Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2010, Natural Resources

Throughout the American Midwest, headwater streams flowing through agricultural fields have been extensively modified to accommodate subsurface drainage systems, normally resulting in deepened, straightened, and widened headwater streams. Some of the most dense drainage and riparian ecosystem alteration in the world have occurred there. This dissertation includes three studies that investigate the design and analyses of stream restoration in the Midwest, USA. A segment of Grave Creek on The Ohio State University's Marion campus in Ohio, USA, with its lack of riparian ecosystems, illustrates the transformation of a natural fluvial ecosystem to an unstable and “simplified” aquatic environment that requires continued maintenance and provides little value to the surrounding landscape or to the university. To restore the natural ecological stability of OSU Marion's “back yard” and to provide habitat improvement to Grave Creek and its surrounding landscape on the OSU Marion campus, we designed a restoration of 1.1 km of Grave Creek meandering to the east of an existing sewer line, using a two-stage channel technique, and about 0.6–0.8 ha of adjacent wetland. We estimate that restoration on this scale would cost about US$ 200,000–300,000, not including monitoring of the results. To evaluate the feasibility of connecting streams and rivers to a riparian diversion wetland, a small-scale bioreserve pond/wetland (0.07 ha) created in 2002 at the Olentangy River Wetland Research Park was connected at its inflow to an adjacent stream. This research investigated the biological and water quality connection of the diversion wetland and adjacent stream. Before the flow-through conditions were established in 2009, we demonstrated with mark-recapture techniques that the wetland already was a biorefuge for fish under extreme conditions; two species (Centrarchidae) captured in the stream before a total drawdown of the stream were found in the wetland a year later. In addition, the 4 °C (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: William J. Mitsch (Advisor); Andrew G. Keeler (Committee Member); Andrew D. Ward (Committee Member); Mazeika S.P. Sullivan (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Science

Master of Science (MS), Bowling Green State University, 2024, Biological Sciences

Fertilizers rich in nitrogen and phosphorus have been implicated in toxic algal blooms and the eutrophication of Lake Erie. One method for mitigating nutrient runoff is the use of wetlands. Wetlands sequester and process nutrients via biogeochemical processes, decreasing the concentrations of nutrients that eventually reach a large body of water. Research on nutrient cycling in aquatic systems has mainly focused on the sediment, the plants, and the water. Few consider the potential impacts of animals in the system despite the evidence that animals play an important role in nutrient cycling in freshwater systems. Animals can directly move nutrients in and out of aquatic systems, as well as indirectly affect the nutrient budget by altering the ecosystem. The combined direct and indirect effects of animal-mediated nutrient cycling in a wetland system have not been adequately assessed. A few wetland mesocosm experiments have examined the influence of animals on wetland nutrient cycling, but most focus on one functional feeding group. In this study, I evaluated the role of aquatic macroinvertebrates from two functional feeding groups in wetland nutrient sequestration using in-field mesocosms containing macrophytes, in the recently constructed H2Ohio wetland at Oakwoods Nature Preserve (Findlay, OH, USA). Nitrogen and phosphorus content of the water column was measured over six days in response to the presence of each invertebrate. Six replicates of three treatments (snails, crayfish, or control) were installed for a total of 18 mesocosms. A nutrient pulse was added to mesocosms at the end of the experiment to mimic natural nutrient dynamics in an agricultural-adjacent wetland system and nutrient uptake was measured. The results suggest that the crayfish treatment altered nutrient cycling, increasing total nitrogen and total phosphorus iv levels and a decreasing light transmission. These changes could be attributed to bioturbation as the crayfish cre (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Kevin McCluney Ph.D. (Advisor); Christopher Ward Ph.D. (Committee Member); Helen Michaels Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Biology; Conservation; Ecology; Freshwater Ecology

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2023, Environmental Studies (Voinovich)

Leaf litter breakdown rates are frequently employed as functional indicators of health in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. I deployed coarse mesh litter bags to measure organic matter processing during summer in three forested stream channels and three stream-wetland complexes constructed as part of a floodplain reconnection restoration project in western Pennsylvania. I predicted that in stream-wetland complexes, leaf litter breakdown would occur at a faster rate based on warmer temperatures, higher nutrient availability, and sunlight from the open canopy. Contrary to our expectations, litter decomposition over 56 days occurred at a slower rate at the stream-wetland complexes compared to the forested stream channels. Water chemistry, temperature, and the composition of macroinvertebrate communities in leaf litter bags differed between forested stream channels and stream-wetland complexes but was not correlated with leaf breakdown rates. I was unable to determine the role of Chl a on leaf litter breakdown in stream- wetland complexes due to the shade station not providing consistent shade. Macroinvertebrate communities differed significant between the forested unrestored sites and the stream-wetland complexes. The water chemistry indicated that the habitat was suitable for macroinvertebrates at all sites and nutrient availability was not significantly different.

Committee: Morgan Vis (Committee Member); Natalie Kruse (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Studies

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2023, Environmental Studies (Voinovich)

Agricultural nutrient pollution is a significant cause of impairment in American surface waters. Wetland restoration projects in agricultural watersheds can provide an effective sink for excess nutrients and potentially improve downstream water quality. Ohio University has partnered with The Stream and Wetlands Foundation to conduct water quality monitoring during the restoration of Bloody Run Swamp, a wetland in a former agricultural field near Columbus, Ohio. This thesis serves as an analysis of the initial water quality impacts of this restoration project. The restoration of Bloody Run Swamp did not significantly impact total dissolved phosphorus, orthophosphate, TKN, or ammonia concentrations. In contrast, both nitrate/nitrate and total dissolved nitrogen concentration and loads were significantly reduced during construction. This may have been due to the dry weather during construction and the removal of drainage tiles from Bloody Run Swamp. Future water quality monitoring is needed to determine the long-term impacts of this restoration project.

Committee: Natalie Kruse Daniels (Advisor); Gregory Springer (Committee Member); Morgan Vis (Committee Member) Subjects: Agriculture; Aquatic Sciences; Biology; Earth; Ecology; Environmental Engineering; Environmental Management; Environmental Science; Environmental Studies; Geomorphology; Hydrologic Sciences; Hydrology; Limnology; Water Resource Management

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2023, Environmental Studies (Voinovich)

Intensive farming practices have led to the release of sediments and nutrients, primarily nitrogen and phosphorus, into the environment, which account for nearly half of all water pollution issues in the United States. Among the affected areas is the Bloody Run Swamp in Ohio, an historical swamp drained for agricultural purposes. A restoration project being undertaken by the Stream and Wetlands Foundation aims to retain water, sediments and nutrient on the 80-acre site by restoring the former wetland and constructing a natural channel design channel to replace the ditch to the north of the site. In this study, the pre-construction and during-construction hydrology and sediment concentration at seven sites were assessed to see the impact of the stream restoration and wetland construction aimed at reducing nutrient and sediment pollution. Water samples were gathered and assessed for total dissolved solids (TDS), total solids (TS), and total suspended solids (TSS). While the construction period was wetter than the pre-construction period, there were periods of sediment transport. Most sediments were transported at TDS rather than TSS, with TSS concentrations increasing with large runoff events. The results suggest that the restoration project aimed at reducing nutrient and sediment pollution in the Bloody Run Swamp has the potential to be effective.

Committee: Natalie Kruse Daniels (Advisor); Kelly Johnson (Committee Member); Sarah Davis (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Engineering; Environmental Science; Environmental Studies; Hydrology; Sedimentary Geology

Bachelor of Arts (BA), Ohio University, 2021, Environmental Studies

Billions of dollars are invested annually in stream restoration in the United States. However, three centuries of landscape modification have fundamentally altered riverine ecosystems, and some current widespread stream restoration methods do not account for this. The restoration projects studied in this project removed legacy sediments and regraded the streams and banks to achieve a more historically accurate stream system, an anastomosing wetland-stream complex. This project analyzed historical water depth and precipitation data to determine the effect of the restoration on the hydrology of the system. A significant difference in the relationship between water depth and precipitation at all study sites pre-restoration to post-restoration was found. It was also found that post-restoration, rainfall led to a lesser increase in water level than pre-restoration, suggesting that floodplains were saturated and peak velocity was lowered, thus lowering erosion potential. Stream restoration methods should adjust their focus from aesthetic improvement to improvement ecological function and recreate streams as we now know they existed historically.

Committee: Natalie Kruse Dr. (Advisor) Subjects: Environmental Engineering; Environmental Science; Environmental Studies; Hydrologic Sciences; Hydrology; Water Resource Management

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2017, Environment and Natural Resources

Few studies investigate the intricate effects that the plant community has on amphibian populations. Plants shape ecosystems, affecting both physical and chemical attributes of the landscape. Conspicuous artifacts of the plant community include canopy cover, physical structure, and modified temperature and moisture profiles. However, less conspicuous artifacts of the tree community, namely the physiochemical characteristics of their resulting leaf litter, have the ability to shape their ecosystem just as greatly as their more conspicuous traits. Leaf litter represents the primary energy source in vernal pools and other aquatic systems that are critical amphibian breeding habitat. As plant communities shift across the landscape due to ecosystem degradation, invasion by nonnative species, climate change, and shifting disturbance regimes, there is a critical need to investigate how these potential changes can influence the amphibian community and the mechanisms by which they occur. My research investigates how the vernal pool breeding amphibian community responds to differing plant communities across a heterogeneous forested landscape and throughout their life cycle. As such, my overall objectives are multi-faceted: (1) to determine if the tree community impacts colonization and use of vernal pool-breeding amphibians (2) to scale up mesocosm studies that document the strong regulatory response tree litter inputs can have on growth and development of amphibian larvae to a field setting (3) to determine if small, constructed ridge-top pools are a viable option for enhancing amphibian populations in the landscape, particularly with regards to increasing functional connectivity and maintaining diverse amphibian communities, and (4) to establish a landscape-level study design for conducting future, field-based experiments that can serve as a baseline to document changes in forest ecosystems. These objectives are addressed within each of my primary research pursuits below (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Stephen Matthews (Advisor); H. Lisle Gibbs (Committee Member); P. Charles Goebel (Committee Member); Roger Williams (Committee Member) Subjects: Biology; Climate Change; Ecology; Environmental Management; Environmental Science; Forestry; Freshwater Ecology; Wildlife Conservation; Wildlife Management

Master of Science, University of Akron, 2015, Geology-Environmental Geology

In Ohio, almost 90% of all wetlands have been converted to agricultural land during the last 200 years. Steps are being taken now to restore these important ecosystems. The current study examined the hydrology and geochemistry of a small wetland in order to guide restoration. The wetland is located in the Bath Nature Preserve, Bath, Ohio. The original size was 13.8 acres. However, in the last 50 years it declined to 4.36 acres due to construction of 2 ditches through the south and east sections. Various field work was done in order to characterize the geology, hydrology and hydrochemistry. Sixteen borings were made and ten wells were installed in order to determine site stratigraphy and provide points for chemical water sampling as well as water level monitoring. Three cross-sections of the Bog area were constructed based on sediment core descriptions. Water sampling was conducted in June and November 2014 to provide the data about quality and composition of the Bog water. Bi-weekly water levels measurements were set up to trace the seasonal fluctuations in both perimeter and Bog wells. Visual observations helped to establish the main water source for the Bog (tributary 4) as well as identify other 4 surface water tributaries. The geology is the Bog area is mostly damp clay. Water permeable sand and sandy clay layers are found at the western and south-western part of the Bog Groundwater level monitoring via installed wells revealed that the average hydraulic heads in wells 1A (999.89 ft) and 6 (1001.96 ft) were above the Bog water level (995.1 ft). Water levels in well 2A were above the Bog level only during spring, with the average water elevation 995.73 ft. Water level measurements show a gentle gradient towards the Bog, but observations of surface flow suggest that the bulk of inflow is from tributary 4 (which itself is spring-fed). Calculated vertical hydraulic gradients for pair wells 5B/5C (-0.148), 7/7A (-0.006) and 8/8A (-0.021) suggest downward water (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Ira Sasowsky Dr. (Advisor); David Steer Dr. (Committee Member); John Senko Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Geology; Environmental Science; Hydrology

Master of Science (MS), Wright State University, 2011, Biological Sciences

One factor used to determine wetland mitigation success is the establishment of native wetland plant species. Although mycorrhizal associations are known to be present in 70 to 95% of all plant species and have been linked to seedling establishment as well as nutrient and carbon flux within plant communities, the presence or absence of mycorrhizal fungi are not assessed or addressed during wetland mitigation work. Three experiments were devised to examine the effects of mycorrhizal fungi on the germination and growth of native wetland plant species in soils and field sites from natural, restored, and created wetlands. Greenhouse experiment I was a small scale greenhouse experiment in which soil from Siebenthaler Fen (SF), a high quality wetland, was used to inoculate plants with mycorrhizal fungi to determine its effect on germination and growth. Inoculation significantly affected shoot height of 30% of plant species and fresh weight of 100% of plant species. Field soils significantly affected both fresh and dry weight of 70% of plant species independent of inoculation. Greenhouse experiment II was a large-scale greenhouse experiment in which a produced soil inoculum was used to infect plants with mycorrhizal fungi to determine its effect on the growth of four native wetland plants. Inoculation significantly affected shoot height, dry weight, and arbuscular colonization of Mimulus ringens L. The overall affect of field soils were few and highly varied. In the field experiment, native wetland plants were inoculated with MycoGrow Soluble in the greenhouse prior to transplantation into natural, restored, and created wetlands to determine the effect of soil inoculation containing mycorrhizal fungi on plant growth and establishment. Soil inoculation significantly decreased shoot dry weight of M. ringens but did not impact the shoot height, leaf count, or shoot count of any species. Field site location significantly affected shoot height of M. ringens, C. vulpinoidea, an (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: James Amon PhD (Advisor); David Goldstein PhD (Other); James Runkle PhD (Committee Member); Don Cipollini PhD (Committee Member); Yvonne Vadeboncoeur PhD (Committee Member); Kendra Cipollini PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Biology

Master of Arts, University of Toledo, 2011, Economics

Two costs are associated with visiting a recreational site: the opportunity cost of time and the travel cost. This research examines the robustness of various estimates of the opportunity cost of time in order to more accurately estimate the willingness to pay for wetland restoration at Maumee Bay State Park. Samples are drawn from the Northwest Ohio Wetland Survey, which was conducted in 2008. Because employment classification reveals information about the individual's opportunity cost of time, respondents were split into subgroups based on their employment classification. An individual can be out of the labor market, work a fixed schedule and be underemployed, work a fixed schedule and be overemployed, or an individual can be free to choose their work hours. I also allow for the possibility that an individual working a fixed schedule is content working their current hours. Models using different discount rates, k, were used to estimate the sensitivity of the willingness to pay estimate to various measures of the opportunity cost of time. Using estimates from a bivariate Poisson lognormal model, the willingness to pay estimates varied significantly, from $14.91 per person per year when k=0 to $56.42 per person per year when k=1, depending on the opportunity cost of time. Allowing k to vary by employment subgroup leads to a willingness to pay estimate of $26.40, which was similar to the estimate calculated when k was 1/3.

Committee: Kevin Egan Ph.D (Committee Chair); Olugbenga Ajilore Ph.D (Committee Member); Kristen Keith Ph.D (Committee Member) Subjects: Economics; Environmental Economics; Labor Economics

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2005, Natural Resources

In created and restored wetlands, hydrology and time play an important role in regulating ecological processes including productivity and soil development. The influence of hydrology was examined using full-scale wetlands and replicated mesocosm tubs at the Olentangy River Wetland Research Park (ORWRP). In one study, twenty mesocosms were planted with either one of two wetland plants common to the region and subjected to either a pulsed or steady-flow hydrology. No significant differences in nutrient concentrations, uptake or uptake efficiency were detected among species groups; however hydrology did influence plant tissue N:P ratios. A second project evaluated the restoration of flood pulses on a 5.2-ha bottomland forest along the Olentangy River at the ORWRP. In June 2000, the bottomland was restored to approximate natural flooding by cutting three breeches in an artificial levee along the north section of the forest and a fourth breech along the riverbank of the south section. Productivity in 2004 at the north section was substantially higher than a previous aboveground productivity estimate conducted before restoration. Relationships between flood frequency and canopy basal growth over 15 years were also detected. In a separate study, soil development over time was evaluated in two marshes that were created in non-hydric soils at the ORWRP in 1994. In May 2004, soil samples were collected and compared to samples collected in 1993 (after the wetland basins were excavated but prior to flooding) and 1995 (18 months after the wetlands were flooded). Soils in the two wetlands have changed substantially through sedimentation and organic accretion, and mean percent organic matter at the surface has increased from 5.3 ±0.1% in 1993 to 9.5 ±0.2% in 2004. Spatial analyses showed that soil conditions have also become increasingly more variable. Higher sediment accumulation was detected in the deeper open water zones than in the emergent vegetation zones. Directional spatia (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: William Mitsch (Advisor) Subjects:

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2004, Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology

Success of wetland restoration/creation efforts in adequately replacing impacted wetlands is dependent in part on identifying and quantifying key habitat features that are important in structuring the composition of wetland-dependent faunal communities. My Ph.D. project focused on advancing our understanding of the local and landscape-level factors that structure faunal diversity in wetlands. The first chapter examines how certain wetland-design characteristics affect the structure of amphibian communities in constructed replacement wetlands. I find strong evidence that predatory fish and the absence of a shallow littoral zone in constructed wetlands have a negative impact on amphibian diversity, while wetland size is not an important factor. The second chapter presents habitat-suitability models for seven pond-breeding amphibian species using variables describing the surrounding landscape composition (at 200m and 1km scales) and within-wetland factors such as wetland size and presence of predatory fish. Landscape composition is a good predictor of amphibian diversity at natural wetlands within the agricultural landscape of Ohio. The amount of forest cover within 200m, cumulative length of paved roads within 1km, presence of predatory fish, and distance to other wetlands are variables that explain most of the variability. Chapter three examines the association between wetland bird species diversity (breeders, non-breeders and spring migrants) and the amount of emergent vegetation cover in the wetland as well as the size of the wetland complex within which a wetland was constructed. Breeding bird diversity and density is highest in wetlands with high vegetation cover (60-80%), and the size of the wetland complex is positively associated with both overall diversity and density of several individual species. In the fourth chapter, I compare amphibian communities in existing constructed replacement wetlands to communities in natural forested and emergent wetlands within (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Thomas Hetherington (Advisor) Subjects: Biology, Ecology

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2006, Geography (Arts and Sciences)

The GIS model in this study is a wetland restoration model for the Athens Unit of the Wayne National Forest. It uses secondary GIS data to identify and prioritize potential restoration sites with a restoration category value derived from the criteria present. The first objective of the study is to create and visually validate the performance of the model. The second objective is to determine the efficiency of the model method to preliminarily identify potential restoration sites with a comparison to the traditional identification method. Only 39.1% of the sample sites are classified correctly in the field with a visual sampling of criteria present. An improvement to the model's restoration categories results in 68.1% of the sites being classified correctly. This results in a stronger performing wetland restoration model that is a more efficient wetland restoration tool. There are other modifications to improve the model's performance.

Committee: Jeffery Ueland (Advisor) Subjects:

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2003, Geography (Arts and Sciences)

This thesis compares the process of wetland restoration in Baltimore, Maryland and Paris, France. I argue that the experience of wetland conservation and restoration in Paris is different from Baltimore based on (i) differing social values, (ii) each country's type and style of government, and (iii) the definition of a restoration project's goals. By examining the wetland policies that exist in France and the United States and the stakeholders involved in each project, the Episy Marsh restoration in France and the Fort McHenry Wetland Project in Baltimore indicate that the process of wetland restoration is a product of differing political culture existing at varying local, regional, national, and international scales. The Fort McHenry project was initiated at upper levels of government but sustained through community action while the Episy Marsh was initiated at the local level and supported through regional and national levels of government with little community involvement.

Committee: Christopher Boone (Advisor) Subjects: Geography

BA, Oberlin College, 2008, Biology

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.

Committee: John Petersen (Committee Chair); Roger Laushman (Committee Member); David Benzing (Committee Member) Subjects: Ecology

Master of Environmental Science, Miami University, 2012, Environmental Sciences

This paper reports on my experience as Restoration Ecology Research Intern Leader at The Wilds in Cumberland, Ohio during a 6 month internship. This internship was in partial fulfillment of the Master of Environmental Science Degree at the Institute for the Environment and Sustainability. My primary responsibility included collecting and organizing data on the Miller Valley Wetland in order to determine success of the recent restoration. Using data from bird, amphibian, macroinvertebrate and vegetation surveys, I was able to provide an overall assessment of the health of the restored wetland. Of the numerous parameters considered, most have improved since restoration providing a higher quality habitat to wildlife. In addition to the wetland monitoring, I initiated a cattail control study, led undergraduate summer interns and participated in all projects of the Restoration Ecology Department. This internship exposed me to a variety of biological survey methods, land management techniques and first-hand experiences that prepared me for a career in the field of ecological restoration.

Committee: Carolyn Keiffer PhD (Advisor) Subjects: Ecology; Environmental Science

Master of Science, University of Akron, 2008, Geology

The hydrogeology of a degraded, invasive species dominated, wetland in Liberty Park, Twinsburg, Ohio, located within the glaciated Allegheny Plateau region was investigated. This wetland, along with Pond Brook, the major stream draining the park, has been selected for a comprehensive restoration. Recent hydrologic modifications such as ditching, dredging, and channelization of Pond Brook adversely affected the hydrology of the natural riparian wetlands.Fifteen shallow monitoring wells were installed in the 39-acre wetland cell. Continuous water-level data loggers with an interface for data-downloading to a host computer were installed in Pond Brook and five monitoring wells in the degraded wetland. The remaining wells were hand-monitored with a water-level probe. Average depth to water in May, 2006 was 94 cm. Hydrographs show that immediately after a precipitation event, the water level of Pond Brook rises rapidly, and then returns to normal base flow in approximately two days. Rapid fluctuations in water level were also observed in the monitoring wells, which reflect those of the stream. The geology and hydrologic setting of Wetland Cell 1 suggests that treated effluent water released into Ditch 1 (which is at hydraulic upgradient) flows through preferential high permeability units (peat and sand units) into Cell 1 and finally into Pond Brook which acts as a sink to the Ditch 1 source. These results suggest that the wetland is hydrologically linked directly to Pond Brook. Analysis of a 17.1m (56 ft) sediment boring from the degraded wetland cell shows that there are two main stratigraphic layers, organic-rich deposits (0-1.8 m) and lacustrine clays and diamicts (1.8-17.1 m). Discontinuous lenses of peat and sand were observed in the top 1. 8 m. Statistical analysis of the upper (1.8-8.5 m) and lower (8.5-17.1 m) parts of the lacustrine clays and diamicts show significant differences in their clay, silt, calcite and dolomite contents at the 5% level of significance (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Annabelle Foos (Advisor) Subjects: Environmental Science; Freshwater Ecology; Geology; Hydrology