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Degree

BA, Oberlin College Honors Theses, Biology, 2008.

Abstract

In order to characterize water quality, plant community diversity, and invasive species management at a restored wetland, I have analyzed data collected from June 2004 to August 2007 at the George Jones Memorial Farm in New Russia Township, Ohio. The Jones wetlands site is comprised of six emergent, herbaceous marshes that were restored on an old-field site in 2003. The six cells were constructed using a uniform physical restoration treatment, managed uniformly for invasive species, and replanted using three planting treatments. Each planting treatment was applied to two wetlands; treatments included two designer plantings of native taxa and one self-designing control. Water quality data was collected weekly during the growing seasons of 2004-7 and plant diversity data was collected each summer. Restoration at the Jones wetlands has engendered the development of six stable, diverse marshes. Wetlands planted with native species have higher macrophyte diversity than unplanted wetlands and may show signs of different ecosystem functioning. Phalaris arundinacea displaced cattail (Typha sp.) as the most troublesome invasive taxon, although management of invasive taxa was progressively less time-consuming each year of the study. Continued post-restoration monitoring at the Jones wetlands is of great importance. Additional management recommendations are also offered.

Subject Headings

Ecology

Keywords

wetland restoration; marsh; biodiversity; water quality; invasive species; ecological restoration; BEF

Committee / Advisors

John Petersen (Committee Chair)
Roger Laushman (Committee Member)
David Benzing (Committee Member)

Pages

76p.

Document number: oberlin1213361786
Permalink: http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=oberlin1213361786

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