The Infona portal uses cookies, i.e. strings of text saved by a browser on the user's device. The portal can access those files and use them to remember the user's data, such as their chosen settings (screen view, interface language, etc.), or their login data. By using the Infona portal the user accepts automatic saving and using this information for portal operation purposes. More information on the subject can be found in the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. By closing this window the user confirms that they have read the information on cookie usage, and they accept the privacy policy and the way cookies are used by the portal. You can change the cookie settings in your browser.
The National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) is the most extensive inventory of wetland resources in the U.S., but it has limited ability to contribute to characterizations of wetland functions. We provide a methodology for reclassifying NWI polygons into Hydrogeomorphic (HGM) classes to facilitate monitoring wetland functions. We conducted this reclassification using spatial and attribute queries within...
We compared morphometric and physico-chemical characteristics of farm ponds and natural wetlands in Andalusia (southern Spain) to determine whether artificial waterbodies might act as alternative and/or complementary habitats for aquatic biodiversity. Farm ponds were much smaller than natural wetlands, making them unsuitable for species requiring large waterbodies. However, we observed high farm pond...
Animal distribution is usually predicted from the spatial variation in food biomass, whereas foraging theory commonly uses net energy intake rate as the currency to be maximized. We tested whether net energy intake rate better predicted the distribution and abundance of tundra swans than food biomass. In a shallow lake, we mapped the density of sago pondweed tubers during 2 years, and calculated the...
As human alterations such as riverbed excavation and harbor improvements have diminished natural littoral regions and estuarine basins, the numbers of organisms living in tidal marsh have declined. The tidal marsh halophyte Carex rugulosa has been commonly observed along the Japanese coastline over the past centuries; however, this species has recently been designated as near threatened. To determine...
Tidal freshwater forested wetlands (tidal swamps) are periodically affected by salinity intrusion at seaward transitions with marsh, which, along with altered hydrology, may affect the balance of gaseous carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) losses from soils. We measured greenhouse gas emissions (CO2, CH4, N2O) from healthy, moderately degraded, and degraded tidal swamp soils undergoing sea-level-rise-induced...
By 2030, 75,000 ha of raised bog owned by Ireland’s largest peat producer, Bord na Móna, are expected to be exhausted. In an effort to rehabilitate Irish cutaway peatlands to maximise their conservation value, large areas have been converted to wetlands using three alternative approaches: total peat removal (TPR), partial peat removal (PPR), and simple rewetting (SR). This paper assesses the success,...
We used tree-ring analysis to evaluate the combined effects of rising water levels and 13 years of municipal wastewater addition on growth of baldcypress in a subsiding swamp forest in southern Louisiana. Trees in the treatment, downstream outflow, and adjacent untreated control areas all experienced increased growth coinciding with a period of widespread rapid subsidence and water-level increases...
Whooping crane (Grus americana), a rare and critically endangered species, are wetland dependent throughout their life cycle. The whooping crane’s small population size, limited distribution, and wetland habitat requirements make them vulnerable to potential climate changes. Climate change predictions suggest overall temperature increases and significant changes in precipitation regimes throughout...
Availability of aquatic invertebrates on migration and breeding areas influences recruitment of ducks and shorebirds. In wetlands of Prairie Pothole Region (PPR), aquatic invertebrate production primarily is driven by interannual fluctuations of water levels in response to wet-dry cycles in climate. However, this understanding comes from studying basins that are minimally impacted by agricultural...
Increasing interest in isolated wetlands requires an understanding of the location, spatial extent, and configuration of the resource. The National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) is the most commonly used data source for this information; however, the accuracy is limited in some contexts, e.g., agricultural, seasonally-ponded, or forested wetlands. This study sought to improve isolated wetland mapping accuracy...
Over half the temporary wetlands in the prairie pothole region of North America (PPR) have been drained for agricultural purposes and nearly all those remaining have agriculturally impacted margins. Cattle grazing is a common practice in the PPR. Rotational grazing utilizes several pastures, with cattle grazing one pasture while the others are rested. The success of this practice in increasing the...
Global climate change has received increased attention in the Mid-Atlantic Highlands (MAH) Region of the United States in recent years. Several climate models predict increases in mean temperature of 1–5°C over the next one hundred years for the region, which has considerable implications for wetland ecosystems already encumbered by numerous anthropogenic stressors; however, historical (i.e., 1890s–current)...
Global climate change is expected to significantly affect coastal ecosystems worldwide. For tidal marsh birds of the Gulf of Mexico, the extent of these impacts on future population dynamics is unknown. Here, we present information on our current understanding of marsh bird responses to climate change, identify gaps in that understanding, and propose ways of improving our ability to predict impacts...
Efforts to maximize or restore ecological function on floodplains impacted by dam construction have increasingly focused on river flow management. Few studies, however, consider floodplain hydrogeomorphic position and annual climatic variation in dam impact assessment. The Savannah River, a large river ecosystem in the Southeastern United States, was impounded in the 1950’s. Our study objectives were:...
Periphyton mats are an important component of the Everglades ecosystem. These mats are able to fix atmospheric nitrogen; however little attention has been paid to this function throughout much of the Everglades system. The objective of this study was to characterize and quantify periphyton N2 fixation in the Hole-in-the-Donut (HID) region of the southern Everglades, where farmed marl prairie wetlands...
Isolation of causative factors has proved challenging in characterizing the physical, chemical, and biological effects of shoreline hardening on the nearshore environment because of logistical challenges in identifying comparable sites. Extensive shoreline hardening and interspersion with unaltered shores in the large, shallow lakes in central Wisconsin provide an opportunity to surmount this. We...
In nitrogen-limited temperate marshes, increasing nitrogen availability via biological mechanisms such as N2 fixation and organic matter mineralization may lead to elevated marsh plant growth and macroinvertebrate densities. A polysaccharide, alginate, known to enhance microbial activity was added to sediment in a salt marsh (GA, USA) and the responses of the smooth cordgrass, Spartina alterniflora...
Biodiversity on floodplains is under increasing pressure as demand for water for human needs expands. Understanding how waterbirds respond to river flows feeding floodplain wetlands is critical for successful management. We analysed data on breeding by colonial breeding large waders—Eastern Great Egret Ardea modesta, Intermediate Egret Ardea intermedia, Little Egret Egretta garzetta, Nankeen Night...
The complex task of determining the inundation requirements of large floodplain wetlands is often simplified through the use of representative, umbrella or flagship species. This subset of species is targeted based on the assumption that their collective inundation requirements serve as a surrogate for the broader suite of species found within the wetland. We tested the application of representative...
Macrophytes increase structural complexity in aquatic ecosystems and their emergent structures provide habitats for spiders. We sampled spiders in three species of macrophytes (Eichhornia azurea, Eichhornia crassipes and Limnobium laevigatum) and measured five traits indicative of structural complexity: horizontal structure, vertical structure, plant height, macrophyte richness and macrophyte biomass...
Set the date range to filter the displayed results. You can set a starting date, ending date or both. You can enter the dates manually or choose them from the calendar.