You are here

FAU Collections » FAU Research Repository » FAU Theses and Dissertations

avian community characteristics of constructed treatment wetlands of South Florida

Download pdf | Full Screen View

Date Issued:
2013
Summary:
This study compared the avian communities of treatment wetlands in South Florida called Stormwater Treatment Wetlands (STAs) to those in natural marshes and crop lands, and examined factors that influenced the size and structure of the avian communities within the STAs. The STAs contained a more abundant, rich and distinct avian community compared to reference land types. The STAs were dominated by wintering waterfowl, and therefore community patterns fluctuated more seasonally other land types. Within the STAs, density and richness in the fall and winter were much greater in the submerged aquatic vegetation than in the mixed emergent vegetation when waterfowl were present. The STAs maintain two vegetation treatments which enhanced their biodiversity value by supporting distinct avian communities with different migratory strategies This suggests the increase in treatment wetlands could partially offset the loss of natural wetlands, but avian communities in treatment wetlands are not surrogates for natural wetlands.
Title: The avian community characteristics of constructed treatment wetlands of South Florida.
92 views
21 downloads
Name(s): Beck, Tyler J.
Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Department of Biological Sciences
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Date Issued: 2013
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Physical Form: electronic
Extent: xvi, 103 p. : ill., maps
Language(s): English
Summary: This study compared the avian communities of treatment wetlands in South Florida called Stormwater Treatment Wetlands (STAs) to those in natural marshes and crop lands, and examined factors that influenced the size and structure of the avian communities within the STAs. The STAs contained a more abundant, rich and distinct avian community compared to reference land types. The STAs were dominated by wintering waterfowl, and therefore community patterns fluctuated more seasonally other land types. Within the STAs, density and richness in the fall and winter were much greater in the submerged aquatic vegetation than in the mixed emergent vegetation when waterfowl were present. The STAs maintain two vegetation treatments which enhanced their biodiversity value by supporting distinct avian communities with different migratory strategies This suggests the increase in treatment wetlands could partially offset the loss of natural wetlands, but avian communities in treatment wetlands are not surrogates for natural wetlands.
Identifier: 858621169 (oclc), 3362327 (digitool), FADT3362327 (IID), fau:4165 (fedora)
Note(s): by Tyler J. Beck.
Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2013.
Includes bibliography.
Mode of access: World Wide Web.
System requirements: Adobe Reader.
Subject(s): Constructed wetlands -- Florida
Wetland hydrology -- Florida
Watershed management -- Florida
Habitat (Ecology)
Birds -- Ecology -- Florida
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/3362327
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU