Author
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Luckeydoo, Lee |
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Submitted to: Ohio State University Thesis
Publication Type: Other Publication Acceptance Date: 7/20/2002 Publication Date: 7/20/2002 Citation: LUCKEYDOO, L.M. VEGETATION AND ALGAL COMMUNITY COMPOSITION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THREE CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS RECEIVING AGRICULTURAL RUNOFF AND SUBSURFACE DRAINAGE, 1998 TO 2001. PH.D. THESIS. 2002. THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY. 261 P. Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: Wetland Reservoir Subirrigation Systems (WRSIS) aim to reduce non-point source pollution from agricultural fields while maintaining crop yield and creating wetland wildlife habitat. The WRSIS system directs drainage water from agricultural fields to flow into a passively revegetated constructed wetland, where water undergoes water quality improvement. Water leaving the wetland is stored in an adjacent reservoir and used to subirrigate fields. Three WRSIS demonstration sites were constructed during 1995-1996 in Defiance, Fulton, and Van Wert Counties in Northwest Ohio, an area historically known as the "Great Black Swamp." Vegetation is known to be important in the function and effectiveness of the wetland in the WRSIS system. The passive revegetation approach chosen for the WRSIS wetlands resulted in approximately similar or increased diversity for the WRSIS wetlands in 2001 compared to 1998; and an overall increase in percent of total known species ranked as wetland indicator species (WIS). Importance Factor Rankings over the study period and seed budget modeling suggest that seeding of some desired species may enhance and expedite WIS vegetation establishment. Moderately similar algal communities were found to exist between sites, as determined by Jaccard's and Sorenson's similarity indices. Attempts to use a combination of Palmer's list of pollutant tolerant genera and Nygaard's Eutrophication Quotient based on genera and abundance shifts to serve as a simple qualitative estimation of trophic level for the WRSIS wetlands resulted in limited success when compared to water nutrient data. This methodology requires additional data collection and further development before utilization as a quick reference tool for trophic estimation. Peak biomass samples collected from the WRSIS constructed wetlands estimated significantly higher production in the shore and mudflat zones over the open water zone. Peak biomass production estimates for vascular vegetation and macro-algae point estimates were greatest in 2000, the wettest year. These constructed wetlands are developing established wetland species over time. Importance factor rankings, seed budgeting, and observed low recruitment from the seed banks indicate that seeding with WIS species would help expedite and sustain increases in wetland species habitat within the WRSIS or similar type wetlands systems. |
