Annual reports (Olentangy River Wetland Research Park)
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Introduction: This collection contains individual chapters of the annual reports of the OWRP.
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Item 2008 Annual Report for the Wilma H. Schiermeier Olentangy River Wetland Research Park(2009-02-24T17:49:43Z) Mitsch, William J.Item 2007 Annual Report for the Wilma H. Schiermeier Olentangy River Wetland Research Park(2008-04-30T15:20:17Z) Mitsch, William J.Item 2006 Annual Report for the Wilma H. Schiermeier Olentangy River Wetland Research Park(Wilma H. Schiermeier Olentangy River Wetland Research Park, 2007-09-30) Mitsch, William J.Item Table of Contents, Schiermeier Olentangy River Wetland Research Park Annual Report, 2005(2006-10-02T18:57:13Z)Item Acknowledgements, Schiermeier Olentangy River Wetland Research Park Annual Report, 2005(2006-10-02T18:51:23Z)Item Item Progress Report 2005: Appendix(2006-10-02T18:44:32Z) Mitsch, William J.Item Simulating restoration of the Iraqi Mesopotamian marshland(2006-10-02T18:36:28Z) Mitsch, William J.; Zhang, Li; Jørgensen, Sven E.; Tuttle, Cassandra L.Item Designing a regeneration zone for the Cuyahoga River Valley: Ecological restoration(2006-10-02T18:33:45Z) Mitsch, William J.; Zhang, Li; Nahlik, Amanda M.The potential for ecological restoration of the lower Cuyahoga River is presented as part of a planning for a Regenerative Development Zone (RDZ) in industrial/ commercial land near downtown Cleveland. First, hydrology, water quality, and fish and invertebrate data and composite biological indicators are presented for this lower reach of the Cuyahoga River. While there are some signs of recent improvement in river fish richness, the biological indicators generally still indicate poor aquatic habitat. Channel dredging, large ship use, and rigid shoreline pilings limit the diversity of habitat and ensure continual resuspension of chemically contaminated river sediments. We present three general alternatives for restoration of the riverine system. One is the creation of 70 acres of oxbow wetlands on the floodplain terrace with seasonal hydrologic connections to the river but otherwise with connections to upland urban runoff. A second alternative is for the restoration of a 0.5-mile reach of a tributary stream, Kingsbury Run, to the Cuyahoga River, thus avoiding some of the problems associated with restoration of the Cuyahoga River itself while providing a significant habitat connected to the river. A third alternative considered is 5.6 miles of “pocket wetlands” along the Cuyahoga River riparian edge itself. Costs and ecological benefits of each of these options are provided. Cessation of river channel dredging and improvement in water quality in the upstream river are vital to any effective restoration techniques in the lower Cuyahoga River. Data on costs of a detailed study of the lower Cuyahoga River and of demonstration projects that would be needed as the next step are also provided.Item Tropical treatment wetlands dominated by free-floating macrophytes for water quality improvement in Costa Rica(2006-10-02T18:15:12Z) Nahlik, Amanda M.; Mitsch, William J.Five tropical treatment wetlands dominated by floating aquatic plants and constructed to deal with a variety of wastewaters were compared for their effectiveness in treating organic matter and nutrients in the Parismina River Basin in eastern Costa Rica. Wastewaters were from a dairy farm, a dairy processing plant, a banana paper plant, and a landfill. Four of the five wetland systems were effective in reducing nutrient levels of effluents before water was discharged into rivers. Ammonia levels in water entering most wetlands were considerably higher than ambient (i.e., riverine) levels; concentrations were reduced by as much as 92% in the wetlands and retained at a maximum rate of 166gNm−2 year−1. Nitrate nitrogen removal was variable, but occurred in low concentrations in the inflows (less than 1mgNL−1). Phosphate phosphorus was present in high levels but was effectively reduced through the wetlands (92 and 45% reductions through dairy farm wetlands, 83% reduction through banana paper wetlands, and 80% reduction through dairy processing wetlands). Retention of phosphate phosphorus ranged from 0.1 to 10.7gPm−2 year−1 in the treatment wetlands. Dissolved oxygen in the wetland outflows were ≤2mgL−1 in three of the sampled wetlands, most likely a result of the abundant free-floating macrophytes that sheltered the water from diffusion and shaded aquatic productivity. The efficacy of these created wetlands to treat effluents from different sources varied, and modified wetland designs or active management may be necessary to improve water quality even further. Recommendations on tropical wetland design and management are presented, as are suggestions for implementing this ecological engineering approach with farmers in Central America.Item Tree growth and hydrologic patterns in urban forested mitigation wetlands(2006-09-29T20:14:56Z) Gamble, Debra L.; Mitsch, William J.Item Hydroperiods of constructed and natural vernal pools in central Ohio and comparison of their depth and duration of inundation(2006-09-29T20:07:01Z) Gamble, Debra L.; Mitsch, William J.Item Denitrification potential and organic matter as affected by vegetation community, wetland age, and plant introduction in created wetlands(2006-09-29T20:00:59Z) Hernandez, Maria E.; Mitsch, William J.Denitrification potential and organic matter in soils were compared in three different vegetation communities— emergent macrophtye, open water, and forested edge—in two ten-year old created riverine wetlands. Organic matter (OM), cold water extractable organic matter (CWEOM), anaerobic mineralizable carbon (AnMC) and denitrification potential (DP) varied significantly (P<0.05) among vegetation communities. The surface (0-9 cm) soils in the emergent macrophyte community showed highest DP (0.07 ± 0.01 mg N h-1 Kkg-1), OM (84.90 ± 5.60 g kg-1), CWEOM (1.12 ± 0.20 g kg-1) and AnMC (1.50 ± 0.10 mg C h-1 Kkg-1). In the deeper layer (9-18 cm), DP and CWEOM (0.04 ± 0.01 mg N h-1 Kkg-1 and 1.13 ± 0.20 g kg-1) were significantly higher in the open water community than in the emergent macrophyte, and the forested edge communities. Plant introduction did not affect denitrification potential or organic matter content and characteristics. After ten years of wetland development, mean DP increased 25 fold in the surface layer (from 0.002 to 0.053 mg N h-1 Kkg-1) and 15 fold in the deeper layer (from 0.001 to 0.015 mg N h-1 Kkg-1). Organic matter content more than doubled 10 years after the wetlands were created to 90.80 ± 19.22 g kg-1 in the upper layer and increased 38% in the lower layer to 46.93 ± 3.85 g kg-1. In the surface layer, CWEOM and HWEOM increased 2.5 and 2.7 times respectively from 1993 (pre-wetland conditions) to 2004; in the 9-18 cm layer they increased 1.25 and 3 times, respectively. AnMC increased 4 times in the 0-9 cm layer but it did not increase in the 9-18 cm layer. Humic acids were the most abundant form of organic matter in 2004 and 1993 samples. Significant (P<0.05) positive relationships between DP and OM, CWEOM and AnMC were found in the surface layer; in the 9-18 cm layer, significant positive relationships were found between DP and CWEOM and AnMC.Item Methane and carbon dioxide fluxes in wetland mesocosms:Relationships to hydrology and soils(2006-09-29T19:49:56Z) Altor, Anne E.; Mitsch, William J.Item Soil characteristics in a bottomland hardwood forest five years after hydrologic restoration(2006-09-29T19:44:38Z) Beekman, Christopher; Mitsch, William J.The hydrology of the bottomland hardwood forest in Central Ohio was restored in the spring of 2000 by the creation of four breaches in the protective levee along the Olentangy River. A 2005 study was conducted to characterize water content, bulk density, soil color, and total organic content of soils near two of the breaches in relation to elevation, and to compare to previously collected pre and post hydrologic restoration studies. The percentage of hydric soils in the floodplain study areas was 60%, comparable to data collected in 2003. Samples collected in upland areas of higher elevation displayed lower organic content and higher chroma values consistent with areas receiving minimal flooding and non-hydric conditions. Samples collected at the northern breach demonstrated soil characteristics consistent with more frequent flooding than those of the southernmost breach. Average total organic matter content for this area was 9.39 ± 1.77 %, compared to the southern breach average of 6.13 ± 0.53 %. This difference was attributed to variation in flooding patterns between the northern and southern sections of the forest.Item The influence of hydrologic restoration on the productivity of a bottomland forest in central Ohio(2006-09-29T19:35:57Z) Anderson, Christopher J.; Mitsch, William J.Change in forest productivity in response to hydrologic restoration was evaluated at a 5.2-ha bottomland hardwood forest in central Ohio. In June 2000, the bottomland forest was restored to approximate natural flooding by cutting three breeches in an artificial levee constructed between the river and the forest (north section) and a fourth breech along the natural river bank to augment flooding at the south section. Total aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) was calculated for the two sections of the forest using estimated forest litterfall and wood production. No significant difference in mean ANPP for the north section (807 ± 86 g m-2 yr-1) and the south section (869 ± 56 g m-2 yr-1) was detected; however the north section was substantially more productivity than a previous ANPP estimate conducted before restoration. A significant positive relationship was detected between ANPP and the number of days flooded during the year (October 2003 - September 2004) in each plot. Forest ANPP and wood production were also significantly related to total tree basal area and topographic variability. Tree ring-analysis was used to compare mean basal area increment (BAI) growth 10 years (1991-2000) before the restoration to the 4 years (2001-2004) after the restoration. No immediate shifts in BAI were detected; however based on prevailing trends before and after restoration, canopy trees in the south section showed a noteworthy increase in BAI during 2003 and 2004. This shift in the south section was primarily due to the prevalence of boxelder (Acer negundo L.), the dominant species in this section. Evaluating the 14-yr series of BAI for trees in the bottomland, a significant relationship was detected between the total number of days of high-flood conditions (>154 m3 sec-1) and mean BAI (cm2 yr-1) based on a two-year flooding history.Item Sediment chemistry in a hydrologically restored bottomland hardwood forest in Midwestern US(2006-09-29T19:25:30Z) Zhang, Li; Mitsch, William J.; Bouchard, Virginie; Hossler, KatieItem Monitoring of off-site wetland mitigation at the Olentangy River Wetland Research Park for Spring-Sandusky Interchange—2005(2006-09-29T19:20:34Z) Mitsch, William J.; Zhang, LiItem Spatial distribution of soil nutrients in a created riparian wetland(2006-09-29T19:15:12Z) Epp, Kathryn; Mitsch, William J.