<p> Non-parametric ANOVA tests, ordination, and Bayesian generalized linear models (GLMs) revealed strong physical, chemical, and biological differences among the study sites. Lower trophic foodweb indexes (<i>i.e.</i>, chlorophyll-a (chl-a) concentration, zooplankton biomass, and planktivorous fish abundance) were investigated in association with environmental variables in three terminal sloughs within the upper San Francisco Estuary. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) showed tight clustering of data from each site. Kruskal-Wallis tests confirmed the NMDS by identifying statistically-significant differences among sites and between paired sites within each of the three regions (<i>i.e.</i>, Cache Slough, Lindsey Slough, Suisun Marsh). Bayesian GLMs identified temperature and dissolved inorganic nitrogen as primary correlates with chl-a concentration, and temperature and chl-a concentration as primary correlates with zooplankton biomass. Planktivorous fish data were insufficient to fit a GLM. Up-slough sites in Cache Slough and Suisun Marsh consistently showed greater abundances of chl-a and zooplankton relative to down-slough sites in each region. However, that pattern was reversed in Lindsey Slough. Possible reasons for this discrepancy include adjacent land-use and management practices, relative importance of alternate foodweb pathways, and the presence of a major water diversion. This study emphasizes the importance of site-specific foodweb dynamics and local anthropogenic effects, particularly in relation to design of tidal wetland restoration projects.</p><p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PROQUEST/oai:pqdtoai.proquest.com:10620274 |
| Date | 01 December 2017 |
| Creators | Montgomery, Jacob R. |
| Publisher | University of California, Davis |
| Source Sets | ProQuest.com |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis |
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