Understanding hydrologic controls on carbon accumulation and export within geographically isolated wetlands (GIW) has implications for the success of wetland restoration efforts intended to produce carbon sinks. However, little is known about how hydrologic connectivity along the aquatic-terrestrial interface in GIW catchments influences carbon dynamics, particularly regarding dissolved organic matter (DOM) transport and transformation. The organic matter (carbon) that accumulates in wetland soils may be released into water, generating DOM. DOM is mobile and reactive, making it influential to aquatic metabolism and water quality. To understand the role of different soil horizons as potential sources of DOM, extractable soil organic matter (ESOM) was measured in soil horizons collected from upland to wetland transects at four Delmarva Bay GIWs on the Delmarva Peninsula in the eastern United States. ESOM quantity and quality were analyzed to provide insights to organic matter sources and chemical characteristics. Findings demonstrated that ESOM in shallow organic horizons had increased aromaticity, higher molecular weight, and plant-like signatures. ESOM from deeper, mineral horizons had lower aromaticity, lower molecular weights, and protein-like signatures. Organic soil horizons had the largest quantities of ESOM, and ESOM decreased with increasing soil depth. ESOM quantities also generally decreased from the upland to the wetland, suggesting that continuous soil saturation leads to a decreased quantity of ESOM. Despite wetland soils having lower ESOM, these horizons are thicker and continuously hydrologically connected to wetland surface water, leading to wetland soils representing the largest potential source of DOM to the Delmarva Bay wetland system. Knowledge of which soil horizons are most biogeochemically significant for DOM transport in Delmarva and other GIW systems will become increasingly important as climate change is expected to alter the hydrologic connectivity of wetland soils to the surface water-groundwater continuum and as wetlands are more frequently designed for carbon sequestration. / Master of Science / Wetlands store carbon in their plant biomass and soils, which helps to mitigate the effects of climate change by keeping carbon out of the atmosphere. Carbon builds up in wetland soils because the continuously wet conditions slow down the microbial processes that would otherwise break down the organic matter (carbon) and release it to the atmosphere via greenhouse gas emissions. However, the organic matter that accumulates in wetland soils may be released into water, generating dissolved organic matter (DOM). This DOM has the potential to flow out of the wetland, providing a source of energy to aquatic organisms or impacting downstream water quality. Not all wetlands are continuously connected to other water bodies. Geographically Isolated Wetlands (GIW) are wetlands that you could walk all the way around and keep your feet dry. Despite lack of continuous surface water connections, GIWs may still influence downstream water quality via groundwater flow paths or seasonal surface water connections. This variable connectivity makes GIWs a unique setting to study carbon storage and fluxes in wetland soils. The potential for soil-derived DOM generation was studied by extracting organic matter from soils along a wet to dry gradient in Delmarva Bay GIWs. Shallow soils had the largest quantities of extractable soil organic matter (ESOM) and this organic matter is likely sourced from plant inputs to the soil. ESOM from deeper soils was more similar to the microbes that consume and alter the organic matter as it cycles deeper into the soil. Soils located in the wetland basin had less ESOM because continuous saturation depleted the pool of ESOM. Despite lower values of ESOM, wetland soils are very thick and continuously saturated, making these soils the largest potential contributor of soil-derived DOM to Delmarva Bay GIWs. This work furthers our understanding of how hydrology drives carbon cycling in GIWs and will inform wetland restoration efforts designed to create carbon sinks.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) regulates fill of jurisdictional waters of the United States including wetlands. Recent USACE regulations set a threshold of impacts to wetlands at one-half acre. Impact area can be determined by Global Positioning System (GPS) measurement of wetland boundary and Geographic Information System (GIS) calculation of impact area. GPS point selection methods include (1) equal time interval, (2) transect and (3) intuition. Four two-acre shapes were measured with each GPS method and brought into GIS for area calculation. Analysis of variance and Root Mean Square Error analyses determine that the transect method is an inferior point selection method in terms of accuracy and efficiency.

A redução dos impactos da poluição difusa é ainda pouco explorada no Brasil, havendo ausência de critérios legais quanto à sua mitigação. Contudo, na esfera científica o seu impacto é reconhecido. Seguindo evidências de que há uma carência no tratamento de poluição difusa no país, este trabalho se propõe a analisar wetlands construídas como medidas de controle de poluição difusa, através de modelagens, para 4 áreas na bacia do córrego do Mineirinho. A exploração dessa proposta se deu por três abordagens paralelas. Na primeira, as wetlands foram projetadas para tratar o escoamento superficial de uma chuva crítica, de 61 minutos. Na segunda abordagem, foi utilizada uma chuva crítica de 24 horas de duração. Na terceira, utilizou-se o índice de precipitação anual. O escoamento superficial foi calculado conforme os coeficientes de runoff. Atribuíram-se valores de concentrações médias de evento para DBO e Fósforo aos tipos de uso e ocupação, obtendo-se concentrações médias nas águas pluviais a serem tratadas. O modelo P-k-C* foi empregado na primeira e terceira abordagens, para dimensionar os sistemas com base no desempenho de remoção de cargas. Os resultados obtidos demonstraram a aptidão dos sistemas em reduzir cargas e/ou concentrações na bacia, apresentando como principal limitação técnica o espaço demandado para sua implantação. Houve influência majoritária da infiltração na remoção de cargas, que agiu em conjunto com o decaimento de poluentes ao longo dos sistemas. Na primeira abordagem, o modelo P-k-C* apresentou limitações em prever o desempenho dos sistemas por não comportar vazões variáveis. A segunda abordagem foi a mais simples, baseada apenas no armazenamento do evento crítico, entretanto, há uma carência de relações empíricas traçadas experimentalmente para prever seu desempenho. A terceira abordagem se mostrou a mais adequada ao modelo P-k-C*, podendo ser aprimorada de duas formas: adaptações nas constantes cinéticas ou vazões equivalentes, a fim de descrever uma média anual de desempenho. Concluiu-se que wetlands construídas demonstram potencial para o tratamento de poluição difusa, porém há uma necessidade de estudos a fim de se adaptar as ferramentas de modelagem disponíveis. / Nonpoint source pollutions impacts are still a rarely explored theme in Brazil, in which there are no legal criteria for its treatment. Although, in the scientific sphere its impacts are well known. Following evidence that there is a lack of nonpoint source pollution treatment in Brazil, this study proposes to analyze constructed wetlands as a nonpoint source pollution control measure, through modelling, for four different areas in the Mineirinho stream watershed. This proposal was explored through three different approaches. At first, the wetlands were designed to threat a critic rainfall for flood estimation, with detailed hydrographs. On the second approach, the wetlands were design to fully contain a 24-hour critic rainfall. On the third approach, the wetlands were designed to treat the average annual rainfall. The runoff volumes were estimated by runoff coefficients, and event mean concentrations for BOD and TP were assigned to each source area, resulting in the stormwater quality estimation. The P-k-C* model was applied to calculate systems performance on the first and third approaches. The results showed the aptitude of the systems for reducing loads and concentrations in the watershed, although mainly limited by the availability of areas. Infiltration had a major hole in reducing loads, although there were also significant amounts of pollutant removed by the systems. At the first approach, the P-k-C* model presented limitations on describing stormwater treatment, because of its unsteady and intermittent characteristics. The second approach was the simplest, based on containing the whole runoff volume, but it also showed a lack of studies stablishing empiric relations to estimate its performance. The third approach was the most adequate to the P-k-C* model, which usage could be improved by two adaptations in its parameters: kinetic coefficient adaptations or the adoption of equivalent steady flows, to describe the annual wetland performance. The study concluded that constructed wetlands show great promise for treating nonpoint source pollution in the watershed, but there is a need of more studies to regionalize empiric solutions available in the scientific literature, to apply the designing techniques with greater precision.

Esta dissertação propõe uma metodologia para a escolha do melhor local para se implantar uma wetland construída. Wetlands Construídas são modelos de ecossistemas projetados pelo homem, especificamente para tratar águas residuais, otimizando processos biológicos, físicos e químicos que ocorrem em sistemas alagados naturais. Proporcionando por sua vez, um tratamento eficaz, econômico e ambientalmente adequado de esgoto. O avanço da informática associado com a Geografia tem gerado o recurso Sistema de Informações Geográficas, e neste se fundamenta este projeto. O SIG, permite que os fundamentos teóricos, conceituais e práticos se mesclem às experiências dos projetistas, trazendo à razão uma base matemática expressa em forma de mapas que podem mostrar as diversas variáveis tratadas em muitas questões relacionadas ao planejamento ambiental racionalizado. Diversos mapas podem ser cruzados pelo SIG, com atribuição de pesos vinculados à importância de cada variável para que, desta forma, possam ser determinadas às regiões do espaço geográfico que melhor atinjam todas as condições estabelecidas, cunhadas como ideais, na implementação de um tipo de intervenção no espaço analisado, como encontrar lugares ideais para implantar sistemas de tratamento de água como wetland construída acompanhado das prerrogativas do Reúso de Água. O lugar escolhido para este projeto de pesquisa foi a Serra do Japi, localizada no município de Jundiaí, situado a aproximadamente 63 quilômetros da capital do Estado de São Paulo, fazendo divisa com os municípios de Cabreúva, Pirapora do Bom Jesus e Cajamar, pertencente a um dos eixos econômicos de maior relevância do país, segundo Morellato (1992). Para o desenvolvimento do projeto, foi estabelecido como condição, que o software utilizado fosse de boa qualidade técnica e também gratuito, para que desta forma outros pesquisadores pudessem facilmente testar e fazer uso da metodologia proposta, sem grandes custos, assim como diversas instituições, como pequenos municípios, ONGs etc. Por este motivo que o software Spring, do INPE Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais, foi escolhido. / Não fornecido pela autora.

A várzea do ribeirão Parelheiros foi o objeto desse estudo. É um corpo de água que recebe água de transposição da represa Billings para a represa do Guarapiranga. Além disso, essa várzea recebe contribuições de poluentes de diversas fontes difusas originadas dentro e fora da bacia do Guarapiranga, que deságuam no referido ribeirão. Esse trabalho de pesquisa aplicada visou analisar a atuação da várzea do ribeirão Parelheiros na melhoria da qualidade das águas que afluem à represa do Guarapiranga. Foram analisados dados de qualidade de águas relativos a diversos parâmetros relevantes (médias mensais de contagens de coliformes totais e fecais, contagens de células de cianofíceas totais, concentrações de exotoxina, teores de nitrogênio total e fósforo total, cor aparente, turbidez, demanda química de oxigênio e pH) e de vazões afluentes (mínimas, médias e máximas mensais) que tinham sido coletados durante cerca de dez meses seqüenciais, sendo quatro meses ditos secos e seis meses ditos chuvosos. Não foi possível analisar completamente os efeitos do regime de vazões de entrada e saída da várzea sobre a atuação desta como amortecedora de constituintes poluidores (por exemplo, de nutrientes - nitrogênio e fósforo) porque não se dispunha de dados das contribuições das fontes difusas, as quais não são monitoradas. A várzea mostrou eficiência de remoção superior a 30% em relação à melhoria de algumas, não de todas as variáveis ambientais, a saber turbidez, cianofíceas totais e microcistina, sendo que o regime pluviométrico exerceu influência significativa na atuação da várzea como amortecedora de constituintes poluidores. Porém, as eficiências relativas aos períodos seco e chuvoso mostraram resultados muito semelhantes / The wetlands formed by Parelheiros creek were the focal point of this study. The creek is a water body that receives waters imported from Billings reservoir into Guarapiranga reservoir. The referred creek and associated wetlands also receive waters with diffuse source pollutants from inside and outside of the Guarapiranga watershed. This applied research work aimed at analyzing the performance of the referred wetlands in the improvement of the quality of the above-mentioned waters before they enter the Guarapiranga reservoir. Water quality data regarding several relevant parameters (monthly averages of total and fecal coliform counts, total cyanobacteria cell counts, exotoxin concentrations, total nitrogen and total phosphorus, apparent color, turbidity, chemical oxygen demand and pH) as well as flow data (minimum, average and maximum influent flows) were analyzed. The data were collected during a ten-month period comprised of four dry weather months followed by six wet weather months. It was not possible to analyze completely the effects of flow regime on the performance of the wetlands as a buffer zone for pollutant abatement because there was no available data on the diffuse source contributions, since they are not monitored. The wetlands showed removal efficiencies above 30% with respect to the improvement of some (not all) variables, as follows: turbidity, total cyanobacteria concentration and microcystia concentration. The pluviometry exerted significant influence on the wetland performance as a buffer zone for abatement of certain water constituents which represent pollution. However, removal efficiencies regarding wet and dry periods were very similar to each other

Thesis (M. Phil. (Environmental Law and Management) -- University of Limpopo, 2010 / According to the Ramsar Convention of 1971, Wetlands are areas of marshes, firm, peatlands or waterlogged. They are either natural or artificial. They have water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salty and include areas of marine water with the depth, which at low tides does not exceed six meters. Wetlands are regarded as important ecological components of the natural environment because of their richness and ability to support life. Wetlands essentially catch, clean and preserve any water. They are able to reduce the severity of drought and floods by regulating a stream flow. They also control erosion and provide habitat for many different plant and animal species. Wetlands also serve as valuable source of water, fish and grazing for livestock. They are important nesting grounds for birds. Wetland resources are also known to be of socio-economic importance because they provide materials for furniture and craft’s work Ga-Riba wetlands are very important for the community of Ga –Riba because they provide them with food such as fish and birds. Some of the community members make baskets, hats and mats using wetlands grass. They also make pottery using clay from the wetlands. During winter the wetlands are used as areas where traditional initiation for Ga-Riba girls is perfomed. Some people own fields within the wetlands on which they cultivate vegetables, maize and other crops. They also use wetland as grazing areas for their domestic animals such as cattle and goats. The Ga-Riba wetlands are being invaded by one of the alien plant called Populus alba L (Poplar). This type of alien plant, like other alien plants disturbs the ecological stability of the wetlands. Findings of the tests conducted on soil and water indicated that Poplars are changing the nature of the soil and the water of the wetlands. Vegetation survey showed that, wetlands had less vegetation than they were supposed to. With regard to legal instruments to control the invasion of wetlands by alien plants, findings showed that there are insuffient legal instruments which can be utilized.

Saltwater intrusion alters the natural salinity and phosphorus (P) gradients in the oligotrophic, freshwater wetlands located near coastlines of the Caribbean Basin with important consequences to the structure and function of key ecosystem components, including plants, soil microbes, and periphyton. Periphyton communities, particularly diatoms, are extremely sensitive to water quality changes and can serve as excellent bioindicators; however, little is known about their use in detecting novel rates of saltwater intrusion into coastal, freshwater wetlands. I examined the individual and combined effects of elevated salinity and P on periphyton functional processes and diatom composition by conducting transect surveys along salinity and P gradients in the southern Everglades, as well as through mesocosm studies in which salinity and P were experimental manipulated. I demonstrated that conductivity (a proxy for salinity) and P gradients drive spatial patterns in diatom assemblage structure in the southern Everglades and that these assemblages have relatively low conductivity (2 mS cm-1) and total P thresholds (82 µg g-1). These findings were supported by the experimental work which showed that monthly pulses of elevated salinity only ~1 ppt above ambient was sufficient to cause significant shifts in periphytic diatom assemblages along with reduced periphyton productivity, total carbon, and nutrient content. The addition of P to freshwater and salt-treated periphyton significantly elevated mat total P, underscoring the P-uptake efficiency of periphyton. Surprisingly, addition of P to freshwater periphyton did not elicit significant functional or compositional responses, although chlorophyll-aconcentrations and accumulation rates tended to be higher with P. Similar chlorophyll-atrends were observed for salt-treated mats with added P, but these mats also exhibited significantly higher gross primary productivity and net ecosystem productivity compared to all other treatments and a diatom assemblage distinct from any other treatment. This research provides new and valuable information regarding periphyton dynamics in response to changing water sources that will allow us to extend the use of periphyton, and their diatom assemblages, as tools for environmental assessments related to saltwater intrusion in the southern Everglades and other karstic, freshwater wetlands.

"Figures, tables and the appendices appear in the volume II". Bibliography: leaves 130-152.

Forensic Palynology has helped to solve crimes ranging from fraud to murder. Pollen is ubiquitous, almost indestructible and microscopic in size. It is often sticky and easily carried, undetected, from one place to another. As pollen is unique to a plant species, combinations of pollen types (pollen assemblages) present in soil or other samples can identify the type of environment, and often the exact location, from which a sample originated. Although Forensic Palynology has been used routinely in New Zealand for over 25 years, is commonly used in the United Kingdom and has been used in several cases in Australia in the past ten years, little research has been done in this field. In Australia, police require an initial broad palynological analysis of samples from a crime scene prior to approving a more detailed analysis. This project investigates palynological samples from two superficially similar environments that could potentially be a crime scene and alibi location, in order to determine if they can be broadly distinguished from each other. Two Perth metropolitan wetlands, Herdsman Lake and Eric Singleton Bird Sanctuary, were chosen for study as potential sites for assaults and clandestine burials. Four sites within each wetland, with correspondingly similar vegetation communities, were sampled at surface level in different seasons. At three sites, 50 cm cores were taken and sampled at seven levels to simulate shallow grave profiles. Samples were prepared and analysed using standard palynological techniques. Surface and core (grave profile) pollen assemblages were compared site by site within each wetland, and with the corresponding site of the other wetland. The grave profile assemblages for each core were combined and averaged to represent mixed 'burial assemblages', and similarly compared across and within wetlands. Palynological analysis established that the surface soil samples were characteristic of wetland environments. The different vegetation sites in each wetland, and the corresponding vegetation site in the other wetland, were broadly palynologically distinct. The season in which samples were collected was difficult to determine. Grave profile assemblages generally differed from surface samples at each site, and broadly differed across and between the two wetlands, but the differences in the 'burial assemblages' were less marked. The findings of this study confirm that broad palynological analysis can differentiate between two wetlands at surface level and downhole, and that samples at different depths in a grave should be separately analysed. Collection of control samples from similar and possible alibi environments is essential. Caution should be taken when palynologically interpreting the season in which a crime was committed.

"Figures, tables and the appendices appear in the volume II". / Bibliography: leaves 130-152. / 2 v. (152 leaves, [5] leaves of plates; [75] leaves) : ill. (some col.), col. maps ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Botany, 2001