Source: LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY submitted to NRP
ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT OF WETLANDS AND WETLAND WILDLIFE
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
MCINTIRE-STENNIS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0191535
Grant No.
(N/A)
Cumulative Award Amt.
(N/A)
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Jul 1, 2003
Project End Date
May 31, 2009
Grant Year
(N/A)
Program Code
[(N/A)]- (N/A)
Recipient Organization
LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY
202 HIMES HALL
BATON ROUGE,LA 70803-0100
Performing Department
School of Renewable Natural Resources
Non Technical Summary
Economic services provided by wetlands are declining because some human activity inadvertently alters the quantity and quality of water exchanged among uplands, wetlands, and water bodies. Economic services provided by wetlands also are declining because wetlands are being replaced by non-wetlands. This project examines ways to increase desirable wetland functions, such as wildlife carrying capacity or forest regeneration, in the changing environment.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
1230330107025%
1350850107075%
Knowledge Area
135 - Aquatic and Terrestrial Wildlife; 123 - Management and Sustainability of Forest Resources;

Subject Of Investigation
0850 - Wildlife habitats; 0330 - Wetland and riparian systems;

Field Of Science
1070 - Ecology;
Goals / Objectives
1. I propose to determine if terraces, which are one of the smallest scale wetland restoration techniques, enhance submerged aquatic vegetation and seeds, which are important waterfowl foods. 2. I propose to determine if freshwater diversions, which are the largest scale wetland restoration technique, enhance emergent plant growth by reducing salinity stress, or by increasing nutrient availability. 3. I propose to determine the need for habitat enhancement and wildlife population control in wetlands by determining the degree to which wildlife utilize food plants. a. determine effects of herbivory by waterfowl on submersed aquatic vegetation b. determine effects of herbivory by white-tailed deer on seedlings in a forested wetland. These objectives are related because wetland restoration and management generally focus on enhancing desirable plant species, and because over-utilization of food plants by wildlife is often the justification for habitat enhancement or wildlife population control. Studying these topics together will generate information that managers can use to sustain and efficiently use wetlands. Studying these topics also will help the LSU Agricultural Center maintain it's statewide leadership in teaching, research, and service related to management and wise use of wetland resources. Opportunities to conduct research outside Louisiana will be pursued because such efforts will contribute to the LSU Agricultural Center's national reputation in management and wise utilization of wetland resources.
Project Methods
Funding will be requested from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ducks Unlimited, and other funding agencies as the opportunity arises. The investigator is experienced at designing experiments that produce data sets suitable for statistical analyses including simple and multiple regression, split-plot and repeated measures ANOVA designs (see (Klerks & Nyman 1999; Nyman & DeLaune 1991; Nyman et al. 1993b)). The investigator is familiar with parametric, non-parametric, and distribution free analyses (i.e., resampling) (see (Hunter 2000; Nyman et al. 1993a; Nyman et al. 1995)). The investigator is experienced with research methods appropriate to the objecitives: vertical accretion (Nyman et al. 1993b), soil nutrient storage (Cothren and Nyman, unpublished), plant productivity (Nyman et al. 1995), emergent and submersed plant community structure (Nyman & Chabreck 1996; Nyman et al. 1993a), and wildlife feeding (McGinnis 1997).

Progress 07/01/03 to 05/31/09

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Studies and experiments were conducted in the laboratory and throughout southern Louisiana. Topics included effects of white-tailed deer on wetland forest regeneration, waterfowl food availability in coastal freshwater marshes, the response of coastal wetlands to global sea-level rise, evaluation of small-scale wetland restoration techniques on wildlife habitat, development of tools for evaluating large-scale wetland restoration techniques, and water quality improvement and nutrient removal by forested wetlands. Numerous research proposals were submitted to support this research; 22 of them were accepted for funding. I was the principle investigator on 19 funded projects ($718,726) and a co-principle investigator on 2 additional funded projects ($471,608). Funds were used primarily to support research conducted by 10 graduate students and one undergraduate honors student. I directed the undergraduate honors thesis and 7 of those graduate students; 5 completed their M.S. degrees while 2 others continue to work towards a Ph.D. Three graduate students supported by these funds were directed by other faculty. I also directed two graduate students unsupported by research funds, one of whom completed the M.S. degree on a study of white-tailed deer translocations. The other unsupported graduate student is studying gopher tortoise ecology and management. Results of my research and of numerous other wetland-wildlife scientists were disseminated via a new chapter that I co-authored devoted to coastal wetlands in the sixth edition of a textbook used by most undergraduate wildlife programs in the United States. I organized 5 regional professional meetings where research results were presented by scores of scientists to hundreds of wetland managers, wildlife biologists, and the interested public. I also assisted with organizing 3 international meetings including the first symposium of the Wetland Wildlife Section of the Society of Wetland Scientists. I provided counseling/consulting as a member of the graduate committee to 20 graduate students involved in wetland research other than my own. I provided wetland information to numerous school teachers, several newspaper and radio reporters, and to several landowners. I also provided counseling/consulting to landowners, non-governmental organizations, and state and federal agencies involved in coastal wetland restoration, which led to a Team Achievement Award from the State of Louisiana and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. I expanded and strengthened my connections with professionals responsible for managing and restoring wetland wildlife habitat. Such professionals are entrusted by my stakeholders, the general public, to sustainably manage the habitats needed to support wetland wildlife. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals Principle Investigators J.A. Nyman (self) Graduate Research Assistants Seth Bordelon Chrissy Bush Arron Caldwell Chris Cannaday Brian Gossman Sarai Kanouse Jessica O'Connell Amy Scaroni Vanessa Tobias Christian Winslow Undergraduate Student Workers Heather Brand Kendall Decateau Kelsey Daroca Jessica Hanks David Heckman Matt Huber Christina Legleu Melissa Miller Katherine Normand Mason Piehler Jon Ponder Joshua Roy Thomas Simpson Margaret Williamson Partner Organizations Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service U.S.G.S. Louisiana Fish and Wildlife Cooperative Research Unit NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Gulf Coast Joint Venture Ducks Unlimited Coastal Restoration Enhancement through Science and Technology (CREST) Program Louisiana Governor's Office of Coastal Activities Applied Research and Development Program. Collaborators M.K. La Peyre and S.L. King, U.S.G.S. Louisiana Fish and Wildlife Cooperative Research Unit C.W. Lindau and R.D. DeLaune, Louisiana State University Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences Alex Kolker, Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium P.L. Klerks, University of Louisiana at Lafayette Department of Biology P.A. Keddy, University of Southeastern Louisiana Department of Biology John Foret, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Barry Wilson, Gulf Coast Joint Venture Tom Moorman, Ducks Unlimited M.K. La Peyre and S.L. King, U.S.G.S. Louisiana Fish and Wildlife Cooperative Research Unit J.D. Foret and J.J. Merino, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service TARGET AUDIENCES: The target audience for this project are professionals who are responsible for managing and restoring wetland wildlife habitat. Such professionals are entrusted by my stakeholders, the general public, to sustainably manage the habitats needed to support wetland wildlife. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
Research conducted has helped waterfowl managers estimate habitat quality for wintering waterfowl and thereby decide where to focus habitat management efforts throughout the Gulf Coast. Research conducted has helped managers at Jean Lafitte National Park decide how to manage forest regeneration and white-tailed deer harvest. Research results have demonstrated the effects of a new wetland restoration technique called terraces on wetland vegetation, fish, and wildlife, which in turn has contributed to the adoption of this technique throughout coastal Louisiana and Texas. Research results have helped change the focus of wetland management and restoration designed to offset the effects of subsidence and global sea-level on existing coastal marshes from mineral sediments to organic matter produced by marsh vegetation (mineral sediments still remain the focus of efforts to create new wetlands). Research results resulted in the development of water salinity targets and water level targets that can be used by wetland managers to guide operation of water control structures and to improve the efficiency of planning new wetland restoration projects.

Publications

  • Nyman, J.A. 2002. Nutrient storage rates in a natural marsh receiving waste water. pages 135-139 In M.M. Holland, M.L. Warren, and J.A. Stanturf (eds.) Proceedings of a conference on sustainability of wetlands and water resources: How well can riverine wetlands continue to support society into the 21st Century U.S.D.A. Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Asheville, North Carolina.
  • Nyman, A. 2006. Afraid to learn the answer. Society of Wetland Scientists Bulletin 23(2):14-18.
  • Chambers, J.L., W.H. Conner, J.W. Day Jr., S.P. Faulkner, E.S. Gardiner, M.S. Hughes, R.F. Keim, S.L. King, K.W. McLeod, C.A. Miller, J.A. Nyman, G.P. Shaffer. 2005. Conservation, Protection and Utilization of Louisiana's Coastal Wetland Forests. Final Report to the Governor of Louisiana from the Coastal Wetland Forest Conservation and Use Science Working Group. 102pp.
  • Keim, R.F., J. L.Chambers, M. S.Hughes, J.A. Nyman, C.A. Miller, J.B. Amos, W.H. Conner, J.W. Day, Jr. S.P. Faulkner, E.S. Gardiner, S.L. King, K.W. McLeod, and G.P. Shaffer. 2006. Ecological consequences of changing hydrological conditions in wetland forests of coastal Louisiana. pages 383-396 In Y. J. Xu and V. P. Singh (editors). Coastal Environment and Water Quality. Water Resources Publications, LLC, Highlands Ranch, Colorado.
  • Chambers, J.L, R.F. Keim, W.H. Conner, John W. Day, Jr., S.P. Faulkner, E.S. Gardiner, M.S. Hughes, S.L. King, K.W. McCleod, C.A. Miller, J.A. Nyman, and G.P. Shaffer. 2005. Conservation of Louisiana's coastal wetland forests. pages 117-135 In T.F. Shupe and M.A. Dunn (eds.) Proceedings of Louisiana Natural Resources Symposium. LSU AgCenter, Baton Rouge, LA.
  • Bush, C.S., M.K.G. La Peyre, and J.A. Nyman. 2002. Can fish habitat be restored using terraces and coconut mats in Louisiana marshes Program and Abstract Book Society of Wetland Scientists 23rd Annual Conference. Lake Placid, New York. 2-7 June, 2002.
  • Faulkner, S.P., J.L. Chambers, W.H. Conner, R.F. Keim, J.W. Day, E.S. Gardiner, M.S. Hughes, S.L. King, K.W. McLeod, C.A. Miller, J.A. Nyman, and G.P. Shaffer. 2007. Conservation and Use of Coastal Wetland Forests in Louisiana. P. 447-460 in: W.H. Conner, T.W. Doyle, and K.W. Krauss (editors), The Ecology of Tidal Freshwater Swamps of the Southeastern United States. Springer. The Netherlands.
  • Bhattacharyya, S., P.L. Klerks, and J.A. Nyman. 2003. Toxicity to freshwater organisms from oils and oil spill chemical treatments in laboratory microcosms. Environmental Pollution 122:205-215.
  • Steyer, G.D., CE. Sasser, J.M. Visser, E.M. Swenson, J.A. Nyman, and R.C. Raynie. 2003. A proposed coast-wide reference monitoring system for evaluating wetland restoration trajectories. The Journal of Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 81:107-117.
  • Lindau, C.W., R.D. DeLaune, A.E. Scaroni and J.A. Nyman. 2008. Denitrification in cypress swamp within the Atchafalaya River Basin, Louisiana. Chemosphere 70:886-894.
  • Kanouse, S., M.K. La Peyre, and J.A. Nyman. 2006. Nekton use of Ruppia maritima and non-vegetated bottom habitat types within brackish marsh ponds. Marine Ecology Progress Series 327:61-69.
  • Nyman, J.A., R.J. Walters, R.D. DeLaune, and W.H. Patrick, Jr. 2006. Marsh vertical accretion via vegetative growth. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science 69:370-380.
  • Merino, J.H., J.A. Nyman, and T. Michot. 2005. Effects of season and marsh management on submersed aquatic vegetation in coastal Louisiana brackish marsh ponds. Ecological Restoration 23:235-243.
  • DeLaune, R.D, J.C. Callaway, W.H. Patrick, Jr., and J.A. Nyman. 2004. An analysis of marsh accretionary processes in Louisiana coastal wetlands. Geoscience and Man 38:129-146.
  • La Peyre, M.K., C.S. Bush Thom, C. Winslow, A. Caldwell and J. A. Nyman. 2005. Comparison of seed bank size and composition in fringing, restored, and impounded marsh in southwest Louisiana. Southeastern Naturalist 4:273-286.
  • Chabreck, R.H., and J.A. Nyman. 2005. Management of coastal wetlands. Pages 839-860 in C.E. Braun, editor Techniques for wildlife investigations and management. Sixth Edition. The Wildlife Society, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
  • Bush Thom, C.S., M.K.G. La Peyre, and J.A. Nyman. 2004. Evaluation of nekton use and habitat characteristics of restored Louisiana marsh. Ecological Engineering 23:63-75.
  • Klerks, P.L., J.A. Nyman, and S. Bhattacharyya. 2004. Relationship between hydrocarbon measurements and toxicity to a chirinomid, fish larvae, and daphnid for oils and oil spill chemical treatments in laboratory freshwater marsh microcosms. Environmental Pollution 129:345-353.
  • Nyman, J.A., and P.L. Klerks. 2001. Some effects of petroleum hydrocarbons on wetland plants, microbes, and animals. Program and Abstract Book Estuarine Research Federation 16th Biennial Conference. 4-8 November, 2001. St. Petersburg, Florida.
  • McMurray, M.P., M.T. Favalaro, J.M. Meriwether, J.A. Nyman, and R.R. Twilley. 2001. Effect of hydrologic manipulation on the accumulation of organic matter in brackish marshes, Chenier Plain, Louisiana. Program and Abstract Book Estuarine Research Federation 16th Biennial Conference. 4-8 November, 2001. St. Petersburg, Florida.
  • Nyman, J.A. 2001. Are either nutrient storage in subsiding wetlands or nutrient release from eroding wetlands relevant to coastal eutrophication Program and Abstract Book Seventh Symposium on Biogeochemistry of Wetlands. Durham, North Carolina. 17-20 June, 2001. Nyman, J.A, and P.L. Klerks. 2001. Some Effects of Petroleum Hydrocarbons on Wetlands and Suggested Response Actions. Program and Abstract Book 24th Arctic and Marine Oilspill (AMOP) Technical Seminar. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. 12-14 June, 2001.
  • Nyman, J.A., A.K. Burcham, J.D. Foret, G. Melancon, T.C. Michot, and T.J. Schmidhauser. 2001. Program and Abstract Book Preliminary studies of brown marsh in a Chenier Plain, Spartina patens Marsh. Coastal Marsh Dieback in the Northern Gulf of Mexico: Extent, Causes, Consequences, and Remedies. Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 11-12 January, 2001.
  • Burcham, A.K., T.C. Michot, J.A. Nyman. 2002. The interactive effects of environmental stress and fungal infection on Spartina alterniflora dieback in coastal Louisiana. Program and Abstract Book Society of Wetland Scientists 23rd Annual Conference. Lake Placid, New York. 2-7 June, 2002.
  • O'Connell, J. and J. Nyman. Waterbird use of terraced vs. unterraced ponds in coastal Louisiana. Program and Abstract Book Ecological Society of America 2006 Annual Meeting, Memphis, Tennessee. 6-11 August, 2006. Lindau, C., and A. Nyman. 2006. Water quality restoration in Atchafalaya River Basin cypress wwamp via denitrification. Program and Abstract Book Lower Mississippi River Nutrient Symposium. New Orleans, Louisiana, 1-2 June, 2006. (invited)
  • Bordelon, S., D.G. Scognamillo, J.A. Nyman, and M.J. Chamberlain. 2006. White-tailed deer abundance and herbivory in a coastal bottomland hardwood forest. Program and Abstract Book 29th Annual Meeting of the Southeast Deer Study Group, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 26-28 February, 2006.
  • King, S.K., J.A. Nyman, and K.R. Hersey. 2006. Assessment of Whooping Crane habitat needs at White Lake, Louisiana: historic conditions and current questions. Program and Abstract Book 10th North American Crane Workshop, Zacatecas, Zacatecus, Mexico, 7-10 February, 2006. Nyman, J.A., and S.K. King. 2006. Potential whooping crane habitat at Marsh Island wildlife refuge, Louisiana. Program and Abstract Book 10th North American Crane Workshop, Zacatecas, Zacatecus, Mexico, 7-10 February, 2006.
  • Bordelon, S., and J.A. Nyman. 2005. Effects of white-tailed deer herbivory on the growth and survival of juvenile trees in a mature coastal wetland forest. Program and Abstract Book Society of Wetland Scientists 26th Annual Meeting, Charleston South Carolina, June 5-10, 2005
  • Cannaday, C.D., B.P. Gossman, J.L. O'Connell, M.K. La Peyre, and J.A. Nyman. 2005. Effects of terraces on vegetation, nekton, and waterbirds. Program and Abstract Book Progress in Understanding Coastal Land Loss and Restoration in Louisiana. Lafayette, Louisiana, April, 2005.
  • Nyman, J.A., and M.K. La Peyre. 2005. A review of the brief history of terraces. 2005 CREST Symposium: Program and Abstract Book Progress in Understanding Coastal Land Loss and Restoration in Louisiana. Lafayette, Louisiana, April, 2005.
  • Klerks, P.L., J.A. Nyman & S. Bhattacharyya. 2005. Chemical additives in oiled freshwater laboratory microcosms: Toxicity to aquatic organisms, relationship between hydrocarbon measurements and toxicity, and the influence of chemical additives on hydrocarbon disappearance. Program and Abstract Book 23rd Information Transfer Meeting of the Minerals Management Service, Kenner, Louisiana, January 11-13, 2005.
  • Nyman, J.A., R.J. Walters, R.D. DeLaune, and W.H. Patrick, Jr. 2004. Marsh vertical accretion via vegetative growth. Program and Abstract Book AGU Chapman Conference on salt marsh geomorphology: physical and ecological effects on landform. Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. 9-13 October, 2004.
  • Kanouse, S., J.A. Nyman and M. La Peyre. 2003. Nekton growth in two brackish marsh habitats in Louisiana. Program and Abstract Book Estuarine Research Federation International Meeting. September 15-19, 2003, Seattle, WA. (invited)
  • Nyman, J.A., J.H. Merino, and D.L. Huval. 2008. Limiting factors of Spartina patens I: Implication of nutrient and salinity interaction to coastal restoration. Program and Abstract CD Society of Wetland Scientists International Conference. Washington, D.C., 26-30 May, 2008.
  • Foret, J.D., J.A. Nyman, L.P. Rozas, K.A Rose, J.H. Cowan, and D. Baltz. 2004. Habitat Use Module. Louisiana Coastal Area Ecosystem Restoration Study, Volume 4, Appendix C, Chapter 10. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans District.
  • Nyman, J.A. and M.G.K. La Peyre. 2002. High hopes for marsh terraces as a small-scale wetland restoration tool in coastal Louisiana. The Wildlife Society Restoration Working Group Newsletter. Fall 2002.
  • Kolker, A.S., M.A. Allison, K.A. Butcher, R.W. Fulweiler, S. Green, J Nittrouer, J.A. Nyman, and B. Rosenheim. 2008. The Mississippi River Flood of 2008: Sediment Dynamics and Implications for Coastal Restoration. Program and Abstract CD 2008 Joint Meeting of The Geological Society of America, Soil Science Society of America, American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies with the Gulf Coast Section of SEPM. Houston, TX, 5-9 October, 2008.
  • Scaroni, A.E., J.A. Nyman, R.F. Keim, C.W. Lindau, R.D. DeLaune. 2008. Potential for Nutrient Removal by a Large River Floodplain; Atchafalaya River Basin, Louisiana, USA. Program and Abstract CD 8th INTECOL (International Congress on Ecology): International Wetlands Conference, Cuiaba, Mato Grosso, Brazil, July 20-25, 2008
  • Nyman, J.A. 2008. Four scenarios of the spatial extent of coastal marsh to global sea-level rise. Program and Abstract CD Society of Wetland Scientists International Conference. Washington, D.C., 26-30 May, 2008.
  • Restore America's Estuaries. 2002. A national strategy to restore America's estuaries. Arlington, VA. 162 pp. (Contributing Author).
  • Tobias V.D., Nyman J.A., DeLaune R.D.,and Foret J.D. 2009. Higher ground: reduced flooding improves Spartina patens production in Louisian's coastal marshes. Program and Abstract CD Society of Wetland Scientists International Conference. Madison, Wisconsin, 21-26 June, 2009.
  • Nyman, J.A. and M.K. La Peyre. 2009. Defining restoration targets for water depth and salinity in wind-dominated Spartina patens (Ait.) muhl. coastal marshes. Program and Abstract CD Society of Wetland Scientists International Conference. Madison, Wisconsin. 21-26 June, 2009.
  • Nyman, J.A. and M.K. La Peyre. 2009. Coastal marsh restoration using terraces. Program and Abstract Book Chenier Plain Symposium, Lake Charles, Louisiana, 8-9 January, 2009.
  • Nyman, J.A., M.K. La Peyre, A. Caldwell, S. Piazza, C. Thom, and C. Winslow. 2009. Restoration targets for water depth and salinity in coastal marshes dominated by Spartina patens (Ait.) Muhl. Program and Abstract Book Chenier Plain Symposium, Lake Charles, Louisiana, 8-9 January, 2009.
  • Kolker, A.S., M.A. Allison, K.A. Butcher, J.A. Nyman, and B. Rosenheim. 2008. Sediment dynamics during the Mississippi River Flood of the Spring of 2008: Program and Abstract Book Implications for coastal restoration. Dynamics of the 2008 Lower Mississippi River Flood Conference. New Orleans, Louisiana, 17 October, 2008.
  • Tobias, V.D., J.A. Nyman, R.D. DeLaune, and J.D. Foret. 2008. Limiting factors of Spartina patens II: Stochiochemistry of Spartina patens leaf tissue as a restoration planning and management tool. Program and Abstract CD Society of Wetland Scientists International Conference. Washington, D.C., 26-30 May, 2008.
  • Williamson, M.F., V.D. Tobias, and J.A. Nyman. 2008. Chemical concentration in Spartina alterniflora from sites in coastal Louisiana wetlands that differ in freshwater and nutrient inputs. Program and Abstract CD Society of Wetland Scientists International Conference. Washington, D.C., 26-30 May, 2008.
  • Nyman, J.A., and T.E. McGinniss II. 2008. Marsh Loss Mechanisms where River Inflow is High and Subsidence is Slow: how Estuarine Marshes Can Erode even in The Virtual Absence of Wave and Tidal Energy. Program and Abstract Book Ecosystem Functions and the Dynamic Atchafalaya River from the Old River Control Structure to the Continental Shelf. Baton Rouge, LA, 10-11 January 2008.
  • Scaroni, A.E., J.A. Nyman, C.W. Lindau, R.D. DeLaune, and R.F. Keim. 2008. Identifying Controls on Nutrient Removal in the Atchafalaya River Basin, Louisiana. Program and Abstract Book Ecosystem Functions and the Dynamic Atchafalaya River from the Old River Control Structure to the Continental Shelf. Baton Rouge, LA, 10-11 January 2008
  • Winslow, C.J., J.A. Nyman, and B.C. Wilson. 2003. Do wintering waterfowl deplete food availability in fresh coastal marshes of Louisiana and Texas Program and Abstract Book Society of Wetland Scientists 24th Annual Meeting. New Orleans, Louisiana. 8-13 June, 2003.
  • O'Connell, J.L., and J.A. Nyman. 2007. Coastal marsh restoration using terraces: effects on waterbirds in Louisiana's Chenier Plain. Program and Abstract Book 61st Annual Conference of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. 21-24 October, 2007. Charleston, West Virginia.
  • O'Connell, J.L., and J.A. Nyman. 2007. Coastal marsh restoration using terraces: effects on waterbirds in Louisiana;s Chenier Plain. Program and Abstract Book 2007 Society of Wetland Scientists International Conference. Sacramento, California. 10-15 June, 2007.
  • Nyman, J.A., R.D. DeLaune, C.W. Lindau, and R. Keim. 2006. Effects of restoration and habitat change on carbon and nutrient retention in the Atchafalaya River Basin. Program and Abstract Book South Central Chapter of the Society of Wetland Scientists Annual Fall Meeting, Vicksburg, Mississippi, 5-7 October, 2006.
  • Cannaday, C., and J.A. Nyman. 2006. The effect of terraces on Submersed Aquatic Vegetation in three southwest Louisiana marshes. Program and Abstract Book Earthen Terraces: Status of the Technique. Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 12 April, 2006.
  • Bossman, B.P., M.K. La Peyre, and J.A. Nyman. 2006. Marsh Terracing as a restoration technique for creating nekton habitat. Program and Abstract Book Earthen Terraces: Status of the Technique. Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 12 April, 2006.
  • O'Connell, J., and J.A. Nyman. 2006. Waterbird habitat use of terraced and unterraced ponds in coastal Louisiana. Program and Abstract Book Earthen Terraces: Status of the Technique. Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 12 April, 2006.
  • Nyman, J.A., and D. Huval. 2003. Nutrient availability and salinity stress interact to affect growth of the emergent plant Spartina patens Ait muhl. Program and Abstract Book Eighth International Symposium on Biogeochemistry of Wetlands. Gent, Belgium. 14-17 September, 2003.
  • Burcham, A.K., T.C. Michot, J.A. Nyman. 2003. The interactive effects of environmental stress and fungal infection on Spartina alterniflora in coastal Louisiana. Program and Abstract Book Society of Wetland Scientists 24th Annual Meeting. New Orleans, Louisiana. 8-13 June, 2003.
  • Bush, C.S., M.K.G. La Peyre, and J.A. Nyman. 2003. Nekton utilization of restored habitat in a southwest Louisiana marsh. Program and Abstract Book Society of Wetland Scientists 24th Annual Meeting. New Orleans, Louisiana. 8-13 June, 2003.
  • Kanouse, S.C., M.K.G. La Peyre, and J.A. Nyman. 2003. Linking fish and habitats: nekton use of three brackish marsh pond microhabitat types. Program and Abstract Book Society of Wetland Scientists 24th Annual Meeting. New Orleans, Louisiana. 8-13 June, 2003.
  • Caldwell, A.B., and J.A. Nyman. 2003. Terraces and coconut mats affect seeds and submerged aquatic vegetation at Sabine National Wildlife Refuge. Program and Abstract Book Society of Wetland Scientists 24th Annual Meeting. New Orleans, Louisiana. 8-13 June, 2003.
  • Huval, D.L., and J.A. Nyman. 2002. Effects of nutrient additions on salinity stress in Spartina patens. Program and Abstract Book Society of Wetland Scientists 23rd Annual Conference. Lake Placid, New York. 2-7 June, 2002.
  • Melancon, G., J.A. Nyman, T.C. Michot, and J.D. Foret. 2002. Extensive dieback of non-saline coastal marshes in Louisiana, 1999-2001. Program and Abstract Book Society of Wetland Scientists 23rd Annual Conference. Lake Placid, New York. 2-7 June, 2002.


Progress 01/01/08 to 12/31/08

Outputs
OUTPUTS: The project generated outputs in the form of a peer-reviewed publication and seven presentations at professional meetings ranging from regional to international in scope. I initiated one of the meetings, which was focused on the Atchafalaya River and was attended by over 200 landowners, land managers, scientists, users (hunters and fishers), and members of the press. Presentations in Washington D.C. at the Society of Wetland Scientists meeting led to two collaborative research proposals with scientists and managers attempting to anticipate the effects of global sea-level rise on coastal wetlands in Chesapeake Bay. I presented research results to the Environmental Work Group of the Coastal Wetland Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act (CWPPRA) Task Force in Louisiana. This project also began organizing a team of research scientists to new answer questions being posed by federal resource management agencies regarding interactions among coastal wetland restoration, nitrogen cycling, and bioaccumulation of mercury in fish and wildlife in Louisiana, which has resulted in three research proposals in review. PARTICIPANTS: Ph.D. Students Amy Scaroni and Vanessa Tobias worked on this project. Also, an undergraduate student completed and Honor's Thesis that contributed to this project: Margaret Williamson. Partner Organizations included the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, Ducks Unlimited, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Vermilion Corporation. Collaborators included C.H. Lindau (LSU), R.D. DeLaune (LSU), M.P. La Peyre (USGS), and J.D. Foret (National Marine Fisheries Service). TARGET AUDIENCES: Target audiences are wetland owners and managers as well as the general public who depends upon wetlands to provide fish and wildlife for recreation and/or income. The general public generally relies on state and federal employees for such management. Examples include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Park Service, etc. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.

Impacts
This project has provided data that has led coastal wetland managers to adopt and justify the use of marsh terraces in wetland restoration projects throughout the northern Gulf of Mexico. This project showed that aquatic vegetation, fish, crustaceans, waterfowl, and wading bird abundance can be increased in shallow open water areas that develop after marsh loss if marsh terraces are built. This project has provided data and insights that can modify how coastal wetlands are being managed to survive global sea-level rise throughout the northern Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Coast of the United States. This insight is relevant throughout such a large area because it has shows that sediment accumulation is not the only way that coastal marshes add the new elevation needed to survive subsidence and global sea-level rise, and that accumulation of soil organic matter can be more important even in sediment rich coastal areas.

Publications

  • Lindau, C.W., R.D. DeLaune, A.E. Scaroni and J.A. Nyman. 2008. Denitrification in cypress swamp within the Atchafalaya River Basin, Louisiana. Chemosphere 70:886-894.
  • Kolker, A.S., M.A. Allison, K.A. Butcher, R.W. Fulweiler, S. Green, J Nittrouer, J.A. Nyman, and B. Rosenheim. 2008. The Mississippi River Flood of 2008: Sediment Dynamics and Implications for Coastal Restoration. 2008 Joint Meeting of The Geological Society of America, Soil Science Society of America, American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies with the Gulf Coast Section of SEPM. 5-9 October, 2008, Houston, TX.
  • Scaroni, A.M., J.A. Nyman, C.W. Lindau, R.D. DeLaune, and R.F. Keim. 2008. Potential for Nutrient Removal by a Large River Floodplain; Atchafalaya River Basin, Louisiana, USA. 8th INTECOL International Wetlands Conference, 20-25 July, Cuiaba, Brazil.
  • Nyman, J.A. 2008. Four scenarios of the spatial extent of coastal marsh to global sea-level rise. Society of Wetland Scientists International Conference. Washington, D.C., 26-30 May, 2008.
  • Nyman, J.A., J.H. Merino, and D.L. Huval. 2008. Limiting factors of Spartina patens I: Implication of nutrient and salinity interaction to coastal restoration. Society of Wetland Scientists Internation Conference. Washington, D.C., 26-30 May, 2008.
  • Tobias, V.D., J.A. Nyman, R.D. DeLaune, and J.D. Foret. 2008. Limiting factors of Spartina patens II: Stochiochemistry of Spartina patens leaf tissue as a restoration planning and management tool. Society of Wetland Scientists International Conference. Washington, D.C., 26-30 May, 2008.
  • Williamson, M.F., V.D. Tobias, and J.A. Nyman. 2008. Chemical concentration in Spartina alterniflora from sites in coastal Louisiana wetlands that differ in freshwater and nutrient inputs. Society of Wetland Scientists International Conference. Washington, D.C., 26-30 May, 2008.
  • Nyman, J.A., and T.E. McGinniss II. 2008. Marsh Loss Mechanisms where River Inflow is High and Subsidence is Slow. Ecosystem Functions and the Dynamic Atchafalaya River from the Old River Control Structure to the Continental Shelf, 10-11 January 2008; Baton Rouge, LA. Scaroni, A.E., J.A. Nyman, C.W. Lindau, R.D. DeLaune, and R.F. Keim. 2008. Identifying Controls on Nutrient Removal in the Atchafalaya River Basin, Louisiana. Ecosystem Functions and the Dynamic Atchafalaya River from the Old River Control Structure to the Continental Shelf, 10-11 January 2008; Baton Rouge, LA.


Progress 01/01/07 to 12/31/07

Outputs
OUTPUTS: The project generated outputs in the form of two peer-reviewed publications, 10 presentations at professional meetings, and several invited consultations. In-state invitations included those to a Coastal Prairie Habitat Goals and Objectives Workshop organized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Out-of-state consultations consisted of an invitation to conduct a workshop on coastal wetland management at the annual meeting of the Texas Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, and two invitations to Capital Hill. In May, I was one of 7 people who met at the Pentagon with J. P Woodley, Jr., Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) to promote integrated watershed management of the Mississippi River watershed. Watershed-wide resource management could improve the efficiency of numerous efforts by state and federal agencies to deal with excessive sedimentation that threatens navigation and wetlands in the northern portions of the watershed, inadequate sedimentation that threatens wetlands and flood protection in the southern portion of the watershed, hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico, etc. I was invited to that meeting by the Louisiana Governor's Office because of my research in wetland sedimentation and nitrogen dynamics. In June, I was one of two coastal wetland scientists invited by the Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS) and the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO) to conduct a short course regarding Wetlands and Climate Change for congressional staffers. I was invited by Society of Wetland Scientists to teach this course because of my research into the response of coastal wetlands to sea-level rise and the role of coastal wetlands in coastal water quality. Dissemination also included (1) taking a high school class (Runnells High School in Baton) on a boat tour of the Atchafalaya River Basin to discuss renewable natural resources (such as timber, crawfish, and white-tailed deer), natural processes (succession), and anthropogenic processes (navigation and oil/gas extraction); and (2) taking a college class from Arkansas Tech University on a boat tour of the Atchafalaya River Delta to discuss wetland dynamics, wildlife and fisheries management. PARTICIPANTS: J.A. Nyman Ph.D. (Principle Investigator) A.E. Scaroni (Ph.D. Student) V.D. Tobias (Ph.D. Student) R.F. Keim Ph.D. (collaborator at LSU Agricultural Center) C.W. Lindau Ph.D. (collaborator at Louisiana State University, School of the Coast and Environment). R.D. DeLaune Ph.D.(collaborator at Louisiana State University, School of the Coast and Environment) J.D. Foret Ph.D. (collaborator at NOAA, National Marine Fisheries Service) TARGET AUDIENCES: Target audiences include research scientists, resource managers, policy makers, and the general public. Efforts included presentations at professional meetings, consultations on Capital Hill, and informal communication with local reporters.

Impacts
This project may have contributed to the inclusion of marsh terraces in wetland restoration projects throughout the northern Gulf of Mexico and San Francisco Bay. Certainly, the actions of others involved in wetland terrace projects were essential, but the research results reported this year and in previous years may have contributed to adoption of that wetland restoration technique. This project may have contributed information considered when Congress included modifications to the operation of the Old River Control Structure in federal legislation authorizing development of a comprehensive plan for protecting, preserving, and restoring the coastal Louisiana ecosystem. Appropriations to fund that development may take years however. This project has helped initiate efforts to understand the role of the Atchafalaya River Basin on nutrient removal by that floodplain on nutrient discharge to the Gulf of Mexico and hence, hypoxia there. This project also resulted in the inclusion of migratory water bird habitat, in the form of Moist Soil Units, in plans to restore urban lakes in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. As far as I know, these will be the first urban Moist Soil Units in the nation. Those plans are authorized by the U.S. Congress, but not yet appropriated.

Publications

  • La Peyre, M.K., B. Gossman, and J.A. Nyman. 2007. Assessing functional equivalency of nekton habitat in enhanced habitats: Comparison of terraced and unterraced marsh ponds. Estuaries and Coasts 33 (3), 526-536.
  • Nyman, J.A., P.L. Klerks, and S. Bhattacharyya. 2007. Effects of chemical additives on hydrocarbon disappearance and biodegradation in freshwater marsh microcosms. Environmental Pollution 149:227-238.
  • Abstracts: Nyman, J.A., A.E. Scaroni, C.W. Lindau, R.D. DeLaune, and R.F. Keim. 2007. Nutrient Removal by the Atchafalaya River Basin. Louisiana Water Quality Conference: Watershed Issues 2007, Lafayette, Louisiana, 29-31 October, 2007.
  • Connell, J.L., and J.A. Nyman. 2007. Coastal marsh restoration using terraces: effects on waterbirds in Louisiana's Chenier Plain. 61st Annual Conference of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. 21-24 October, 2007. Charleston, West Virginia.
  • Tobias, V.D., J.A. Nyman, R.D. DeLaune, and J.D. Foret. 2007. Application of leaf tissue chemistry to the identification of factors limiting biomass production in Spartina patens to improve restoration of coastal marshes. Society of Wetland Scientists South Central Chapter Meeting; October 4-6, 2007; Memphis, TN.
  • Tobias, V.D., J.A. Nyman, R.D. DeLaune, and J.D. Foret. 2007. Application of leaf tissue chemistry to the identification of factors limiting biomass production in Spartina patens to improve restoration of coastal marshes. Louisiana Association of Professional Biologists; August 9-10, 2007; Lafayette, LA.
  • King, S.K., and J.A. Nyman. 2007. Integrating wildlife ecology into wetlands ecology courses. 2007 Society of Wetland Scientists International Conference. Sacramento, California. 10-15 June, 2007.
  • O'Connell, J.L., and J.A. Nyman. 2007. Coastal marsh restoration using terraces: effects on waterbirds in Louisiana's Chenier Plain. 2007 Society of Wetland Scientists International Conference. Sacramento, California. 10-15 June, 2007.
  • Nyman, J.A. and R.R. Twilley. 2007. Effects of riverine influences on soil organic matter decomposition in Louisiana coastal marshes dominated by Spartina patens (Ait.) Muhl. 10th International Symposium on Wetland Biogeochemistry. Annapolis, Maryland, 1-4 April, 2007.
  • Scaroni, A.E., J.A. Nyman, and C.W. Lindau. 2007. Nutrient removal by habitat type in the Atchafalaya River Basin. 10th International Symposium on Wetland Biogeochemistry. Annapolis, Maryland, 1-4 April, 2007.
  • Tobias, V.D., J.A. Nyman, R.D. DeLaune, and J.D. Foret,. 2007. Effects of salinity and nutrients on the elemental composition of Spartina patens (Ait). Muhl. leaves. 10th International Symposium on Wetland Biogeochemistry. Annapolis, Maryland, 1-4 April, 2007.
  • Nyman, J.A. 2007. Challenges to Conserving Texas Coastal Marshes: global sea-level rise and increasing marine influence. Texas Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting. Lake Jackson, Texas, 2-4 March, 2007. (invited).


Progress 01/01/06 to 12/31/06

Outputs
One peer-reviewed paper was published that showed that stable and deteriorating coastal marshes in Louisiana counter global sea-level rise and subsidence through the accumulation of organic matter rather than mineral sediments. We hypothesized a new mechanism for organic accumulation, and tested that hypothesis in a greenhouse study; additional testing will be required to confirm this hypothesis. A series of field studies of the restoration effects of wetland terraces was completed in cooperation with Dr. LaPeyre (U.S.G.S., Louisiana Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit). Wetland terraces are a mitigation technique developed for areas far removed from rivers. Terraces became popular in coastal Louisiana and Galveston Bay in the late 1990s. Our experiments began in 2001 and were completed in 2006. These studies involved funding from three sources (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, La. Depart. of Wildlife and Fisheries, and the Gulf Coast Joint Venture), and led to the completion of 2 M.S. theses in 2006 (3 were previously completed) and 5 presentations at professional meetings in 2006. Previous studies focused on submerged aquatic vegetation, fish, and crustaceans. The final study concluded ponds with terraces generally had more waterbirds than ponds without terraces. We hope to publish 3 peer-reviewed publications in addition to the one in 2004. In collaboration with Dr. Lindau (Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, LSU), a study of the effects of restoration in the Atchafalaya Basin on denitrification was completed. That work was funded by the Louisiana Governor's Office of Coastal Activities. It is important research because if increasing river flow increases denitrification, as expected, then the benefits of wetland restoration projects that utilize river flow have been under-estimated. Our laboratory study indicated that increasing flow through cypress swamps quickly increases denitrification in swamp soils. Hence, management to improve fish habitat quality by increasing river flow through cypress swamp may be more beneficial and cost-effective than planners previously have assumed. A collaborative research proposal with Drs. Keim (School of Renewable Natural Resources, LSU AgCenter), DeLaune (Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, LSU), and Lindau (Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, LSU) was organized to study the effects of large scale habitat change in the Atchafalaya Basin on denitrification and nitrogen storage in soil and woody biomass. The first year of that 5-year study was funded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. A Ph.D student was recruited and field work was initiated. A collaborative research proposal with Drs. DeLaune (Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, LSU) and Foret (National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA) was organized to test a method to provide (1) an index of nutrient, salinity, and flooding stress in coastal wetlands, and (2) a measure that can map areas where freshwater introductions increase plant growth in coastal wetlands. That 2-year study was funded by the Coastal Restoration Enhancement through Science and Technology (CREST) program. A Ph.D student was recruited and analyses were initiated.

Impacts
Completing field studies of terracing has provided managers employed by state and federal agencies, as well as at NGO's such as Ducks Unlimited, with the confidence to proceed with terracing programs as a wetland restoration and mitigation tool. Presentations made by myself, Dr. LaPeyre, and graduate students have begun to communicate those findings to resource managers, and peer-reviewed publications will follow. Field studies dealing with marsh terraces have been completed, and have now switched to the effects of river water on floodplain and coastal wetlands. It will take several years before this research begins to have an impact on resource managers, but the potential ecological benefits to Louisiana of using wetlands as river water processing systems are significant.

Publications

  • Nyman, J.A., R.J. Walters, R.D. DeLaune, and W.H. Patrick, Jr. 2006. Marsh vertical accretion via vegetative growth. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science. 69:370-380.


Progress 01/01/05 to 12/31/05

Outputs
Three manuscripts were published. One is a review that describes the ecology and management of coastal wetlands. A second describes the effects of different response options on biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons in fresh marsh soils. The third describes the results of an initial study to determine if terraces, which are one of the smallest scale wetland restoration techniques, enhance the abundance of fish, shrimp, and crabs, as wetland managers anticipate. Another manuscript from those initial terrace studies still is in review. Two larger-scale field studies of terraces were completed. Larger scale studies were needed because terracing was such a novel technique when the initial studies began that only one site was available for study. The larger scale studies were conducted in three pairs of terraced and unterraced ponds on state and federal wildlife refuges in coastal Louisiana (Rockefeller State Wildlife Refuge, and Sabine National Wildlife Refuge). Manuscripts describing those studies were initiated. A study to determine if terraces increase waterbird abundance was initiated. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita forced a search for new sampling methods because the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries no longer is able to provide housing at their Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge. The study has continued, but fewer data can be collected because increased travel time reduces the amount of time on the study sites. Field work will continue into 2006. A study to determine the effects of river flow on denitrification was initiated after funding was obtained, and second year of funding was obtained to continue that work through 2006. This work is important because if, as expected, increasing river flow increased denitrification, then the benefits of wetland restoration projects that utilize river flow have been under-estimated, and hence may be more cost-effective than planners have assumed. A pre-proposal was prepared to test a method to provide (1) an index of nutrient, salinity, and flooding stress in coastal wetlands, and (2) a measure that can map areas where freshwater introductions increase plant growth in coastal wetlands. A full proposal was invited, and will be submitted in 2006.

Impacts
The greatest impact of last years' accomplishments probably will result from the publication of the manuscript describing ecology and management of coastal wetlands. That manuscript was published by The Wildlife Society in a book that is widely used throughout the United States by refuge managers as a management guide and by college professors as a textbook. The other publications should help wetland managers be more efficient in their planning for waterfowl management and in their responses to oil spills. The studies of wetland terraces led to three contributed and two invited presentations. Those two invited presentations were from professionals closely involved in wetland management and restoration: Louisiana Sea Grant, and the Coastal Wetland Planning, Protection and Restoration Act Task Force. Other presentations were to audiences dominated by researchers. The ongoing field study and the proposals in preparation should continue to provide information needed by wetland managers to understand how effective different wetland restoration techniques are, and why some techniques are more effective in some situations than in others. Restoration of coastal marshes and bottomland hardwoods is a common practice throughout the southeastern United States. The cost effectiveness of environmental restoration should improve as land managers can more accurately predict the impacts of their efforts.

Publications

  • Marino, J.H., J.A. Nyman, and T. Michot. 2005. Effects of season and marsh management on submersed aquatic vegetation in coastal Louisiana brackish marsh ponds. Ecological Restoration 23:235-243.
  • La Peyre, M.K., C.S. Bush Thom, C. Winslow, A. Caldwell and J. A. Nyman. 2005. Comparison of seed bank size and composition in fringing, restored, and impounded marsh in southwest Louisiana. Southeastern Naturalist 4:273-286.
  • Chabreck, R.H., and J.A. Nyman. 2005. Management of coastal wetlands. Pages 839-860 In C. Braun (ed.) Research and management techniques for wildlife and habitats. The Wildlife Society, Washington, D.C.


Progress 01/01/04 to 12/31/04

Outputs
Two manuscripts were submitted, and one was accepted, that describe the results of initial studies to determine if terraces, which are one of the smallest scale wetland restoration techniques, enhance submerged aquatic vegetation and fish as wetland managers anticipated. Those initial studies found that terraces increased fish abundance but not submersed aquatic vegetation abundance. Progress continued with a new larger-scale field study to address these issues because terraces were so new when the initial study was begun that only one site was available for study. The new study will be completed in 2005. A proposal to determine if terraces increase waterbird abundance as wetland managers anticipate was prepared, submitted, and accepted for funding. Work on that project will begin next year and will take 2 years to complete. Work began on a manuscript that describes the results of a greenhouse study to determine if freshwater diversions, which are the largest scale wetland restoration technique, enhance emergent plant growth by reducing salinity stress, or by increasing nutrient availability. This study indicated that vegetation responds to reduced salinity more than increased nutrient availability. An important management implication is that freshwater diversions will affect a much larger area than would be predicted based upon the effects of diversions on nutrients. A proposal to determine the effects of river flow on denitrification also was prepared and is still pending. If increasing river flow increased denitrification as expected, then the benefits of wetland restoration projects that utilize river flow have been under-estimated, and hence may be more cost-effective than planners have assumed. One research project was completed that compared mortality of white-tailed deer between high fence enclosures and unfenced areas. The results confirmed that fencing reduces white-tailed deer mortality, which is desired by some landowners but may lead to high deer density and increased rates of disease among deer and reduced rates of forest regeneration. Research continued on the effects of herbivory by white-tailed deer on forest regeneration. That study will be completed during 2005. A greenhouse experiment was planned to determine why oak seedlings, but not green ash seedlings, die in a coastal wetland forest even when protected from herbivory by white-tailed deer as was observed during ongoing field work. This greenhouse experiment is planned for 2005. This project also contributed to a manuscript that described a study to determine if hydrocarbon toxicity can be predicted from chemical analyses. That study led to the conclusion that chemical analyses can be used as a surrogate for toxicity tests only in uncontaminated sites.

Impacts
Land managers need to know how effective different wetland restoration techniques are, and why some techniques are more effective in some situations than in others. Restoration of coastal marshes and bottomland hardwoods are common in the southeastern United States. This research will help land managers understand the effects of two restoration techniques common in coastal marshes, and the effects of white-tailed deer on forest regeneration. The cost effectiveness of environmental restoration should improve as land managers can more accurately predict the impacts of their efforts.

Publications

  • Bush Thom, C.S., M.K.G. La Peyre, and J.A. Nyman. 2004. Evaluation of nekton use and habitat characteristics of restored Louisiana marsh. Ecological Engineering 23:63-75.
  • Klerks, P.L., J.A. Nyman, and S. Bhattacharyya. 2004. Relationship between hydrocarbon measurements and toxicity to a chrinomid, fish larvae, and daphnid for oils and oil spill chemical treatments in laboratory freshwater marsh microcosms. Environmental Pollution 129:345-353.