vegetation was sampled pre-restoration and in shoreline sedge/grass meadow, emergent, and mound zones for two years following implementation. Although spoil mounds decreased in elevation at both sites, soil moisture increased more at the site with greater subsidence. Mean percent cover and ramet counts of cattails were reduced in sedge/grass and emergent zones at both sites. Mounds with greater soil moisture held more cattails post-construction. Across years at both sites, Carex lacustris and Calamagrostis canadensis increased in the sedge/grass meadow zone with reduction in Typha; Calamagrostis increased on the mounds. Key factors affecting results were cattail litter and, on the mounds, a second year of seeding with in situ cold, moist stratification, as well as soil moisture related to subsidence. Recommendations for future restorations include conducting more detailed soil surveys to assess potential subsidence, dredging wider and deeper channels to provide spoil for higher mounds, actively controlling invasive species, and conducting additional years of post-restoration data collection. 2022 International Association for Great Lakes Research. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
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Wetland Restoration in Typha -Dominated Braddock Bay of Lake OntarioThe barrier beach at the Braddock Bay wetland on Lake Ontario was lost to erosion. Without the protective barrier, the area of vegetated wetland was reduced by wave attack. Lake-level regulation implemented in 1960 resulted in cattail (primarily hybrid Typha × glauca), invasion and loss of sedge-grass meadow habitat. As part of the Rochester Embayment Great Lakes Area of Concern, Braddock Bay was targeted for restoration by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The plan included reducing coverage by cattails, construction of channels and potholes to improve wildlife access to the wetland, creation of spoil mounds along the channels to discourage growth of cattail while supporting the growth of sedge-grass meadow species, re-creation of the barrier beach, and construction of new emergent marsh. We collected vegetation data for three years following the 2016 construction activities. Post-restoration results showed that cattail cover decreased greatly across years in the cattail treatment areas, decreased in lower elevation constructed habitats, and gradually increased in higher elevation habitats. Opening of the canopy resulted in increased floating and submersed species, and constructed mounds hosted wet meadow species. Site-level weighted mean C is recommended for future data analyses, rather than FQAI or mean C, because it has no observed influence from species richness. Restoration results were affected by high lake levels in 2017, identified problems in seeding and planting, and meeting construction plans for some channel and pothole depths and mound elevations. Pre-restoration soil surveys are recommended to reduce construction problems, and adaptive management should include invasive species control.
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Evaluating the use of hyperspectral imagery to calculate raster-based wetland vegetation condition indicatorField observations and measurements of wetland plants have traditionally been used to monitor and evaluate wetland condition; however, there has been increasing use of remote sensing applications for rapid evaluations of wetland productivity and change. Combining key aspects of field- and remote sensing-based wetland evaluation methods can provide more efficient or improved biological indices. This exploratory study set out to develop a raster-based Wetland Vegetation Condition Indicator system that used airborne hyperspectral imagery-derived data to estimate plant-community quality (via wetland classification and Coefficient of Conservatism) and vegetation biomass (estimated using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index). The Wetland Vegetation Condition Indicator system was developed for three Lake Ontario wetland areas and compared to a field-based floristic quality index and a dominant-plant based Floristic quality indexdom. The indicator system serves as a proof-of-concept that capitalized on the spatial and spectral attributes of high-resolution imagery to quantify and characterize the quality and quantity of wetland vegetation. A Pearson correlation analysis showed moderate r values of 0.59 and 0.62 for floristic quality index and floristic quality indexdom, respectively, compared to the indicator method. The differences are potentially due to the spatial resolution of the imagery and the indicator method only accounting for the dominant plants within each assessment unit (pixel), therefore disregarding understory plants or those with low abundance. However, the multi-metric Wetland Vegetation Condition Indicator approach shows promise as an indicator of wetland condition by using remotely sensed data, which could be useful for more efficient landscape-scale assessments of wetland health, resilience, and recovery
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Influences of Seasonality and Habitat Quality on Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Fish Community Composition and DietsGreat Lakes coastal wetlands (GLCW) have been severely degraded by anthropogenic activity over the last several decades despite their critical role in fish production. Many Great Lakes fish species use coastal wetland habitats for spawning, feeding, shelter, and nurseries throughout the year. The goal of our study was to compare GLCW fish community composition in the spring, summer, and fall months and investigate how water quality relates to fish diversity, the presence of functional groups, and juvenile fish diets. We summarized fish data collected from GLCW across the basin and used the coastal wetland monitoring program’s water quality-land use indicator to quantify water quality. Basin-wide, we found taxonomic and functional group differences in community composition among three sampling seasons, as well as across the range of water quality. Water quality was positively associated with the abundance of small cyprinids and the relative abundance of some habitat and reproductive specialists. Seasonal differences were also observed for many of these functional groups, with more temperature- and pollution- sensitive fishes captured in the spring and more nest-spawning fishes captured in the summer and fall. In our diet study, we found that age-0 fish primarily consumed zooplankton in the fall, whereas age-1 fish primarily consumed macroinvertebrates in the spring. Moreover, wetland quality was positively associated with trichopteran prey abundance. We concluded that taxonomic and functional composition of fish communities in GLCW vary markedly with respect to water quality and season. Thus, a full understanding of communities across a gradient of quality requires multi-season sampling.
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Response of Typha to Phosphorus, Hydrology, and Land Use in Lake Ontario Coastal Wetlands and a Companion Greenhouse StudyLoss of Great Lakes wetlands due to changes in land use, hydrology, nutrient inputs, and invasive species led to the need for studies involving physical factors that influence growth of invasive cattails (Typha). Thus, in 18 Lake Ontario coastal wetlands, we sampled vegetation along stratified random transects and collected water samples for total phosphorus (TP) analyses. We used GIS to determine watershed area, percent land use as croplands, and length of lotic surface waters entering wetlands. A greenhouse growth experiment with a full factorial random block design was used to investigate the effects of variable hydroperiod and phosphorus concentrations on T. × glauca biomass changes. Correlation analyses of wetland data revealed that TP in field studies was related to percent croplands but not lotic length; mean percent Typha was not related to TP. In the growth experiment, above- and below-ground biomass increased significantly for simple main effects of hydroperiod and phosphorus concentrations. Multiple pairwise interaction comparisons between hydrology and nutrient treatments showed that effects of phosphorus concentration were present only at longer hydroperiods. Lack of correlation between Typha and phosphorus concentrations in the field was likely due to the overwhelming effect of water-level regulation on Lake Ontario. The greenhouse study demonstrated that increasing concentrations of phosphorus positively influenced cattail growth in a controlled setting. Although phosphorus positively influenced growth, hydrologic regime had the greatest influence on cattail growth, with increased biomass as hydroperiod increased. More natural hydrology and management of phosphorus inputs may help limit spread of Typha.
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The impacts of Marcellus Shale Gas Drilling Accidents on Amphibians in a Pennsylvania FenGas drilling into the Marcellus Shale play has been linked to environmental issues, including potential impacts on wildlife. In 2009, three separate accidents occurred at two gas well sites in central Pennsylvania, USA that resulted in high levels of contaminants in Wallace Mine Fen and a headwater stream that flows through the fen. We collected water chemistry, vegetation, and amphibian data at the impacted fen and at a control fen in 2012 and 2013 to determine similarity of sites and the impacts of the contaminants. We also reviewed water chemistry reports generated by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection for data collected shortly after the accidents occurred to provide insight on the nature of the accidents. Ordinations of vegetation data, as well as water chemistry, showed that the two wetlands are similar and dominated by the same plant species and water chemistry. Historically, both wetlands provided habitat for amphibians. However, unlike in pre-accident amphibian data, we detected virtually no amphibians in the impacted Wallace Mine Fen, suggesting that amphibians were possibly negatively affected by gas-drilling accidents.
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Extent of Sedge‑Grass Meadow in a Lake Michigan Drowned River Mouth Wetland Dictated by Topography and Lake LevelWater-level fluctuations are critical in maintaining diversity of plant communities in Great Lakes wetlands. Sedge-grass meadows are especially sensitive to such fluctuations. We conducted vegetation sampling in a sedge-grass dominated Lake Michigan drowned river mouth wetland in 1995, 2002, and 2010 following high lake levels in 1986 and 1997. We also conducted photointerpretation studies in 16 years dating back to 1965 to include responses to high lake levels in 1952 and 1974. Topographic data were collected to assess their influence on areal extent of sedge-grass meadow. Dominant species in short emergent and submersed/floating plant communities changed with water availability from 1995 to extreme low lake levels in 2002 and 2010. Sedge-grass meadow was dominated by Calamagrostis canadensis and Carex stricta in all years sampled, but Importance Values differed among years partly due to sampling in newly exposed areas. Photointerpretation studies showed a significant relation between percent of wetland in sedge-grass meadow and summer lake level, as well as the number of years since an extreme high lake level. From the topographic map created, we calculated the cumulative area above each 0.2-m contour to determine the percent of wetland dewatered in select years following extreme high lake levels. When compared with percent sedge-grass meadow in those years, relative changes in both predicted land surface and sedge-grass meadow demonstrated that accuracy of lake level as a predictor of area of sedge-grass meadow is dependent on topography. Our results regarding relations of plant-community response to hydrology are applicable to other Great Lakes wetlands.
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Groundwater Controls on Wetland Vegetation of a Ridge-and-Swale Chronosequence in a Lake Michigan EmbaymentA chronosequence of wetland swales between beach ridges in the Manistique/Thompson embayments of Lake Michigan contains plant communities that differ across the strandplain.We characterized vegetation in 33 swales and compared distribution with previously reported groundwater flow systems. Older swales near a groundwater divide created by the peak Nipissing ridge receive local flows and hold sedge/leatherleaf floating mats that transition to swamp. Farther lakeward, another groundwater divide is created by discharge of calcareous waters released by termination of an underlying clay confining layer, resulting in swales dominated by northern white cedar. Cedar swamp continues lakeward in swales having flow-through calcareous groundwater, but several swales are perched above those flows. Farther lakeward, a large amalgamated beach ridge creates another groundwater divide with discharges that again support cedar swamp. Calcareous discharge from the confined aquifer, with downslope flow-through waters, then supports more cedar swamp. Flow-through waters meet yet another calcareous discharge, resulting in ponding and development of floating mats. Finally, a deep regional aquifer discharges at the Lake Michigan shore and supports marsh/shoreline species. Our results have implications for assessing potential responses to climate change, interpretation of past climate changes in paleoecological studies, and management of wetlands facing future climate changes
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Hydrogeology and Landform Morphology Affect Plant Communities in a Great Lakes Ridge-and-Swale Wetland ComplexTrajectories of vegetative change in wetlands can be influenced strongly by shifts in water-table elevation driven by evapotranspiration and spatial-temporal variability in groundwater. The specific dynamics of such interactions are difficult to quantify because of spatial complexities associated with local climate, geomorphology, and underlying geology. Nonetheless, a better understanding of the effects of groundwater and landform pattern on plant communities in wetlands can help with future predictions of change. Over two successive growing seasons, we investigated water-balance dynamics in 15 wetlands in a forested Great Lakes coastal wetland complex consisting of relict beach ridges and intervening swales. Our goal was to explore how variation in hydrogeology and landform morphology affected plant community composition.Water-balance analyses from water-level fluctuation methods, along with interpretation of underlying stratigraphy and slope, were used to explain plantcommunity ordination results. Our findings showed that phreatophytic plant communities developed in locations where hydrogeology or greater slopes allowed for supplemental groundwater flow to the swales. Conversely, shallow water-table slopes maintained standing water in swales, leading to obligate wetland plant communities. This study provides a clearer representation of hydrogeologic and ecohydrologic interactions to help inform our understanding of the relationship between groundwater hydrology and plant communities in wetlands.
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A Complicated Groundwater Flow System Supporting Ridge-and-Swale Wetlands in a Lake Michigan StrandplainBeach ridges and wetland swales formed in embayments along Great Lakes shorelines during Holocene lake-level changes. Vegetation differences among swales suggested influence from differing groundwater flow systems. We characterized the hydrology across 79 ridge/swale wetlands in the Manistique/Thompson embayments of Lake Michigan using chemical and physical methods. Cross-sections were built from geologic data, and nested piezometers were installed across three ridges/swales where upwelling was noted. Stainless steel piezometers driven in 30 swales were sampled and water analyzed for specific conductance, alkalinity, and major ions. Surface water from 11 swales was analyzed. Water dominated by Ca-Mg-HCO3 was prevalent across the strandplain, with specific conductance generally less than 100 μS/cm. Conductivity, Ca, Mg, and HCO3 in groundwater were greater at identified groundwater discharges; where an amalgamated beach ridge forms a surficial groundwater divide; and swales nearer Lake Michigan that likely receive greatly mineralized water from a deeper aquifer. Repositioning of the shoreline as the embayments filled over the past 4700 years, coupled with isostatic rebound and changes in lake water levels, altered head differentials and changed the sources of discharge from local, intermediate, and deep flow systems over time. Extant plant communities are consistent with the groundwater dependence of these wetlands.
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Leveraging a Landscape-Level Monitoring and Assessment Program for Developing Resilient Shorelines throughout the Laurentian Great LakesTraditionally, ecosystem monitoring, conservation, and restoration have been conducted in a piecemeal manner at the local scale without regional landscape context. However, scientifically driven conservation and restoration decisions benefit greatly when they are based on regionally determined benchmarks and goals. Unfortunately, required data sets rarely exist for regionally important ecosystems. Because of early recognition of the extreme ecological importance of Laurentian Great Lakes coastal wetlands, and the extensive degradation that had already occurred, significant investments in coastal wetland research, protection, and restoration have been made in recent decades and continue today. Continued and refined assessment of wetland condition and trends, and the evaluation of restoration practices are all essential to ensuring the success of these investments. To provide wetland managers and decision makers throughout the Laurentian Great Lakes basin with the optimal tools and data needed to make scientifically-based decisions, our regional team of Great Lakes wetland scientists developed standardized methods and indicators used for assessing wetland condition. Froma landscape perspective, at the LaurentianGreat Lakes ecosystemscale, we established a stratified random-site-selection process to monitor birds, anurans, fish, macroinvertebrates, vegetation, and physicochemical conditions of coastal wetlands in the US and Canada. Monitoring of approximately 200 wetlands per year began in 2011 as the Great Lakes CoastalWetlandMonitoring Program. In this paper, we describe the development, delivery, and expected results of this ongoing international, multi-disciplinary, multi-stakeholder, landscape-scale monitoring programas a case example of successful application of landscape conservation design.
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Selected Ecological Characteristics of Scirpus Cyperinus and Its Role as an Invader of Disturbed WetlandsScirpus Cyperinus (woolgrass) is a common invader of disturbed wetlands where soils have been exposed by water level reductions or vegetative cover has been reduced by various means. Its usual habitats include ditches, wet meadows, marshes and low, muddy grounds in the eastern United States and Canada. This study documents the encroachment of a woolgrass community onto well-decomposed organic soils exposed when long-term, industrial-related flooding of a wetland was terminated. Data were collected on spatial and temporal distribution patterns, species replacement, seed dispersal and growth, and environmental conditions. The ecological characteristics that enable Scirpus Cyperinus to be an effective colonizer were concluded to be: the vast number of seeds produced, effective dispersal of seeds, the clinging ability of seeds with long bristles, viability of the seeds stored in sediments, exclusion of other plants by a dense, perennial tussock growth form, and a fairly wide range of tolerance to environmental conditions.
