PARENT SESSION
Poster Session # 17: Aquatic Systems.
Thursday, August 7 Presentation from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM. SITCC Exhibit Hall B.
Does size matter: a study of wetlands and biodiversity in an agricultural watershed.
Lougheed, Vanessa*,1, Parker, Christian1, McIntosh, Mollie2, Merritt, Richard2, Stevenson, R. Jan1, 1 Dept of Zoology, East Lansing, MI, USA2 Dept of Entomology, East Lansing, MI, USA
ABSTRACT- Heterogeneity in plant species distribution produces much of the structural variability throughout a wetland. This study was designed to look at the loss of structural heterogeneity and its effects on the biota in both reference wetlands and those impacted by agricultural land use. In July 2002, 8 small (less than 1 ha) and 8 large (6 to 25 ha) isolated depressional marshes in the Muskegon River watershed (Michigan, USA) were sampled for macrophyte, periphyton, zooplankton and macroinvertebrate communities using a stratified random sampling design. Preliminary data indicate that diatom, zooplankton and macrophyte communities in impacted wetlands show less spatial variability and have fewer species than those in reference wetlands. Initial analyses also indicate that, for the zooplankton community, both reference and impacted small sites had greater beta diversity (ratio of total species in landscape to local average) than large sites. Results from this study suggest that land use practices negatively affect valuable wetland functions by homogenizing habitats and reducing biodiversity. In addition, smaller wetlands may represent valuable, unique habitats for wetland conservation.
Key words: biodiversity, landuse, wetland, heterogeneity