Event Title
Evaluating the Success of Wetland Mitigation in the Grand Rapids Area
Presentation Type
Poster/Portfolio
Presenter Major(s)
Biology
Mentor Information
James Dunn
Department
Biology
Location
Kirkhof Center KC 76
Start Date
10-4-2013 2:00 PM
End Date
10-4-2013 3:00 PM
Keywords
Environment
Abstract
Michigan's wetlands were declining at an alarming rate. Thus, the process of wetland mitigation was introduced to offset this loss. From 2003-2006, a series of mitigated wetlands were installed to compensate for the wetlands removed during the construction of the M6 highway south of Grand Rapids. The objective was to analyze whether these man-made wetlands function the same as natural wetlands in terms of ecological function. We collected macroinvertebrate and plant community data in mitigated and natural wetlands as bioindicators of ecosystem function. We applied this data to indices of biological integrity (IBIs) designed specifically for inland, depressional wetlands. Floristic quality analyses yielded varying results. However, the macroinvertebrate IBI scores for the reference wetlands indicated healthier ecosystems than their mitigated counterparts. These results indicate that plants alone may not be enough to accurately illustrate the system's overall biologic condition.
Evaluating the Success of Wetland Mitigation in the Grand Rapids Area
Kirkhof Center KC 76
Michigan's wetlands were declining at an alarming rate. Thus, the process of wetland mitigation was introduced to offset this loss. From 2003-2006, a series of mitigated wetlands were installed to compensate for the wetlands removed during the construction of the M6 highway south of Grand Rapids. The objective was to analyze whether these man-made wetlands function the same as natural wetlands in terms of ecological function. We collected macroinvertebrate and plant community data in mitigated and natural wetlands as bioindicators of ecosystem function. We applied this data to indices of biological integrity (IBIs) designed specifically for inland, depressional wetlands. Floristic quality analyses yielded varying results. However, the macroinvertebrate IBI scores for the reference wetlands indicated healthier ecosystems than their mitigated counterparts. These results indicate that plants alone may not be enough to accurately illustrate the system's overall biologic condition.