rnr wetland foundations (lecture 1)

submerged plants

stay submerged below the water's surface

what are the 2 components that separates the ecosystem?

structure - easy to measure abiotic - physical/chemical biotic - autotrophs, consumers, decomposer function - more difficult to measure storm protection, genetic diversity, etc

riparian wetlands

-Flooded bottomlands along streams and rivers -Often characterized by oaks, magnolia, and willow, depending on soil moisture -Typically nutrient rich and productive, particularly for amphibians and reptiles, may be important for stream fish foraging and reproduction -Significant losses from flood control

what three components forms a wetland?

1. hydrology - basically the study is the distributions and movement of water both on and below earth resulting in saturated conditions: when the voids, spaces, and cracks are filled with water. 2. hydrophytes - vegetation of plants, wetland plants; biota - vegetation, animals, and microbes; some animals have a significant ability to impact hydrology and wetland environments 3. soils - having reduced environments that regulate biogeochemical processes soil, clay?? together forms unique wetland, severing unique services

list what wetlands must have one or more of:

1. once in a while, support predominately hydrophytes 2. the substrate is usually undrained soil 3. or the substrate is non-soil and is saturated with water or covered by shallow water at some time during the growing season of each year

army corps are in charge of what?

26:05 navigable waterways...

section 404 of clean water act, how to regulate wetlands?

EPA regulate wetland but the army corps determines the use, they go out and say this is a wetland legally and can now protect it federally under clean water act.

wetlands and wetland plants exist in the boundary of what two environments?

aquatic and terrestrial environments

wetland definition (2) - EPA

areas inundated or saturated by surface or groundwater (hydrology) at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under natural conditions do support, a prevalence of vegetation (hydrophytes) typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions (hydric soils)

what are the three things that hydroperiod depends on?

balance between inflows and outflows of water surface contours of landscape soils, geology, and ground water conditions

explain why beavers is an example of a foundational species / ecological engineer.

beavers are considered a foundational species because they tend to harvest trees, thus removing undergrowth and maintaining an open forest understory. the harvest trees are used to build damns, which retains stream water to form a pond, providing suitable habitat for variety of aquatic organisms and a water source for terrestrial organisms. with beavers, there is an increase in biodiversity and flood control.

what are some of wetland functions?

biological supermarket - wetlands provide habitats for critical species kidneys of the landscape - biogeochemical transformations (relationship of plants and microbes and the soil and how catalyzation of critical chemical reactions transform molecular compounds into less mobile/reactive/polluting forms) sponges of the landscape - wetlands store and slows down water (they soak everything up) ; monitoring water flow

the physiochemical environment has a direct effect on..

biota

how can wetland plants influence the environment that they are in?

by changing hydrology, temperature, light penetration soil characteristics, sediments in the water column, the chemistry of soils also the type of wetland, biomass, size, composition, and condition of wetland plants also influences the function of wetlands

what are the types of wetland plants?

emergent submerged floating aquatic plants

emergent plants

have leaves that float on, or protrude above the water's surface

explain how wetland plants are used as tools by humans.

humans can use wetland plants by using it as medication towards health conditions. humans can also use wetland plants for construction for their houses, etc.

pulse-fed wetlands:

hydroperiod/water levels defined by seasonal or periodic floods e.g. riparian wetlands

what happens when the structure of a wetland is altered? for example water level, flooding frequency, removing trees

its ecological function is going to be changed the term that is used is impacted, which means that there is changing hydrology, vegetation, or soils in such a way that the natural ecological services are altered structural: draining water from one area and filling the area --> canals in LA

wetland scientific definition (1) - fishing

lands that are transitional between aquatic and terrestrial systems where the water table is usually at or near the surface

explain wetland distribution.

most wetland plant species are cosmopolitan (wide geographic range): extensive geographical distribution water transport - seeds or tissues animal transport - seeds evolved resistance to digestion so they get carried around in the guts of organisms

biota has a biotic feedback on..

physiochemical environment hydrology

hydrology has a direct effect on..

physiochemical environment - soil, chemistry, etc biota - vegetation, animals, microbes

biogeochemical transformation

relationship of plants and microbes and the soil and how catalyzation of critical chemical reactions transform molecular compounds into less mobile/reactive/polluting forms

what is the primary ecological function of wetlands?

the primary ecological function of wetland is to store and transport water when changing the wetland functions, or the way the wetland store and transport water, it can change the way navigable waterways work which can impact national commerce. example: dredge and fill

hydroperiod:

the seasonal pattern of the water level of a wetland and is the hydrologic signature of each wetland type affects: flood duration and frequency change in water level over time climate or water source

hydrologic budget or water budget: very unique from site to site

total of water flows in and out of a site this determines diversity and distribution of plants, ecological services/functions, and impacts that a disturbance could have fun quantification of ecology "solving for x" how long the water sits in an area, how often it comes into an area, and where does it come from?

why are wetlands plants often considered foundational species or ecological engineers?

well wetland plants are considered to be foundational species / or ecological engineers because they tend to provide nutrients for the ecosystem that controls the biological diversity of associated species the activities of foundation species physically modify the environment and produce and maintain habitats that benefit other organisms that use those habits e.g. coral reefs/beavers

why are wetlands so hard to define?

well wetlands are not always wet, when they are it is usually seasonal and flooded only briefly. wetlands are also considered ecotones because they tend to exists along the margins of aquatic and terrestrial habitats. that is why some people think that this is an extension of these areas. some wetlands plants have live there and some plants can live either in wet of dry. there is also a huge variation in wetland size and water source. some wetland conditions/health have some areas that have been so impacted by humans activities it's hard to distinguish as a wetland

what are wetland functions dependent upon?

wetland functions are dependent upon plants!! sun makes plants. then you have plants that eat plants, etc.

why are wetlands considered transitional habitats?

wetlands are considered transitional habitats because they often take in nutrients from an outside source and transform and filter via internal processes

how is wetland critical for biogeochemical cycling?

wetlands are great at taking nutrients that are highly mobile and reactive moveable forms and holding it in one place, transforming it into something that is less reactive/less mobile. can bind to plant tissues, but with nitrogen, it can be converted into nitrogen gas via biogeochemical processes. but in order for it to happen there has to be a saturated condition in wetland soil leading to low oxygen levels (absent of oxygen). as the elements are in reduced form (stripped of its oxygen).