This study examines the status and distribution of rail populations in northern Indiana. Because rails are secretive and difficult to study, there have been few attempts in Indiana to determine the impact of wetland loss on the populations of rails and other marsh-nesting birds. There can be little doubt, however, that the loss of Indiana wetlands during historic times has caused a dramatic decline in rail populations.Using tape-recorded calls to elicit vocalizations, the status and distribution of five species of rails were studied in a 25,900 km2 area in northern Indiana in 1993 and 1994. A total of 107 surveys were conducted at 46 natural wetlands and 42 restored wetlands. The species surveyed were Sora (Porzana carolina), Virginia Rail (Rallus limicola), King Rail (Rallus elegans), Yellow Rail (Coturnicops noveboracensis), and Black Rail (Laterallus jamaicensis). Playbacks were also used to detect American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus), Least Bittern (Ixobrychus exilis), Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) and Sedge Wren (Cistothorus platensis). Data were also collected on all other species of marsh-nesting birds detected during this study.Rails exhibited a patchy distribution. A total of 25 Soras, 33 Virginia Rails, and 1 King Rail was detected in natural wetlands in 1993. In 1994, 75 Soras, 46 Virginia Rails, and 1 King Rail was detected in the natural wetlands. A total of 30 Soras and 9 Virginia Rails was found in the restored wetlands studied in 1993 and 1994. No Yellow or Black Rails were found. Ten Least Bitterns, 31 Marsh Wrens, and 6 Sedge Wrens were detected in natural wetlands, but these species were not observed in restored wetlands.The occurrence of rails in natural wetlands was positively correlated with wetland size, presence of shrub vegetation in the watershed, amount of emergent vegetation, proximity of other wetlands, and extent of cattail cover. Negative correlations were found for human disturbance, amount of open water, and watershed characteristics. The strongest negative correlationswere found for human disturbances in or around the wetland.In restored wetlands, a significant difference was found between the occurrence of Sora and Virginia Rails with Soras occurring more frequently than Virginia Rails. A near significant difference in rail occurrence between natural and restored wetlands was also found, with rails occurring more frequently in natural wetlands, suggesting that natural wetlands surveyed may be a more suitable habitat for rails than the restored wetlands surveyed.Restored wetlands surveyed in this study failed to attract American Bitterns, Least Bitterns, Marsh Wrens or Sedge Wrens. American Bitterns were reported in natural wetlands during this study, but they were not observed. / Department of Biology

Thesis (M.E.S.)--The Evergreen State College, 2007. / Title from title screen (viewed on 1/10/2008). Includes bibliographical references (p. 48-51).

Thesis (M.E.S.)--The Evergreen State College, 2006. / Title from title screen viewed (1/30/2008). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 91-93).

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- McMaster University, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available via World Wide Web.

Community-Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) is considered a win-win approach to reconcile conservation with natural resource use. CBNRM aims to accomplish conservation whilst prioritising development and contributing to poverty alleviation. This study analysed the different components of a CBNRM initiative, Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary (BWS), located in western Uganda. The study was carried out by interviewing the managing committee members (n= 8) as well as local households (n= 68) regarding the manner in which the project works, and the associated benefits and constraints. The main management issues recognised were a lack of monitoring and committee cohesiveness. The information gathered through the household survey enabled the calculation of the value of local livelihood options. This was done on the premise that conservation is better accepted when land users realise the economic value of natural resources. The average annual value of household livelihoods was represented by 30% crop production, 57% natural resource use, and 13% livestock. Lastly, wetland assessments were performed using the WET-Health and WET-EcoServices methodologies from the Wetland Management Series. These assessments indicated that the impacts of local livelihoods on the wetland were currently low but potential issues could arise with the increasing human population density. Ultimately, BWS presents both environmental and social costs and benefits. With a detailed and interdisciplinary method specific recommendations of improvement can be made to reduce such costs and further reconcile the conservation of Bigodi Wetland with local natural resource use..

This thesis examines the role of environmental non-government organizations in relation to the role and responsibility of government for wetland conservation in British Columbia. The role of a small community-based environmental organization called the Burns Bog Conservation Society in decisions about Burns Bog, a large privately-owned wetland located in the Lower Mainland, is analyzed. Drawing from a broad range of literature on environmentalism and conservation, the thesis begins with an historical account of the environmental movement, giving a broad view of environmental conservation and the role of environmental organizations. A typology of roles and analytical framework is subsequently derived from a study of environmental non-government organizations involved in managing water resources in British Columbia's Fraser River Basin. Three main roles, advocacy, supplemental and transformative, are discussed as they relate to activities prior to and during the Burns Bog Analysis, a provincially established land use study of Burns Bog. This research found that a small community-based environmental organization, through advocacy, can ensure that ecological integrity is not neglected as a result of poor planning and decision-making. The case study demonstrates that a small environmental organization can pressure governments to broaden their view of land-use and environmental issues, assuring more informed decision-making. An environmental organization can also supplement the regular roles and responsibilities of government, first by supplying a service that government is unable or unwilling to provide, and second by participating in and legitimizing consensus-based decision-making processes. The case study demonstrates how a small environmental organization can provide and review information and participate in creating options and solutions in land-use decisions. Finally, an environmental organization can influence, overtime, the fundamental restructuring of government planning and decision-making processes and transform the way society thinks and operates. The thesis concludes that environmental non-government organizations have an important role to play in ensuring the recognition and conservation of British Columbia's wetlands in government planning and decision-making processes; in informing and educating government and the public about ecological systems and their values; and in counter-balancing strong economic, political and development interests. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

No description available.

Title from screen page; viewed 10 Dec. 2004. Includes bibliographical references. Electronic publication; full text available in PDF format; abstract in HTML format. xvi, 314 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm.

Thesis (M.S.) -- Mississippi State University. Department of Biological Sciences. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Wetlands are now recognized as being an integral component of the physical landscape. Geomorphology has recently been recognised by wetland scientists as being of fundamental importance in wetland genesis, maintenance and evolution, thereby providing the context for informed, effective wetland management and conservation. At present there exists a paucity of geomorphological wetland research in South Africa. A hydro-geomorphic approach was adopted to attain an understanding of wetland genesis, distribution and functioning of a range of different palustrine wetland systems in the upper Mooi-River Catchment of KwaZulu-Natal. The physical, chemical and landscape-morphological characteristics of wetland soils were investigated to interpret the processes operating within those wetland systems. Both field and laboratory work suggest that wetland creation and maintenance in the upper Mooi River catchment may be attributed primarily to climatic factors, landscape position, landform and geological characteristics. These factors were found to cumulatively control the hydrological characteristics of wetlands, which impart an important influence on internal wetland conditions. While soil properties do not appear to be a primary factor in the establishment of these wetlands, they are nevertheless found to be important in the regulation of the hydrological dynamics of wetland systems. The close interdependence between wetlands and the surrounding landscape and the hydrological cycle is evident in the wetland systems investigated. Geomorphic processes within wetlands such as overbank flooding, overland flow, sedimentation, piping, leaching, soil swelling, shrinkage and cracking and channel incision and dynamics were found to be important variables in determining the nature and internal characteristics of wetland systems. In several of the systems investigated, all of the above mentioned processes were operative, while in other systems, a number of these processes were either insignificant or absent. Canonical Variate Analysis indicated that while commonalities exist between the palustrine wetland systems investigated in this study, significant differences were found between different groups. This supports the argument that a subclassification of the palustrine system into five different palustrine wetland types is warranted. While the scope of the present research did not allow for an extensive investigation of suitable methods of rehabilitation, the study suggests that an understanding of geomorphic process and wetland dynamics will be beneficial to wetland management and conservation as a whole. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2001.