Mute swans (Cygnus olor), an exotic species of waterfowl, have been found to negatively impact native waterbirds and submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) communities in the Chesapeake Bay and lower Great Lakes. Mute swans were first recorded in Illinois in 1971 and their population is small, but growing. In 2008-09, I studied mute swans in central Illinois to investigate whether they negatively impacted waterbirds through aggressive actions and SAV through over-grazing. I also estimated mute swan territory size to estimate potential habitat exclusion and population growth potential. Mute swan territory size averaged 7.0 ha, allowing the current population of approximately 60 breeding pairs to increase to over 125 pairs. I did not find that mute swans reduced above-ground SAV, although I did find that below-ground biomass was reduced where mute swans fed freely. Mute swan aggression was most frequent in early spring and decreasing throughout the breeding season. Most waterbirds were found just as close or closer to mute swans as to control points, although gadwall (Anas strepera) were found farther away perhaps suggesting either avoidance or exclusion. As mute swans become more abundant in Illinois, further monitoring is necessary to prevent significant negative impacts to wetlands and waterbirds.

Thecamoebian tests from recent lacustrine sediments have been shown to be a useful proxy to study environmental changes such as land-use changes, pollution, and climate shifts. In this study, the usefulness of thecamoebians as an environmental proxy for the Middle Mississippi River (MMR) floodplain is explored. Sediment cores and surface samples were collected from two sites in Alexander County, IL: Southern Illinois University's (SIU) MMR Wetland Field Station near East Cape Girardeau, IL and Horseshoe Lake, a dammed oxbow managed by the IL Department of Natural Resources (DNR), near Olive Branch, IL. These sites represent different floodplain environments, management histories, and flooding patterns. The thecamoebian populations were expected to reflect these differences while also responding to regional signals associated with development, agriculture, and climate. Cores were subsampled at a 5cm interval and all samples were sieved with 150μm and 45μm screens to retain thecamoebian tests. Sieved sediment was examined under a microscope and at least 100 tests were identified in each sample. Pre- and post-land clearing assemblages are recognized at each site, primarily by the increased abundance of the eutrophic-indicating species Cucurbitella tricuspis. Additionally, grab samples collected from the wetlands site during the spring indicate that the site may be influenced by road salt runoff in addition to agricultural activity. These results suggest that thecamoebians are a useful land-use change proxy and more research is needed to better understand the environmental conditions influencing assemblages.

This thesis is a part of the project No. P504/11/1151 of The Grant Agency of the Czech Republic, entitled The role of plants in the greenhouse gas budget of a sedge fen. In this thesis, the decomposition rate of a standard material (cellulose) is assessed for three types of wetlands, which differ in water regime. The study took place at two localitites of marginal wetlands with standing water (Mokré louky near Třeboň, Záblatské louky), two floodplain localities (Brouskův mlýn and Hamerské louky) and two peatbog localities (intact and mined parts of Červené blato, respectively). The intensity of decomposition processes was compared among the sites using the method of cellulose bags. The bags were made from nylon nets, each was divided into five pockets and a cellulose strip was inserted in each pocket. A filter paper was used as the cellulose. These bags were placed vertically into the soil profile so that the upper sample was lying on the surface and the lowest was at the depth of 25 cm below the surface. At each locality four places were randomly selected and four replicate bags with cellulose were placed on each of them. In total 96 bags were put in place, which makes 480 cellulose samples. Two experiments, differing in length of exposition, were carried out in 2013. The samples were taken from the field sites after three and five weeks of exposure (experiment No. 1 and 2, respectively). In both experiments, the decrease in ash-free dry matter was the highest at Hamerské louky. The lowest decrease in ash-free dry matter was in the mined part of Červené blato peatbog. In the second experiment the decrease of the ashless dry matter was more noticable, which was caused by the prolonged exposure. The lowest decrease of ash-free dry matter was found in depths of 0 - 10 cm below the soil surface at all the sites.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:31:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2011-11-11Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:42:20Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 giafferis_gp_dr_botfca.pdf: 2278528 bytes, checksum: bc34acd935bbc156fa3e47bced1d5556 (MD5) / Os sistemas de alagados construídos (SACs) são projetados como passivos de depuração, constituídos por lagoas ou canais, compostos por plantas aquáticas livres ou fixas em substratos como areia, solo ou cascalho, onde ocorre a proliferação de biofilmes que agregam populações variadas de micro-organismos presentes nas águas residuárias. O uso combinado de tecnologias simples e de baixo custo como os reatores anaeróbios seguidos de alagados construídos como pós-tratamento, tem sido de interesse para o saneamento em pequenas comunidades. A pesquisa ocorreu em uma planta de tratamento de esgoto real do Departamento de Água e Esgoto de Bauru, localizada no Distrito de Tibiriçá, com vazão média de 4,8L/s, composta por processo de filtro anaeróbio de fluxo ascendente, seguido de sistemas de alagados construídos em paralelo. Como objetivo deste trabalho, buscou-se avaliar a eficiência dos três sistemas de alagados construídos, com tipos de plantas diferentes e analisar quantitativa e qualitativamente os efluentes nas várias etapas do processo de tratamento, para verificar suas eficiências e a possibilidade de reúso do efluente final na agricultura. Diante dos resultados obtidos, observou-se que houve satisfatória remoção de matéria orgânica, com concentração média de 36 e 39 mg/L, nas fases 1 e 2 de operação,respectivamente, atendendo os valores exigidos pela legislação para padrões de emissão, mesmo recebendo concentrações afluentes elevadas, de efluentes não doméstico por batelada, o qual não foi previsto em projeto. Constatou-se que as concentrações de nutrientes, como nitrogênio e fosfato foram altas em todo o sistema e a eficiência de remoção de nitrogênio amoniacal esteve muito abaixo do esperado, não atendendo a legislação que exige lançamentos... / The constructed wetland systems are designed as passive purification, consisting of ponds or channels, composed of aquatic plants free or fixed on substrates such as sand, soil or gravel, where the proliferation of biofilms is that aggregate diverse populations of micro- organisms present in wastewater. The combined use of simple and inexpensive as the anaerobic reactors followed by constructed wetlands as post-treatment has been of interest for sanitation in small communities. The research took place in a sewage treatment plant's actual Department of Water & Sewer Bauru, located in the District of Tibiriçá with average flow of 4.8 L/s made by a process of upflow anaerobic filter, followed by systems constructed wetlands in parallel. As objective of this study we sought to evaluate the effectiveness of three constructed wetland systems, with different types of plants and analyze quantitative and qualitative effluent at various stages of treatment to monitor their effectiveness and the possibility of reuse in the final effluent agriculture. Considering the results obtained, it was observed that there was satisfactory removal of organic matter, with a mean concentration of 36 and 39 mg/L, phases 1 and 2 operations, respectively, given the values required by law for emission standards, even with affluent high concentrations of non-domestic waste per batch, which was not foreseen in the project. It was found that concentrations of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphate were high throughout the system and the removal efficiency of ammonia nitrogen was much lower than expected, does not meet the law requires that releases up to 20 mg/L. The results obtained for nitrogen and phosphate in effluent from constructed wetland systems, it is concluded that the system is also functioning as a secondary... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:32:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-09-03Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:43:12Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 silva_a_dr_rcla.pdf: 2952773 bytes, checksum: dec2e7a7486f13c84c5d8b2389cedc7d (MD5) / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / Fluindo de norte para sul, o Paraguai é o rio-tronco de um trato de sistemas deposicionais composto por inúmeros megaleques fluviais, que caracteriza a paisagem do Pantanal Mato-Grossense. Desde o Pleistoceno, o rio Paraguai vem construindo um megaleque fluvial na borda noroeste do Pantanal, cuja geomorfologia é objeto desta tese. Para desenvolvimento da tese, foram utilizadas imagens de satélites para compartimentação geomorfológica, trabalho de campo para validação dos dados e amostragem de sedimentos com vibrotestemunhador, datação por Luminescência Opticamente Estimulada (LOE) e dados hidrológicos obtidos no campo e de estações fluviométricas. Antes de sua entrada na planície do Pantanal, o rio Paraguai corre num cinturão de meandros com 5 km de largura, de idade holocênica de 1 a 3 ka AP, com padrão de canal meandrante a norte e retilíneo a sul. O cinturão está embutido num vale inciso em depósitos pleistocênicos, que revelaram idades de 10 a 160 ka AP. Datação de depósitos de antigos lobos deposicionais do megaleque do Paraguai, existentes na planície do Pantanal, revelaram idades entre 10 e 70 ka AP. A superfície destes lobos está submetida a processos de pedogênese e incisão fluvial por canais tributários mais jovens, que mascaram as paleo-redes de canais distributários. Na entrada para o Pantanal, o rio deflete 90º para leste, torna-se mais sinuoso e adota padrão distributário devido à perda de confinamento e extravasamento de suas águas para planície durante o período das cheias. No Pantanal, está sendo construído o lobo distributário atual, área de sedimentação ativa devido à existência de espaço de acomodação. A descarga fluvial diminui devido extravasamento do fluxo para planície durante as cheias e perda d’água devido ao rompimento... / The Upper Paraguay drainage basin is situated mainly in west-central Brazil, near the Bolivian border. Flowing from north to south, the Paraguay is the trunk river of an alluvial depositional tract characterized by complex geomorphologic zonation that resulted from an intricate geologic evolution since the Late Pleistocene. This thesis focuses on the geomorphology of the Paraguay River at the northwestern border of the Pantanal wetlands. The study was based on the interpretation of remote sensing data, field ground truthing, vibrocore-sediment sampling, optical stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating and hydrological data collected in the field and available from fluviometric stations. North of the Pantanal wetlands, the Paraguay River flows in a ~5 km wide, aggradational fluvial plain that has incised into older alluvial deposits with ages spanning from at least 10 ka to 160 ka BP. The river exhibits a meandering style over most of its course, but sinuosity drops from 2.2 to 1.1 near the northwest border of the Pantanal wetlands where the river has been forming the Paraguay fluvial megafan since the Late Pleistocene. Abandoned late Pleistocene lobes, at least 70 ka old, outline the fan-shaped geometry. The surfaces of the lobes have being affected by pedogenesis and dissected by tributary small channels, although flooding occurs during exceptional flooding events. At the Pantanal entrance, the river deflects 90º eastward, changing its fluvial style because of a progressive loss of confinement downstream of the point where the river reaches lowland plains. The river becomes more sinuous, adopts a distributary pattern within the wetland and brings about the creation of the modern depositional lobe characterized by higher topographic gradient and active sedimentation likely linked to increased accommodation... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:29:13Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2008-11-18Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:59:26Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 pereira_rm_me_ilha.pdf: 1432998 bytes, checksum: 6dcb734dcd08066888b6380e4902b1a0 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / A presente dissertação refere-se ao trabalho experimental desenvolvido durante programa de pós-graduação strictu sensu da Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”, no qual se procurou determinar parâmetros cinéticos para dimensionamento de sistemas de alagados construídos de fluxo descendente, utilizando sistema de aeração artificial e natural. Este tema foi escolhido, pois, apesar do extenso número de trabalhos publicados sobre a aplicação do método respirométrico, muitos se referem a sistemas de lodos ativados, enquanto que para alagados construídos praticamente não existiam estudos apurados sobre o assunto. Esta dissertação contempla revisão bibliográfica de temas de elevada importância para o desenvolvimento e compreendimento dos resultados obtidos no experimento. Dentre estes temas, procurou especificar as definições de alagados construídos com suas respectivas tipificações, processos atuantes de remoção de nutrientes em filtros biológicos, e aplicação do método respirométrico para determinação de parâmetros cinéticos. Trabalhou-se estatisticamente e analiticamente os resultados obtidos no experimento, para comparar em diferentes situações físicas, hidráulicas e de carga aplicada; as respectivas eficiências de remoção de nutrientes e seus parâmetros cinéticos. Deste estudo pôde-se concluir que meio-suportes de maior área superficial, como por exemplo, a areia, apresentou maior quantidade de biomassa ativa aderida ao meio suporte, implicando em menor perda desta, durante a troca de efluente em sistema de bateladas. Já meio-suportes como pedrisco e brita, possuem menor área superficial, porém maior índice de vazios, o que implica na possibilidade de aplicação de uma carga maior quando comparado à areia. Em contrapartida, há maior perda de biomassa ativa na troca do efluente em sistemas... / This dissertation is the experimental work developed during the post-graduate program strictest sense of the Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho, which sought to establish kinetic parameters for design of systems of constructed wetlands flow downward, using natural and artificial system aeration. This theme was chosen because, despite the extensive number of papers published on the application of the method repirometric, many refer to systems of activated sludge, while that for virtually no flooded constructed studies found on the subject. This work includes review of issues of high importance to the development and understanding of the results of the experiment. Among these issues, sought to specify the definitions of constructed wetlands with their classifying, working processes of removal of nutrients in biological filters, and the method for determining respirométrico kinetic parameters. Was statistically and analytically worked the results obtained in the experiment, to compare situations in different physical, hydraulic and applied load, the respective efficiencies of removal of nutrients and their kinetic parameters. In this study it was concluded that half of greater media surface area, such as the sand, showed greater amount of biomass attached to the active support means, resulting in loss of this, during the exchange of sewage system in batches. Already support such small and media as crushed gravel, have smaller surface area, but higher rate of empty, which implies the possibility of applying a greater load when compared to the sand. In contrast, there is greater loss of biomass in the active exchange of sewage systems in batches, implying the need for mechanisms for trapping of bacteria, such as secondary decanters.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:29:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2012-02-06Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:59:41Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 avelino_mcgs_me_bauru.pdf: 1310267 bytes, checksum: 3759dbcf2bb00c77b6d84614fa3d81fd (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / Esta dissertação de mestrado consistiu em elaborar e construir uma Estação de Tratamento de Esgoto (ETE) que utilizasse o sistema de Alagados Construídos (wetlands) para tratar o esgoto gerado no Departamento de Educação Física e da Moradia Estudantil, ambos ligados a Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho - UNESP de Bauru. Para isso foi criado um sistema híbrido de fluxo subsuperficial horizontal seguido por outro de fluxo vertical, com recirculação. O projeto foi desenvolvido no campo da universidade para atender 91 habitantes equivalentes. Nesse trabalho, foram explorados as etapas construtivas da ETE e realizado análises físico-químicos e biológicos dos alagados construídos de fluxo vertical na fase de maturação do sistema. A elaboração deste estudo é uma ferramenta importante para o desenvolvimento do sistema de alagados construídos no Brasil, uma vez que, possibilita o conhecimento das técnicas de construção, manutenção e gastos para implantação de um sistema desse tipo / The realization of this research project is to develop and build a sewage treatment plant using the system of Constructed Wetlands to treat sewage generated in the Department of Physical Education and Student Housing, both linked to Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho - UNESP in Bauru. For it was created a hybrid system of horizontal subsurface flow followed by another vertical flow, with recirculation. The project was developed at the university campus to meet 91 equivalent inhabitants. In this work were explored constructive steps ETE and testing of physico-chemical and biological of vertical flow constructed wetlands in the maturation phase of the system. The preparation of this study is an important tool for the development of constructed wetlands system in Brazil, since it enables the knowledge of construction techniques, maintenance and expenses fopr deploying such a system

Submitted by dayse paz (daysepaz@hotmail.com) on 2016-04-08T01:13:49Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao-final-Brisa-Peres.pdf: 644532 bytes, checksum: 1a1d0d4be46c5e53dd65aa74fcfc2d2b (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by cleuza maria medina dos santos (cleuzamai@yahoo.com.br) on 2016-04-15T11:42:43Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao-final-Brisa-Peres.pdf: 644532 bytes, checksum: 1a1d0d4be46c5e53dd65aa74fcfc2d2b (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-15T11:42:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao-final-Brisa-Peres.pdf: 644532 bytes, checksum: 1a1d0d4be46c5e53dd65aa74fcfc2d2b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014 / A dieta da lontra neotropical é um dos aspectos mais conhecidos da sua biologia, no entanto, a maior parte dos estudos é realizada em apenas um corpo d’água, o que dificulta a compreensão das variações espaciais e sazonais na dieta desse mamífero de topo de cadeia. O presente estudo teve como objetivo compreender o hábito alimentar da L. longicaudis em três áreas do entorno do banhado do Taim e verificar a variação espacial e intra-anual na composição da dieta. Para a análise da dieta foram coletadas fezes da lontra neotropical em três corpos d´água de diferentes fisionomias no entorno do banhando do Taim. Em laboratório o material foi triado, identificado e classificado em sete categorias (molusco, crustáceo, inseto, peixe, anfíbio, ave e mamífero). Para compreender a importância de cada categoria foram calculadas as frequências de ocorrência absoluta (FOa) e relativa (FOr). As variações na dieta entre os locais e entre as estações foram testadas através de uma PERMANOVA de duas vias e por fim, foi aplicada a análise de similaridade de SIMPER, para verificar quais itens alimentares contribuíram mais na variação espacial e sazonal. Foram coletadas 315 fezes nas três áreas amostradas, o item peixe foi o mais consumido em todas as áreas e estações, entretanto, o segundo item mais predado variou espacial e sazonalmente. Houve diferença significativa na dieta entre as áreas com e sem o item peixe (p= 0,0001), com maior dissimilaridade entre o arroio Vargas e o canal do Marmeleiro. A dieta entre as estações também variou de forma significativa entre todos os locais e em cada área individualmente. Os resultados indicaram diferença na dieta da Lontra longicaudis nas três áreas amostradas e ao longo das estações no extremo Sul do país. Os itens secundários e complementares variaram significativamente entre as áreas, de acordo com as características de cada local, e entre as estações, provavelmente conforme a variação na disponibilidade das presas e a facilidade em predá-las. / The neotropical otter’s diet is one of the best known aspects of its biology, however, most of the studies are performed only at one aquatic environment which difficult the comprehension of seasonal end spatial variation on the diet of these top chain mammal. The present study aim to understand the feeding habits of Lontra longicaudis at three areas surrounding the Taim’s wetlands and examine the spatial and intra-annual variation. For the diet analysis we collected neotropical otter scats from three bodies of water in Taim. In laboratory the material was identified and classified into seven categories: mollusk, crustacean, insect, fish, amphibian, bird and mammals. To understand the importance of each category, it was calculated absolute frequencies occurrence (AFO) end relative frequencies occurrence (RFO). The diet variations between the sampling sites and seasonal variation were tested through a two-way PERMANOVA and similarity analyses (SIMPER) was applied to determine which items have contributed more on the spatial and seasonal variation. There were collected 315 scats over the three sample sites. Fish was the most consumed item in all sites and season, however, the second most preyed item may vary spatial and seasonally. There was significant differences in diet among areas with and without fish (p=0.0001) with greater dissimilarity between the Vargas stream and the Marmeleiro channel. Among the season, the diet also varied significantly across all sites and each site individually. The results indicated a difference of L. longicaudis diet in all three sample sites and along the season in the southern Brazil. The secondary items and addiction vary significantly according the sites characteristics and between the season probably according to the variation of the availability of prey and the facility to capture.

The growing human population threatens the many of the earth’s biological systems. In the last 600 years extinction rates risen from 1 extinction per million species per year (E/MSY) in the 1400’s to 50 E/MSY today. During this time period 1.5% of all known birds have gone extinct, because they could not adapt quickly enough to human mediated changes. The goal of this dissertation was to determine how urbanization and anthropogenic services needed to support urban areas impact cypress dome wetland aquatic insect and migratory bird populations that depend on them. In Central Florida cypress dome hydroperiods are driven by seasonal rainfall conditions and fill June and July with the onset of the Florida rainy season then begin drying beginning in October with the onset of the dry season. Some wetlands were strongly influenced by groundwater pumping and dried out quicker than others, a characteristic that reduced annual insect emergence. Decreased adult insect populations were associated with lower emergence rates early in the dry season led to lower utilization by insectivorous birds. Winter migratory birds significantly related with adult insect abundance during winter months (r = 0.578, p=0.049), and utilized this region at the peak in adult insect populations. Conversely, Neotropical migrants travel through the region during spring when insects are scarce, and adult insects began sharp decline suggesting that Neotropical migrants depleted populations possibly leading to interspecies competition. Neotropical migrants strongly avoided urban areas and declined by 70% in urban areas, which may contribute to declining Neotropical migratory bird populations as a lack in adequate stopover sites may limit entire species. If they are not able to adapt foraging patterns that utilize urban areas in Central Florida where urban development is increasing rabidly populations may continue to decline.

In the Florida Everglades, remodeling of natural wetlands to promote agriculture and human settlement, have profoundly altered its hydrologic regime. As a result of anthropogenic changes, many restoration programs have been initiated to restore hydrologically controlled wetland ecosystems. One such restoration project that has been ongoing for the past 27 years is the Hole-in-the-Donut restoration program in Everglades National Park. The restoration program is unique in that it utilized an unorthodox technique to restore the landscape. The viability of the restoration technique was assessed by coupling long-term hydrologic and evapotranspiration data with water chemistry analyses. Key results indicated that the restoration method did not change groundwater levels within and down gradient of the restored sites. Evapotranspiration rates were significantly reduced as a function of restoration. Concentrations of ions and nutrients were significantly different in groundwater and surface water within the restored areas compared to outside the restored areas.