2009 LTER All Scientists Meeting - Habitat Preservation/Restoration

ULTRA-Ex: Connecting the social and ecological sciences with planners, managers, and the public: Building a broad foundation for the Chicago Region ULTRA

David Wise — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 18:58:54 +0000

Poster Number:

285

Presenter/Primary Author:

David Wise

Co-Authors:

Lynne M Westphal

Co-Authors:

Liam Heneghan

Co-Authors:

Bryan C Pijanowski

Co-Authors:

Nancy C Tuchman

Co-Authors:

Aaron N Durnbaugh

Co-Authors:

Paul H Gobster

Co-Authors:

Jennifer L Hirsch

Co-Authors:

Eric V Lonsdorf

Co-Authors:

Emily S Minor

Co-Authors:

Susan I Stewart

Co-Authors:

Moira L Zellner

The Chicago Region ULTRA-Ex will address a question fundamental to understanding the dynamic interactions between biodiversity conservation, ecosystem processes, and human well being in urban landscapes: In a complex urban/metropolitan system, what are the synergies and tradeoffs between conserving biodiversity and providing ecosystem services to people? The project focuses on the Green Infrastructure Vision of the Chicago Wilderness alliance, a conservation consortium of over 240 organizations.

The Effects of Seagrass Restoration on Nitrogen Processing in Shallow Coastal Lagoons

Luke Cole — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:21:27 +0000

Poster Number:

250

Presenter/Primary Author:

Luke Cole

Co-Authors:

Karen J. McGlathery

Co-Authors:

Robert J. Orth

Seagrass meadows are declining worldwide as a result of nutrient over-enrichment, warming water temperatures, and anthropogenic disturbances. In many areas, restoration projects are attempting to the reverse the trend with varying success. In the Virginia coastal lagoons, seagrasses (Zostera marina) were lost in the 1930’s due to a large hurricane impacting meadows already weakened by the wasting disease. A large-scale restoration effort has been underway since the early 2000’s and has resulted in >1000 acres of seagrass coverage.

Student Poster:

Yes

Dispersal of talitrid amphipods, Megalorchestia spp., on sandy beaches: implications for ecological recovery from disturbance

Jenifer Dugan — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 23:10:39 +0000

Poster Number:

220

Presenter/Primary Author:

Nicholas Schooler

Co-Authors:

Jenifer Dugan

Co-Authors:

H. Mark Page

Co-Authors:

David Hubbard

Dispersal ability can affect the dynamics and composition of intertidal communities. Sandy beach ecosystems, where several key taxa have limited dispersal, are increasingly impacted by growing coastal development, and human use, while facing additional habitat loss and fragmentation from sea level rise. Implications of low dispersal rates for populations of key beach taxa, such as talitrid amphipods, include susceptibility to local extinctions and potentially lengthy recolonization times relative to lifespans/generation times.

Student Poster:

Yes

Informing Ecological Restoration in a Coastal Context

Jenifer Dugan — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 16:58:28 +0000

Poster Number:

165

Presenter/Primary Author:

Anita Guerrini

Co-Authors:

Jenifer Dugan

The inherent dynamism of coastal environments makes documentation of change especially challenging. At the same time, the loss of historical and ecological landscapes is particularly evident in the coastal zone. The disappearance of wetlands, native vegetation and wildlife, and the alteration of natural processes have greatly affected the ecology of remaining coastal zone habitats, while the historical introduction of numerous species of plants and animals has transformed much of the open landscape.