You are here:
Effects of ecosystem development on benthic secondary production in restored and created mangrove habitats
Citation:
Nestlerode, J. AND M. Osland. Effects of ecosystem development on benthic secondary production in restored and created mangrove habitats. Presented at Gulf Estuarine Research Society Conference, November 08 - 09, 2012.
Impact/Purpose:
To evaluate the development rate and trajectory of benthic ecosystem development in created and restored systems, the development of wetland soil characteristics and macrobenthic community parameters will be presented.
Description:
Wetland creation, enhancement, and restoration activities are commonly implemented to compensate for wetland loss or degradation. However, functional equivalence in restored and created wetland habitats is often poorly understood. In estuarine habitats, changes in habitat quality produce relatively predictable changes in the structure and composition of macrobenthic communities and it is generally assumed that the ecosystem functions of the community change as well. To evaluate the development rate and trajectory of benthic ecosystem function, the development of wetland soil characteristics and secondary production of the macrobenthic community was measured in created tidal wetlands habitats in the Tampa Bay region ranging from 2 to 20 years old and compared with natural reference wetlands. The approach, relevance of understanding macrobenthic communities to capturing ecosystem condition snapshots, and preliminary results will be presented.