Wetland Ecology

Flood intolerant plants

High in ADH, High in ethanol, no malate produced, pasteur effect occurs, moderate ATP

Flood temporary plants

Low ADH, low ethanol, high malate production, no pasteur effect, moderate ATP

Flood permanent plants

High ADH, low ethanol, low malate production, pasteur effect occurs, high ATP

Avoidance to flood plants

low ADH, low ethanol, low malate, no pasteur effect, high ATP

Floating Marsh

a type of flood avoidance strategy where plants push gases to roots and float, ie maidencane

Shoot Elongation

a type of flood avoidance strategy where plants grow taller out of the water

Close stomates

a type of flood avoidance strategy where plants close their stomates and wait for waters to lower

Aerenchyma

a type of flood avoidance strategy where plants produce cellulase to eat cellulose to create air space between the shoot and the roots, oxidizes roots the low O2 environment triggers ethylene production triggering cellulase

Advantageous Roots

a type of flood avoidance strategy where plants create roots along the stem

Aquatic morph

a type of flood avoidance strategy where plants morph into and aquatic form to survive flooding, ie duckpotatoe

Create pressure gradient

a type of flood avoidance strategy where plants form a pressure gradient with heat and large leaves which pushes gases to the roots, ie lily pads

Osmotica

a type of salt stress response where plants use non toxic organic molecules such as prolene to prevent plasmolysis

Vacuole stuffing

a type of salt stress response where plants stuff extra salt into vacuoles

Salt packing

a type of salt stress response where plants pack salt into old leaves and drop them, the most common solution

Salt glands

a type of salt stress adaptation where plants have glands that help remove extra salt, Spartina sp.

Xylem packing

a type of salt stress response where plants pack salt into previous years xylem, ie baldcypress

Succession

change in community structure overtime

Allogenic succession

change in community structure driven by abiotic components of an ecosystem, plants found in continuum unpredictable changes

Examples of allogenic succession

hydrology, salinity, nutrients, light, topography, impoundment, sheet flow, soil type, storm, climate changes, anthropogenic, subsidence/accretion, O2 presence

Autogenic succession

changes in community driven by biotic components aka the organisms, changes are linear and predictable

Examples of autogenic succession

herbivory, predation, competition/cooperation, organic soil building, elevation gain from plant friction, evapotranspiration, seed bank/ propagules

What is space for time substitution?

look at a young space (ecosystem) compared to an old space (ecosystem) in a successive space to see how to community has change, autogenic succession

Climax community

end community of succession, once it’s there it stays, nothing replaces the community

How does autogenic peat formation insulate the ecosystem from allogenic succession?

land is built and water is retained by the organic soil type, peat is aerated increasing redox potential, hydrology is altered

Wetland Values Assessment step 1

Calculate suitability indices for stand structure, stand maturity, hydrology, and salinity on a scale of 0 to 1

Wetland Values Assessment step 2

Calculate habitat suitability index, geometric model, harmonic mean

Wetland Values Assessment step 3

Model FWP (future with project) FWOP (future without project) and integrate the AAHU(Annual Habitat Unit), the area between two models

Wetland Values Assessment step 4

cost out the restoration project

Wetland Values Assessment step 5

Cost per AAHU, and rank, most land for least money is the goal

Problem: Lack of riverine input or throughput

Solution: river diversion or assimilation wetland

Problem: Impoundments

Solution: gap spoil banks and levees, hydrologic restoration

Problem: Salt water intrusion

Solution: freshwater throughput from river diversion and assimilation wetlands

Problem: nutrient limitation

Solution: assimilation wetland or river diversion

Problem: Subsidence/sea level rise

Solution: dredge and fill combined with hydrologic restoration