<p> As sea levels rise, management strategies are needed to protect coastal wetlands from increased inundation. Sediment augmentation is a strategy in which a layer of sediment is sprayed across the marsh to raise the marsh's elevation and reduce inundation. This study looks at the short-term impact of sediment augmentation on vegetation and invertebrate communities. Abiotic measurements, invertebrate cores, and plant parameters were analyzed before and after augmentation in a before-after-control-impact (BACI) design. Following augmentation there was a significant decrease in plant cover and invertebrate abundance. The community composition of invertebrates shifted from a dominance of oligochaetes and polychaetes to insects and insect larvae. At six months following augmentation, <i>Salicornia bigelovii</i> began growing throughout the augmentation area, and <i>Spartina foliosa </i> had returned via vegetative spread at the edges of the marsh. Detailing these changes provides information on the ecological impacts of sediment augmentation for this site and inform regional management strategies.</p><p> </p><p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PROQUEST/oai:pqdtoai.proquest.com:10686752 |
| Date | 20 March 2018 |
| Creators | McAtee, Kaelin J. |
| Publisher | California State University, Long Beach |
| Source Sets | ProQuest.com |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis |
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