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Quantifying The Influence Of Time-Since-Creation On Benthic Secondary Production In Created Coastal Habitats
Citation:
Kaack, K., J. Nestlerode, AND M. Harwell. Quantifying The Influence Of Time-Since-Creation On Benthic Secondary Production In Created Coastal Habitats. Presented at Annual Meeting Society for Freshwater Science, Jacksonville, FL, May 19 - 23, 2013.
Impact/Purpose:
Poster abstract for SFS conference
Description:
Wetland creation, enhancement, and restoration activities are commonly implemented to compensate for wetland loss or degradation in freshwater and coastal ecosystems. While assessments on structural condition are common in monitoring habitat restoration, functional equivalence is often poorly understood. In general, variations in habitat quality are expected to produce relatively predictable variations in the structure and composition of macrobenthic communities, and it is generally assumed that the associated ecosystem functions of the community change as well. We evaluated the developmental trajectory of benthic ecosystem function in created tidal wetlands habitats in the Tampa Bay region by measuring the development of wetland soil characteristics and secondary production of the macrobenthic community. Community properties of these created wetlands, ranging from 2 to 20 years old, were compared with natural reference wetlands. Here, we present preliminary results quantifying the impact of time-since-creation upon ecosystem properties and processes, and discuss the relevance of macrobenthic community measurements for evaluating wetland functional equivalence. These data will be used to quantify how habitat and water quality restoration in coastal areas can improve production of valued ecosystem attributes such as biodiversity and fishery production. Findings will be incorporated into empirical models to evaluate alternative future scenarios across a changing landscape as part of EPA’s Tampa Bay Ecosystem Service Demonstration Project.