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Williams, H.F.L., 2024. Testing digital elevation model of difference (DoD) estimation of washover fan thickness, Matagorda Peninsula, Texas. Journal of Coastal Research, 40(5), 852–859. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208. Washover fans are a fundamental component of coastal sediment budgets. While fans can be relatively easily delineated on air photos to obtain fan area, measurement of fan thickness, which is required for volume estimation, is problematic. Field surveys can be conducted, but fieldwork can be labor-intensive, costly, and time-consuming and have access problems. This study used pre- and poststorm LIDAR digital elevation models (DEMs) to create a digital elevation model of difference (DoD), which was then used to estimate the mean thicknesses of 10 Hurricane Harvey washover fans on Matagorda Peninsula, Texas. The accuracy of the LIDAR-derived fan thicknesses was assessed by comparing the LIDAR results to fan mean thicknesses based on pits excavated into fans. Seven out of 10 LIDAR-based thicknesses underestimated pit-based thicknesses, suggesting the presence of systematic bias in the LIDAR-derived DEMs. Underestimation of fan thicknesses was in the range of 36% to 56%. The source of the suspected bias is uncertain; it is possible that compaction of marsh sediments by the washover fans lowered the fans and reduced their apparent thicknesses. It is concluded that pre- and post-storm LIDAR DEMs can be used to estimate washover fan thickness, but in areas of compactible substrates, such as coastal marshes, steps should be taken to identify, evaluate, and address potential bias in the DEM data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This manuscript provides guidance concerning how to use the Total Operating Characteristic (TOC) when (1) analyzing change through time, (2) ranking a categorical independent variable, and (3) constraining the extent for a gaining category. The illustrative variable is the marsh land-cover category in the Plum Island Ecosystems of northeastern Massachusetts, USA. The data are an elevation map and maps showing the land categories of water, marsh, and upland in 1938, 1971, and 2013. There were losses and gains near the edge of the marsh between 1938 and 1972 and between 1972 and 2013. The TOC curves show that marsh gained most intensively at intermediate elevations during the first time interval and then had a weaker association with elevation during the second time interval. Marsh gains more intensively from water than from upland during both time intervals. The TOC curves also demonstrate that the marsh gains occurred where marsh was previously lost, a phenomenon called Alternation. Furthermore, eliminating far distances and extreme elevations from the spatial extent decreased the area under the curve (AUC) for distance and increased the AUC for elevation. We invite scientists to use the TOC because the TOC is easier to interpret and shows more information than the Relative Operative Characteristic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A network of 15 Surface Elevation Tables (SETs) at North Inlet estuary, South Carolina, has been monitored on annual or monthly time scales beginning from 1990 to 1996 and continuing through 2022. Of 73 time series in control plots, 12 had elevation gains equal to or exceeding the local rate of sea-level rise (SLR, 0.34 cm/year). Rising marsh elevation in North Inlet is dominated by organic production and, we hypothesize, is proportional to net ecosystem production. The rate of elevation gain was 0.47 cm/year in plots experimentally fertilized for 10 years with N&P compared to nearby control plots that have gained 0.1 cm/year in 26 years. The excess gains and losses of elevation in fertilized plots were accounted for by changes in belowground biomass and turnover. This is supported by bioassay experiments in marsh organs where at age 2 the belowground biomass of fertilized S. alterniflora plants was increasing by 1,994 g m−2 year−1, which added a growth premium of 2.4 cm/year to elevation gain. This was contrasted with the net belowground growth of 746 g m−2 year−1 in controls, which can add 0.89 cm/year to elevation. Root biomass density was greater in the fertilized bioassay treatments than in controls, plateauing at about 1,374 g m−2 and 472 g m−2, respectively. Growth of belowground biomass was dominated by rhizomes, which grew to 3,648 g m−2 in the fertilized treatments after 3 years and 1,439 g m−2 in the control treatments after 5 years. Depositional wetlands are limited by an exogenous supply of mineral sediment, whereas marshes like North Inlet could be classified as autonomous because they depend on in situ organic production to maintain elevation. Autonomous wetlands are more vulnerable to SLR because their elevation gains are constrained ultimately by photosynthetic efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tidal marshes build elevations by below- and aboveground organic and mineral soil processes. Marsh elevation and accretion data can be used to determine if marshes are keeping pace with sea-level rise. Using a network of 54 deep rod surface elevation tables with paired feldspar marker horizon plots, we tracked elevation and accretion trends across 16 marshes in California, USA. All sites had overall positive gains across years that included severe drought conditions and extreme rain events. Marsh elevation relative to tidal datum (z*) was the key predictor for elevation and accretion rates, with higher change rates at lower z* sites. Marsh sites are clustered into three regional groups (Northern California, San Francisco Bay area, and Southern California), primarily defined by maximum temperature and annual rainfall differences. Elevation, accretion, and shallow subsidence rates were not significantly different between clusters, but their explanatory variables did vary. High-temperature days were a key predictor for elevation, accretion, and shallow subsidence rates in the state-wide analysis and San Francisco Bay regional analysis. The largest elevation gains were observed in the San Francisco Bay-Delta and some of the smallest in Humboldt Bay, with Morro Bay having the lowest accretion rate overall. Central and Southern California marshes were keeping pace or out-pacing sea-level rise, while none of the Humboldt Bay marshes were keeping pace. Marsh surface elevation data can inform management intervention and be a leading indicator for sea-level rise vulnerability. Long-term monitoring across geomorphic settings can help inform management and anticipate marsh change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Threats to coastal wetlands, including sea-level rise and subsidence, led the National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) System to protect over 500,000 hectares of coastal wetlands during the twentieth century, with approximately 20% occurring in the South Atlantic geography. This effort has involved systematic long-term monitoring of changes in marsh elevation using surface elevation tables and marker horizons at 20 sites across 19 NWRs in the southeastern coastal USA. From 2012 to 2021, the rates of change in surface elevation (−9.3 to 7.1 mm/year), accretion (−0.3 to 17.5 mm/year), and net vertical elevation change (−14.3 to 3.1 mm/year) were highly variable among monitoring sites and varied with coastal wetland type (oligohaline marsh, salt marsh, pocosin, or forested wetland), land surface elevation, and estuarine salinity and geomorphology (i.e., tidally influenced or embayed). Of 20 sites included in our study, only six were gaining elevation at a rate that was equal to or greater than the long-term rates of sea-level rise and therefore considered resilient. Only Waccamaw and Currituck NWRs, both located in oligohaline marshes, were gaining elevation at a rate that exceeded sea-level rise by 1 mm/year. These results support the mounting evidence that many coastal wetlands, particularly in the South Atlantic geography of the USA, will undergo ecological transformations in the next several decades. The NWR System and other coastal management entities will need to use strategic decision-making frameworks to identify management actions that can mitigate the loss of coastal wetlands to support the conservation of coastal wetland–dependent and obligate species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benthic invertebrates play vital roles in estuarine ecosystems, but like other taxa they have been excluded from former marshlands by diking and land use conversion. Dike removal is one way of restoring marsh, but the response of benthic invertebrates has been little studied. Also understudied is variation in benthic invertebrate communities across entire deltas, particularly in the Pacific Northwest of North America where deltas receive high flows and sediment loads for their size. Our goals were to evaluate invertebrate response to large-scale dike removal on the Nisqually River Delta in Puget Sound, Washington, U.S.A., characterize delta-wide invertebrate community variation, and relate invertebrate response and spatial variation to environmental conditions. We sampled invertebrates annually from one year before to three years after dike removal in restoring marsh, previously restored marsh, undisturbed reference marsh, and adjacent tidal flats. Marine taxa immediately colonized the area recently restored to tidal inundation and population size grew exponentially thereafter for several of them. Community composition and diversity recovered completely, and density and biomass were approaching recovery three years later. Invertebrate communities converged between restoring and pre-existing marsh (previously restored and reference), suggesting an influence of reestablished connectivity. Just offshore from the dike line, invertebrates declined one year after dike removal but then rebounded indicating resilience to short-term disturbance. Dike removal effects were not detected farther offshore. Near the offshore edge of the delta, invertebrate biomass and body size were greater than elsewhere and a diverse assemblage of crustaceans, polychaetes, and bivalves was present. Farther inshore, tidal flats were dominated by a few species of small-bodied polychaetes and had higher density but lower biomass and diversity. Facultative detritivores, which can also filter feed, were the dominant feeding guild everywhere on the tidal flats. Density, biomass, diversity, and community composition on the marsh were more similar to the inner than outer tidal flats. Environmental variables most associated with invertebrate community variation were elevation, salinity, and sediment grain size and organic content. Our results are relevant to assessing performance and setting expectations for future restorations and have broad implications for the role of benthic invertebrates in estuarine ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Benthic invertebrates play vital roles in estuarine ecosystems, but like other taxa they have been excluded from former marshlands by diking and land use conversion. Dike removal is one way of restoring marsh, but the response of benthic invertebrates has been little studied. Also understudied is variation in benthic invertebrate communities across entire deltas, particularly in the Pacific Northwest of North America where deltas receive high flows and sediment loads for their size. Our goals were to evaluate invertebrate response to large-scale dike removal on the Nisqually River Delta in Puget Sound, Washington, U.S.A., characterize delta-wide invertebrate community variation, and relate invertebrate response and spatial variation to environmental conditions. We sampled invertebrates annually from one year before to three years after dike removal in restoring marsh, previously restored marsh, undisturbed reference marsh, and adjacent tidal flats. Marine taxa immediately colonized the area recently restored to tidal inundation and population size grew exponentially thereafter for several of them. Community composition and diversity recovered completely, and density and biomass were approaching recovery three years later. Invertebrate communities converged between restoring and pre-existing marsh (previously restored and reference), suggesting an influence of reestablished connectivity. Just offshore from the dike line, invertebrates declined one year after dike removal but then rebounded indicating resilience to short-term disturbance. Dike removal effects were not detected farther offshore. Near the offshore edge of the delta, invertebrate biomass and body size were greater than elsewhere and a diverse assemblage of crustaceans, polychaetes, and bivalves was present. Farther inshore, tidal flats were dominated by a few species of small-bodied polychaetes and had higher density but lower biomass and diversity. Facultative detritivores, which can also filter feed, were the dominant feeding guild everywhere on the tidal flats. Density, biomass, diversity, and community composition on the marsh were more similar to the inner than outer tidal flats. Environmental variables most associated with invertebrate community variation were elevation, salinity, and sediment grain size and organic content. Our results are relevant to assessing performance and setting expectations for future restorations and have broad implications for the role of benthic invertebrates in estuarine ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shallow coastal systems act as nursery habitat for many species of fish and macroinvertebrates. Juveniles of these species may show selective use of certain habitat types over others, but the degree of such selectivity is not well studied for many species. Analysis of habitat selectivity is often hindered by inherently different gear types used in the habitats examined, which may not allow for direct comparison between the habitats. Here, we carry out nekton catches in the fringing marsh, using fyke nets, and in the adjacent seagrass habitat, using trawls, in the northern Gulf of Mexico to assess the relative use of the two habitats by the juveniles of six widespread important species. To resolve issues of gear comparability between fyke nets and trawls, we develop a habitat use index (HUI S) . The results reveal a consistent trend where, in relation to pinfish, speckled sea trout shows slightly higher (from 8.4 to 66.9 times); American silver perch and brown shrimp show moderately higher (from 2.3 to 369.4 times); and blue crab and white shrimp show greatly higher (from 90.6 to 2366.4 times) use of marsh over seagrass habitat. Thus, while similar in direction, differences in the use of marsh over seagrass habitat in relation to pinfish were more pronounced in some sites. We propose an index that can resolve issues of gear comparability and improve our understanding of coastal habitat selectivity by fish and macroinvertebrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a simple method for adjusting the weight input of the Marsh target-controlled infusion (TCI) model such that the resulting infusion regime closely mimics the behaviour of the Eleveld model, thereby making the Marsh model more precise for patients at the extremes of age and body mass index. To assess the performance of our method, we simulated 2768 subjects with diverse combinations of age, weight, height and sex undergoing a hypothetical four-hour propofol TCI using both the Marsh model with our weight adjustment and the Eleveld model. The weight adjusted Marsh model produced infusion regimes and corresponding effect site concentrations closely mimicking that of the Eleveld model at all time points, with median and maximum absolute performance errors less than 8.1% and 20.3%, respectively, across the entire cohort. Our weight adjustment method is a simple and robust way of improving the precision of the Marsh model in patients at extremes of age and body mass index, until general purpose TCI models for propofol, such as the Eleveld model, become more widely available in commercial infusion pumps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This investigation evaluated two fundamental assumptions of wetland inundation models designed to emulate landscape evolution and resiliency under conditions of sea level rise: that they can (1) migrate landward at the same rate as the transgressing shoreline and (2) immediately replace the plant community into which they are onlapping. Rates of wetland (e.g., marsh, mangrove) migration were culled from 11 study areas located in five regions of focus: Delaware Bay, Chesapeake Bay, Pamlico Sound, South Florida, and Northwest Florida. The average rate of marsh migration (n = 14) was 3.7 m yr−1. The average rate of South Florida mangrove migration (n = 4) was 38.0 m yr−1. The average rate of upland forest retreat (n = 4) was 3.4 m yr−1. Theoretical rates of shoreline transgression were calculated using site-specific landscape slope and scenario-based NOAA sea level rise elevations in 2050. Rates of shoreline transgression over the marsh landscape averaged 94 m yr−1. The average rate of shoreline transgression in the mangrove-dominated areas of South Florida was 153.2 m yr−1. The calculated rates of shoreline transgression were much faster than the observed horizontal marsh migration, and by 2050, the offset or gap between them averaged 2700 m and ranged between 292 and 5531 m. In South Florida, the gap average was 3516 m and ranged between 2766 m and 4563 m. At sites where both horizontal marsh migration and forest retreat rates were available, the distance or gap between them in 2050 averaged 47 m. Therefore, the results of this study are inconsistent with the two fundamental assumptions of many wetland inundation models and suggest that they may overestimate their resilience under conditions of 21st century accelerating sea level rise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Blue carbon", apart from marine humus, includes the carbon (C) stock of coastal ecosystems such as mangroves, saltmarshes, and seagrass meadows, which have been overlooked until recently. Information about the role of coastal wetlands in C sequestration and providing other ecosystem services is still insufficient. In the present study, we assessed the C reserves of soils and vegetation biomass in two complex coastal landscapes (tombolos) located on the coasts of the White and Baltic seas. The soil and plant C stocks were slightly higher at the plot on the Baltic Sea (93.4 ± 46.7 Mg C·ha−1 and 5.22 ± 2.51 Mg C·ha−1, respectively) than at the plot on the White Sea (71.4 ± 38.2 Mg C·ha−1 and 3.95 ± 2.42 Mg C·ha−1, respectively). We attributed the higher values of the C reserved to a warmer climate and less saline water at the plot on the Baltic Sea. Both soil and plant C showed high heterogeneity due to geomorphological complexity and differences in vegetative communities. The Phragmites australis community showed the highest plant biomass and, in some places, high soil C reserves. Allochthonous C contributed to the soil C stock at the site on the White Sea. Though P. australis sequestered more C than other communities, its effect on ecosystem services was mostly negative because the invasion of reeds reduced the biological diversity of the marshes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations were quantified in interstitial water, soil, and the roots of Cladium jamaicense Crantz from four herbaceous wetlands in southeast Mexico, locally known as sabanas, which are established in the karstic valley of the Holbox fracture system (northern Quintana Roo). We used the physicochemical and hydrogeochemical properties of the water to identify the existence of any relationships between nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) concentration and stock, and the hydrogeochemistry of each wetland. The wetlands have different classifications: H1 and H2 are palustrine, H3 is lacustrine, and H4 is estuarine. We found greater total phosphorus mass (mg kg−1) in the roots compared to the soil, which was particularly large in the wetland located at the south end of the western fracture. In general, phosphorus and nitrogen had a trend in the interstitial water and soil in which concentration and mass were higher H1 > H3 > H4, different from H2; these trends were not observed in the soil or roots. The N and P concentrations in the soil and roots were different among the wetlands, with the lowest measured at the site with brackish influence. The results presented in this research allow us to compare the nitrogen and phosphorus that can be stored in tropical karst wetlands and relate them to hydrogeochemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of The Planner & Development is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Riverine floodplains serve as an important link between terrestrial and aquatic systems, as the rising and falling of water drive spatial food web subsidies that are critical to the functioning and stability of ecosystems. As these systems are increasingly impacted by hydrological alterations and climate change, it is important to understand how floodplain spatial food web subsidies may respond to changing environmental conditions.Here, we examine the interannual variation in the structure of a sunfish (Lepomis spp.) prey subsidy from freshwater marshes into the mangrove‐lined creeks of Rookery Branch in the Florida Coastal Everglades that occurs during seasonal dry downs. We evaluate how the structure of this subsidy relates to prior temperature and hydrological regimes based on a 16‐year electrofishing dataset. We also characterise the intra‐annual relationship between marsh water depths and sunfish migration patterns that underlie this subsidy.We found that interannual variation in the abundance and diversity of the sunfish prey subsidy was best explained by the minimum water temperature occurring within 90 days prior to peak abundance sampling periods, with lower minimum water temperatures associated with higher sunfish abundance and diversity. In contrast, interannual variations in the biomass of the sunfish prey subsidy were positively related to marsh flooding duration over 30 cm depth during the prior wet season. Intra‐annual models estimated peak sunfish abundance and biomass values in riverine habitats to occur during the transition between wet and dry periods when marsh depths are between 10 and 15 cm.Multivariate analysis of community abundance and biomass composition revealed that minimum water temperatures played an important role in structuring the prey subsidy, while the effect of flooding duration was weak. These results provide important insight into how floodplain prey subsidies may be altered under future climate and hydrological regimes and inform ecosystem‐based water management decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controlling non-native plant invasions that reduce the quality of preferred wetland habitats is a challenge for many wetland managers. Herbicides may be used to control invasions, but it may be difficult to find effective application methods depending on the terrain. Manned aircraft cover large patches, but aerial use is limited by high costs, weather conditions, and overspray concerns. Ground applications target smaller patches, but their effectiveness may be limited by accessibility, labor costs, and applicator health concerns. Considering these difficulties, unmanned aerial systems (UAS) have emerged as a viable alternative for more effectively treating plant invasions. We tested the use of a specialized UAS to control invasive perennial pepperweed (Lepidium latifolium) in Suisun Marsh in northern California, USA. This "spray drone" flew at an altitude of 2–3 m, a speed of 24 kmph, and applied herbicide with a swath width of 6 m. We applied herbicide with the spray drone to treat small patches before they expanded. To delineate invasive patch boundaries, we first flew a survey drone with a 4K resolution camera to detect emerging plants with color imagery and conduct an initial classification analysis. We subsequently visited areas with suspected invasive patches based on the classification, and observers manually confirmed the presence of the invasive species. We then flew the spray drone on transects to treat the patches and examined the results with post-treatment survey drone imagery and plots along ground transects. In total, we sprayed 14 ha of Lepidium across eight sites and found that 87% of the Lepidium was discernibly affected by our herbicide treatment. Furthermore, we measured the overspray, which was substantially less than that reported for other aerial application methods such as helicopter-spraying, and our estimated operational costs were lower. Our results indicated that applying remote-sensing imagery for the identification of invasive species patches and the use of a spray drone for treatment may be an effective means of controlling invasive plants with high precision at a reasonable cost. In the near future, a unified UAS system that both identifies invasive species and then treats them in a single pass should be a promising goal for early detection and rapid response in wetland management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Barrier coastlines and their associated ecosystems are rapidly changing. Barrier islands/spits, marshes, bays, and coastal forests are all thought to be intricately coupled, yet an understanding of how morphologic change in one part of the system affects the system altogether remains limited. Here we explore how sediment exchange controls the migration of different ecosystem boundaries and ecosystem extent over time using a new coupled model framework that connects components of the entire barrier landscape, from the ocean shoreface to mainland forest. In our experiments, landward barrier migration is the primary cause of back‐barrier marsh loss, while periods of barrier stability can allow for recovery of back‐barrier marsh extent. Although sea‐level rise exerts a dominant control on the extent of most ecosystems, we unexpectedly find that, for undeveloped barriers, bay extent is largely insensitive to sea‐level rise because increased landward barrier migration (bay narrowing) offsets increased marsh edge erosion (bay widening). Plain Language Summary: Barrier coastlines consist of barrier islands or spits, salt marshes, bays, and mainland forest. To understand how the migration and change in size of one ecosystem influences the others, we develop a new computer model that simulates the exchange of sediment between all ecosystems. Using this model, we find that salt marshes adjacent to barriers are rapidly lost when the barrier migrates and its sediment is washed onto the marsh, but can potentially expand and recover when the barrier is not migrating. Additionally, we find that changing the rate of sea‐level rise in the model does not significantly change the size of the bay because the effects of sea‐level rise on barrier migration and marsh edge erosion offset each other. Our simulations suggest that these interactions among different ecosystems result in complex evolution of coastal barrier systems and can be a leading cause of change. Key Points: Cross‐landscape interactions are explored in new model framework connecting entire barrier system from shoreface to mainland forestSimulations suggest barrier migration leads to rapid back‐barrier marsh loss, while barrier stability enables back‐barrier marsh recoveryBay extent is insensitive to sea‐level rise rates because of offsetting responses from barrier migration and marsh‐edge erosion processes [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanisms that control marsh edge erosion include wind‐generated waves, vegetation productivity, land use and land change, and geotechnical properties of sediments. However, existing models for predicting marsh edge evolution focus primarily on edge retreat rates as a function of wave energy while accounting for other controlling factors as empirical constants. This simplification arises from a lack of high‐frequency monitoring of marsh evolutions. In particular, marsh erosion is timescale dependent, and conducting field observations on short temporal and spatial scales could elucidate the progression of erosion, which may improve marsh erosion predictive models. This study developed and validated a near‐continuous camera and erosion pin monitoring system to document marsh edge erosion at a high frequency (i.e., daily) in Terrebonne Bay, Louisiana. This was supplemented with daily wave power to explore the relationships between daily erosion and wave power. Long‐term average erosion rates derived from satellite and aerial imagery from 1989 through 2019 compare similarly to rates derived from longer‐term site visits (i.e., monthly) at approximately 2.2 m/yr. High‐magnitude erosion events (>20 cm/day) are driven by a buildup in wave energy over a 7‐day time period coupled with a strong 1‐day wave event, indicating a gradual reduction in marsh edge resistance with continued wave attack. Long‐term erosion monitoring methods, including monthly field visits, provide results that align well with previously reported relationships between wave power and erosion. High‐frequency measurements, however, illustrate that the previously published trends smooth over the large‐magnitude short‐term erosion events, potentially obscuring the physical processes of marsh edge erosion. For example, satellite and aerial imagery provide a long period of record, but they may underestimate the average annual erosion rate in the region, the effect of which may become exasperated over the varying temporal scales considered in coastal planning efforts across the USA and worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inner Mongolia has a large area of marsh wetland in China, and the marsh in this region is important for maintaining ecological balance. Understanding variations in vegetation phenology of marsh ecosystems and their responses to climatic change is crucial for vegetation conservation of marsh wetlands in Inner Mongolia. Using the climate and NDVI data during 2001–2020, we explored the spatiotemporal changes in the start (SOS), end (EOS), and length (LOS) of vegetation growing season and analyzed the effects of climate change on vegetation phenology in the Inner Mongolia marshes. Results showed that SOS significantly (p < 0.05) advanced by 0.50 days/year, EOS significantly delayed by 0.38 days/year, and thus LOS considerably increased by 0.88 days/year during 2001–2020 in marshes of Inner Mongolia. Warming temperatures in winter and spring could significantly (p < 0.05) advance the SOS, and increased summer and autumn temperatures could delay EOS in Inner Mongolia marshes. We found for the first time that daytime maximum temperature (Tmax) and night minimum temperature (Tmin) had asymmetric effects on marsh vegetation phenology. Increasing Tmax had a stronger advancing effect on SOS than increasing Tmin from December to April. The increase of Tmin in August could obviously delayed EOS, while increasing Tmax in August had no significant effect on EOS. This study highlights that the asymmetric influences of nighttime and daytime temperatures should be taken into account in simulating marsh vegetation phenology in temperate arid and semi-arid regions worldwide, particularly in the context of global asymmetric diurnal warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wetland ecosystems play key roles in global biogeochemical cycling, but their spatial extent and connectivity is often not well known. Here, we detect the spatial coverage and type of wetlands at 10 m resolution across southern Nigeria (total area: 147,094 km2), thought to be one of the most wetland-rich areas of Africa. We use Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 imagery supported by 1500 control points for algorithm training and validation. We estimate that the swamps, marshes, mangroves, and shallow water wetlands of southern Nigeria cover 29,924 km2 with 2% uncertainty of 460 km2. We found larger mangrove and smaller marsh extent than suggested by earlier, coarser spatial resolution studies. Average continuous wetland patch areas were 120, 11, 55 and 13 km2 for mangrove, marsh, swamp, and shallow water respectively. Our final map with 10 m pixels captures small patches of wetland which may not have been observed in earlier mapping exercises, with 20% of wetland patches being < 1 km2; these were clustered around urban centres, suggesting anthropogenic wetland fragmentation. Our approach fills a knowledge gap between very local (< 400 km2) studies reliant on field studies and aerial photos, and low resolution (> 250 m pixel dimensions) global wetland datasets and provides data critical for both improving land-surface climate models and for wetland conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The king rail (Rallus elegans) is a secretive marsh bird that is threatened or endangered in eight of nine states and provinces in the Laurentian Great Lakes (Great Lakes) region. Available survey data suggests that this species has undergone population declines across this region and these are believed to have been driven by habitat loss and degradation. An improved understanding of the amount and type of habitat king rails require during the breeding season at sites within the Great Lakes region would inform and improve progress toward conservation goals. During 2019–2021, we caught and radio‐tagged 14 king rails in northwestern Ohio and southeastern Michigan within impounded coastal wetlands of western Lake Erie. We used radio telemetry to identify breeding season (May–August) home‐range characteristics and third order habitat selection within home ranges (hereafter microhabitat). For the birds whose home range stabilized (N = 10), we found a mean home‐range size of 8.8 ha (±1.63 [SE]; range = 1.9 to 15.8). We generated a classification tree to determine which habitat characteristics were associated with king rail presence within home ranges in our study. We found that vegetative density within home ranges was particularly associated with king rail presence. Phragmites australis was also associated with king rail presence, despite its invasiveness and negative ecological impacts in the region, and could be selectively maintained to benefit king rails. Our results suggest that managers may be able to provide microhabitat for king rails by maintaining water depths of 6 to 17 cm and by promoting native, robust vegetation in the genera Carex and Juncus. Our findings could help inform wetland managers and conservation planners in the Great Lakes region, particularly in western Lake Erie coastal marshes, of patch sizes, water depths, plant communities, and vegetative structure preferred by king rails. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have studied soils and the plant cover of tombolos, which are isthmuses between the mainland and small islands on the coasts of the White and Baltic seas. Tombolos are characterized by complicated dynamics of sedimentation, which results in a strong heterogeneity of soils and associated plant cover. Typical gley and surface-gley marsh soils are formed on the Kolezhma plot on the White Sea coast. The vegetation corresponds to marsh meadows of the lower and middle levels and depends on salinity, acidity, and soil texture. Soils on the Gakkovo plot on the Baltic Sea coast are characterized by greater uniformity and, in general, a sandy texture. As compared to the White Sea, the effect of the Baltic Sea on the soil and plant cover is significantly smaller due to its slighter tidal dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Altamira is the property of Centro de Estudios Montaneses and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Sanjiang Plain is the largest marsh distribution area of China, and marshes in this region significantly affect regional carbon cycle and biodiversity protection. The vegetation phenology of marsh significantly affects the energy exchange and carbon cycle in that region. Under the influence of global climatic change, identifying the changes in phenology and their responses to climatic variation in marshes of Sanjiang Plain is essential for predicting the carbon stocks of marsh ecosystem in that region. Using climate and NDVI data, this paper analyzed the spatiotemporal variations in the start (SOS), end (EOS), and length (LOS) of vegetation growing season and explored the impacts of climatic variation on vegetation phenology in marshes of Sanjiang Plain. Results showed that the SOS advanced by 0.30 days/a, and EOS delayed by 0.23 days/a, causing LOS to increase significantly (p <.05) by 0.53 days/a over marshes of Sanjiang Plain. Spatially, the large SOS advance and EOS delay resulted in an obvious increasing trend for LOS in northern Sanjiang Plain. The rise of spring and winter temperatures advanced the SOS and increased the LOS, and the rise in temperature in autumn delayed the EOS in marshes of Sanjiang Plain. Our findings highlight the necessity of considering seasonal climatic conditions in simulating marsh vegetation phenology and indicate that the different influences of climatic variation on marsh vegetation phenology in different regions should be fully considered to assess the marsh ecosystem response to climatic change in Sanjiang Plain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sanjiang Plain is the most extensive marsh distribution region in China. Marshes in this region can protect biodiversity, regulate climate, and provide habitats for wild animals and plants. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) is a crucial indicator of vegetation coverage, which may reflect ecosystem structure and functional features. Clarifying the spatiotemporal change of marsh coverage and its climatic drivers is vital for observing and predicting vegetation change in Sanjiang Plain. Using meteorological dataand MODIS NDVI data from 2000 to 2020, we analyzed the spatiotemporal variation in marsh vegetation coverage and climatic change effects in Sanjiang Plain. We found that the growing season vegetation NDVI of marsh increased significantly at a rate of 0.011/decade, indicating that the marsh vegetation growth has obviously improved during the past 21 years. Furthermore, we found that the increase of minimum (Tmin) and maximum (Tmax) temperature in July can significantly promote the marsh plant growth, and increasing nighttime Tmin has a stronger impact on promoting the growth than increasing daytime Tmax in this month. In addition, the increase of daytime Tmax in August can promote the marsh vegetation growth, whereas the increasing precipitation in August was unfavorable for the growth in Sanjiang Plain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The constant deficiency of water modality will increase the incidence of complaint, predominantly for unguarded people in undeveloped republics, where practical doses and substitutes are not enthusiastically available. Many wetland-reliant on types in many percentages of the ecosphere are in degeneration; the location of kind dependent on domestic waters are of exact uneasiness. The chief deficiency and impairment of rivers, branch, swamplands, and other interior wetlands have been occupant's expansion and increasing financial development. The key deficiency and impairment include infrastructure development, land alteration, water removal, pollution, and the plan of offensive eccentric categories. Agronomical governments and approaches have applied a widespread diversity of characteristically conflicting properties on exclusive and coastal wetlands globally. The foremost the impairment and deficiency of wetlands, including seawater swamplands have been revision to other earthly practices. The most important changes were the development of anthropological populations in the coastal areas and the increase in economic activity. The destruction and dissolution of wetlands, an important route of travel, has endangered many species and injured others. Global climate change is estimated to increase the damage and deprivation of many wetlands, as well as the damage or degradation of their species, and harm the anthropological inhabitants who depend on the facility. Many wetlands change as a result of estimated sea level rise, increased storm surges and storm surges, variability in storm surge concentration and frequency, and fluctuations in waterway flow and sediment flow. The effects of global climate change often amplify the effects of wetland withdrawal. It is well known why many types of wetlands, such as lakes and wetlands, are relocated, transformed, or looted, but the benefits of their conservation are often greater than the benefits associated with their alteration. It will be bigger. In wetland conservation, indigenous peoples have often been excluded from the decision-making process. Decisions at many stages ignore the relationship between wetland conditions and the establishment of wetland facilities, and the resulting benefits to the individual. Many of the amenities supported by wetlands are unfunded and are accumulated in civilizations on a national and global scale. The benefits of transforming wetlands include those that stimulate wetland drainage for agriculture and those that stimulate important wetlands through intensive organizations that include advances in municipalities, manufacturing and recreational industries. It is repeatedly exaggerated by money. With the results in mind, high-level potential hazards and zones with different hazard levels and management approaches have been proposed for this wetland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we present an investigation with the aim of reconstructing the shoreline evolution and geomorphological changes in the central zone of Samborombón bay (Channel 15, Buenos Aires province, Argentina) during the period 2700 cal yr BP to recent times. Palynological, geomorphological and historical imagery and proxy-data analyses were combined to reconstruct the shoreline evolution and paleo-environmental changes. Palynological material (pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs -NPP-) was recovered from a continuous 117 cm long sedimentary profile extracted from an outcrop at the northern margin of Channel 15. Relict landforms, including paleo- shorelines, were reconstructed by applying enhancing filters to a Spot 6 image from 2015. Historical shorelines were identified in high-definition images (aerial and satellite imagery) between 1968 and 2018, but also by using the marsh vegetation edge as a shoreline proxy. Shoreline change was quantified using the Net Shoreline Movement and Weighted Linear Regression algorithms in ArcMap 10.1. Results based on the palynological analysis for the period 2700–2740 BP, show the passage from subtidal-intertidal to supratidal environment with influence of brackish to fresh-waters, where paleo-shorelines imprint was recognized developing over a tidal plain that was grading to marshes. Results based on aerial and satellite imagery for the period 1968–2018 show shoreline retrocession only immediately at the north of the channel mouth, while the rest of the coast prograded toward the estuary. These processes indicate that new marshes – and, therefore, wetlands – are constantly developing at the edge of Samborombón bay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To stop the worldwide decline of wetlands, conservation measures like restoration, protection and construction of these ecosystems are indispensable. However, wetland conservation could influence mosquito populations. We analysed how conservation measures affect the species composition and abundance of mosquitoes by conducting a systematic literature review and generated results from 113 selected articles. Thereby, we separately assessed conservation measures in constructed, for example polders, and natural, non-constructed, wetlands. An increase in overall mosquito abundance was more prevalent in constructed wetlands, but not in studies conducted in non-constructed wetlands. Besides assessing overall mosquito abundance, we developed a scheme to rank mosquito species-specific nuisance after conservation measures. Mosquito species can differ in their nuisance potential according to their biting and host-seeking behaviors. We further assessed the effects of mosquito management practices on specific mosquito species and discussed different practices between constructed and non-constructed wetlands. Whereas in constructed wetlands more management practices could be applied, practices in non-constructed wetlands were limited. In conclusion, we were not able to reject entirely the hypothesis that mosquito populations change after conservation measures in wetlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: The immunohistochemical application of CD3 (T lymphocytes) and CD20 (B lymphocytes) markers in duodenal biopsy can facilitate the detection of the number and distribution of intraepithelial lymphocytes along the villi, which is regarded as a key factor for accurate diagnosis of celiac disease. This study aims at finding a relationship between CD3 and CD20 immunohistochemical and histopathological alterations of celiac disease, and at investigating whether the application of those immunohistochemical stainings would improve the detection of lymphocytosis within the epithelium and add advantages to celiac disease diagnosis. Methods: Biopsies were obtained from 100 individuals and stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E). They were then evaluated according to the Marsh classification. After that, staining for CD3 and CD20 was individually done and assessed. Results: The overall mean intraepithelial lymphocyte count per 100 enterocytes for H&E was 23.1 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 19.52–26.68), and for immunohistochemistry by CD3 and CD20 was 27.84 (95% CI = 24.31–31.38). The difference was highly significant, P = 0.001. The expression of CD3 immunohistochemically was as follows: Less‐than‐half staining pattern was reported in 16% cases, and half staining pattern was seen in 26%, while most cases 58% had more than half staining pattern. This discovery was consistent with the histological classification of March III among most cases. The expression of CD20 immunohistochemically was as follows: mild crypt involvement was observed in 16% of cases, while moderate crypt involvement and intense crypt involvement were seen in 43% and 41% of cases, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nest predation is the main cause of nest failure for ducks. Understanding how habitat features influence predator movements may facilitate management of upland and wetland breeding habitats that reduces predator encounter rates with duck nests and increases nest survival rates. For 1618 duck nests, nest survival increased with distance to phragmites (Phragmites australis), shrubs, telephone poles, human structures, and canals, but not for four other habitat features. Using GPS collars, we tracked 25 raccoons (Procyon lotor) and 16 striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) over 4 years during waterfowl breeding and found marked differences in how these predators were located relative to specific habitat features; moreover, the probability of duck nests being encountered by predators differed by species. Specifically, proximity to canals, wetlands, trees, levees/roads, human structures, shrubs, and telephone poles increased the likelihood of a nest being encountered by collared raccoons. For collared skunks, nests were more likely to be encountered if they were closer to canals, trees, and shrubs, and farther from wetlands and human structures. Most predator encounters with duck nests were attributable to a few individuals; 29.2% of raccoons and 38.5% of skunks were responsible for 95.6% of total nest encounters. During the central span of duck nesting (April 17–June 14: 58 nights), these seven raccoons and five skunks encountered >1 nest on 50.8 ± 29.2% (mean ± SD) and 41.5 ± 28.3% of nights, respectively, and of those nights individual raccoons and skunks averaged 2.60 ± 1.28 and 2.50 ± 1.09 nest encounters/night, respectively. For collared predators that encountered >1 nest, a higher proportion of nests encountered by skunks had evidence of predation (51.9 ± 26.6%) compared to nests encountered by raccoons (22.3 ± 17.1%). Because duck eggs were most likely consumed as raccoons and skunks opportunistically discovered nests, managing the habitat features those predators most strongly associated with could potentially reduce rates of egg predation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scope: Biochemistry is an essential yet undervalued aspect of soil ecology, especially when analyzing soil C cycling. We assume, based on tradition, intuition or hope, that the complexity of biochemistry is confined to the microscopic world, and can be ignored when dealing with whole soil systems. This opinion paper draws attention to patterns caused by basic biochemical processes that permeate the world of ecosystem processes. From these patterns, we can estimate activities of the biochemical reactions of the central C metabolic network and gain insights into the ecophysiology of microbial biosynthesis, growth, and maintenance energy requirements: important components of Carbon Use Efficiency (CUE). Observations: We show that glucose is processed via the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas glycolysis in one soil, but via Pentose Phosphate or Entner-Doudoroff pathways in two other soils. However, notwithstanding this metabolic diversity, glucose use efficiency is high and thus substrate use for maintenance energy and overflow respiration is low in these soils. These results contradict current dogma, based on four decades of debate in soil ecology, that the maintenance energy demand in soil communities is a quantitative important, although variable, component of soil community energy metabolism. Conclusions: We identify three main shortcomings in our current understanding of substrate use efficiency: 1) in numeric and conceptual models, we lack appreciation of the strategies that microbes employ to quickly reduce energy needs in response to starvation; 2) in order to understand variation in CUE, we need to improve our understanding of the processes of exudation (including all changes in allocation of C from the cell soluble to insoluble fraction and extracellular environment) and microbial turnover; and 3) whether tracer experiments can be used to measure the long-term substrate use efficiency of soil microbial communities depends critically on the ability and speed with which non-growing cells take up tracer substrates and metabolism activates and subsequently de-activates in response to starvation, as well as on how cellular activities scale to the community level. To move the field of soil ecology forward, future research must consider the details of microbial ecophysiology and develop new tools that enable direct measurement of microbial functioning in intact soils. We submit that 13C metabolic flux analysis is one of those new tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Kastrouli Late Bronze settlement in Phocis province, central Greece, has been proved to have been an important center in the periphery of the Mycenaean palaces. It was reused at least partially and was cultivated until the 20th century. The presence of a flat area off the Kastrouli hill and the seasonal flooding nowadays led to the present investigation, questioning the formation of an ancient lake or marsh/swamp. A methodological approach was applied combining the digital elevation model (DEM) and GIS of the wider and confined area, examining slopes between 0 and 5 degrees (0 and 8.75%), with electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) traverses of around 300 and 500 m, reaching a depth of 100 m. The ERT data were rapidly collected on profiles and provided a cross-sectional (2D) plot. It was found that, in the area, there is a basin with a length of 100 m and a depth of around 40–50 m. The sedimentation process over the millennia has filled the basin, with the upper 5–6 m surface layers of the area having a low resistivity. The presence of two natural sinkholes with apparent engineered hydraulic works is noted to conform to drainage and produce a habitable environment, protecting the cultivated land and avoiding a swamp associated with health issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Located in Oconto County, Wisconsin, Oconto Marsh #2 is a Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Monitoring Program study site that borders the shoreline of Lake Michigan. Plant communities were characterized at Oconto Marsh #2 along three transects in 2011, 2016, 2017 and 2021, a period when Lake Michigan water levels increased by two meters. Transects were placed to intersect with three vegetation zones: submergent, emergent, and wet meadow. Here, we report on physical landscape changes and the vegetation composition changes that occurred from 2011 to 2021. From satellite imagery interpretation, we show approximately 61,000 m2 of what was emergent and wet meadow vegetation in 2011, transitioned into a submerged aquatic community in 2021. High energy wave action penetrating farther landward, a consequence of higher water levels, is likely most responsible for causing these changes. Plant species richness was lowest in 2011 (32 species) and ranged from 52 to 56 taxa in later years. Using multivariate ordination and PERMANOVA, we show plant composition in 2011 was different from 2016, 2017, and 2021. While invasive Phragmites australis was treated with herbicide in 2014, disturbance from progressively increasing water levels has facilitated considerable changes in plant composition and wetland zone extents since monitoring began. Despite successful treatment of P. australis, encounters with more non-native species while sampling farther landward in later years has caused site-wide declines in multiple metrics of floristic quality. Of critical importance, in 2021, we discovered invasive Hydrocharis morus-ranae at the site, the first documentation in the state of Wisconsin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relative role of biological and abiotic filters in the assembly of co‐occurring taxa is of broad interest to ecologists. While some authors point to biological interactions (e.g., competition) as the stronger driver of ecological selection, others assert that abiotic conditions are more important because they filter species at the regional level. Because communities influenced by a dominant abiotic filter (e.g., Prairie Pothole Region [PPR] wetlands, each varying in their ponded water permanence) often have strong cross‐taxon relationships, we can study these communities to better understand the relative influence of abiotic versus biotic filters on community structure. Using functional dispersion as our measure of communities, we test six alternate hypotheses about the relative importance of various pathways representing influence of biological and permanence filters on birds, aquatic macroinvertebrates, and wetland plants in the northwest PPR using structural equation modeling. We aimed to understand whether (1) ponded water permanence alone explained functional dispersion; (2) the influence of permanence on functional dispersion was direct or mediated; and (3) abiotic filtering by permanence was stronger than biotic filtering by co‐occurring taxa. The best model suggests that there is a direct influence of permanence on the functional dispersion of each taxonomic group and that both bird and macroinvertebrate functional dispersion are causally related to plant functional dispersion, though for invertebrates, the influence of plants is much less than that of permanence. Thus, the relative importance of wetland permanence and the functional dispersion of co‐occurring taxa depend on which taxon is considered in PPR wetlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Remote Sensing is the property of Editorial Office of Journal of Remote Sensing & Science Publishing Co. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Williams, H.F.L. and Rains, B.J., 2022. Effect of barrier height on magnitude and character of Hurricane Harvey washover fans, Matagorda Peninsula, Texas, U.S.A. Journal of Coastal Research, 38(1), 133–139. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. This study uses topographic profiles, washover fan volumes, and shoreline retreat rates to explore relationships between barrier height, erosion, and storm washover sedimentation. Pre- and post-Hurricane Harvey topographic profiles were created along 15 transects using Bare Earth LIDAR (2016) and transit level surveys (2019). Washover fan thicknesses and areas were measured to estimate washover fan volumes. An inverse relationship was found between washover fan volume and pre- and poststorm barrier heights. One section of shoreline had a prestorm height of about 3 m, which almost completely blocked overwash, but may have contributed to a large increase in shoreline erosion. In contrast, a section of shoreline with a low prestorm barrier generated relatively large washover fans, but experienced lower shoreline retreat and was the only section to experience beach and dune recovery in the year after landfall. Shoreline retreat was further quantified between 2014 and 2018 using Google Earth imagery and LIDAR data from 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2018 to track migration of the shoreline. The entire shoreline in the study area is undergoing relatively rapid retreat, but the results suggest that Hurricane Harvey increased erosional retreat rates by up to 195%. The Colorado River Jetty borders the study area and may have acted as a barrier to wave erosion, contributing to enhanced marsh aggradation at marsh sites in close proximity to the jetty and promoting shoreline recovery in the poststorm period. The research results provide valuable information on the interaction of hurricane storm surge with natural and anthropogenic barriers, beach and dune erosion, and marsh aggradation along the coast of Texas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Huitzil: Journal of Mexican Ornithology / Revue d'Ornithologie Mexicaine is the property of Sociedad para el Estudio y Conservacion de las Aves en Mexico and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Marine fish and shrimp species are often dependent on estuarine habitats for juvenile or other early life stages, yet the effect of estuarine habitat availability has rarely been linked to the offshore, marine distribution of species. Penaeid shrimp are an estuary-dependent taxa that have global economic importance and are frequently cited as prey of fish. Species distribution models were developed for three penaeid species in the northern Gulf of Mexico, USA, with the objectives of modeling the distribution of species and testing the influ ence of multiscale predictor variables depicting oceanography, geography, geomorphology, and area of nearby estuaries and coastal wetlands. Fishery-independent trawl survey data of brown shrimp (Penaeus aztecus), white shrimp (Penaeus setiferus), and pink shrimp (Penaeus duorarum) were analyzed with boosted regression tree statistics. Species distribution models of catch per unit effort explained 30–45% of model deviance for brown shrimp and white shrimp; the presence/absence model of pink shrimp had an area under the curve statistic of 0.85 and overall accuracy of 83% correct. Oceanographic predictors had the greatest influence in each of the models, and the spatial distribution of each species was distinct based on these conditions. The marine distribution of all three penaeids was associated with nearby wetland area, and white shrimp were additionally associated with nearby estuary area. Geomorphology predictors were retained less often and were of low relative influence. Our findings demonstrate the importance of considering multiple spatial scales when identifying species-habitat relationships, including the influence of adjacent or nearby environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estuarine ecosystems, including tidal marsh creek systems, are hotspots of carbon cycling. Despite their biogeochemical importance, the magnitude and timescales at which carbon concentrations vary in these environments remain poorly characterized. To address this, our study identified temporal patterns in carbon pools in a tidal marsh creek with the goal of identifying their primary drivers. Specifically, we measured concentrations of particulate and dissolved organic carbon (POC, DOC), dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), water quality parameters, and organic matter source proxies (δ13C, δ15N, and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM)). We collected samples every 2.5 h over a tidal cycle monthly (October 2013–January 2015, intermittently thereafter). We characterized organic matter composition from marsh and estuarine endmembers using samples collected at low and high tides respectively. POC concentrations were highest at high tide (4.21 ± 0.40 mg/L), whereas DIC concentrations were highest at low tide (24.82 ± 0.74 mg/L), suggesting that the marsh was a sink for POC and source of DIC. Temporally, DIC concentrations were highest in fall (23.19 ± 1.30 mg/L); DOC and POC varied little across seasons. We used linear mixed effect models to identify potential processes that explained these temporal patterns. Suspended solids and chlorophyll-a were the best predictors of POC concentrations, while CDOM was the best predictor of DOC, and percent freshwater was the best predictor of DIC (p < 0.001). Results from this study highlight the importance of measuring multiple carbon pools simultaneously, as each pool is influenced by different sources and processes and responds differently to drivers that change at tidal and seasonal timescales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two years ago, a nest box outside my window held a pair of Violet-Green Swallow. I counted six swallows fledge from the box and take their first flights in the July rain. Leaving the roof of the nest box, they flew in little loops out over the water, trying out their wings. I watched them from the dock, their bodies suspended in the air between the raindrops. This experience was the inspiration for what I call 'nest-works' – for poetic wilding of all-too-human spaces. Nest-works began with an experimental panel for the 2021 College Art Association Conference, called 'Co-Making this World'. The experimental session was modelled after the nest of a bird, a Black-Capped Chickadee. As this cavity-nester builds a home of disparate materials, the panel of artist-researchers built a session of disparate theories and practices, as we considered relationships with world-systems that are in the process of making (such as the nest of the chickadee). For Technoetic Arts, we weave a new nest-work of research material, as we consider new models for knowledge and creative production. This nest-work is an entanglement of short essays made by artists working with a common pattern, framing eco-poetics on collaborative and participatory processes with the non-human/more-than-human. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise: Wetland plants regularly experience physiological stresses resulting from inundation; however, plant responses to the interacting effects of water level and inundation duration are not fully understood. Methods: We conducted a mesocosm experiment on two wetland species, sawgrass (Cladium jamaicense) and muhly grass (Muhlenbergia filipes), that co‐dominate many freshwater wetlands in the Florida Everglades. We tracked photosynthesis, respiration, and growth at water levels of −10 (control), 10 (shallow), and 35 cm (deep) with reference to soil surface over 6 months. Results: The response of photosynthesis to inundation was nonlinear. Specifically, photosynthetic capacity (Amax) declined by 25% in sawgrass and by 70% in muhly grass after 1–2 months of inundation. After 4 months, Amax of muhly grass in the deep‐water treatment declined to near zero. Inundated sawgrass maintained similar leaf respiration and growth rates as the control, whereas inundated muhly grass suppressed both respiration and growth. At the end of the experiment, sawgrass had similar nonstructural carbohydrate pools in all treatments. By contrast, muhly grass in the deep‐water treatment had largely depleted sugar reserves but maintained a similar starch pool as the control, which is critical for post‐stress recovery. Conclusions: Overall, the two species exhibited nonlinear and contrasting patterns of carbon uptake and use under inundation stress, which ultimately defines their strategies of surviving regularly flooded habitats. The results suggest that a future scenario with more intensive inundation, due to the water management and climate change, may weaken the dominance of muhly grass in many freshwater wetlands of the Everglades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shoreline hardening is a major driver of biodiversity and habitat loss in coastal ecosystems yet remains a common approach to coastal management globally. Using surveys of waterfront residents in North Carolina, USA, we sought to identify factors influencing individual shore‐protection decisions and ultimately impacting coastal ecosystems, particularly coastal wetlands. We found that neighboring shore condition was the best predictor of respondent shore condition. Respondents with hardened shorelines were more likely to have neighbors with hardened shorelines, and to report that neighbors influenced their shore‐protection choices than respondents with natural shorelines. Further, respondents who expressed climate‐change skepticism and preference for shoreline hardening were opposed to shoreline‐hardening restrictions. Despite preferring hardening, respondents ranked wetlands as highly valuable for storm protection and other ecosystem services, suggesting a disconnect between the ecological knowledge of individuals and social norms of shore‐protection decisions. However, our results also suggest that efforts to increase the installation of living shorelines have the potential to conserve and restore important coastal habitats and support biodiversity along shorelines that may otherwise be degraded by hardening. Further, encouraging waterfront‐property owners who have adopted living shorelines to recommend them to neighbors may be an effective strategy to initiate and reinforce pro‐conservation social norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reed is an important wetland species. In some places it provides valuable ecosystem services, while in other places it poses a threat as an invasive species. Thus, monitoring and predicting reed dynamics is crucial. We not only detected changes in reed area using remote sensing, but also developed indicators for the stability of reed wetlands based on remote sensing that would allow to predict its future development. We used satellite imagery to study reed development in the Danube Delta in Romania over a period of 22-years and identified expanding, stable and retreating reedlands. We then compared optical vegetation indices and radar backscatter among those three different reed development categories. We found clear spatial differences in long-term reed dynamics. We also revealed a clear difference in radar backscatter, but no difference in the optical signal of expanding, stable and decreasing reed areas. The radar data showed the largest seasonal variation in locations where reed was expanding and smallest seasonal variation where reed was decreasing. Overall, our study shows that the stability of reed ecosystems, and their services, can be monitored by quantifying seasonal changes in backscatter of reed-lands using radar satellites. This principle looks promising for monitoring other ecosystems as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Mammal Review is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Coastal wetland restoration can be used to offset past wetland losses and/or reduce future losses due to land‐use changes, rising sea levels, and accelerating climate change. However, there is a need for information regarding the restoration‐relevant performance of foundation species like mangrove and marsh plants, including their responses to acute and chronic stressors that can affect restoration outcomes. Mangrove encroachment and poleward range expansion into marsh, facilitated by warming winters, has provided restoration practitioners in the northern Gulf of Mexico with a new foundation plant species to consider using during restoration. To evaluate the performance of transplanted mangroves and characterize restoration‐relevant marsh–mangrove interactions, we planted nursery‐raised black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) seedlings within different marsh cover treatments along an eroding marsh‐dominated shoreline in Louisiana. Mangrove seedling survival increased with greater densities of marsh cover, indicating that marsh grass (Spartina alterniflora) may facilitate mangrove establishment. However, only 35% of transplanted mangrove seedlings established after 10 weeks, suggesting a low return on resources expended in raising seedlings for 1–3 years in greenhouse conditions. Moreover, a 2018 freeze event killed 100% of transplanted mangrove seedlings, while nearby naturally established mangroves suffered minor damage. Our results, along with those in the mangrove restoration literature, indicate that planting mangroves in the northern Gulf of Mexico may not be the most efficient use of limited resources. Rather, restoration efforts may benefit from focusing initially on the restoration of abiotic conditions (e.g. elevation and hydrologic regimes), followed by using marsh plants (rather than transplanted mangroves) to jump‐start ecosystem development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Major Highlands of Abruzzo is one of the largest and best preserved areas with marsh vegetation in the Apennines. Fairly well known similar plant systems extend from the Umbrian-Marche Apennines to those of the Matese. The marshy and wet vegetation of the large sedge vegetation (Magnocaricetalia) of the "Major Highlands of Abruzzo" is analysed. Other ecotonal or transitional plant communities mainly characterised by smaller sedges are also included in this study. Fifteen vegetation types have been identified, belonging to the following higher syntaxa: (1) Magnocaricetalia (Caricetum gracilis, Caricetum vulpinae, Caricetum vesicariae, Galio palustris-Caricetum buxbaumii ass. nova, Caricetum ripariae, Caricetum distichae, and Caricetum paniculatae); (2) Caricetalia davallianae (Carex fusca community); (3) Eleocharito palustris-Sagittarion sagittifoliae (Eleocharitetum palustris); (4) Potentillion anserinae (Carex panicea and C. tomentosa communities, Ranunculo repentis-Caricetum divisae ass. nova, and Ranunculo acri-Caricetum hirtae); (5) Cynosurion cristati (Carex leporina and C. spicata communities). Nine of these communities are new for the investigated area and seven of them are new for the Abruzzo region. Several of the associations are very rare in Central and Southern Apennines and many endangered plant species are linked to them. Nevertheless, these vegetation types are not sufficiently protected today, especially those outside the National Parks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Log‐transforming the dependent variable of a regression model, though convenient and frequently used, is accompanied by an under‐prediction problem. We found that this underprediction can reach up to 20%, which is significant in studies that aim to estimate annual budgets. The fundamental reason for this problem is simply that the log‐function is concave, and it has nothing to do with whether the dependent variable has a log‐normal distribution or not. Using field‐observed data of soil CO2 emission, soil temperature and soil moisture in a saturated‐specification of a regression model for predicting emissions, we revealed that the under‐predictions of the log‐transformed approach were pervasive and systematically biased. The key determinant of the problem's severity was the coefficient of variation in the dependent variable that differed among different combinations of the values of the explanatory factors. By applying a parsimonious (Gaussian‐Gamma) specification of the regression model to data from four different ecosystems, we found that this under‐prediction problem was serious to various extents, and that for a relatively weak explanatory factor, the log‐transformed approach is prone to yield a physically nonsensical estimated coefficient. Finally, we showed and concluded that the problem can be avoided by switching to the nonlinear approach, which does not require the assumption of homoscedasticity for the error term in computing the standard errors of the estimated coefficients. Plain Language Summary: The goal of this study is to persuade empirical researchers to switch from a conventional practice of log‐transforming the dependent variable in a regression model to a nonlinear approach, because the conventional practice has a pervasive and systematically biased under‐prediction problem that can be quite serious. For many decades, this problem was mistakenly assumed to result from the dependent variable being log‐normally distributed and hence could not be properly corrected by an adjustment factor derived from this assumption. Using the examples of predicting soil CO2 emission from soil temperature and soil moisture in four ecosystems, we showed (1) that the fundamental reason for this problem is the concavity of the log‐function, (2) that the under‐predictions by the conventional practice were indeed pervasive and systematically biased, and (3) that the under‐prediction problem was quite serious, but could be avoided by switching to a nonlinear approach. Key Points: Log‐transforming the dependent variable of a regression model has a pervasive and systematically biased under‐prediction problemThe problem is due to the concavity of the log‐function and has nothing to do with whether the dependent variable has a log‐normal distribution or notThe under‐prediction was up to 20% when soil CO2 emission was predicted by soil temperature and moisture in four ecosystems, but can be avoided by using a nonlinear approach [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation of wetland channel networks on coastal river floodplains is affected by spatial transitions in tidal‐fluvial processes. This study evaluated sedimentation patterns in tidal marshes on the 147‐km tidal Columbia River and its 87‐km estuary and characterized the cross‐sectional geometry and planform morphometry of tidal wetlands along the estuarine to riverine gradient. Tidal marshes were predominantly depositional (median 0.7 cm yr−1, primarily silt), consistent with late‐Holocene rates. Marsh sediment accretion rate increased with annual maximum 7‐day average daily maximum water depth. Elevation was negatively correlated with accretion rate in the tidal river and positively correlated with total organic carbon (TOC%) in the tidal river and estuary. TOC% was greater in the estuary and, like percent fines, greater farther from the main‐channel Columbia River. For four single‐channel and six channel‐network planforms of tidal marsh, shrub‐dominated, and forested wetlands: (1) Spatial patterns of cross‐sectional morphology conformed to typical coastal wetland morphology in estuarine reaches up to the tidal river. (2) Reach‐based and common slope linear models for channel perimeter on wetland area were predictive in the estuary (R2 > 0.81) and differed between island (n = 144) and mainland (n = 164) wetlands. No planform linear models were predictive for the entire study area or the tidal river. No models for channel outlets were acceptable. (3) Channel perimeter, surface area, and outlets were all highly variable within and among estuarine–riverine reaches. Analyses of sediment, cross‐section, and planform support the use of a "natural network paradigm" for wetland‐restoration design on tidal river floodplains. Key Points: A new metric, the annual maximum of the 7‐day average daily maximum water depth, explains much variability of tidal river floodplain sedimentation rateIn the estuary, up to the tidal river, cross‐sectional morphology and planform channel network perimeter tend to conform to coastal processesOrganic carbon is positively correlated with elevation and with distance from the main river channel. It is highest in the estuary [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasive plants often successfully occupy large areas encompassing broad environmental gradients in their invaded range, yet how invader dominance and effects on ecological communities vary across the landscape has rarely been explored. Furthermore, while the impacts of invasion on plant communities are well studied, it is not well understood whether responses of above‐ground (plant) and below‐ground (microbial) communities are coupled.Here we test patterns in Phragmites australis (common reed) invasion in a field survey of eight sites situated across a salinity gradient, ranging from freshwater to saline marsh, in Southeast Louisiana. At each site, we surveyed plant composition and used metabarcoding methods to assess soil fungal and bacterial composition in plots within the dense Phragmites stand, in a transition zone of ~50:50 Phragmites:native plants, and in native‐only areas. We hypothesized that Phragmites' abundance and impact on above‐ and below‐ground communities would vary across the salinity gradient and that the responses of above‐ and below‐ground communities to invasion would be coupled.We found weak evidence that invasion varied across the gradient: Phragmites stem densities increased slightly with salinity, and Phragmites increased above‐ground litter accumulation more in fresh and saline areas compared to brackish. We found stronger evidence that plant and microbial responses to invasion varied with salinity. Phragmites strongly reduced native plant density across the gradient, with slightly greater reductions in fresh and saline areas. Plant species richness displayed consistent decreases with invasion across the salinity gradient; however, fungal and bacterial richness increased sharply with invasion only in brackish sites. Furthermore, the effect of Phragmites on plant and microbial community composition became stronger as salinity increased. Plants and microbes exhibited coupled responses to invasion in the magnitude of compositional shifts brought on by Phragmites, but Phragmites' effects on richness were not coupled.Synthesis. Overall, the variability in Phragmites impacts across the gradient, particularly soil microbial impacts, suggests that it may be difficult to generalize invader effects from single‐site or single‐ecosystem studies. However, above‐ and below‐ground communities showed some coupled responses to Phragmites; thus understanding plant community responses to invasion gives insight into impacts occurring below‐ground. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Climate warming and agricultural non-point source pollution both resulting from anthropogenic activities have been projected to affect plant reproduction and growth in wetlands worldwide. In order to predict and mitigate impacts of these anthropogenic activities, it is important to investigate how marsh plants respond to such environmental changes. Methods In this study, Bolboschoenus planiculmis , a tuberous sedge with a wide distribution range in Eurasia, was selected to examine the effect of air temperature changes (15, 20 and 25 °C over 24 h; 20/10 and 30/15 °C, day/night) and K supply (0, 1, 3, 9 and 18 mmol/L) on its reproductive and growth traits in climate chambers. Important Findings We found that high constant temperatures (20 and 25 °C) were more beneficial for tuberization of B. planiculmis than high alternating temperatures (30/15 °C), whereas aboveground biomass and shoot height were generally largest at high temperatures (30/15 and 25 °C). Both reproductive and growth traits of B. planiculmis showed hump-shaped relationships with K supply, with an optimum K concentration of around 1–3 mmol/L. The combination of high constant temperatures and optimal K concentrations promoted reproductive traits the most, whereas the combination of higher temperatures (30/15 and 25 °C) and K concentrations up to 9 mmol/L increased growth traits only. We therefore conclude that population abundance of B. planiculmis might benefit from global warming and the additional K supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wetland losses in the Northern Prairie and Parkland Region are largely attributed to agriculture. Since land use is known to influence bird habitat selection, bird community composition is likely sensitive to the extent of neighboring agricultural activity. We determined local and landscape habitat variables predictive of wetland-dependent avian assemblage occurrence in southern Alberta. We: 1) identified distinct bird assemblages with a cluster analysis, 2) identified species indicative of these assemblages using an indicator species analysis, and 3) predicted bird assemblage occurrence in wetlands using a classification and regression tree. Wetland-dependent birds formed distinct avian assemblages that were primarily differentiated by region and local-level habitat characteristics like wetland size, depth, or vegetation cover. Generally, however, wetland-dependent bird assemblages were surprisingly insensitive to surrounding landscape composition. The extent of agricultural activity in the surrounding landscape was weakly predictive of avian assemblages in wetlands in the Grassland Natural Region, with edge-nesting birds being excluded from wetlands with >42% agricultural land cover in the surrounding landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]