January 2021 Wetland Science & Practice by Society of Wetland Scientists

Wetland Science Practice

published by the Society of Wetland Scientists

Vol. 38, No. 1 January 2021 ISSN: 1943-6254

INCLUDES THE PROCEEDINGS FROM THE 2020 VIRTUAL MEETING OF THE SOCIETY OF WETLAND SCIENTISTS HELD DECEMBER 1-3, 2020.

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK Greetings and Happy New Year! We all should be looking forward to 2021 for any number of reasons. Of particular note, a vaccine is being administered and with an effective vaccination program we hope to close the door on the COVID pandemic, although the virus may remain an major issue given the way some folks have responded to the crisis and will likely address vaccination. If wetlands and Mother Nature could speak, they and she might say they are hopeful for improvements in the way they will be treated with a new administration Ralph Tiner coming into power in the United WSP Editor States and also by the prospects of more global action to climate change. Unfortunately despite our best efforts, wetlands will remain a target for development around the globe given civilization’s motivation to convert them for economic gain. We’re still a good ways from building a strong and lasting environmental ethic in most modern societies. In our October issue, you got a glimpse of the efforts some groups and individuals are taking to improve public awareness and concern for Latin American wetlands. The Society’s initiative to advance a Universal Declaration of Rights for Wetlands is a major step in addressing concern for wetlands globally (see article in this issue). In this issue, we include the proceedings from our December virtual conference (i.e., abstracts from many presentations) and a note on the 40th Anniversary awards, along with articles dealing with the rights of wetlands and Pennsylvania’s Quakertown Swamp (a SWS Wetland of Distinction), reflections of Indian scientist Dr. Nepal Chandra Nandi, a tribute to Professor Brij Gopal (who just passed away), and a commentary on use of plastics in wetland delineation. Steve Eggers contributed to our Notes from the Field section by providing many beautiful images of wetland plants in the Upper Midwest of the US and accompanying text. I thank all who have contributed to this issue and to our 2020 issues. I also want to recognize and thank Kristin McGuine for her exceptional work with the design and layout of WSP during the past few years. This e-journal provides an opportunity for Society members and others to write about their projects, experiences, and concerns for wetlands. I look forward to receiving material for the rest of our 2021 issues. In the meantime, best wishes to you and yours for 2021. Happy Swamping! n 2 Wetland Science & Practice January 2021

CONTENTS Vol. 38, No. 1 January 2021 ISSN: 1943-6254 2 / From the Editor’s Desk 4 / President’s Message 5 / SWS News 8 / 40th Anniversary Awards 9 / SWS Webinars ARTICLES 10 / Universal RIghts of Wetlands: Further Perspectives on Shifting the Paradigm to Restore the Human-Wetland Relationship through a Universal Declaration of the Rights of Wetlands M. S. Fennessy and others 19 / Wetlands of Distinction: Pennsylvania’s Quakertown Swamp R. Messaros 21 / Reflections from Indian Scientist Dr. Nepal Chandra Nandi Interview by P. Sarkar 24 / Applied Wetland Science Has a Plastics Problem K. Harrelson 26 / Notes from from the Field PROCEEDINGS FROM THE 2020 VIRTUAL MEETING OF THE SOCIETY OF WETLAND SCIENTISTS Wetland Connections Over 40 Years December 1-3, 2020 33 / PLENARY PRESENTATIONS • A History of Wetland Connections: Reaching In and Reaching Out • Wetlands wise use: Reframing for multiple worldviews • History of wetland science: role of the journal Wetlands and insights from wetland leaders 34 / SYMPOSIA • Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on wetland education: Overcoming challenges and making connections using online and distance learning • Applied Wetland Biogeochemistry: Informing Restoration and Management • Overcoming: Wetland Research in Unprecedented Times

Wetland Science Practice • Wetland ecology and management in China • Wetland Restoration: Dispelling Myths • After fifty years of ups and downs, what is needed for international wetland conservation to become a relevant force for the challenges of the future? • Connecting Wetland Research in Africa and Latin America: Challenges for Management and Conservation • Evaluating wetland restoration under global change – how to improve best practices • Wetland Restoration, Function, and Inventory in the Rocky Mountains • Wetland science and practice in the Oceania region • Updates from the States: programmatic news and changes from WA and OR

• • • • • • • •

52 / LIGHTNING TALKS Biology and Ecology Education and Policy Global Climate Change Restoration Management and Applied Science Carbon and Biogeochemical Cycles Biology and Ecology Restoration and Management 65 / INDEX TO PROCEEDINGS, BY AUTHOR 68 / Wetlands in the News 70 / Wetland Bookshelf 72 / What’s New in the SWS Journal - WETLANDS 75 / Job Posting 76 / About WSP/Submission Guidelines

COVER PHOTO: Nebraska Sandhills wetland, USA in early October by Steve Eggers. (Note: Photograph was taken during what had been a wetter than normal year.)

Note to Readers: All State-of-the-Science reports are peer reviewed, with anonymity to reviewers.

PRESIDENT / Loretta Battaglia, Ph.D. PRESIDENT-ELECT / Gregory Noe, Ph.D. IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT / Max Finlayson, Ph.D. SECRETARY GENERAL / Leandra Cleveland, PWS TREASURER / Lori Sutter, Ph.D. EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATOR / Suzanna Hogendorn CONSULTING DIRECTOR / Michelle Czosek, CAE WETLAND SCIENCE & PRACTICE EDITOR / Ralph Tiner, PWS Emeritus CHAPTERS ASIA / Wei-Ta Fang, Ph.D. CANADA / Nigel Roulet, Ph.D. CENTRAL / Tim Fobes, PWS CHINA / Xianguo Lyu EUROPE / Matthew Simpson, PWS INTERNATIONAL / Ian Bredlin, Msc; Pr.Sci.Nat and Tatiana Lobato de Magalhães, Ph.D., PWS MID-ATLANTIC / Jennifer Slacum NEW ENGLAND / Dwight Dunk, PWS NORTH CENTRAL / Christina Hargiss, Ph.D. OCEANIA / Phil Papas PACIFIC NORTHWEST / Josh Wozniak, PWS ROCKY MOUNTAIN / Ryan Hammons, PWS SOUTH ATLANTIC / Brian Benscoter, Ph.D. SOUTH CENTRAL / Scott Jecker, PWS WESTERN / Richard Beck, PWS, CPESC, CEP SECTIONS BIOGEOCHEMISTRY / Beth Lawrence, Ph.D. EDUCATION / Derek Faust, Ph.D. GLOBAL CHANGE ECOLOGY / Wei Wu, Ph.D. PEATLANDS / Bin Xu, Ph.D. PUBLIC POLICY AND REGULATION / John Lowenthal, PWS RAMSAR / Nicholas Davidson, Ph.D. STUDENT / David Riera WETLAND RESTORATION / Andy Herb WILDLIFE / Andy Nyman, Ph.D. WOMEN IN WETLANDS / Carrie Reinhardt Adams, Ph.D. COMMITTEES AWARDS / Siobhan Fennessy, Ph.D. EDUCATION AND OUTREACH / Jeffrey Matthews, Ph.D. HUMAN DIVERSITY / Kwanza Johnson and Jacoby Carter, Ph.D. MEETINGS / Yvonne Vallette, PWS MEMBERSHIP / Leandra Cleveland, PWS PUBLICATIONS / Keith Edwards WAYS & MEANS / Lori Sutter, Ph.D. WETLANDS OF DISTINCTION / Roy Messaros, Ph.D. Bill Morgante, Steffanie Munguia and Jason Smith, PWS REPRESENTATIVES PCP / Scott Jecker, PWS WETLANDS / Marinus Otte, Ph.D. WETLAND SCIENCE & PRACTICE / Ralph Tiner, PWS Emeritus ASWM / Jill Aspinwall AIBS / Dennis Whigham, Ph.D.

SOCIETY OF WETLAND SCIENTISTS 1818 Parmenter St., Ste 300, Middleton, WI 53562 (608) 310-7855 www.sws.org Wetland Science & Practice January 2021 3

PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS The more things change, the more they remain the same. I recently realized that I have been teaching the same undergraduate Environmental Issues course for 18 straight years! Each year, I lecture about human population growth, loss of biodiversity, importance of indigenous people, cultural diversity and social justice, climate change, food and water scarcity, wetland and other habitat losses, Loretta Battaglia, Ph.D. and a myriad of other issues. I tell the Southern Illinois class about different perspectives on the University environment, especially emphasizing John Muir’s biocentric approach that SWS President acknowledges the right of other species to exist. I update the materials with new information and examples, but the message is generally the same every year: we have some serious ecological problems on Planet Earth, most of which are not going away without creative solutions, hard choices, and education. Sure, there have been some success stories (e.g., phasing out chlorofluorocarbons to heal the ozone layer, development of more green energy technologies, recovery of several imperiled species), but many problems seem to be worsening. As the human footprint continues to expand, the rest of the biosphere shrinks. Maybe it’s the Covid-19 pandemic, or 2020 in general, that focused my attention, but last year and this year, I really took notice of the trends. The human population has grown, just since I began teaching the class, from ~6.4 billion in 2003 to ~7.8 billion this semester in 2021 (https://www.worldometers. info/world-population/). Global temperatures have risen (19 of the warmest years on record have occurred since 2000), and sea level continues to rise (3.3 mm yr-1 on average; https://climate. nasa.gov/). Globally, we have already lost more than 50% of our wetlands, and the rate of loss has increased in the 20th and 21st centuries (Davidson 2014). Indeed, there has been a lot of change, but unfortunately more of the same in many instances, and in the wrong direction. Very recently, we have seen efforts that should awaken us all and give us the seeds for real and positive environmental

change. There are many examples, but here are two exciting ones from the wetland world. • In January 2021, more than 111 aquatic science societies across the globe (including SWS) sounded a very loud and frightening alarm about climate change impacts on freshwater and marine ecosystems and the need to act expeditiously to avoid additional and potentially cataclysmic degradation (Bonar 2021, list of 111 signatories therein). This paper has been, and continues to be, shared far and wide, opening eyes and hopefully shaping new policies. • At the same time, the SWS Climate Change and Wetlands Initiative has developed the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Wetlands, which acknowledges the many values of wetlands, their right to exist, as well as the important connections between people, particularly indigenous groups, and wetlands (Davies et al. 2020). After reading this paper, I presented the concept to my class as a fresh approach that is gaining traction. It reminds me of Muir’s biocentrism model of conservation, which also illustrates the strong, sometimes sacred connections between people and nature. Our wetlands, and Planet Earth in general, are in need of thoughtful, careful stewardship. We should not be content to repeat the old adage that is the title of this address or to take comfort in it, as it relates to the environment. We need clear acknowledgement of the problems, bold ideas and creative solutions to replace the twin temptations of apathy and gloom, and we need to take steps to put us on a forward trajectory of positive change. n REFERENCES https://climate.nasa.gov/. Accessed February 9, 2021. Bonar, S. A. 2021. More than 100 aquatic-science societies sound climate alarm. Nature 589: 352. Davidson, N. C. 2014. How much wetland has the world lost? Long-term and recent trends in global wetland area. Marine and Freshwater Research 65:936-941. Davies, G. T., C. M. Finlayson, D. E. Pritchard, N. C. Davidson, R. C. Gardner, W. R. Moomaw, E. Okuno and J. C. Whitacre. 2020. Towards a Universal Declaration of the Rights of Wetlands. Marine and Freshwater Research. https://doi.org/10.1071/MF20219 www.worldometers.info/world-population/. Accessed February 9, 2021.

SWS Policy News SWS ISSUES COMMENT LETTER ON THE USACE PROPOSAL TO REISSUE AND MODIFY NATIONWIDE PERMITS The recent USACE proposal to Reissue and Modify Nationwide Permits (85 FR 179; Docket ID No. COE-2020-0002) was published in the Federal Register on September 15, 2020 with an invitation to submit comments. The proposal includes off-cycle reissuance of existing NWPs, changes to the associated general conditions and definitions, and five proposed new permits. Click here (SWS Comment Letter) to read the comment letter submitted on behalf of the Society of Wetland Scientists. n 4 Wetland Science & Practice January 2021

SWS JOINS OTHER SOCIETIES IN FILING AMICI BRIEF IN DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS The Society of Wetland Scientists joined eight other national and international scientific societies, who are all actively involved in research, education, conservation and restoration of aquatic resources and ecosystems in filing an Amici Brief in the District of Massachusetts in support of The Conservation Law Foundation suit against the EPA to repeal the new definition of the Waters of the US. See the brief. n

SWS NEWS

Interested in taking your SWS involvement to the next level?

SWS Annual Awards: Do you know someone deserving of recognition?

SWS IS ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR INDIVIDUALS TO SERVE AS PRESIDENT-ELECT ON THE EXECUTIVE BOARD

FELLOW AWARD DEADLINE: MARCH 5, 2021 Fellows are active members of the Society who have been nominated by other active members to receive the honor, recommended by the Fellows Committee, and elected by the SWS Board of Directors. Fellow is the highest recognition of membership bestowed by the Society. Submit nomination.

Deadline to submit nominations: Monday, February 21, 2021. PRESIDENT-ELECT DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES • The President-Elect shall assume duties and responsibilities of the President at the conclusion of the President's term or if the office is vacated. • In the absence of the President or in the event of inability or refusal to act, the President-Elect shall perform the duties of the President, and when so acting shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions of the Presidency. • The term of office of the PresidentElect shall be one year or until the next annual meeting and then the PresidentElect shall automatically become President for the next year. • If the President-Elect assumes the duties of President prior to the normal end of term this will continue for the remaining time of the President's term, and continues for the next year, as elected. • If the President-Elect is unable to fulfill the term of office of the President, the immediate Past President shall assume the interim Presidency until an election can be held. • The primary duties of the PresidentElect shall be to assist the President in the execution of the duties delegated by the Bylaws. • The President-Elect shall serve on the Local Program Committee for the Annual Meeting that will occur when the President-Elect becomes President and shall serve as a liaison between the Executive Board and the Local Program Committee. Only Active Members in good standing shall be eligible for nomination for an elected office. n

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD DEADLINE: MARCH 5, 2021 The Lifetime Achievement Award honors individuals who have achieved special distinction in their career through contributions to wetland science and management, specific to research, education or policy. The award comes with a Lifetime membership in the Society and is offered in odd-numbered years. A nomination letter, two supporting letters, and a resume are required for each nomination. Submit nomination. MERIT AWARD DEADLINE: MARCH 5, 2021 The Merit Award recognizes individuals for specific accomplishments in any field of wetland science and management in order to inspire future efforts. The award comes with a three-year membership in the Society. A letter outlining the specific achievement, two supporting letters, and a resume are required for each nomination. Submit nomination. STUDENT RESEARCH GRANT DEADLINE: MARCH 8, 2021 The Society of Wetland Scientists aims to develop and encourage wetland science as a distinct discipline by providing support in student education, curriculum development and research. To support this goal, SWS offers partial funding of wetland-related research conducted by undergraduate and graduate students from an accredited college or university worldwide. These grants are intended to aid student's costs of travel, room and board in the course of field investigation and to help cover costs of expendable materials and supplies required in the execution of the proposed research. Submit application. DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 19, 2021 CHAPTER AND SECTION DEVELOPMENT The SWS Board of Directors is pleased to offer a Development Grant to Chapters and Sections in order to expand programs and membership in keeping with our mission to promote understanding, conservation, scientifically based management and sustainable use of wetlands throughout the world. The term of the grant is a maximum of five years and amounts up to $4,000 will be considered by the SWS Awards Committee. Selection of Chapters and/or Sections to receive funding is based on demonstration of need, quality of proposal, statement of objectives, and likelihood of success. Grant money will be transferred to the Chapter/Section account on an incremental basis. The Chapter president and treasurer/Section Chair will be responsible for sending an annual report to the Board of Directors and the SWS Awards Committee detailing how the money was spent and how goals have (or have not) been met. There will be an opportunity for explanation after one year if goals have not yet been met. A final report will be due at the end of the grant period. Submit application. n Wetland Science & Practice January 2021 5

The Journal WETLANDS is Moving to Continuous Publishing! Marinus L. Otte, Editor-in-Chief, WETLANDS

uch has changed over the past decade as the professional journal WETLANDS, owned by the Society of Wetland Scientists and published by what is now SpringerNature, moved from paper print to on-line publishing. The benefits of on-line publishing are, among others, a much faster process for submission and review and easy access from anywhere in the world. Gone are the days when manuscripts had to be typed, then copied, then sent around by mail, and gone are the days when authors had to wait months for papers to be printed and bound into issues. Gone also are the days when bookshelves ran out of space. Where in the past authors had to pay for images being published in color, it is now free-of-charge, at least for WETLANDS. On-line publishing also created an opportunity to attach supplementary materials to articles. This provided an easy means to include the raw data with articles, without it taking up multiple pages in the main body of the text, as well as additional images. Open Access became a reality as well. WETLANDS is now a hybrid journal, where authors can choose to publish for free by transferring copyright to the publisher and give access to the article for subscribers only, or to provide immediate access on-line to anybody by retaining

the copyright themselves for a fee payable to the publisher. Even though the journal has been using on-line submission and publishing, and articles were published on-line and assigned a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) within days for about a decade now, designation of articles to an issue number and page numbers still took several months. Per January 1, 2021, that will be a thing of the past. Once accepted for publication, articles will be formally published on-line within days and have an article number instead of issue and page numbers. They will still be collected in ‘issues’ collected in order of acceptance and the option to receive those in hardcopy print will continue to be available for those willing to pay extra. However, the articles will also be collected on-line in so-called Topical Collections. This means that articles will be collected together under topics such as Ramsar, Wetland Restoration, Wetland Animals, Wetland Biogeochemistry, Applied Wetland Science, and Wetlands and Indigenous People. There are now 28 such Topical Collections. For a full list, see the submission guidelines at https://www.springer. com/journal/13157/submission-guidelines. I very much look forward to receiving your manuscripts! n

SWS Annual Meeting 2021

ue to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the SWS Board of Directors and Staff have decided to hold the SWS 2021 Annual Meeting virtually. Online registration and meeting details will be coming soon. We look forward to offering you an exciting program covering the emerging and important topics in our field, with opportunities for networking. Centered around the theme Wetland Sciences 2021: Adaptation Drives Innovation, this virtual meeting will include symposia, contributed sessions, workshops, plenary sessions, and space to connect

6 Wetland Science & Practice January 2021

with other attendees from across the globe. Moving our face-to-face meeting to a fully virtual format also allows us to host a program that better reflects the different time zones of our attendees. Save the dates: June 1, 3, 8, and 10, with optional workshops on Wednesday, June 9. We look forward to welcoming you to the SWS 2021 Virtual Meeting in June! n

Remembering Dr. Brij Gopal

nternationally renowned aquatic scientist Dr. Brij Gopal, President of National Institute of Ecology and FounderCoordinator of Centre for Inland Waters in South Asia, passed away on January 4, 2021. He retired in 2009 as Professor of Environmental Science from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He had worked in all aspects of ecology, biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, water quality, economic valuation, conservation, restoration and management of a variety of aquatic ecosystems from the mountains to the coasts. He examined traditional management by local communities, socio-economic aspects, climate change and issues related to policies and law in the context of integrated water resources management. He was one of the lead authors of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prizewinning IPCC’s Fourth Assessment Report (2007). He was the first recipient of the Young Scientist Medal of the Indian National science Academy (1974) and is the only recipient of the Naumann-

Thienemann Medal (2004) of the International Association of Limnology (SIL) from Asia, Africa and South America. He was the second Asian recipient of the International Fellow award (1997) of the Society of Wetland Scientists. He was a guest Professor at Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich and Editor–in Chief of the International Journal of Ecology and Environmental Sciences for decades. Dr. Gopal served on numerous committees related to wetlands, rivers, lakes, fisheries, forests, environmental impact assessments, including those of the ICAR, Planning Commission, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, State High Court of Himachal Pradesh and the Supreme Court of India. He was Chair of Wetland Conservation and Management Working Group at the Chhattisgarh State Planning commission and the National Green Tribunal. Most recently, he was a member of the National Green Tribunal appointed Principal Committee for Restoring the Yamuna River and the Ministry of Water Resources Committee on Restructuring of Central Water Commission and Central Ground Water Board. During his teaching years, Dr. Gopal mentored a number of students who currently occupy eminent posts nationally and internationally. He is survived by his daughters, Sudha and Anjali, his son Rajiv, and his grandchildren. n

In Memory of Dr Brij Gopal

Dr David Mitchell, I was privileged to spend a week looking at waterways, wetlands and weed problems in the inland irrigation districts of SE Australia, and discussing both the ecology and management issues we faced. That led to an ongoing association with Brij and meetings in many places with many wonderful and erudite wetland ecologists and managers, including meetings alongside the lakes and ancient fish ponds of South Bohemia, the magnificence of the Okavango Delta in Botswana and the Pantanal in Brazil. Thank you Brij for your scholarship and your friendship. n

Max Finlayson, Immediate Past President SWS I was pleased to be able to attend an online tribute for our friend and colleague Dr Brij Gopal on 1 February 2021, on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the signing, in the Iranian city of Ramsar, along the southern shores of the Caspian Sea, of the text of the Convention on Wetlands. The event was organised by the Indian Rivers Forum in cooperation with his family, with a short video accessible at https://www.facebook.com/IndiaRiversForum/videos/4029391203784691/ In my comments I was pleased to be able to point to his long association with the INTECOL International Conferences, having organised the first in New Delhi in 1980. He was also a regular participant in SWS meetings, and active in Indian and international science and river/wetland management issues. His legacy is shown through his publications, as well as his students and the many colleagues that he mentored and supported, as well as the many lectures and conference talks that he presented. He was a forthright speaker and always ready to share his knowledge about wetlands and rivers. My links with Brij started in 1981 when he visited Australia for the International Botanical Conference. In the company of another legend of aquatic plant ecology and management,

Photo: Max Finlayson, Wolfgang Junk and Brij Gopal

Wetland Science & Practice January 2021 7

AWARDS

SWS 40th Anniversary Awards for Contributions to Science and the Society

n further celebration of our 40th Anniversary, the Society established a 40th Anniversary Award. The Award recognizes members that have made high-level and sustained contributions to wetland research, practice, education, or communication, or service to the Society. Each Chapter, Section and Standing Committee was invited to make nominations. The nomination package consisted of a statement of nomination, statement of no conflict of interest, and two letters of support /recommendation. For each nominee, the goal was to consider the outcomes and his/ her impact on wetland research, practice, education, communication, or support to the Society, and the period over which these contributions have occurred. In doing so, SWS sought to recognize members with a history of work to benefit the society and the many ways these contributions can occur,

whether it be through serving on SWS committees and participating in governance, mentoring those just beginning their work in wetland science and practice, communicating the value and benefits of wetlands, and conveying the important research, education and outreach being done by society members. In light of the fact that SWS has been around for 40 years, these awards pay tribute to those whose contributions were made over a sustained period of time. The following individuals were recognized for their achievements at our virtual wetland meeting on December 1, 2020. We congratulate the awardees and look forward to the continued involvement of Society members in wetland research, practice, education, outreach, and service in the future. Here’s to the next 40 years! n

William Conner

Gillian Davies

Luke Eggering

Kathy Ewel

Siobhan Fennessy

Royal Gardner

Andy Herb

Scott Jecker

Chris Joyce

Kurt Kowalski

Bill Mitsch

Bill Morgante

Marinus Otte

Kim Ponzio

Ralph Tiner

Gene Turner

Doug Wilcox

Dominik Zak

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WEBINARS

SOCIETY WETLAND SCIENTISTS

Monthly webinars are offered by the Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS) as a benefit of membership. Once each quarter, in March, July, September and December (marked with an asterisk below), the monthly SWS webinar is open for nonmembers to attend, at no cost. Spanish language webinars are always free for both members and non-members, as well. ENGLISH

SPANISH:

2/18/2021 | 1:00 pm ET Assessing vegetative species re-colonization of commercial cranberry bogs Presenter: Kate McPherson

3/24/2021 | 1:00 pm ET The history of biodiversity origin and humanity future through Cuatro Ciénegas wetlands * Presenter: Valeria Souza

3/18/2021 | 1:00 pm ET Urban wetland initiatives – Increasing resiliency of New York City salt marshes * Presenter: Ellen Hartig

6/23/2021 | 1:00 pm ET Macrophytes and invertebrate herbivores in subtropical wetlands * Presenter: Celeste Franceschini

4/15/2021 | 1:00 pm ET Assessing multiple functions of Missouri’s bottomlands: Laying the groundwork For wetland conservation Presenter: Frank Nelson

9/22/2021 | 1:00 pm ET Climate-resilient environmental flows: Theory, practice and outlook on a changing climate in Mexico * Presenter: Sergio A. Salinas-Rodríguez 12/01/2021 | 1:00 pm ET The first 10 years of data of the Central American Waterbird Count, organized by Manomet/Wetlands International * Presenter: John van Dort, Arne Lesterhuis

ARCHIVES

Did you miss a webinar? All webinars are recorded and archived. To view member-only webinars, visit the calendar view of the SWS events page and navigate to the applicable event date. Quarterly public webinars and Spanish language webinars are archived on our YouTube channel.

Thank you to our 2021 Webinar Series sponsors (click logos below for more info)

2021 Webinar Series sponsorships available We are excited to announce sponsorship opportunities for our webinar series, as a means of partnering with other organizations in the wetland field, like you! Webinars are offered complimentary to all SWS members, and are offered FREE to the public on a quarterly basis, providing maximum exposure for your organization. SWS WEBINAR SPONSORSHIP BENEFITS: Pre-Webinar • Recognition with company logo and link to organization website on SWS promotional items, including member emails and advertisement on SWS Webinars webpage

During Webinar • Verbal recognition of organization during introductory webinar slides, as well as presentation of organization logo • Contact slide at end of the webinar presentation featuring organization contact information

Post-Webinar • Additional exposure from ondemand webinars, which are viewed recordings (generally, 45 viewings per month)

Annual Sponsorship rate of $1,000 includes recognition during at least 10 SWS Webinars per year. Sponsorship is limited to only five (5) sponsors per subscription year. Contact Jordan Haag at jhaag@sws.org.

www.sws.org

#SWSWebinars

#SWS

#Wetlands

#WetlandScience

Wetland Science & Practice January 2021 9

UNIVERSAL RIGHTS OF WETLANDS

Further Perspectives on Shifting the Paradigm to Restore the Human-Wetland Relationship through a Universal Declaration of the Rights of Wetlands M. Siobhan Fennessy1, Nick Davidson2, 3, Jack Whitacre4, Dave Pritchard5, Matthew Simpson6, William R Moomaw7,8, Gillian Davies7, 9, and C. Max Finlayson3, 10

INTRODUCTION TO THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN HUMANS AND WETLANDS Humans have had a close association with wetlands for millennia. There is ample evidence to demonstrate that human well-being is closely linked with the condition of wetlands, whether that is described through measures of wetland health or wetland integrity, or by agreements to maintain their ecological character (Gardner and Davidson 2007; Pritchard 2018), or more anthropocentrically, through the provision of ecosystem services (de Groot et al. 1996; Finlayson and D’Cruz 2005; Figure 1). The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment included an exploration of the consequences of wetland change for human well-being and recommended a conceptual shift in decision and policy making to ensure the long-term future of the ecosystem services provided and supported by wetlands (Finlayson et al. 2005). The relationships between human well-being and wetlands was extended by Horwitz and Finlayson (2011) who made a case for bringing wetlands to the foreground as the settings and context in which certain human health determinants could be addressed. These measures were presented as complementary to existing approaches to wetland management that had largely focused on conservation and wise use based on establishing protected areas (Pittock et al. 2014), and specifically, wetlands of international importance (Ramsar sites; Davidson 2018), maintaining species populations (Finlayson and Davidson 2018), or restoring degraded wetlands (Zedler and Miller 2018). However, over the past one to two decades there has been increasing evidence that current approaches to wetland management, whether protection, conservation, or restoration, have failed to reduce the rates of loss and deg1

Kenyon College, Environmental Studies Program, Gambier, Ohio, USA; correspondence author contact: fennessym@kenyon.edu. 2 Nick Davidson Environmental, Wigmore, Herefordshire, UK. 3 Institute for Land, Water, and Society, Charles Sturt University, Albury, New South Wales, Australia. 4 University of Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. 5 Ramsar Culture Network, Hexham, Northumberland, UK. 6 35percent Ltd, Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK. 7 Global Development and Environment Institute, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, USA. 8 Center for International Environment and Resource Policy, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, USA. 9 BSC Group, Inc., Worcester, Massachusetts, USA. 10 IHE Delft, Institute for Water Education, Delft, Netherlands.

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radation globally (Ramsar Convention on Wetlands 2018; Darrah et al. 2019; Davidson et al. 2020a; McInnes et al. 2020). Further, the creation of human-made wetlands has failed to keep pace with the rate of loss (e.g., Dahl 2011; Darrah et al. 2019), and even when created, constructed wetlands often do not deliver the full suite of ecosystem services provided by the original wetland (Fennessy et al. 2008; Mitsch and Hernandez 2013; Neubauer 2014). With this backdrop, a group of wetland and climate scientists, practitioners, and attorneys within the Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS) have been considering alternatives to the current paradigms relating to human-wetland relationships, and in particular, whether greater attention to the concept of wetlands having intrinsic (legal and ethical) rights can provide a transformational shift in the paradigms that have hitherto failed to reverse the trends of wetland loss and degradation (Davies et al. 2020). The multi-disciplinary group involved in these considerations is aware that alternative approaches will require further discussion and will likely be modified in response to inputs from different social and cultural viewpoints before they could be seen as having wide acceptance. In many respects this is not so different from the development in the 1960s of the proposals that became the intergovernmental Ramsar Convention in response to growing concern over the loss and degradation of wetlands and of their migratory waterbird populations in particular (Matthews 1982). It may be too much of a stretch to link the steps that led to the development of an intergovernmental agreement with the processes now being used to develop a paradigm based on the Rights of Wetlands, but the imperative is much the same, despite being separated by half a century in time. The imperative is that current institutional processes and actions to maintain wetlands, their biodiversity and their many benefits to people, are not good enough. It is anticipated that by looking at a universal declaration of the Rights of Wetlands the proponents could extend the dialogue about human connections with Nature to explicitly position wetland researchers, practitioners, and attorneys alongside the many other people who have long sustained such beliefs and practices, in some instances over extended periods of human history (Davies et al. 2020). It is further anticipated not only that such approaches could

FIGURE 1. Photos of wetlands in different regions of the world to illustrate their diversity and some of the many ways they are used by humans - the human-wetland relationship: a) tussock sedge (Carex stricta) emerging in red maple (Acer rubrum) swamp, Massachusetts, USA; b) wetland pond, Massachusetts, USA (photos a and b by G. Davies); c) unique local community managed floating peat vegetable gardens, Inlay Lake Ramsar Site, Myanmar; d) traditional local community fisher, Inlay Lake Ramsar Site, Myanmar (photos c and d by N. Davidson); e) traditional lama grazing and f) community members tending lamas in high altitude peatlands known as bofedales, Peru (photos e and f by S. Fennessy). a)

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augment existing national and international approaches towards wetlands, but they could also replace them. This is not so fanciful, given that despite the decisions taken by national governments in support of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, many of the mechanisms agreed by the Contracting Parties to the Convention are not being effectively used (Davidson et al. 2020b), and targets such as the Aichi Targets for Biodiversity are unlikely to be achieved for wetlands (Turak et al. 2017). The Ramsar Convention does not have specific targets for wetlands in the same way as those adopted through the Convention on Biological Diversity, but the Global Wetland Outlook produced by the Convention in 2018 and strongly endorsed by the Contracting Parties to the Convention, provides a basis for setting targets (Ramsar Convention on Wetlands 2018). As part of the effort to draw further attention to the Rights of Wetlands a symposium was developed for inclusion in the “RE3” Conference: Reclaim Restore Rewild that had been planned for June 2020 (Simpson et al. 2020). The symposium, entitled A Universal Declaration of the Rights of Wetlands – Shifting our paradigm restores the humanwetland relationship in support of wetland restoration, conservation and wise use, is comprised of 6 presentations led by members of the Ramsar Section within the Society of Wetland Scientists (https://www.sws.org/Membership/ section-membership.html). This symposium is now planned for presentation at “SER2021 World Conference” (virtual) in June 2021, and will address the reasons why a Declaration of wetland rights is needed, what the Declaration entails, how it differs from existing declarations, and how the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, wetland scientists, scientific societies and others could utilize it to further the restoration, conservation, protection, management and wise use of wetlands throughout the world. An extended abstract of each of the talks that were planned for the symposium is presented below as a primer on the Rights of Wetlands. These represent a range of views and emphases, and are presented as a part of the wider dialogue that we would like to generate about the concepts in particular, and also about the related wider approaches to wetland management. As the dialogue has already started, let it continue, and let it be enriched by a diversity of views about the Rights of Wetlands. WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE RIGHTS OF WETLANDS, BIODIVERSITY LOSS AND THREATS TO HUMAN WELL-BEING? THE WORK OF THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES (M.S. FENNESSY) Wetland biodiversity, both in terms of the wealth of wetland types and the species they support, is in decline in every region of the world (Ramsar Convention on Wetlands 2018). A consequence of this is a significant reduction in the 12 Wetland Science & Practice January 2021

capacity of wetlands to provide the benefits that contribute to human well-being (IPBES 2018, 2019; Davidson et al. 2020a). These contributions, often referred to as ecosystem services and increasingly known as Nature’s Contributions to People (NCP; Diaz et al. 2015) include material (e.g., food and feed), non-material (learning and inspiration, supporting identities), and regulating NCP (climate and water quality regulation). In response to the growing global biodiversity crisis, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) has taken the lead on documenting the essential relationship between biodiversity, ecosystems, and the ability of Nature to provide benefits to people, while at the same time recognizing a variety of world views and the multiple values of Nature. For example, the IPBES Americas Assessment (IPBES 2018) documented the exceptional diversity of the Americas, which contain over 40% of the world’s most biodiverse countries and have three times more ‘biocapacity’ per capita (i.e., the capacity of a given area to generate a supply of renewable resources and absorb wastes; Wackernagel and Beyers 2019) than the global average. However, like much of the rest of the world, the biodiversity and condition of wetlands and other ecosystems in the Americas is decreasing. For example, the America’s have historically been rich in water resources, but widespread land use changes have resulted in regional wetland losses that range from 20-60% of total wetland area since 1970, with losses of up to 90% in some agricultural regions (Dahl 1990). The result is a substantial decline in the benefits that wetlands contribute to people: of the 18 wetland NCP evaluated, 66% were found to be in decline, with 30% in strong decline (IPBES 2018). The intrinsic value of Nature is at the heart of the IPBES framework, as it recognizes the interdependency that exists between biodiversity and human health and wellbeing while valuing and incorporating knowledge from local and Indigenous peoples. An awareness of the ways wetlands support human well-being is most effective when multiple values and value systems are taken into account. IPBES (2019) also recognizes that the multiple policy and governance arrangements that are in place to protect wetlands have not been effective, calling for a concerted effort for transformative change to address the drivers that cause wetland loss and degradation. Calls for transformative change help build a case to recognize the inherent Rights of wetlands to exist and to avoid degradation, and the ethical and legal responsibilities humans have to protect the wellbeing of ecosystems (Simpson et al. 2020). A fundamental way forward is to adopt the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Wetlands. In doing so, we will begin to acknowledge the standing of wetlands and ask not only how do

wetlands sustain us, but how can we better sustain them and preserve and restore their place in the landscape? WHY COULD A UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF WETLANDS SUPPORT WETLAND WISE USE? (N. DAVIDSON) We face a widely recognized global biodiversity crisis (IPBES 2019). Wetlands are not exempt, and the evidence suggests that declines in wetland area and in wetland-dependent species are as fast, or faster, than for any other ecosystem (MEA 2005; Ramsar Convention on Wetlands 2018). In 1971, almost 50 years ago, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands was established by governments because of increasing concerns over wetland loss and degradation – and its impacts on wetland-dependent species. But since 1970 the area of wetlands has progressively continued to decline, through deliberate drainage and conversion, in all parts of the world (Davidson 2014; Darrah et al. 2020; McInnes et al. 2020). Deterioration in the state of our remaining wetlands is becoming progressively more widespread, including for designated Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Sites) (Davidson et al. 2020; McInnes et al. 2020). Populations of freshwater species have declined since 1970 far more than species depending on other biomes (Ramsar Convention on Wetlands 2018). For wetlands, based on current data (Ramsar Convention on Wetlands 2018; Finlayson and Davidson 2018; Darah et al. 2019) it is clear that the world’s governments will not meet their 2020 Aichi Targets for biodiversity (Convention on Biological Diversity 2010) for wetlands. Yet the world’s governments are continuing with “business as usual.” In 2020 they are preparing to adopt another set of biodiversity targets, this time for 2030 (Convention on Biological Diversity 2020). The draft targets are similar to or more ambitious than the previous 2020 Aichi Targets, which, as already stated, are not being delivered. For example, concerning the extent of ecosystems, Aichi Target 5 is: “By 2020, the rate of loss of all natural habitats, including forests, is at least halved and where feasible brought close to zero, and degradation and fragmentation is significantly reduced”. The equivalent draft post-2020 target is more ambitious: “Retain and restore freshwater, marine and terrestrial ecosystems, […] achieving by 2030 a net increase in area, connectivity and integrity and retaining existing intact areas and wilderness.” Despite the many efforts and actions worldwide over the past 50 years for wetland conservation and wise use, they have clearly not been sufficient to achieve the Ramsar Convention’s goal of stemming the loss and degradation of wetlands. Sectoral Nature conservation actions and protected area approaches for wetlands have failed to deliver, and can be expected to continue to fail: the drive for economic growth rather than truly sustainable development continues

to override achieving wetland wise use (Ramsar Convention on Wetlands 2018). So, business as usual is really not an option. We all need to change our mindsets and approaches and develop new paradigms such as adopting the Rights of Wetlands if we are to truly achieve wetland wise use now and in the future. WHAT GOVERNANCE AND CULTURAL FACTORS IMPACT UNITED STATES (US) IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RAMSAR CONVENTION ON WETLANDS? (J. WHITACRE) The Ramsar Convention provides an international mechanism for protecting some of the most ecologically valuable wetlands (or Ramsar sites) in 171 countries. In July 2020, 2394 Ramsar sites protected 253,911,099 hectares of wetlands worldwide (Ramsar Convention 2020). Recently scholars have questioned the effectiveness of the Convention and whether individual countries have sufficient capacity to implement its many requirements (Davidson et al. 2020a, b). In this context, implementation can be understood as the translation of policy into practice. New empirical research from the Environmental Conventions Index (ECI) based on peer-checked codings of national Ramsar reports challenges traditional assumptions about convention implementation by the Global North. The ECI codes financial, informational, management, technical, and regulation implementation information from national reports on a 0-5 scale (with 5 being the highest level of implementation and 0 the lowest), allowing for comparison of Ramsar convention implementation across states (countries). The US scored an average of Ramsar ECI score of 4.24 out of 5 in 2018. According to the ECI, the biggest challenge for US implementation of Ramsar today has been community outreach. The US scores challenge the conventional wisdom that capacity is responsible for implementation (VanDeveer 2000; VanDeveer and Dabelko 2001; Haas 2015). If the US has financial, informational, management, technical, and regulation capacity, why did the US not implement the Ramsar Convention fully? Comparing US implementation scores to Global South countries that lead the world in implementing the Ramsar Convention, including Nicaragua (4.74 Ramsar ECI score) and Mali (4.6 Ramsar ECI score), shows that capacity may be a necessary, but insufficient factor for implementation. Examining US implementation of Ramsar through the ECI, the first empirical measure of implementation, and the cultural lens of global states (e.g., countries with higher ECI scores) is one way to examine connections between governance, culture, and implementation empirically. From the 1780s to 1980s, the US destroyed 50% or more of wetlands in 22 states (Dahl 1990). A 1986 US State Department Report on the Ramsar Convention drew attention to the scale and rate of this US wetland destruction due to, “…agricultural conversion, air and water pollution, overWetland Science & Practice January 2021 13

exploitation, peat-mining, water-control projects, landfills, clearcutting of swamps and bottomland forests, pesticides, gas and oil development, and other activities” (Fox 1986, p. 1). In contrast to the American ethos of development (e.g., manifest destiny), certain Mali populations have animist relationships with Nature that emphasize respect for undisturbed habitat. Mali’s national constitution holds that, “Every person shall have the right to a healthy environment. The protection, defense and promotion of the environment shall be obligations for all and for the State. ” Similarly, Nicaragua, which also has higher Ramsar Implementation ECI scores than the US, has a constitution that enshrines Nicaraguans’, “... right to live in a healthy environment. It is the obligation of the State to preserve, conserve and recover the environment and the natural resources.” Future research could explore the genealogy, or origins, of each state’s cultural values and legal protections for the environment. Debates about capacity and implementation based in theory may misinform the academic community and actual practitioners about best governance practices if theory does not incorporate empirical evidence, such as the ECI. Mali and Nicaragua’s higher ECI scores demonstrate that capacity may be a necessary but insufficiency part of implementation. While the US may have greater financial, informational, management, technical, and regulation capacity than many Global South countries, US Ramsar implementation scores still lag behind Global South implementation leaders. Ramsar implementation leaders, like Mali and Nicaragua, show how place-specific cultural paradigms can lead to better implementation of the Ramsar Convention. In conclusion, enriching US engagement with Nature through culture and Rights of Nature from around the world may complement ongoing Ramsar efforts at the US local, state, and national levels aimed at the wise and multi-generational use of wetlands. WHY ARE LOCAL COMMUNITY AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLE’S VIEWS FUNDAMENTAL TO THE SHAPING OF A UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF THE RIGHTS OF WETLANDS? (M. SIMPSON AND D. PRITCHARD) “We have been conserving these areas without even realising it. For wetlands, for Indigenous [peoples] living here around, [the belief] is that every single living organism, plants, wetlands, grasses have gods in them. If you burn the savannas or you take something from the wetland then you have to say a special prayer as a local and that type of relationship was always there……Wetlands are being destroyed so I think we should have a declaration of wetland rights, the same as humans, so we can keep them pristine and so they will always be there, not only for us, but for generations to come.” - Rudolph Roberts, Yupukari, North Rupununi, Guyana. 14 Wetland Science & Practice January 2021

Improved understanding of the belief systems and traditional practices of indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) has contributed to recent growth in a contemporary formal recognition of the Rights of Nature (Demos 2015). The values and belief systems of IPLCs often contain the fundamental understanding that the human species is part of ecosystems rather than apart from them, and therefore that Nature should be afforded the same rights as humans. This may be one reason why traditional knowledge and approaches to management often play a significant role in protecting crucial habitats and the socio-ecological systems they support. Indigenous peoples manage or have tenure rights over land that intersects about 40% of all terrestrial protected areas and ecologically intact landscapes, highlighting how indigenous peoples, through their knowledge and practices, have successfully supported and maintained a significant share of the planet’s ecosystems (IPBES 2019). Regional and global scenarios often lack and would benefit from an explicit consideration of the views, perspectives and rights of IPLCs, their knowledge and understanding of ecosystems, and their desired futures (IPBES 2019). IPLCs provide an important perspective as they often live in a more intimate relationship with wetland ecosystems and their futures are directly at risk from wetland loss or degradation. Recognition of the wisdom, customs, governance, management approaches and values of IPLCs and their direct engagement in environmental governance can be an important factor in achieving effective nature conservation, restoration and sustainable use (IPBES 2019). The development of sustainable management models for water security, food security, health and well-being, conversely, supports the wisdom and rights of IPLCs in terms of their connectedness to wetlands. Connectedness is one of two fundamental concepts that can be learned from IPLC knowledge (de Ville 2019). Connectedness is the idea that knowledge is gained from daily observations of “what is happening around me.” Instead of a reductionist approach, IPLCs often exemplify a relational approach to building knowledge, and recognize the interconnectedness of all living things as a result. The second concept - collectiveness - is the awareness that we need to take more responsibility for one another and to adopt values of collaboration, sharing and reciprocity, including in a wider sense, beyond our own species. Learning from IPLC knowledge involves becoming much more aware of the interdependencies between human beings and the rest of the natural world. The concepts of connectedness and collectiveness, and in particular the implication that reciprocity requires equitable treatment of humans and the more-than-human, therefore provide a natural underpinning for the declaration of wetland rights.

The United Nations Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples addresses the most significant issues affecting indigenous peoples - their civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights. The development of a declaration of wetland rights should embody this same thinking and therefore support the wisdom and rights of IPLCs with respect to the environment and their relationship with wetlands. HOW CAN WE CHANGE OUR PARADIGM TO IMPROVE WETLAND CONSERVATION, PROTECTION, RESTORATION AND WISE USE OUTCOMES? (G. DAVIES AND C.M. FINLAYSON) As described above, the current paradigm for conservation and protection of wetlands is failing to achieve goals set to ensure ecological and human well-being and sustainability and to avoid catastrophic collapse of planetary and ecological processes that support life. As we face climate destabilization (Ripple et al. 2020), biodiversity loss (Trisos et al. 2020), and deterioration of the biosphere (Ripple et al. 2017), tens of thousands of scientists, as documented in these three cited articles alone, urge a fundamental change in our relationship with Nature and the biosphere. As global conditions worsen, the Rights of Nature movement (Berry 2001; Stone 2010; Cullinan 2011), often led by local and Indigenous peoples (O’Donnell and TalbotJones 2018; Pecharroman 2018) is a powerful and growing response (Kimmerer 2013; Kauffman and Martin 2018) to global ecological, biodiversity, and climate emergencies. The Rights of Nature movement fundamentally shifts the ethical and legal paradigm for the Human-Nature relationship (Koons 2012). Just a few of the many recent Rights of Nature accomplishments include: • 2000: The Earth Charter, endorsed by over 2,000 organizations, states, “Earth, our home, is alive with a unique community of life…we must decide to live with a sense of universal responsibility…The spirit of human solidarity and kinship with all life is strengthened when we live with reverence for the mystery of being, gratitude for the gift of life, and humility regarding the human place in nature.” https://earthcharter.org/read-the-earth-charter/download-the-charter/ (accessed 20 June 2020) • 2008: Inclusion of the Rights of Nature in the Ecuadorian Constitution (https://pdba.georgetown. edu/Constitutions/Ecuador/english08.html accessed 20 June 2020) • 2010: Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth (Pachamama), issued at the World People’s Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth in Cochabamba, Bolivia, states: “Mother Earth is a unique, indivisible, self-regulating

community of interrelated beings that sustains, contains and reproduces all beings.” (https://www.iucn. org/content/draft-universal-declaration-rights-motherearth accessed 7 August 2020) • 2017: The New Zealand Parliament passes the Te Awa Tupua Act (Whanganui River Claims Settlement Bill) that grants legal personhood to the Whanganui River including its wetlands and recognizes the special relationship between the Maori iwi (tribes) and the river. “Te Awa Tupua is an indivisible and living whole, comprising the Whanganui River from the mountains to the sea, incorporating all its physical and metaphysical elements.” – Te Awa Tupua Act, Subpart 2, Section 12 “Te Awa Tupua is a legal person and has all the rights, powers, duties, and liabilities of a legal person.” – Te Awa Tupua Act, Subpart 2, Section 14 “Ko au te Awa, ko te Awa ko au: I am the River and the River is me: The iwi and hapū of the Whanganui River have an inalienable connection with, and responsibility to, Te Awa Tupua and its health and wellbeing.” – Te Awa Tupua Act, Subpart 2, Section 12 http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2017/0007/ latest/whole.html (Accessed 20 June 2020) Wetland and climate scientists participating in the SWS Climate Change and Wetlands Initiative and the Ramsar Section (Finlayson et al. 2020) are responding to the global emergencies, the continued deterioration and loss of wetlands, and the rights of Nature movement by proposing a Declaration of the Rights of Wetlands (Davies et al. 2020). By shifting our relationship with wetlands, by recognizing the inherent right of wetlands to exist and to fulfil their natural ecological role as indigenous people have done for millennia, as many scientists and philosophers have done throughout history (Nash 1989), and by recognizing their legal personhood, we are more likely to safeguard the future viability of wetlands, thereby contributing significantly to reversing the climate, biodiversity, and ecological emergencies (Davies et al. 2020). This shift in our perspective actually restores values and modes of thinking that modernity has typically marginalized. As we reconsider our role and membership in the community of beings that is the Earth community, we reframe and restore our relationships with wetlands. By embracing relational values with Nature, such as reciprocity, gratitude, responsibility, and by acknowledging the personhood of Nature, we remember our integrated and relational presence as a part of Nature, thereby shifting decision-making away from exploitation, depletion, degradation and loss, and towards real conservation, restoration, and re-wilding. Wetland Science & Practice January 2021 15

HOW DOES THE CHARTER MODEL STRENGTHEN THE EFFECTIVENESS AND ACCEPTANCE OF RIGHTS FOR WETLANDS TO ACHIEVE A SAFE CLIMATE AND SUCCESSFUL WETLAND RESTORATION? (W.R. MOOMAW) The current proposal to declare that wetlands have a fundamental and inherent right to exist can learn from previous declarations that have utilized the charter model. A charter is a document that defines the rights, privileges and responsibilities of a specified organization or body. We will examine two examples: the World Charter for Nature (WCN 1982) and the Earth Charter (EC 1999), and determine if either provides a suitable model for declarations of the Rights of Nature. WCN recognizes the value of Nature and the need to respect it, and delivers a charge to humanity (“Man”). The Charter acknowledges that humans will utilize Nature, but should not degrade it, and must maintain and protect species and ecosystems. “Every form of life is unique, warranting respect regardless of its worth to man … ,” and “Mankind is a part of nature and life depends on the uninterrupted functioning of natural systems …”. It also notes that “Civilization is rooted in nature …” (EC 1999) WCN (1982) recognizes that humans are disrupting Nature, “Man can alter nature and exhaust natural resources by his action or its consequences and, therefore, must fully recognize the urgency of maintaining the stability and quality of nature and of conserving natural resources.” Protecting the integrity of Nature is addressed: “Ecosystems and organisms, as well as the land, marine and atmospheric resources that are utilized by man, shall be managed to achieve and maintain optimum sustainable productivity, but not in such a way as to endanger the integrity of those other ecosystems or species with which they coexist.” (WCN 1982). The Charter describes the need to prevent damage to Nature through planning and appropriate laws and actions. It also reiterates the sovereignty (rights) of all nations over their natural systems. It concludes by stating that “each person has a duty to act in accordance with the provisions of the present Charter… (and) strive to ensure that the objectives and requirements of the present Charter are met.” It is a remarkable statement of the importance of Nature and recognizes that “to accord other organisms such recognition, man must be guided by a moral code of action.” However, the Charter never directly grants rights to Nature. If taken at face value, WCN requires that international treaties like Ramsar and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and associated agreements obligate governments to implement effective actions to protect wetlands and the climate system. Unfortunately, the World Charter for Nature is not a binding treaty, but rather an expression 16 Wetland Science & Practice January 2021

of intention that the global community has failed to meet. The WCN was engraved in bronze tablets that were placed outside the common meeting room of the United Nations General Assembly that endorsed it in 1982. The Earth Charter is a civil society initiative that has been endorsed by UNESCO and many societal groups including indigenous peoples and some representatives from government including mayors and other officials from 89 countries. It was proposed by Maurice Strong, founding Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Program, who chaired the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 and Mikhail Gorbachev, former President of the Soviet Union. In many ways it anticipates the Sustainable Development Goals and provides a template for more recent proposals for the Green New Deal in the United States and the Green Deal in Europe. The Earth Charter calls for a global order that links environmental conservation with socio-economic cohesion and concern for future generations. It is anthropocentric in that it explicitly calls for rights for humans, but not for Nature. Nature must get along with the good intentions of humans as defined. “To move forward we must recognize that in the midst of a magnificent diversity of cultures and life forms we are one human family and one Earth community with a common destiny. We must join together to bring forth a sustainable global society founded on respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice, and a culture of peace. Towards this end, it is imperative that we, the peoples of Earth, declare our responsibility to one another, to the greater community of life, and to future generations.” (EC 1999) More specifically, it calls for ecological integrity and the dignity of all humanity with 16 specific principles beginning with, “Recognize that all beings are interdependent and every form of life has value regardless of its worth to human beings.” (EC 1999) Both of these Charters recognize the essential role of Nature in human well-being and survival, but neither endows Nature with rights. However, each of the Charters contain remarkable statements about the intrinsic value of Nature beyond its utilitarian role for supporting human life and society. Declarations of the Rights of Nature, and the proposed Declaration of the Rights of Wetlands, are the logical ethical step beyond the Charters’ earlier recognition of the inherent worth and value of Nature, regardless of her worth to humans. CONCLUDING STATEMENTS Despite the many efforts over the past 50 years in support of wetland conservation and wise use, these have not been sufficient to achieve national or Ramsar Convention goals to stem the loss and degradation of wetlands. This situation illustrates that “business as usual” is not an option if wetlands are to be restored and maintained. A change

in mindsets, values and approaches is needed if we are to achieve wetland wise use now and in the future. There is ample evidence that human well-being is closely linked with the condition of wetlands, and that this relationship could better complement existing measures for wetland conservation, protection, restoration and wise use. The framework provided by IPBES that recognizes the interdependence that exists between biodiversity and human health and well-being helps to build a case for recognizing the inherent Rights of wetlands, both to exist and to persist without degradation, and the ethical and legal responsibilities that humans have to uphold these Rights on the wetlands’ behalf. The ingrained assumption that having sufficient capacity is the main route to successful implementation of agreements such as the Ramsar Convention is being questioned. Capacity is clearly a necessary, but not a sufficient factor for implementation. Further, the legitimacy of global approaches to environmental sustainability, and the dominant ”western paradigms” within which this is framed, are also being questioned. Revisiting assumptions about governance, mechanisms for implementation and even philosophical world views has the potential to bring about new coalitions of diverse voices, and to illuminate the benefits of expanded paradigms such as the Rights of Nature. The Rights of Nature movement represents a growing response to this, and a revised view of the Human-Nature relationship. This shift helps to restore values and modes of thinking that were once more powerful but have lately become marginalized. By embracing increasingly articulated relational values with Nature, such as reciprocity, gratitude and responsibility, and by acknowledging the personhood of Nature, people can restore an integrated and relational presence for themselves as a part of Nature rather than humanity existing as something separate, thereby helping to shift decision-making away from exploitation, depletion, degradation and loss, and towards effective conservation, protection, restoration, and nature-based solutions to environmental challenges. Regional and global scenarios often lack and would benefit from an explicit consideration of the views, perspectives and Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities who often live in a more intimate relationship with wetland ecosystems and their futures. Recognition of the wisdom, customs, governance, management approaches and values of people with a direct engagement in environmental governance can be an important factor in achieving effective Nature conservation, restoration and sustainable use. This includes “connectedness” which is the idea that knowledge is gained from daily observations of ‘what is happening around us, and “collectiveness” which is the awareness that we need

to take more responsibility for one another and to adopt values of collaboration, sharing and reciprocity, including in a wider sense, beyond our own species. The proposal to declare that wetlands have a fundamental and inherent right to exist (Davies et al. 2020) can learn from previous declarations, such as the models provided by the World Charter for Nature and the Earth Charter, whereby a charter is a document that defines the rights, privileges and responsibilities of a specified organization or body. Based on these rights and responsibilities, it is imperative that all peoples declare and enact their mutual responsibilities to one another, to the wider community of life, and to future generations. This includes the ecological integrity of all wetlands and the dignity of all humanity based on a set of specific principles, beginning with: “Recognize that all beings are interdependent and every form of life has value regardless of its worth to human beings.” n REFERENCES

Berry, T. 2001. The origin, differentiation and role of rights. Paper preJurisprudence Conference 21-24 April sented at the Earth 2001, Airlie Centre, Warrenton, Virginia, USA. Cullinan, C. 2011. Wild law: A Manifesto for Earth Justice. Second Edition. Green Books, White River Junction, Vermont, USA. 208 pages. Convention on Biological Diversity. 2010. Decision X/2. Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020. Available at: https://www.cbd.int/decision/ cop/?id=12268 Convention on Biological Diversity. 2020. Zero draft of the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. CBD/WG2020/2/3. Available at: https://www.cbd.int/doc/c/efb0/1f84/a892b98d2982a829962b6371/ wg2020-02-03-en.pdf Dahl, T. E. 1990. Wetlands losses in the United States, 1780’s to 1980’s. US Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service. Washington, D.C. 20 pages. Dahl, T.E. 2011. Status and trends of wetlands in the conterminous United States 2004 to 2009. U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, D.C. 112 pages. Darrah, S.E., Y. Shennan-Farpón, J. Loh, N.C. Davidson, C.M. Finlayson, R.C. Gardner, and M.J. Walpole. 2019. Improvements to the wetland extent trends (WET) index as a tool for monitoring natural and humanmade wetlands. Ecological Indicators 99: 294–298 Davidson, N.C. 2014. How much wetland has the world lost? Longterm and recent trends in global wetland area. Marine and Freshwater Research 65: 934–941. Davidson, N.C. 2018. Ramsar Convention on Wetlands: Scope and Implementation. In C. M. Finlayson, M. Everard, K. Irvine, R.J. McInnes, B.A. Middleton, A.A. van Dam, and N.C. Davidson (eds.). 2016. The Wetland Book I: Structure and Function, Management and Methods. Springer Publishers, Dordrecht, Netherlands. pp. 451-458. Davidson, N.C., L. Dinesen, S. Fennessy, C.M. Finlayson, P. Grillas, A. Grobicki, R. McInnes, N. Murray, and D.A. Stroud. 2020a. Trends in the ecological character status of wetlands reported to the Ramsar Convention. Marine and Freshwater Research 71: 127–138. Davidson, N.C., L. Dinesen, M.S. Fennessy, C.M. Finlayson, P. Grillas, A. Grobicki, R.J. McInnes and D.A. Stroud. 2020b. Adequacy of reporting on change in wetland ecological character to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands by Contracting Parties. Marine and Freshwater Research 71: 117–126. Wetland Science & Practice January 2021 17

Davies, G.T., C.M. Finlayson, D.E. Pritchard, N.C. Davidson, R.C. Gardner, W.R. Moomaw, E. Okuno, and J.C. Whitacre. 2020. Towards a Universal Declaration of the Rights of Wetlands. Marine and Freshwater Research doi.org/10.1071/MF20219 De Groot, R.S., M.A.M. Stuip, C.M. Finlayson, and N. Davidson. 2006. Valuing wetlands: guidance for valuing the benefits derived from wetland ecosystem services. Ramsar Technical Report No. 3/CBD Technical Series No. 27. Ramsar Convention Secretariat, Gland, Switzerland & Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, Montreal, Canada. Demos, T.J. 2015. Rights of Nature: The art and politics of Earth Jurisprudence. Available at: https://cpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/sites.ucsc.edu/ dist/0/196/files/2015/10/Demos-Rights-of-Nature-2015.compressed.pdf De Ville, G. 2019. Why should we care about Indigenous knowledge to save the world? Cobra Collective. Egham, UK. TW20 0EX. Available at https://cobracollective.org/concepts/why-should-we-care-about-indigenous-knowledge-to-save-the-world/ Díaz, S., S. Demissew, C. Joly, W.M. Lonsdale, and A. Larigauderie. 2015. A Rosetta Stone for Nature ’s benefits to people. Plos Biology: 1–8. Earth Charter. 1999. Available at https://earthcharter.org/read-the-earthcharter/download-the-charter/?doing_wp_cron=1592865102.263652086 2579345703125 Fennessy, M.S., A. Rokosch, and J. Mack. 2008. Decomposition and nutrient cycles in natural and restored wetlands: a functional analysis. Wetlands 28: 300-310. Finlayson, C.M. and R. D’Cruz. 2005. Inland water systems. In R. Hassan, R. Scholes, and N. Ash, (eds.). Ecosystems and Human Well-being: Current State and Trends: Findings of the Condition and Trends Working Group. Island Press, Washington, DC. pp. 551-583. Finlayson, C.M., G. Davies, W.R. Moomaw, and N. Davidson. 2020. A Society of Wetland Scientists climate change and wetlands initiative. Wetland Science & Practice 37(3): 158-161. Fox, E. 1986. Letter to Richard G. Lugar, Chairman, Committee on Foreign Relations, United States Senate. 24 July 1986. Doc. 99-28, Convention on Ramsar Wetlands of International Importance. U.S. National Archives, Washington, D.C. Gardner, R. C. and N.C. Davidson. 2011. The Ramsar Convention. In B. Lepage (ed.). Wetlands: Integrating Multidisciplinary Concepts. Springer: Dordrecht, Netherlands. pp. 189-203. Haas, P. M. 2015. Epistemic Communities, Constructivism, and International Environmental Politics. Routledge, Abingdon, UK.420 pages. Horwitz, P. and C.M. Finlayson. 2011. Wetlands as settings: ecosystem services and health impact assessment for wetland and water resource management. BioScience 61: 678-688. IPBES (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services). 2018. Regional assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services for the Americas of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services: Summary for policymakers. IPBES secretariat, Bonn, Germany. IPBES (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services). 2019. Global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem services of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. IPBES secretariat, Bonn, Germany. Kauffman, C.M. and P.L. Martin. 2018. When rivers have rights: case comparisons of New Zealand, Colombia, and India. International Studies Association Annual Conference. April 4, 2018. San Francisco, USA. Kimmerer, R.W. 2013. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants. Milkweed Editions, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.408 pages. Koons J.E. 2012. At the tipping point: defining an Earth jurisprudence for social and ecological justice. Loyola Law Review 58: 349-390. 18 Wetland Science & Practice January 2021

Matthews, G.V.T. 1993. The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands: its history and development. Ramsar Convention Bureau, Gland, Switzerland. McInnes, R.J., N.C. Davidson, C.P. Rostron, M. Simpson, and C.M. Finlayson. 2020. A citizen science state of the world’s wetlands survey. Wetlands. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-020-01267-8 MEA (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment). 2005. Ecosystems and Human well-being: Wetlands and Water Synthesis. World Resources Institute, Washington, DC. Mitsch, W.J. and M.E. Hernandez. 2013. Landscape and climate change threats to wetlands of North and Central America. Aquatic Sciences 75: 133-149. Nash, R.F. 1989. The Rights of Nature, a History of Environmental Ethics. The University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, Wisconsin, USA. 320 pages. Neubauer, S.C. 2014. On the challenges of modeling the net radiative forcing of wetlands: reconsidering Mitsch et al. (2013). Landscape Ecology 29: 571-577. O’Donnell, E.L. and J. Talbot-Jones. 2018. Creating legal rights for rivers: Lessons from Australia, New Zealand, and India. Ecology and Society: 23, 7. Pecharroman, L.C. 2018. Rights of Nature: rivers that can stand in court. Resources 7: 13. Pittock, J., C.M. Finlayson, D. Roux, A. Arthington, J. Matthews, H. Biggs, E. Blom, R. Flitcroft, R. Froend, I. Harrison, V. Hermoso, W. Junk, R. Kumar, S. Linke, J. Nel, C. Nunes da Cunha, A. Pattnaik, S. Pollard, W. Rast, M. Thieme, E. Turak, J. Turpie, L. van Niekerk, D. Willems, and J. Viers. 2014. Chapter 19: Managing fresh water, river, wetland and estuarine protected areas. In G.L. Worboys, M. Lockwood, A. Kothari, S. Feary, and I. Pulsford (eds). Protected Area Governance and Management, ANU Press, Canberra. pp. 569-608. Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. 2018. Global Wetland Outlook: State of the World’s Wetlands and their Services to People. Ramsar Convention Secretariat, Gland, Switzerland. Ramsar Convention. 2020. Ramsar Sites Information Service. Available at https://rsis.ramsar.org/ Simpson, M., N. Davidson, G. Davies, M. Finlayson, W.R. Moomaw, D. Pritchard, M.S. Fennessy, and J. Whitacre. 2020. Upcoming symposium: a Universal Declaration on the Rights of Wetlands – shifting the paradigm to restore the human-wetland relationship in support of wetland restoration, conservation and wise use. Wetland Science & Practice 37(2): 82-84. Stone, C.D. 2010. Should Trees Have Standing? Law, Morality, and the Environment. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. 248 pages. Trisos, C.H., C. Merow, and A.L. Pigot. 2020. The projected timing of abrupt ecological disruption from climate change. Nature 580: 496-501. Van Deveer, S.D. 2000. Changing course to protect European seas: lessons after 25 years. Environment 42: 10–26. Van Deveer, S. and G. D. Dabelko. 2001. It’s capacity, stupid: international assistance and national implementation. Global Environmental Politics 1: 18-29. Wackernagel, M. and B. Beyers. 2019. Ecological Footprint: Managing Our Biocapacity Budget. New Society Publishers, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. 338 pages. World Charter for Nature 1982. Available at https://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/entri/texts/world.charter.for.nature.1982.html Zedler, J.B. and N. Miller 2018. Wetland Restoration. In C. M. Finlayson, M. Everard, K. Irvine, R.J. McInnes, B.A. Middleton, A.A. van Dam, and Davidson, N.C. (eds.). 2018. The Wetland Book I: Structure and Function, Management and Methods. Springer Publishers, Dordrecht, Netherlands. pp. 165-176.

WETLANDS OF DISTINCTION

Pennsylvania’s Quakertown Swamp By Roy Messaros, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

five species of snake. “We were very pleased to receive and approve the application for the Quakertown Swamp as a Wetland of Distinction,” said Jason E. Smith, PWS – Co-Chair of the Wetlands of Distinction Committee for the Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS). Jason commented further that the “Long-term protection of such valuable wetlands will depend on recognition and support by the public, especially those who surround and benefit the most from preservation and protection efforts.” According to the Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory, it is one of the largest intact, inland wetlands in southeastern Pennsylvania and is exceptional for its broadleaf deciduous shrubs and excellent bird habitat (Heritage Conservancy 2020). Dominant flora include red maple (Acer rubrum), pin oak (Quercus palustris), swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor), black willow (Salix nigra), buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), and tussock sedge (Carex stricta). The Quakertown Swamp is especially known for providing extensive habitat for 74 species of nesting birds including 14 rare breeders, eight Species of Special Concern, and four of uncertain nesting status (Figure 4). The Swamp is the only known nesting area of the Sora Rail (Porzana carolina) and Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris) within in this region (Heritage Conservancy 2000). Quakertown Swamp occurs entirely within the Quakertown diabase sheet which is an igneous rock formation of the Jurassic period that intruded into the Triassic FIGURE 1. Symbol showing general location of Quakertown Swamp, Pennsylvania, USA. (Source: Google Earth). sedimentary shales and sandstones to form a series of subsurface sills and ledges which have subsequently been exposed by erosion. Regions such as this would typically have large surface rock but the region’s wetlands allow for sediment accumulation and accelerated weathering of the underlying rock due to frequent inundation followed by periods of drawdown. An interesting

uakertown Swamp is located within the Delaware River watershed in Richland, East Rockhill, and West Rockhill Townships, PA (Figure 1). It extends from the woodlands just west of Route 309 four and one half miles to the northeast to Tohickon Creek. Quakertown Swamp is a 210-hectare natural wetland that is recognized as one of the most significant natural resources in Bucks County (Rhoads and Block 2011; Figures 2 and 3). The diversity of habitat includes open water along Bog Run, emergent cattail marsh, shrub wetlands, wet meadows, and other palustrine wetlands. Quakertown Swamp has long been recognized as an exceptional wetland habitat. Exemplary ecosystem services include floor storage, flood mitigation, water quality improvement, aquifer recharge, recreation (e.g., birding and ecotourism), and education. Quakertown Swamp was named by the Bucks County Planning Commission as an important wetland within the state (Heritage Conservancy 2000). The Quakertown Swamp was approved as the 38th Wetland of Distinction for its pristine characteristics and wetland functions and values that include supporting high bird diversity as well as critical wildlife habitat for many amphibians and reptiles. Among the various species of amphibians and reptiles supported by this wetland are five species of turtle, seven species of frog, three species of salamander, and

Wetland Science & Practice January 2021 19

FIGURE 2. Overview of the Swamp. (Source: Google Earth; April 2014 image.)

FIGURE 3. Quakertown Swamp. (Photo courtesy of James Drennan.)

FIGURE 4. Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea) is a high priority conservation species in Pennsylvania and one of many birds of special significance breeding in Quakertown Swamp. (Photo courtesy of James Drennan.)

feature of this region is shallow, nearly flat valleys with slow-moving streams that spread out to form extensive wetlands. Quakertown Swamp is the largest of these valley wetlands within Bucks County. Similar wetland areas occur along Butter Creek, Dimple Creek, and Ridge Valley Creek but are all smaller in size. The soils of Quakertown Swamp are primarily Hatboro silt loam, a floodplain soil formed from alluvium washed from the surrounding uplands (Heritage Conservancy 2000). Quakertown Swamp is unique and therefore offers much value to the local community. The Pennsylvania Game Commission recognizes this extensive swamp as significant habitat for nesting and migrating waterfowl. Quakertown Swamp is listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as an important wetland area in Pennsylvania. The Bucks County Planning Commission named Quakertown Swamp as a significant natural area in its natural resources plans (1986 and 1999) and in its Natural Areas Inventory (1999). Quakertown Swamp has been designated by Pennsylvania Audubon as Important Bird Area (Heritage Conservancy 2000) with breeding colonies of Least Bittern (Ixobrychus exilis), Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris), Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), and Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias). Other species of note include Sora (Porzana carolina), Virginia Rail (Rallus limicola), and Common Snipe (Gallinago gallinago). Decades of partnerships and support from caring community members have made it possible for the Quakertown Swamp to flourish despite adversity from development. Residential land development within and surrounding area had been significant making it essential to protect areas to sustain this region. Fragmentation by land development remains a significant threat to the Swamp’s health. Heritage Conservancy, a local non-profit natural resource conservation organization, has been instrumental in protecting the Swamp. The mission of Heritage Conservancy is to preserve and protect the natural and historic legacy of local ecological habitat of over 6050 hectares which includes Quakertown Swamp of which it owns 28 hectares. Heritage Conservancy is proud that the Swamp has achieved designation as a Wetland of Distinction. This recognition sends a message to everyone that the Quakertown Swamp is a significant natural resource and deserves protection. n REFERENCES Heritage Conservancy. 2000. Preserving and protecting our natural and historic heritage. https://www.heritageconservancy.org Heritage Conservancy. 2020. Quakertown Swamp designated as a ‘Wetland of Distinction’. Path, Doylestown, PA. https://patch.com/pennsylvania/doylestown/quakertown-swamp-designated-wetland-distinction. Rhoads, A.R. and T.A. Block. 2011. Natural Areas Inventory Update, Buck County, PA. 465 pp.

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REFLECTIONS his is a new section in Wetland Science & Practice that offers distinguished scientists an opportunity to reflect on their career and involvement/contribution to wetland science, management, or conservation. It will appear intermittently as interviews are conducted by SWS members. Students may want to consider interviewing their professors or other mentors – wetlanders who have served as an inspiration for seeking wetlands as a career. If interested in doing an interview please contact Ralph Tiner, editor at ralphtiner83@gmail.com. This one offers an interview of Dr. Nepal Chandra Nandi (retired Senior Scientist from Zoological Survey of India) by Priyanka Sarkar, 2019 SWS Wetland Ambassador1. The interview was conducted on November 10, 2020.

Reflections from Indian Scientist Dr. Nepal Chandra Nandi Interview by Priyanka Sarkar INTRODUCTION Dr. Nepal Chandra Nandi served as the Additional Director (Retd.) of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Kolkata, one of the premier Indian organizations under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in zoological research and studies to promote the survey, exploration, and research of fauna in the country. Dr, Nandi earned his M.Sc. (1971) and Ph.D. (1978) under the Supervision of Prof. Amalesh Choudhury (Retd.) from Calcutta University, India. Dr. Nandi has experience working on the ecology and faunal resources of India’s wetlands in different wetland ecosystems including freshwater wetlands, brackish water wetlands, and mangroves for more than 35 years while being involved with ZSI and SEBA (the Social Environmental and Biological Association) Kolkata, India. In addition, he is specialized in Protozoology / Parasitology (Avian Haematozoa). Dr. Nandi has a special interest in fishery and marine sciences and has published some books on crab fisheries as well as fisheries sociology aspects. He is also an honorary consultant of Queensland Museum, Australia. He is a Fellow of the International Biographical Research Foundation. He received training in wetland management from Wetland Advisory and Training Centre (WATC), the Netherlands. Dr. Nandi has acted as an examiner in Zoology, Environmental Science, Fishery Science, and Marine Science for M.Sc. and M. F. Sc. degrees in nine different Indian Universities. He has supervised five Ph.D. students from Calcutta University and Kalyani University, India. He represented the ZSI, India at the Mangrove Committee of Sundarban Biosphere Reserve of the Forest Department and as the Member of the Wetland Committee, Department of Environment, Government of West Bengal, India. He has published 7 books, 18 monographic accounts, and more than 250 research papers in national and international journals including wetland research. Some of his noted published books and articles on wetland science include Nandi and Misra

1987, Mandal and Nandi 1989, Nandi and Pramanik 1994, Mukherji and Nandi 2004, Pramanik and Nandi 2004, 2011, Pal and Nandi 2006, Mandal and Nandi 2009, and Nandi et al. 2013. Dr. Nandi is a life member of several scientific societies, and presently acting as the Managing Editor (formerly Executive Editor, for 14 years) for the Journal of Environment and Sociobiology (ISSN 0973-0834). THE INTERVIEW Priyanka: How did you start your career in wetland science? Dr. Nandi: Actually, I was introduced to wetland science in ZSI by former Director, Dr. A. K. Ghosh in 1988 while I was in-charge of Ecology Division, ZSI after my transfer from Sundarban Field Research Station (SFRS), ZSI, Canning Town, West Bengal. However, mangrove and estuarine research were initiated in the early 1980s with an emphasis on fishery sciences, even though I did my Ph.D. from Calcutta University on “Blood Parasites of Indian Avifauna” in 1978, while in service as Sr. Zool. Asst., ZSI, Kolkata. Priyanka: What led you to your current position and industry? Dr. Nandi: I retired from ZSI in January 2009 as Additional Director, ZSI; introduced formally to wetland research

1 Contact information: Nepal Chandra Nandi nepalchandra.nandi@gmail.com and Priyanka Sarkar prianca.sarkar9@gmail.com. Wetland Science & Practice January 2021 21

as Zoologist in 1988. Currently, I am serving as the Vice President SEBA (Social Environmental and Biological Association) Kolkata, since 2004; and also, as the Managing Editor (earlier acted as Executive Editor for 14 years from 2004-2017), for the Journal of Environment and Sociobiology published by SEBA since 2004. Priyanka: During your career, what types of wetlands and projects did you work on? Who have you worked with on it? Dr. Nandi: I worked on freshwater wetlands, brackish water wetlands, and mangroves, especially on wetland ecology and faunal resources of wetlands in Indian states namely, West Bengal, Goa, and Kerala as well as India as a whole. The projects I worked on include: 1) wetland faunal resources of West Bengal, 2) wetland faunal resources of Goa, 3) faunal diversity of Vembanad Lake, Kerala, 4) fauna of Indian Museum Tank, Kolkata, 5) faunal diversity of Indian Wetlands, 6) wetland ecosystems in India, 7) limnology, biodiversity and management issues of Mirik Lake, West Bengal, 8) ecological studies of Rabindra Sarovar, 9) fauna of Sundarban mangrove ecosystem, 10) bibliography of Indian Sundarban, 11) crabs and crab fisheries of Sundarban, and 12) fisheries sociology of Indian Sundarban. In ZSI, I had worked with two Directors - Dr. A. K. Ghosh and Dr. J. R. B. Alfred, three Senior Scientists - Dr. K. Venkataraman, Dr. A. K. Mandal, and Dr. R. A. Khan, four Assistants - Mr. S. Bhuinya, Mr. S. R. Das, Mr. S. K. Das, Mr. J. M. Das Gupta, and four Research Scholars - Manika Mukherji, Sobhana Palit, Sujit Pal, and Mousumi Roy. Priyanka: Regarding these projects, what are their implications to biodiversity conservation and the society & community? Dr. Nandi: My research projects (in ZSI and SEBA) contributed mainly in terms of enriching the scientific records of wetland biodiversity, development of database, and societal and community-level management implication concerns in India through the publication of scientific articles and technical reports on behalf of the ZSI and other governmental organizations. These studies have been useful for administrative actions towards livelihood issues at the community level. Some of the project outputs are mentioned below: 1. A faunal diversity inventory made for West Bengal wetlands as an invited project from West Bengal Biodiversity Board, Govt. of West Bengal, India. 2. Faunal assessments made for freshwater wetlands as well as brackish water wetlands in India as two book chapters in the book - “Ecosystems of India.” 3. Wetlands and wetland biodiversity conservation and management scenarios in India. 4. Fauna, fishery, conservation and management aspects of Vembanad Lake, one of India’s wetlands of international importance (Ramsar site). 22 Wetland Science & Practice January 2021

5. In books and journals, I addressed various aspects of the Sundarban mangrove wetland including fauna, fishery, socio-economic aspects, and indigenous management. Priyanka: Since you served at ZSI for almost three decades, what changes have you noticed in India in terms of wetland degradation? Dr. Nandi: I served the ZSI from March 1973 to January 2009 and studied faunal resources of wetlands and wetlandrelated aspects from the 1980s up to my retirement from ZSI in 2009. Changes that I noticed in terms of wetland degradation in India include: 1) encroachment, 2) indiscriminate waste disposal, 3) reclamation and conversion of wetlands, 4) siltation, 5) pesticide/herbicide problems, 6) oil spillage, 7) shrinkage in the wetland area, 8) weed infestation, 9) management crisis-related degradation, and 10) livelihood and economic activity impairment. Priyanka: What is the status of wetlands in your country and what is the outlook for their future? Dr. Nandi: All Ramsar sites (41 as of November 2020), national wetlands, national lakes are reasonably protected. However, there are various other large, medium, small wetlands of local and regional importance which need to be protected and sustainably used so that they can provide for biodiversity protection and livelihood generated activities for the present and future generations with local administrative support towards the sustenance of such wetlands. Overall, there is a lack of stringent legislation defeating the prospects and preservation of wetlands in India, especially for the smaller ones and open access categories of wetlands. Priyanka: In your view, what are the few top native wetland species of flora and fauna at risk in India? Dr. Nandi: Some flora of Indian wetlands facing risks include, Bacopa monnieri (water hyssop), Centella asiatica (Asiatic pennywort), Sonneratia griffithii, and Heritiera fomes among others. And, some Indian wetland fauna found to be at risks include Platanista gangetica (South Asian river dolphin), Batagur baska (northern river terrapin), Gavialis gangeticus (gharial), Tylotriton verrucosus (Himalayan newt), Wallago attu (helicopter catfish), Tor putitora (Himalayan mahseer), and Glyphis gangeticus (Ganges shark), among others. Priyanka: What are the top invasive species that threaten India’s wetlands? Dr. Nandi: Top invasive plant species threatening Indian wetlands include Eichhornia crassipes (water hyacinth), Pistia stratiotes (water lettuce), Salvinia molesta (giant Salvinia), Alternanthera philoxeroides (alligator weed),

and Ipomoea carnea (pink morning glory). Some major invasive animal species threatening Indian wetlands include Oreochromis nilotica (Nile tilapia), Clarias gariepinus (African sharptooth catfish), Pygocentrus nattereri (redbellied piranha), Pterygoplichthys pardalis (Amazon sailfin catfish), and Aristichthys nobilis (bighead carp). Priyanka: In your view, what might be the key reason for wetland degradation in your country? What can be done to support or protect the existing wetlands in India? Dr. Nandi: The key factors for wetland degradation in India include: 1) sewage pollution and waste disposal, 2) encroachment and reclamation, and 3) lack of wetland specific as well as appropriate administrative-level integrated management plans. For effective protection and sustaining the wetlands in India, integration and local administrative supports are important for promoting the wise use of existing wetlands. A SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time related) management plan is needed for Indian wetlands involving: i) long term/ ideal objectives (mission), and ii) short term / yearly operational objectives under Integrated Wetland Development Programme (IWDP) at the Administrative Block Level in the country so that there should be concerned attention to improving environmental awareness of future generations related to ecosystem services of different wetlands with emphasis on 1) Model Fish Ponds, 2) Model Habitat for Wetland Plants, 3) Model Bird Habitat, Turtle Habitats, Frog Habitats, etc., 4) Sewage fed Fishery Demonstration System, 5) Water Lily Marshes, Lotus ponds, Floating and Suspended Flora, etc., 6) Hydrobiological Demonstration Systems, 7) Vegetation Mat Habitat, 8) Game Fishing Lakes, 9) Waterfront Recreational wetlands, 10) Microclimate Stabilizing Wetland Systems, etc. In addition, community-based wetland livelihood and management approaches are also important to conserve wetlands especially in developing countries like India. The Brace Bridge Nature Park (BBNP), Kolkata, India is a good example. It is a sewage-fed fishery system with two large ponds and some smaller ones that was developed and managed by fishermen communities and has been used as settling ponds and sewage treatment channel; it uses aquatic plants as biofilters along the drainage channel with advice from Fishery Extension Officer, Govt. of West Bengal. (Please note: Draft Management Plan of BBNP as “Own Wetland” was presented in one of the Wetland Management Training Course in the Netherlands in 1996.) Priyanka: How are wetlands viewed by the general population? How can young generation researchers contribute to wetland conservation? Dr. Nandi: The general population is least concerned for both open access and privately owned wetlands. However, I

believe, the young generation including the researchers can be motivated by involving them as wetland workers/managers and giving them specific responsibilities for restoration and management. Priyanka: What were your most memorable experiences? Looking back what are you most proud of in your profession? Dr. Nandi: Some of my memorable experiences include a six-week wetland management training in the Netherlands in 1996 with exposure to Wadden Sea excursion, a visit to Delta area for field study, Weeriben Marshland Nature Reserve experience, and the three-course files with case studies. In fact, I was entrusted in ZSI to comment on files on wetland and mangrove related issues on behalf of the Director, ZSI, and also had the occasion to attend and inspect some of the wetlands of West Bengal as part of a team comprised of members from Botanical Survey of India (BSI), ZSI and the Indian Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF). Priyanka: Any push back experiences you would like to share? Dr. Nandi: Earlier in ZSI and presently in SEBA, I have been working on wetlands on academic interests, and as such, there is no push back experience. In fact, I find pleasure in working on wetlands. CONCLUDING THOUGHT “An Integrated Wetland Development Programme (IWDP) involving Wetland Extension Officers and Wetland Managers at the administrative Block Development Office (BDO) level all over the country (India) based on a SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time related) Management plan is needed for Indian wetlands” – Dr. N.C Nandi. n LITERATURE CITED Mandal, A. K. and Nandi, N. C. 1989. Fauna of Sundarban mangrove ecosystem, West Bengal, India. Fauna of Conservation Areas No. 3: 1-116, Z.S.I., Kolkata. Mandal, F. B. and Nandi, N. C. 2009. Biodiversity – Concept, Conservation and Biofuture. Asian Publication Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, pp. 1-494. Mukherji, M. and Nandi, N. C. 2004. Studies on Macrozoobenthos of Rabindra Sarovar and Subhas Sarovar in Kolkata in Relation to Water and Sediment Characteristics. Rec. zool. Surv. India. Occ Paper No. 225: 1-119. Nandi, N. C. and Misra, A. 1987. Bibliography of the Indian Sundarbans with special reference to fauna. Rec. zool. Surv. India Occ. Paper. No. 97: 1-135. Nandi, N. C. and Pramanik, S. K. 1994. Crabs and Crab Fisheries of Sundarban Hindustan Publishing Corporation (India), Delhi-110 007, pp. 1-192. Nandi, N. C., Das, A. K. and Dey, A. 2013. Wetland Faunal Diversity of West Bengal. WBBB & NBI, Kolkata, pp. 1- 256. Pal, Sujit and Nandi, N. C. 2006. Phytofaunal community of two freshwater lakes of West Bengal, India. Rec. zool. Surv. India Occ. Paper No. 248: 1-146. Pramanik, S. K. and Nandi, N. C. 2004. Dry Fish Production Profile of Indian Sundarban. Classical Publishing Company, Delhi – 110 015, pp. 1-292. Pramanik, S. K. and Nandi, N. C. 2011. Fisheries Sociology of Indian Sundarban. Narendra Publishing House, New Delhi –110 015, 300pp.

Wetland Science & Practice January 2021 23

COMMENTARY

Applied Wetland Science Has a Plastics Problem STANDARD PROTOCOL MUST GIVE WAY TO FLEXIBLE THINKING IF WE ARE COMMITTED TO PROTECTING THE WATERS OF THE UNITED STATES. By Katherine Harrelson

n any given day, in any given year, from April to November, hundreds of wetland scientists all across the United States are busy leaving thousands upon thousands of feet of polyvinyl chloride ribbon hanging in some of the most pristine and untouched landscapes of our country. They diligently leave this plastic tape dangling from trees, shrubs, and grasses, to waft in the breeze and suffer an unknown fate. These narrow pieces of single-use plastic are even left above or directly adjacent to the very rivers and streams these scientists are trying to protect, even after fish and other aquatic wildlife has been observed and documented in such water bodies. Why are they doing this you ask? Well, they do it for the very best of intentions; as part of the standard protocol to protect our natural resources. But it’s time for the standard protocol to change. You see, I am a geologist relatively new to the field of wetland science. I completed Ralph Tiner’s excellent wetland delineation certification course through Rutgers University (during which boundary tape is removed after course completed) in order to expand my skills, return to fieldwork after a long hiatus, and fill a gap in my scientific training about what actually happens ABOVE ground

FIGURE 1. Class C stream in upstate New York with blue flagging tape.

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rather than below. After the course, I was lucky to land a position at a wonderful company that allows me to work as a geologist in their environmental remediation department while also training in wetland delineations. I have been working as the tech support and second scientist on wetland delineation projects in New England for future renewable energy projects for about a year and a half now, and with each project, I am growing more and more concerned about what we’re leaving behind. On a recent project in New England, I helped delineate approximately 375 acres of land over five field days, hanging plastic tape at all boundary survey points. But I also made a point of picking up all of the old tape that I found on the ground, buried under leaves, and even at the bottom of streams. The picture you see below is what I picked up in those five days across 375 acres. This represents but a portion of the old tape that was lying on the ground across the entire 600-acre parcel, and is a frightening symbol of our legacy as wetland scientists. I have come to understand that project managers assume that the tape needs to stay there for the construction crew to use as visual markers during the construction phase of the project. I seem to understand that working crews may decimate a natural resource if they believe it was not delineated as a protected resource during the permitting process. But aren’t we threatening our wildlife and water quality with our assumptions? I have asked several scientists with whom I work what happens to the tape after it is hung, and the answer I get is usually a shrug. I have also found old tape at nearly all the job sites I work, because the same sites get surveyed over and over again. I have also come to understand that it often takes years for development projects to get off the ground, and the consulting portion of that

project can change hands quite a few times, so that even if project managers budget for the tape to be removed at a later date, they are often removed from a project before the construction is complete, leaving the tape to degrade in place. I have asked our leads if they would consider using the biodegradable tape, but the answer is always no, because that kind of tape does not last more than a year. Yet I have never seen an instance where tape that was hung over a year ago was ever used as a wetland boundary by a construction crew or the next scientist to survey the site. So I am at a loss why this tape needs to last more than a year. There are alternatives to hanging so much PVC tape. Pre-printed aluminum signs mounted to wooden stakes can be driven into the ground in the center of our features, indicating that such feature is a protected wetland or water body. The shape files and maps with all of the locations of our surveyed boundary points can (and already are!) provided to any construction crew working on the project so that they can see the boundaries as they are mapped. Biodegradable tape can be hung on sites where the construction schedule is known. Or the initial features can be mapped using GIS, and a tech can return to tape up certain features at a later date that are in the path of construction. Tape may not be needed on sites where the consultant is providing a biologist for construction oversight. Or, a project must have a budget for a tech to return to the site and collect the tape, even if the consulting company gets kicked off the job. At

a minimum, project managers, as part of the preliminary desktop review process, should decide which features need flagging at all, and limit the hanging of neon flags to only those resources that are in most danger of being overlooked or missed during construction. Perennial streams and ponds should never be hung with flags. I know it’s the environmental industry as a whole, especially the remediation division, that has a plastics problem. And I know that I am a relative outsider looking in. However, sometimes it takes an outsider to point out what we have been taking for granted all along. I would welcome outside input into what I could be doing to reduce my plastic waste. So I hope that this piece will put a wrench in the gears of our assumptions, and cause us to all stop and think about what we could be doing better for the resources we are trained to protect. n

FIGURE 2. Discarded flagging tape found at delineation site.

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NOTES FROM THE FIELD

his section is devoted to showing images of wetlands and their biota. We encourage contributions from anywhere in the world. If interested in contributing please contact Ralph Tiner, editor at ralphtiner83@gmail.com. For this issue, I asked Steve Eggers, senior author of “Wetland Plants and Wetland Communities of Minnesota and Wisconsin”1, if he would be willing to share some of his excellent photographs of wetland plants to brighten up the usual drab winter we experience in North America at this time of the year. He agreed and provided 32 images and accompanying text that you’ll see below each photograph. Enjoy! n

Showy Lady’s-Slipper (Cypripedium reginae).A spectacular orchid well known and revered, selected as the state flower of Minnesota. Common habitats include coniferous swamps, hardwood swamps, bogs, fens and floating mats. Interestingly it can tolerate pH ranges from acidic to alkaline. In its natural habitat, an individual requires at least 14 to 16 years to produce its first flower (Smith 1993). Photograph location was an opening in a coniferous bog, Lake Bemidji State Park, Beltrami County, Minnesota.

Yellow Water Crowfoot (Ranunculus flabellaris). Another aquatic buttercup found in quiet waters of lakes and streams; also occurs in marshes and is sometimes stranded on muddy shores. Photograph location was the shoreline of Mille Lacs Lake, Mille Lacs County, Minnesota.

1 Available for downloading via the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Digital Library - https://usace.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p266001coll1/id/2801/.

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Swamp Thistle (Cirsium muticum). A native thistle of sedge meadows, wet to wet-mesic prairies and calcareous fens (another common name is fen thistle). Instead of flower heads with stiff spines as in most other thistles, flower heads are weakly spined and sticky because of a gummy resin. This specimen was in a calcareous fen community within the Savage Fen Scientific and Natural Area, Scott County, Minnesota.

Ram’s-Head Lady’s-Slipper (Cypripedium arietinum). Smallest and rarest of lady’s-slippers in Minnesota and Wisconsin listed as threatened in both states. It occurs in a wide variety of habitats from coniferous swamps to jack pine forests to mixed conifer-hardwood forests. To some the lip looks like a charging ram—thus the common name. This specimen was in a tamarack swamp in Gully Fen Scientific and Natural Area, Polk County, Minnesota.

Small Yellow Lady’s-Slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum var. makasin). Similar in size to the small white lady’s-slipper and the two can occur together. Habitats include rich coniferous swamps as well as hardwood swamps and calcareous fens. The larger C. parviflorum var. pubescens has yellowish sepals as opposed to the mahogany sepals of var. makasin. Larix Wildlife Management Area, Polk County, Minnesota.

Small White-Lady’s Slipper (Cypripedium candidum). Primarily an orchid of wet to wet-mesic prairies and calcareous fens. The former were once abundant in Minnesota and Wisconsin but have suffered >99 percent loss. The latter—calcareous fens—were rare even at the time of European settlement. Thus, today this orchid is rare and listed as threatened in Wisconsin and of special concern in Minnesota. When searching for this orchid, which is much smaller (lip not much larger than a thumbnail) than the more common showy lady’s-slipper, look on the top of sedge tussocks. Photograph location was a calcareous fen within the Savage Fen Scientific and Natural Area, Scott County, Minnesota.

Pink Lady’s-Slipper (Cypripedium acaule). A relatively common lady’s-slipper in Minnesota and Wisconsin occurring in a variety of habitats from the wet end of the spectrum (e.g., coniferous bogs) to dry (e.g., upland pine forests). It prefers shaded, acidic, nutrient-poor conditions and each plant produces only two basal leaves. This specimen was at the edge of a cedar swamp in Aitkin County, Minnesota.

Intermediate Sundew (Drosera intermedia). A carnivorous species characteristic of bogs and also colonizes disturbed, sunny, acidic, wet habitats. This example was in acidic, saturated sands of a road ditch within the Black River State Forest, Jackson County, Wisconsin.

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Grass Pink (Calopogon tuberosus). An orchid of coniferous swamps and bogs usually under a canopy of tamarack, white cedar or spruce. Also Wild Calla (Calla palustris). A member of the occurs on floating mats of sedges or Sphagnum Arum family found in bogs and shallow, acidic mosses. Distinctive features are a single, grasswaters. Fruit is a cluster of berries turning green to like leaf and raceme of two or more flowers. red. Photograph location was a bog in Mille Lacs White-flowered specimens also occur but are Kathio State Park, Mille Lacs County, Minnesota. very rare. Black River State Forest, Jackson County, Wisconsin.

Northern wild rice (Zizania palustris) goes through a floating-leaf stage, which occurs during June in Minnesota, before becoming emergent and growing to a height of 2-3m. A remarkable plant considering it is an annual starting from seed in murky, submerged depths with low dissolved oxygen and minimal sunlight penetration and must grow through thatch and other debris covering the substrate. Yellow water-lily (Nuphar variegata) is a common associate. The dark green, cylindrical, emergent stems visible are hardstem bulrush (Schoenoplectus acutus). Rice Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Aitkin County, Minnesota.

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Broad-Leaved Arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia). Another common name is duck potato due to the starchy tubers, a food source for Native Americans and early European settlers and important for wildlife as well. Leaf width/shape varies considerably from the broad arrowhead shape shown by the photograph, to more narrowly arrowhead to elliptical shapes, to completely submerged ribbon-like leaves—thought to be a response to varying water depths. Photograph location was a deep marsh within Weaver Bottoms, Pool 5 of the Mississippi River, Wabasha County, Minnesota.

Late summer (August) view of a tussock sedge (Carex stricta) meadow with spotted joe-pye weed (Eutrochium maculatum) and boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) as prominent wildflowers. Community is a sedge fen on groundwater-fed, sloping, deep (>2m) muck soils at the toe of a bluff along the Minnesota River valley in Fort Snelling State Park, Dakota County, Minnesota. Radiocarbon dating found that muck deposits in calcareous fens of the lower Minnesota River valley are around 10,000 years old (Almendinger and Leete 1998).

Swamp Rose (Rosa palustris). True to its name, this rose is found in hardwood and coniferous swamps, shrub swamps, marshes, and along streambanks. It reaches its northwestern range Pitcher Plant (Sarracina purpurea). The familiar limit in Wisconsin (does not occur in Minnesota). carnivorous plant of bogs thriving in nutrient-poor Characteristics include a pair of stout, curved thorns below each leaf node as well as pedicels conditions, preferring open, sunny habitats on the Sphagnum moss mat, but may persist under and hypanthium with stalked glands (stipitatemore shaded conditions. Occasionally occurs in glandular). Photograph location was an alder calcareous fens as well. The photograph is from thicket within Black River State Forest, Jackson County, Wisconsin. Bark Bay Slough State Natural Area, Bayfield County, Wisconsin, an embayment of Lake Superior.

Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris). One of the first wildflowers to bloom in spring (April-May), often found in groundwater seepages within hardwood swamps, sedge meadows and shrub swamps as well as along streams. A common associate is skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus). Savage Fen Scientific and Natural Area, Scott County, Minnesota.

Arrowhead Sweet Coltsfoot (Petasites frigidus var. sagittatus). Blooms much earlier (April-June) than most other members of the aster family found in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Basal leaves are large (up to 30cm long), arrowhead-shaped, dark green above and white-woolly below—unmistakable. Found in northern portions of Wisconsin and Minnesota in wooded swamps, shrub swamps and sedge meadows. Listed as a threatened species in Wisconsin. This specimen was in a shrub swamp in St. Louis County, Minnesota.

Marsh Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata). When in bloom, seemingly always being visited by butterflies as well as a host of other insects. Additionally, it is a food plant for Monarch caterpillars and many bird species use the fibers from old stems for nest-building. Sedge meadows are the most common habitat for marsh milkweed, but it also occurs in shallow marshes, shrub swamps and calcareous fens. The photograph was taken in a calcareous fen within the Seminary Fen Scientific and Natural Area, Carver County, Minnesota. Wetland Science & Practice January 2021 29

Swamp Lousewort (Pedicularis lanceolata). Primarily a species of wet to wet-mesic prairies and calcareous fens—in other words sunny, wet habitats. Pale yellow, two-lipped, “snapdragon” like flowers. Iron Horse Prairie Scientific and Natural Area, Dodge County, Minnesota.

Monkey Flower (Mimulus ringens). A distinctive species found in wet, sunny habitats including wet meadows, streambanks and shores. Photograph location was the edge of a shallow marsh Lesser Fringed Gentian (Gentianopsis procera). within the Blaine Preserve Scientific and Natural Characteristic of calcareous fens; also occurs on calcareous soils of wet to wet-mesic prairies and Area, Anoka County, Minnesota. along shores, particularly if groundwater seepages are present. It is a very late blooming species— September into even October. Photograph location was a calcareous fen within Savage Fen Scientific and Natural Area, Scott County, Minnesota.

Arctic Raspberry (Rubus arcticus). A circumpolar species that extends into the northern Lower 48 including northern Minnesota and one northwestern Wisconsin county. Typical habitats include the Sphagnum moss mats of open and coniferous bogs. St. Louis County, Minnesota.

White Water Crowfoot (Ranunculus longirostris). An aquatic buttercup occurring in quiet waters of lakes and streams. Extensive stands can be formed as shown by the photograph. Lake Marion, Dakota County, Minnesota.

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Cross-Leaved Milkwort (Polygala cruciata). Leaves in whorls of 4 appear to form a cross, thus the common name. In Minnesota, it is largely restricted to sedge meadows in the Anoka Sand Plain (an area within and north of the Twin Cities) and is listed as endangered. In Wisconsin, it is most prevalent in the wetland acid sands and peats of Glacial Lake Wisconsin (west-central portion of the state), but also in some southern counties. Black River State Forest, Jackson County, Wisconsin.

White Water-Lily (Nymphaea odorata). With most of the focus on showy white flowers contrasted against dark green floating leaves, many don’t see another major feature of this plant—the impressively large, thick rhizomes. Flowers are fragrant, close at night and open in the morning. White water-lily is common to dominant (can form dense colonies covering the water’s surface) in lakes, ponds, slow moving streams and Mississippi River backwaters. Lake Bemidji State Park, Beltrami County, Minnesota.

Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis). Striking scarlet-red flowers that stand out like neon lights in the otherwise dim understory of floodplain forests in late summer. Also found in wet meadows and along streambanks. Well worth braving the (typical) hordes of mosquitoes to take a closer look and photograph. Photograph location was a floodplain forest within Weaver Bottoms, Pool 5 of the Mississippi River, Wabasha County, Minnesota.

Yellow Water-Lily (Nuphar variegata). A common aquatic plant of lakes, ponds and slow moving streams and backwaters. Photograph location was an oxbow of the La Crosse River, Veterans Park, La Crosse County, Wisconsin.

Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis). Another name is touch-me-not because when seed capsules are ripe a mere touch results in an explosive scattering of seeds, which is quite impressive. Crushing the succulent stem and applying the juice to the skin is said to alleviate symptoms of poison ivy (Toxicodendron spp.) and nettle (Urticaceae) stings. Jewelweed is a common annual of floodplain forests, hardwood swamps, wet meadows, marshes and along streams and lake shores. This specimen was along the shoreline of a man-made cranberry reservoir in Monroe County, Wisconsin.

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Giant Sunflower (Helianthus giganteus). Impressive, robust plant growing to 3m in height. Stems are often purplish (but may be green) and rough due to spreading hairs. A characteristic species of wet prairies and also occurs in other wet, sunny habitats. Photograph location was a sedge meadow within Savage Fen Scientific and Natural Area, Scott County, Minnesota.

False Water-Pepper (Persicaria hydropiperoides). A species of marshes, shorelines and ditches, often in shallow water. Common name is accurate as leaves lack the sharp, peppery taste of water-pepper (P. hydropiper). Photograph location was the edge of a wire-grass sedge (Carex oligosperma) meadow in Black River State Forest, Jackson County, Wisconsin.

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Ironweed (Vernonia fasciculata). Sunny, saturated soil habitats are preferred including wet prairies, calcareous fens and sedge meadows— blooming in late summer (August-September). This specimen was in a wet meadow in Vernon County, Wisconsin.

Bottle Gentian (Gentiana andrewsii). Most frequently occurs in wet to wet-mesic prairies, but also wet meadows and openings in hardwood swamps. This specimen was in a wet-mesic prairie within Iron Horse Prairie Scientific and Natural Area (SNA), Dodge County, Minnesota. This SNA has an interesting history in that is was saved, inadvertently, by the railroad (thus “iron horse”). It consists of a triangular- shaped, 35-acre area created by two diverging railroad spurs constructed in the late 1800s. As “railroad land” it was ignored while >99 percent of prairies in Minnesota were lost to the plow and urban development over the next century. It was discovered in the 1980s and today is the largest and finest example of tallgrass prairie in southeastern Minnesota.

SWS 2020 VIRTUAL MEETING

PROCEEDINGS FROM THE 2020 VIRTUAL MEETING OF THE SOCIETY OF WETLAND SCIENTISTS WETLAND CONNECTIONS OVER 40 YEARS DECEMBER 1-3, 2020 Note: This year's conference was held virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

PLENARY PRESENTATIONS Presented Tuesday, December 1, 2020, 12:15-12:45 PM ET

A HISTORY OF WETLAND CONNECTIONS: REACHING IN AND REACHING OUT Ewel, Katherine C., University of Florida The Society of Wetland Scientists was the brain child of Richard Macomber, an employee of the US Army Corps of Engineers who was responsible for giving short courses and workshops on the protection and management of waterways and wetlands. His dream came to fruition in March 1980, when around 35 people gathered together in Tampa, Florida, for the first SWS meeting. This was a time when information about wetlands was hard to come by, and "reaching in" to each other's resources helped members to accumulate and assimilate advances in wetland science. The society grew rapidly, eventually including roughly equal numbers of academic scientists, government employees, and consultants. An early riff between the expectations of academic members and others was settled by all groups working together to form the SWS Professional Certification Program, which itself has thrived. While "reaching in" to tend to the well-being of the society, SWS also "reached out" to attract more international members. It has also joined with other societies to educate policy makers about the importance of wetlands and the possible consequences of proposed legislation. Wetland science is concerned with the connections among different ecosystems and landscapes; SWS is concerned with tending to the needs of its own members as well as society as a whole. n

Presented Wednesday, December 2, 2020, 12:00-12:30 PM ET

WETLANDS WISE USE: REFRAMING FOR MULTIPLE WORLDVIEWS Kumar, Ritesh, Wetlands International South Asia In 2021, the Ramsar Convention will be marking 50th year of one of the oldest multilateral environmental agreements on a single ecosystem, the wetlands. At the heart of Convention is the wise use philosophy, which, at the time of

adoption of the Convention text in 1971, marked a novel framing of human-nature interdependency as the basis of delivering conservation as well as sustainable development outcomes. Wise use of wetlands is defined in the text of Ramsar Convention as ‘maintenance of ecological character, achieved through the implementation of ecosystem approaches, within the context of sustainable development”. While wise use has broader connotation, ecological character has been defined in a narrow sense, mostly aligning with stationarity, and relegating humans as external agents behind adverse changes in ecosystem. Managing wetlands in this era of rapid human-mediated transformation requires analytical approaches which consider integrated systems of human and nature as a unit of analysis, overcoming the human-nature dualism which has underpinned conservation approaches thus far. There is emerging scholarship which encourages a coupled view of ecological and social systems, as an alternate to framing of nature as setting context for human interactions, or human enterprise as an external disturbance acting upon ecosystems. In this talk, an alternate framing of wetland wise use and wetlands character is discussed, proposing replacement of wetland ecological character by an inclusive term ‘wetland character’ as a manifestation of a plurality of values and multiple worldviews. Wise use consequently becomes the maintenance of wetland character. n

Presented Thursday, December 3, 2020, 3:10-3:40 PM ET

HISTORY OF WETLAND SCIENCE: ROLE OF THE JOURNAL WETLANDS AND INSIGHTS FROM WETLAND LEADERS Wilcox, Douglas A., SUNY Brockport Development of wetland science as a distinct field required consolidation of wetland-related publications in a recognized wetland journal. Growth of SWS was thus tied to developing its own publication outlet. Wetlands debuted as the proceedings of the SWS meeting held in 1981, became a peer-reviewed proceedings in 1982, and was opened to outside submissions in 1983. Changes in the journal through the years included coverage in abstracting services, a larger page format, an electronic distribution option, Wetland Science & Practice January 2021 33

an on-line submission process, increasing exposure, and growing larger. Manuscript submissions increased, and more papers were published. The journal moved to two issues in 1988, three issues in 1989, four issues in 1993, and six issues in 2010. Growth of the journal transformed it into the top journal in wetland science, with submissions coming from around the globe. Consolidating efforts from many fields of expertise with a focus on wetlands helped to develop a broad, ecosystem-based science that is now globally recognized. How did Wetland Science develop and become a discipline of its own? This relatively new field of scientific inquiry began taking shape in about 1980 when SWS was formed. However, many academic, government, and consulting scientists had been in the field under different names for decades. Early development of the science was captured in my book “History of Wetland Science: Perspectives from Wetland Leaders” through short autobiographical essays written by those early forefathers of wetland science, with added developmental context in essays written by the succeeding generation of wetland leaders. Backgrounds of many of the 71 chapter authors will be presented as summaries of majors by degree, reasons for becoming “wetland scientists,” and transitions between academic, government, and consulting careers. Finally, life as wetland scientists can be far from dull, so short vignettes from many chapter authors will present humorous adventures. n

SYMPOSIA Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on wetland education: Overcoming challenges and making connections using online and distance learning Presented Tuesday, December 1, 2020, 12:45-1:45 PM ET

TECHNIQUES TO TEACHING FIELD-BASED COURSES IN AN ONLINE AND DISTANCE LEARNING SETTING Faust, Derek, Clover Park Technical College For a faculty member at a technical college, which emphasizes hands-on learning, a quick transition to a fully online curriculum presented various challenges. Challenges included teaching and learning of field techniques in an online setting, providing students access to necessary equipment and technology, and creating a sense of connection among students and instructor. Some field-based labs were adapted in order for students to do it in their yard or a local park (e.g., plant identification, forestry techniques), while online simulations were used for other techniques 34 Wetland Science & Practice January 2021

(e.g., measurement of stream discharge, benthic macroinvertebrate sampling and identification). For labs (e.g., water quality testing) requiring equipment not available to students, kits were created for checkout. Recognizing the difficulty of fully online instruction in technical programs, a plan was proposed and approved to allow in-person instruction of lab and field components of courses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the protocols used include daily temperature checks and health question screening, physical distancing, facial covering requirements, and extensive sanitation. Thus far, these health and safety protocols seem to be effective at a smaller (about 5,000 students) technical college. An informal survey of students indicated that they appreciated the efforts made to ensure health and safety during the pandemic, while delivering effective, online and in-person instruction. n

Presented Tuesday, December 1, 2020, 12:45-1:45 PM ET

NEW VIRTUAL REALITY IN WETLAND KNOWLEDGE SHARING Paul, Swapan, Sydney Wetland Institute Although technology has augmented transfer of wetland knowledge in the last decade or so, the COVID-19 restrictions and limitations have propelled this to reach a new height. Almost every facet of transferring wetland knowledge has had to use technology in virtual meetings, conferences, seminars, webinars, training courses, monitoring and even providing management directives. Alongside professional bodies, nearly every educational institution – from primary to tertiary – have employed technology for delivering lessons and learning materials. An example of Sydney Olympic Park’s education and training program will be shared, where COVID-19 has expedited the launching of Sydney Wetland Institute, that aims to share wetland knowledge primarily through virtual modes. Time will tell whether this forced virtualisation will also become a financial imperative. n

Presented Tuesday, December 1, 2020, 12:45-1:45 PM ET

A PROMISING SWS MENTORING PROGRAM FOR LATIN AMERICA Magalhães, Tatiana Lobata-de, Autonomous University of Queretaro In 2019, the Society of Wetland Scientists International Chapter started a mentoring initiative in order to create a database of wetland research institutions in the Latin America and Caribbean region (LAC). Volunteer scientists, students, and early-career professionals joined this effort and built a database of 283 organizations focused on wetlands for the

Andean States (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela). This review resulted in a publication of the article “Wetland Science in Latin America and the Caribbean Region: Insights into the Andean States” in the Wetland Science and Practice October 2020 issue. In the Andean States, the most representative research areas were hydrogeology, biogeochemistry, and biodiversity (represented by fauna, flora, algae, phytoplankton, and zooplankton), with a lack of focus in wetland management, mapping, and restoration. In 2020-21, the International Chapter and Education Section are joining efforts to initiate a SWS Mentoring Program focused on Latin Americans. All activities of this mentoring program will be virtual and executed by an ideal team of a wetland scientist (local mentor), two or three students affiliated to the local mentor’s organization, and at least two foreign mentors (SWS International Chapter and Education Section officers). The major goals of this program are (1) improve skills in scientific methodology and writing for students and early-career professionals, (2) stimulate individuals from developing countries to publish collaborative multi-national studies, (3) highlight the magnitude of wetland science in LAC countries, (4) support a wetland scientist network that allows LAC scientists and practitioners to connect internationally. n

Presented Tuesday, December 1, 2020, 12:45-1:45 PM ET

ENVISIONING WETLAND LITERACY: HOW CAN WE LEARN FROM OUTREACH MEDIA? Fang, Wei-Ta, National Taiwan Normal University The 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was detected in patients around the world during 2020. We wish to reduce or slow the spread of infections among graduate/undergraduate students due to coinfection and swarm dynamics in coronavirus transmission in classrooms, when it comes to using social media as a professional pedagogy of online or remote teaching as an innovation in wetland education. Correlations of media richness and the creativity of computer-mediated communications (CMCs) of outreach media for online teaching has been also explored. This has dramatically reduced human-to-human transmission of the coronavirus which accounts for most infections beyond the emergency which occurs from traditional face-to-face contact of teaching and learning worldwide. In our studies, the computer mediated communication (CMC) was to explore and compare differences in potential creative thinking that media richness had on learners in creativity training through two different types of communication formats. Hopefully, this will enhance the way wetland education is taught in the future. n

Presented Tuesday, December 1, 2020, 12:45-1:45 PM ET

ENCOURAGING OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION WHEN IT MATTERS MOST Roe, April, Nisqually Reach Nature Center Nisqually Reach Nature Center’s staff and volunteers have taught hands-on marine science curriculum to thousands of students and community members since 1986. The core educational programming is built on the knowledge that youth and adults who spend time outdoors are happier, healthier, more resilient individuals. These characteristics seem especially beneficial to foster during a global pandemic. While many environmental education organizations have completely switched to virtual learning models during the pandemic, NRNC has created self-guided outdoor community programs to entice and equip families to explore public lands while learning about estuaries, wetlands, and forests. This presentation focuses on two family-friendly community programs developed by NRNC, which follow Washington State Department of Health’s COVID-19 safety guidelines. Discussion includes how NRNC equips families to facilitate their own environmental learning through the use of these community programs. Highlights include the reception of these programs in NRNC’s community and the need for more programs that both incorporate COVID-19 safety measures and help individuals go outside and connect with nature. n

Applied Wetland Biogeochemistry: Informing Restoration and Management Presented Tuesday, December 1, 2020, 2:55-3:55 PM ET

PLANT-SOIL RESPONSES TO EXPERIMENTAL THIN-LAYER PLACEMENT IN A COASTAL MARSH Puchkoff, Anna, University of Connecticut Lawrence, Beth, University of Connecticut Thin Layer Placement (TLP) of sediment is an increasingly used restoration method in coastal marshes to stimulate plant productivity, subsequently promoting soil accretion and resilience to accelerated sea level rise. However, few experimental field studies have investigated using dredge material for TLP in meso-tidal estuaries, and none holistically examine plant-soil carbon dynamics. Our goal was to investigate the biological and biogeochemical responses of applying dredge material for restoration of a coastal salt marsh in Connecticut, USA. Our objectives were to determine how application of varying levels of sediment affect: (1) above and belowground biomass allocation of Wetland Science & Practice January 2021 35

Spartina alterniflora, and (2) soil carbon cycling processes including decomposition and CO2 fluxes. We used an in situ experiment to manipulate soil surface elevation (low: +5cm, medium: +10cm, and high: +15cm). We monitored plant traits (above and belowground biomass, stem height, stem density, leaf area) and soil parameters (EC, pH, redox, NH4+, sulfides, C:N, decomposition, bulk density). Preliminary analyses suggest low and medium treatments increased stem heights, but reduced stem density compared to controls. No stems grew in the high treatment but had similar root biomass in the medium treatments. These results demonstrate the ability of roots to penetrate the thickest sediment and may lead to increased belowground contributions and marsh resilience. Results from the second season of data collection will elucidate relationships between sediment application, plant growth, and carbon cycling dynamics. Collectively, our work will guide wetland managers develop restoration specifications for protecting coastal marshes in the face of rising seas. n

Presented Tuesday, December 1, 2020, 2:55-3:55 PM ET

DIFFERENCES IN MICROBIALLY-MEDIATED ORGANIC MATTER DECOMPOSITION IN NATURAL AND CONSTRUCTED COASTAL WETLANDS Symth, Erin, The University of Alabama Wood, Abigail Griffin, The University of Alabama Ledford, Taylor, The University of Alabama Starr, Sommer, The University of Alabama Tatariw, Corianne, The University of Alabama Simpson, Lorae’, The University of Alabama Mortazavi, Kevin KueBehzad, The University of Alabama Cherry, Julia, The University of Alabama Coastal wetlands, including tidal marshes, are particularly efficient at sequestering Carbon (C) and offsetting the effects of anthropogenic C emissions. However, approximately 25% to 50% of the world’s vegetated costal habitat has been destroyed in the past 50 years, representing a massive loss of C-sink capacity. Wetland restoration presents an opportunity to recover this ecosystem function, but significant temporal lags in the restoration of C-sink capacity have been recorded for many constructed marshes. Carbon sequestration is regulated by organic matter (OM) decomposition, a microbially-mediated process, yet microbial biomass and community composition often differ between natural and constructed marshes. Decomposition is also controlled by plant litter quality, but little is known about how litter quality differs between constructed and natural marshes. In this study, we asked: 1) do rates of above- and 36 Wetland Science & Practice January 2021

belowground decomposition differ between constructed and natural marshes?; and if so, 2) what factors drive these differences? To answer these questions, we quantified aboveand belowground decomposition rates, litter quality (C:N, lignin), microbial biomass, and fungal biomass in one natural and two constructed marshes along the Alabama Gulf Coast. Aboveground decomposition rates were higher in the natural marsh, likely due to significantly higher fungal biomass on shoot litter, than in the constructed marshes. Conversely, belowground litter tended to decompose more slowly in the natural marsh, which had significantly greater soil organic matter content than constructed marshes. These results suggest that OM processing, an important process regulating C sequestration, has not fully recovered in these constructed marshes after 30 years. n

Presented Tuesday, December 1, 2020, 2:55-3:55 PM ET

CAN WATER-LEVEL DRAW-DOWN REDUCE THE NEED FOR “DEMUCKING” IN A TREATMENT WETLAND? Chambers, Lisa, University of Central Florida Wood, Abigail Griffin, The University of Alabama Ledford, Taylor, The University of Alabama Starr, Sommer, The University of Alabama Tatariw, Corianne, The University of Alabama Simpson, Lorae’, The University of Alabama Mortazavi, Kevin KueBehzad, The University of Alabama Cherry, Julia, The University of Alabama Created wetlands for the treatment of tertiary wastewater are an effective mechanism to remove excess nutrients with lower maintenance costs than conventional wastewater treatment. However, the accumulation of organic matter over time can decrease hydrologic retention times, resulting in reduced nutrient removal efficiency and the need for costly management intervention. This research investigates the ability of temporary water-level draw-down to encourage the consolidation and oxidization of accumulated organic matter in a large treatment wetland in central Florida (USA), where currently “demucking” of the treatment cells is required every 15-20 years. Two comparable wetland treatment cells at the Orlando Easterly Wetland (Christmas, FL) were chosen for a field before-after-controlled-impact (BACI) study. Fifteen sampling plots established in each of the two cells (30 total) confirmed the two cells have similar elevation, vegetation, depth of suspended floc, soil shear strength, and soil physicochemical properties. Flow to one cell was stopped in December 2019 and soil physical and biogeochemical properties will be quantified during the dry season draw-down and wet season reflooding. Preliminary

data indicates plant community type is an important predictor of soil and floc properties across both study cells; areas dominated by the emergent macrophyte, Typha spp., generally had greater soil shear strength, less suspended floc, and greater soil organic matter accumulation than areas dominated by the floating macrophyte, Pistia stratiotes. This research will help inform managers about the efficacy of varying the hydroperiod in treatment wetlands to naturally promote soil organic matter reduction without compromising nutrient removal. n

Presented Tuesday, December 1, 2020, 2:55-3:55 PM ET

AN ABANDONED PEATLAND PASTURE SHOWS A STRONGER GREENHOUSE GAS SINK THAN AN ADJACENT BOREAL BOG IN WESTERN NEWFOUNDLAND, CANADA Wu, Jianghua, Memorial University of Newfoundland Wang, Mei, Memorial University of Newfoundland and South China Normal University Gong, Yu, Memorial University of Newfoundland Le, Thuong Ba, Memorial University of Newfoundland Agriculturally managed peatlands can sometimes, but not always, act as “hotspots” for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. More information is needed to clarify how management and restoration affects carbon balance of these ecosystems. We examined if the abandonment for a drained peatland pasture can restore the GHG sink function of a boreal bog. We measured carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) fluxes by eddy covariance and N2O fluxes using static chamber in a boreal bog and an adjacent abandoned peatland pasture. The pasture was a stronger CO2 sink and smaller CH4 source, accumulating a total of 167 g CO2C m-2 and emitting a total of 0.37 g CH4-C m-2 during the two study years, when compared to the sequestration of 17 g CO2-C m-2 and emission of 6.7 g CH4-C m-2 for the bog. Both the bog and pasture had very low growing season N2O fluxes. The pasture acted as a stronger carbon and GHGs sink, with the carbon balance of -167 g C m-2 and a global warming potential (GWP) of -174 g CO2-C equivalent m-2, when compared to the bog with the accumulative carbon balance of -10 g C m-2 and a GWP of 131 g CO2-C equivalents m-2. Therefore, our results suggest that carbon sequestration and “climate cooling” function of agriculturally managed peatlands can become stronger than the undisturbed peatlands after long-term abandonment. However, more studies are need in other similar sites to verify whether abandonment would be a sound restoration option for an agriculturally drained peatland. n

Overcoming: Wetland Research in Unprecedented Times Presented Wednesday, December 2, 2020, 12:30-1:30 PM ET

DOWN GOES PEAT: AN EVALUATION OF ALTERNATE STABLE STATES WITHIN A SALINIZING PEAT MARSH IN THE COASTAL EVERGLADES Lamb-Wotton, Lukas, Florida International University Troxler,Tiffany G., Florida International University One of the most pressing threats to coastal ecosystems is sea level rise and saltwater intrusion. Within the Florida Coastal Everglades, sea-level rise is pushing saltwater further inland, contributing to “peat collapse”, the rapid subsidence of the soil surface in coastal sawgrass marshes. Here, we use a fine-scale survey of biologic, geomorphic, and hydrologic parameters, within a salinizing marsh that is observably experiencing peat collapse to evaluate evidence for alternate stable states. We conducted transect surveys of soil surface elevation, soil depth, porewater salinity, and water depth across three ecosystem states: emergent marsh, submerged marsh, and unvegetated open-water, as well as plot-level estimates of aboveground emergent biomass, to investigate relationships between these parameters and to evaluate the presence of alternate stable states. We identified an abrupt, threshold transition between emergent marsh and unvegetated open-water that is indicative of alternate stable states with reinforcing internal feedback loops. Our results suggest that once subsidence of emergent marsh occurs, this conversion to open-water is likely irreversible with freshwater restoration alone. This underscores the need for increased freshwater deliveries to the coastline before emergent marsh loss occurs to reduce the vulnerability of the Everglades coastal landscape. n

Wetland Science & Practice January 2021 37

Presented Wednesday, December 2, 2020, 12:30-1:30 PM ET

MOBILIZING MY RESEARCH TO MY BACKYARD Reyes, Wendy Ampuero, McGill University My research in estimating carbon stocks in mangrove-saltmarsh transition zone was initially planned to perform back home in Peru. However, Covid-19 closures impacted my thesis proposal plans, and I had to adequate my research in a Canadian environment, where I am studying my master's degree. Here my new focus is on nitrogen stocks in a marsh located in St. Lawrence (QC), which is one of the largest estuaries in the world. Mobilizing my research in a limited area with restrictions everywhere was challenging at the beginning. Still, this opportunity is allowing me to expand my knowledge regarding coastal wetlands and involvement in other research projects. n

Presented Wednesday, December 2, 2020, 12:30-1:30 PM ET

SOIL ORGANIC CARBON IN TIDAL WETLANDS OF THE NORTHEAST, USA Wardrup, Jocelyn, University of Delaware Guevara, Mario, University of Delaware Llamas, Ricardo, University of Delaware Correll, Maureen D., Bird Conservancy of the Rockies Hantson, Wouter, University of Maine Shriver, W. Gregory, University of Delaware Vasilas, Bruce L. , University of Delaware Vargas, Rodrigo, University of Delaware The northeast USA contains some of the world’s most productive wetlands, containing large reserves of soil organic carbon (SOC). Presently, few studies have attempted to quantify tidal wetland SOC stocks, with less known regarding SOC distributions within the distinct landforms occurring within tidal wetlands (also known as tidal marshes). We harmonized seven publicly available sources to create four datasets of SOC in northeast tidal wetlands at the depths of: 0-5 centimeters(cm), 0-30cm, 0-100cm and 0-200cm. We then utilized the datasets with raster covariables to model and predict SOC at the four focus depths utilizing the random forest ranger method. Our tidal wetland stock predictions resulted in 7.03 teragrams(Tg): 0-5cm, 40.52 Tg: 0-30cm, 138.41 Tg: 0-100cm and 150.74 Tg: 0-200cm. A regional map of tidal wetland classifications, reflecting marsh geomorphology, with the categories of high marsh, low marsh, pools/pannes, mudflats, phragmites, water/streams, terrestrial border and uplands was compared against our results to determine if distinct patterns of SOC exist. Based upon our predicted results, high marsh areas

38 Wetland Science & Practice January 2021

resulted in the largest stocks of SOC however, they also occupied the most area of any tidal wetland classification category. Pools and pannes contained the highest density of SOC for 0-5cm and 0-30cm depths and Phragmites contained the highest density of SOC for 0-100cm and 0-200cm depths. Our results provide preliminary insights of fine-scale, 3 meter resolution SOC stocks and geomorphic distributions within tidal wetlands, which may be useful for climate change models, wetlands management, land use policy or future soil surveys. n

Presented Wednesday, December 2, 2020, 12:30-1:30 PM ET

PRIMARY PRODUCTIVITY: MAKING PROGRESS THROUGH UNCERTAINTY Munguia, Steffanie, Florida International University The compounding effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, global economic recession, and increasing demands for racial justice in the United States has rendered 2020 a year of heightened uncertainty and disruption. But disruption can also be leveraged to reveal our best selves. It is against this backdrop that this talk will celebrate the adaptability, resilience, and responsiveness of students in the Society of Wetland Scientists. My own research on the Ramsar Convention has been severely impacted by restrictions on international travel, challenging the role and conventional best practices of international social research. This pause in research productivity has created space for other pursuits in service of our student community. The Student Section has launched its first ever delegate cohort, a unique peer mentoring and professional development program. We have continued to collaborate with SWS committees to create more opportunities for student engagement, including reinstating the Wetlands of Distinction Student Competition initially slated for this past spring. We have accepted the challenge of realigning our Section’s strategic plan and all programming to incorporate an equity and inclusion lens in all our activities and operations. The Section even hosted our first ever Virtual Conference! Student contributions are often framed in terms of our primary productivity as researchers and developing scholars. However, this year’s events have highlighted the need to shift away from this single-track thinking to recognize the myriad contributions students can make outside of their academic identities for the betterment of our communities, locally and globally. n

Wetland ecology and management in China Presented Wednesday, December 2, 2020, 2:40-3:40 PM ET

MARSH RESOURCE INVENTORY AND ECOLOGICAL FUNCTION EVALUATION IN CHINA Jiang, Ming, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology Marsh is known with multiple important functions but it has been lost dramatically in China during the last past century. In order to provide data and theoretical basis for marsh protection and management, we built the technical regulations and investigated the types, area and distribution of marshes in China, and hydrological condition and function, plant resources, peat resources and peatland carbon storage in China through the combination of remote sensing interpretation and field investigation from 2013 to 2020. We found that the total area of marsh in China is 24.556 million hectares. Existing marshes are most affected by farmland reclamation in mid-temperate humid sub-humid and subtropical marshes. Marshes affected by breeding ponds are mainly distributed in coastal areas. A total of 428 biota floras and 325 herbaceous floras are found. The coastal marshes in China are seriously affected by Spartina alterniflora, and the costal marshes in the subtropical region are affected by the invasion of Alternanthera philoxeroides. Herbal marsh primary productivity averages 501 g/m2. The total surface water storage capacity of marshes is 56.1 billion m3. The organic carbon density of peatlands in China is mostly 40-120 kg/m3. We finally build China marsh database and resource sharing platform. n

Presented Wednesday, December 2, 2020, 2:40-3:40 PM ET

MODELING THE IMPACTS OF LAND RECLAMATION ON ECOSYSTEM SERVICES OF COASTAL WETLANDS An, Shuqing, Nanjing University Our research develops a theoretical index of Reclamation Intensity (RI) based on the area of various reclamation activities and their attributions. Combined with the landscape fragmentation index, the Eco-integrity Damage (ED) index and its regression relationship with the change of ecosystem service are generated. Through the regression relationship, we explored the threshold of ecosystem service change, and thereby proposed a sustainable utilization model of coastal wetland resources, which provides science-based guidance for the implementation of reclamation projects. n

Presented Wednesday, December 2, 2020, 2:40-3:40 PM ET

WETLAND-AGRICULTURE INTERACTIONS: CONFLICTS AND RECONCILIATION Zou, Yuanchun, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Agricultural development at the expense of natural wetland loss is a historic and global phenomenon. Conflicts over land and water still exist in the current wetland-farmland matrix. We analysed their conflicts in Sanjiang Plain, the key area of wetland conservation and food production in Northeast China, by historic area changes and surface water balance model etc. The concepts, types, development pathways, management challenges and recommendations of “wetland recreational agriculture” are proposed to mitigate the land conflict. In addition, adaptive management strategies (e.g. integrating wetland protection goals into agricultural policies, joint management of wetland-farmland water resources) and technical countermeasures (e.g. peak-alternated water replenishing for wetlands, agricultural drainage collection-processing-irrigation wetland system) are encouraged for reconciling the water consumption. We highlight the importance of wetland-agriculture interaction shift from competition to coexistence, which requires more sustainable modes and techniques to balance wetland conservation with agricultural development. n

Presented Wednesday, December 2, 2020, 2:40-3:40 PM ET

RECOVERY TRAJECTORY OF THE FARMED SEDGE MEADOWS AFTER REFLOODING Wang, Guodong, Chinese Academy of Sciences As a key part of Chinese environmental policy, wetland restoration has been done for more than 10 years in the Sanjiang Plain, Northeastern China, but the degree of actual recovery of ecosystem functioning and structure remains uncertain. We compared the floristic composition of the vegetation and analyzed the soils for element composition between natural and restored wetlands in Sanjiang Plain. We found that Carex species, common dominants of natural sedge meadows, seldom naturally recolonized drained wetlands following hydrologic restoration. Other productive perennials, e.g. Phragmites australis, had dominated and expanded significantly on the restored wetlands. The mean aboveground biomass in the restored wetlands was much higher than the natural wetlands, while the mean species richness in the natural wetlands was much higher than the restored wetlands. Distinct differences between undisturbed wetlands, restored wetlands and paddy fields existed in terms of element composition, organic matter (OM), and

Wetland Science & Practice January 2021 39

conductivity, with most values for restored wetlands inbetween those of undisturbed wetlands and paddy fields. OM correlated positively with N and S, negatively with most metals. Restoration recovered the OM and changed the element contents in the direction of a natural condition to some extent. Our results suggest that it may be relatively easy to restore high productivity in restored wetlands because of the dominance by productive species. However, Management, such as active revegetation of sedge meadow, should be an important component of restoration practice to ensure that the restored wetlands support the region’s biodiversity in the Sanjiang Plain. n

Presented Wednesday, December 2, 2020, 2:40-3:40 PM ET

EFFECT OF NITROGEN ADDITION ON DOMINANT PLANT COMUNITY CHARACTERTISTICS OF SANJIANG PLAIN Liu, Yingnan, Institute of Natural Resources and Ecology, Heilongjiang Academy of Science and Ecology, China This study takes typical degraded wetlands as the research object to study the influences of different nitrogen forms (NH4+֖ NO3- and CO(NH2)2) and addition concentration (6 treatment levels: 0 , 4, 6 , 8, 10, 12 kg N•m-2•yr-1) on plant community structure and composition in Sanjiang Plain, northeast China. The results showed that: (1) The forms of nitrogen had different effects on the plant community. The medium concentration treatment of NH4+ promoted the growth of dominant species, while inhibited the growth of dicotyledon species and Carex. Medium concentration treatment of NO3- promote the growth of dominant species and reduce the SDR of Carex, but had no significant effect on the dicotyledon species. Medium concentration treatment of CO(NH2)2 can promote the dominance of dicotyledon species and Carex and reduce the dominance of dominant species. (2) The concentration of nitrogen had different effects on dominant species. The effect of low and medium concentration treatment of NH4+ was better than the other two nitrogen forms. CO(NH2)2 treatment promoted the growth of dicotyledon species at different concentrations. (3) Nitrogen addition significantly increased the dominant species number of colonize individual in different degraded levels, and promoted the increase of stirring bud of roots and biomass of leaves in mild degraded populations, but it is not conducive to the spatial expansion of dominant populations. n

40 Wetland Science & Practice January 2021

Wetland Restoration: Dispelling Myths Presented Thursday, December 3 12:00-1:00 PM ET

TO INTERVENE OR NOT TO INTERVENE: THAT IS THE QUESTION IN THE ANTHROPOCENE Yepsen, Metthea, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Wilburn, Brittany, Drexel University Wetland restorations can take decades before their functions begin to look like that of natural wetlands. It may even be argued that restored sites can never replace natural wetlands. For this reason, non-intervention methods of conservation, like protection, are generally preferable to restoration. Restoration is reserved for areas where wetlands once were, but are no longer. This makes sense given that we are only just scratching the surface in our understanding of these complicated ecosystems. However, humans have a heavy impact on these “natural” systems. There is increasing evidence that tidal wetlands in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States are not keeping pace with accelerating rates of sea level rise. Large losses of tidal wetland acreage are projected in New Jersey by 2050 under moderate rates of sea level rise. The loss of marsh is expected to cause the extinction of the salt marsh sparrow, increase exposure of coastal communities to storms and reduce other valuable ecosystem services. But many of the tidal wetlands that modeling and monitoring suggest are especially vulnerable to sea level rise still look healthy, provide functional habitat for animals and are relatively intact. Do we begin to heavily manage these systems by elevating them with dredged sediment and increasing drainage to proactively increase their resilience to sea level rise or do we leave them alone out of a concern that our nascent understanding may do more harm than good in relatively intact habitats? n

Presented Thursday, December 3 12:00-1:00 PM ET

RESPONSE OF BIOMASS STRUCTURE AND GREENHOUSE GAS FLUX TO REPEATED LARGE-SCALE MECHANICAL TREATMENT OF INVASIVE TYPHA ACROSS VARIABLE WATER CONDITIONS Johnson, Olivia, USGS Panda, Abha, Department of Earth and Environmental Studies, University of Michigan Lishawa, Shane C., Institute of Environmental Sustainability, Loyola University of Chicago Lawrence, Beth A., Department of Natural Resources & Environment, Center for Environmental Science & Engineering, University of Connecticut Invasive species management typically aims to promote diversity and wildlife habitat, but little is known about how these efforts affect wetland carbon (C) dynamics. Further, the interplay of hydrologic extremes and invasive species is fundamental to managing wetlands in a changing world. Recent rapid water level rise in the Laurentian Great Lakes offered an opportune time to test how mechanical treatment of invasive Typha × glauca shifts plant-mediated C metrics amidst changing water levels. From 2015 to 2017, we implemented large-scale treatment plots of harvest (i.e., cut above water surface), crush (i.e., ran over biomass with a tracked vehicle), and Typha-dominated controls. Treated Typha regrew with less biomass than controls each year, while Typha production in control stands increased with rising water levels across seasons. Harvested stands had total methane (CH4) flux rates (measured using clear in-situ chambers) twice as high as in controls, while crushing did not change total CH4 flux. One year after final treatment implementation, crushed stands had elevated surface water diffusive CH4 flux rates (measured using dissolved gas in water). Two years after final treatment, floating Typha mats were present only in harvested and crushed stands, with higher frequency in deeper water and a positive correlation with surface water diffusive CH4 flux. Our study demonstrates two mechanical treatments have differential effects on Typha structure and consequent wetland CH4 emissions, suggesting C-based responses, variable water conditions, and multi-year monitoring can improve assessment of how management impacts ecological function. n

Presented Thursday, December 3 12:00-1:00 PM ET

GREAT LAKES COASTAL WETLAND RESTORATION AT THE SHIAWASSEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE - PLANNING REQUIRES ADAPTATION Kowalski, Kurt, U.S. Geological Survey Dunton, Eric, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge Bozimowski, Sasha, U.S. Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center The restoration of over 400 ha (1,000 ac) of coastal wetland habitat in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge and surrounding areas of central Michigan (USA) is a high priority for the region. Design and execution of a landscape-scale restoration approach that mimics historical conditions while maximizing hydrologic connectivity and benefits to fish and wildlife took years of extensive planning. However, widespread flooding, a global pandemic, and other unanticipated events created delays and challenges that prevented planned construction, ecological research, and management approaches. Therefore, the detailed plans were adapted both to respond to the new challenges and to take advantage of newly created opportunities. The lessons learned through this project will help others prepare for and adapt to unexpected challenges. n

Presented Thursday, December 3, 2020, 12:00-1:00 PM ET

ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION: RESTORING NATURAL OR NOVEL AND DOES IT MATTER? Berg, Joe, Biohabitats Ecological restoration is a new endeavor supported by a relatively young science that hasn’t always developed with an understanding of our historical landscape modifications nor the long-term effects these modifications have had on our current natural resource condition. As a result, current resource management values and priorities may not serve society’s best long-term interests in terms of ecological restoration. As an example, many of our floodplain forest communities have developed on abandoned pasture/cropland floodplains, which have degraded groundwater and surface water resources which result from stormwater dominated stream channels formed and modified during agricultural land clearing practices and left to naturalize. Protection of these ‘novel’ floodplain forest communities (and other misguided regulatory programs) limits the ability to restore these systems to a more functional resource with greater complexity. If society continues to understand and value only what they have learned in the last generation or two, Wetland Science & Practice January 2021 41

our perspective will be dominated by a ‘changing baseline’ which is moving to a lower diversity, less resilient natural world. Alternatively, if we focus instead on historical landscape conditions present prior to European colonization and strive to restore resource linkages and functions present at that time, we will be diversifying our landscape resources, increasing our resilience to climate change, and protecting society against the slow loss of ecosystem services associated with our many generation ‘changing baseline’. n

Presented Thursday, December 3, 2020, 12:00-1:00 PM ET

KEEPING IT SIMPLE IN A COMPLEX WORLD Doss, Terry, NJ Sports & Exposition Authority Over the past thirty years, more than 1,000 acres of tidal marshes located within the Hackensack Meadowlands have been “restored” primarily for mitigation purposes due to past wetland impacts and loss. These wetland impacts will continue to occur in the future due to the Meadowlands’ urban location and adjacency to major transportation and other urban infrastructure. This is concerning because, in general, the mitigated wetlands are not being ecologically restored but rather are being built as carbon copies of the impacted wetlands using over-simplified concepts that ignore the complexity of natural systems and future uncertainties. The underlying causes for these failures stem from outdated regulations that push for over-engineered solutions and the use of mitigation banks. Restoration approaches that have been more successful at replacing wetland services and functions tend to be smaller projects that are conducted over years, with a focus on treating the causes of degradation rather than the symptoms and allowing for adaptation as external factors change and uncertainties arise. In other words, moving from the use of simplified concepts and techniques, and instead simplifying the process and the project, and relying on nature to take the lead. Project examples from the Meadowlands will illustrate practical restoration approaches that have proven successful in restoring wetland services and functions over time. n

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After fifty years of ups and downs, what is needed for international wetland conservation to become a relevant force for the challenges of the future? Presented Thursday, December 3, 2020, 2:10-3:10 PM ET

INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL WETLAND GOVERNANCE – IDENTIFYING KEY WEAKNESSES AND MAPPING OUT A ROADMAP FOR CHANGE Davidson, Nick, Nick Davidson Environmental We face a recognised global biodiversity crisis. Wetlands are not exempt. In 1971, almost 50 years ago, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands was established by governments because of then increasing concerns over wetland loss and degradation – and its impacts on wetland-dependent species. But since 1970 the area of wetlands has progressively continued to decline, through deliberate drainage and conversion, in all parts of the world. Deterioration in the state of our remaining wetlands is becoming progressively more widespread, including for designated Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Sites). Populations of freshwater species have declined since 1970 by 84% - far more than species depending on other biomes. The world’s governments have just failed to meet any of their twenty 2020 Aichi Targets for biodiversity, including wetlands. Nor are we on track to deliver the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for wetlands. Yet governments are just continuing “business as usual”: in 2021 they are preparing to adopt yet another set of goals and targets, for 2030 – and these draft targets are similar to previous targets. This begs the question as to whether intergovernmental agreements are any longer “fit-for-purpose”. Nature conservation actions and protected area approaches for wetlands have failed to deliver, and will continue to fail: the drive for economic growth, rather than truly sustainable development, continues to over-ride achieving wetland wise use. So, we need to change our mindsets and approaches and develop new paradigms to achieve such wise use. n

Presented Thursday, December 3, 2020, 2:10-3:10 PM ET

FROM NATURE CONSERVATION TO THE UTOPIA OF GREEN CAPITALISM - HOW TO SHIFT FROM THE MOLLIFYING AND ANODYNE REBRANDING OF THE ‘WISE USE OF WETLANDS’ TO GENUINE ACTION McInnes, Rob, RM Wetlands & Environment Ltd & Charles Sturt University Wise use is a central tenet of the Ramsar Convention. Defined as the “maintenance of ecological character, achieved through the implementation of ecosystem approaches, within the context of sustainable development”, “Wise Use” can be considered as the brand strapline for wetlands, in the way that “Think different” is to technology or “Just do it” is to sportswear. Unfortunately, the Ramsar Convention has been slightly less effective than Apple or Nike in protecting its product. Every good marketing executive knows that a strapline should be timeless. However, since the 1970s, wetlands have undergone continuous and evolving rebranding attempts. Terms such as natural infrastructure, blue carbon, nature-based solutions, and green capital, have been thought-up and rolled out in successive rebranding attempts, each time stressing a new version of the timeless value proposition. This paper will explain why it’s time to say enough is enough and will advocate a shift to genuine action. n

WETLAND CONSERVATION – WITHOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND PARTICIPATION IT DOESN’T EXIST Simpson, Matt, 35percent We are facing global biodiversity and climate change crises that include the widespread loss and degradation of wetlands. Wetland loss and degradation results in species loss and the loss of ecosystem service benefits that are fundamental to life on earth, including human life, and are fundamental to the maintenance of a livable climate. Business as usual nature conservation and restoration actions and protected area approaches have failed and will continue to fail to deliver wetland conservation. We need to radically change how we approach wetland conservation and restoration, and the first step is to meaningfully engage all communities and stakeholders in all aspects of planning and management. Engagement should be through participatory approaches where all voices are heard and included to solve conflicts and build consensus. Examples, from around the world, demonstrate that engaged and empowered communities deliver more successful wetland conservation and restoration actions with long-term impacts far beyond project timeframes. n

Presented Thursday, December 3, 2020, 2:10-3:10 PM ET Presented Thursday, December 3, 2020, 2:10-3:10 PM ET

A SHIFT IN PARADIGMS – NEW WAYS OF RECOGNIZING OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH WETLANDS Davies, Gillian, BSC Group, Inc. The world is at a tipping point. Climate change, biodiversity loss and loss and decline of wetlands are accelerating at paces unimaginable to most of us even just a few years ago, not to mention the concomitant social upheavals and crises. Much work has been done to conserve, protect and restore wetlands and other ecosystems, with some success, but without altering the overall downward trajectory. If we fundamentally shift our relationship with Nature and with wetlands – to one that is based on respect, reciprocity and gratitude, to one that recognizes the legal personhood and rights of wetlands, similar to the relationship that many Indigenous peoples have had with Nature for millennia, we may find a truly sustainable way to manage wetlands and live on this planet. To this end, through the SWS Ramsar Section, a group of scientists and attorneys proposes a Universal Declaration of the Rights of Wetlands. n

RESPONDING TO THE STATEMENT OF WORLD AQUATIC SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES ON THE NEED TO TAKE URGENT ACTION AGAINST HUMAN-CAUSED CLIMATE CHANGE Finlayson, Max, Institute for Land, Water & Society, Charles Sturt University The Statement of World Aquatic Scientific Societies on the Need to Take Urgent Action against Human-Caused Climate Change provides an opportunity for SWS to bring its formidable knowledge and expertise to the fore. The Statement was supported by 110 scientific societies and highlighted the problems, and suggested actions, based on scientific findings, to help turn things around. Based on the SWS climate change and wetlands initiative that contains some proposed activities we propose 3-4 things we could do in support of the Statement, and invited SWS members to contribute to this global effort. n

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Connecting Wetland Research in Africa and Latin America: Challenges for Management and Conservation Presented On-Demand

APPROACHES TO WETLAND CONSERVATION IN MEXICO Moreno-Casasola, Patricia, Instituto de Ecologia AC Wetland conservation in Mexico uses several approaches: (1) CONANP (National Commission for Protected Areas) has created the National Wetland Committee focused on drawing up management plans for Ramsar sites and other protected wetland areas. This committee also acts as the meeting point for several government ministries, NGOs, academics and other stakeholders interested in wetland conservation and management, (2) Research and the creation of groups with young people in academic institutions; working together on joint projects and generating information on the wide variety of wetlands, (3) Identifying the different types of freshwater wetlands and obtaining baselines with good floristic, hydrological and environmental data, (4) Involving local communities that live close to wetlands, mainly by creating ecotourism opportunities that allow the local inhabitants to earn an income based on the conservation of nature, (5) Mangrove and freshwater wetland restoration projects that involve the local community, (6) Recovering traditions rooted in the use of local wetland resources, and (7) Developing environmental education material on Mexican wetlands in Spanish. These approaches are helping us compile the data required to develop and implement management, restoration and conservation plans. Additionally, communities and society in general are very slowly becoming aware of the value of wetlands. Their understanding and appreciation of wetlands will hopefully contribute to the impetus for the conservation of Mexican wetlands. n

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Presented On-Demand

TOWARDS AN ECOSYSTEM-BASED APPROACH TO MANAGING FISH, CATTLE AND FORESTS ON THE AMAZON FLOODPLAIN McGrath, David G., Earth Innovation Institute da Gama, Antonia Socorro Pena, Federal University of Western Pará, Santarém, PA, Brazil Sapopema (Sociedade para a Pesquisa e Proteção do Meio Ambiente), Santarém, PA, Brazil Hess, Laura L., Earth Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA Forsberg, Bruce, Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, Montpelier, VT, USA Bentes, Antonio José Mota, Sapopema (Sociedade para a Pesquisa e Proteção do Meio Ambiente), Santarém, PA, Brazil Batista, Poliane, Sapopema (Sociedade para a Pesquisa e Proteção do Meio Ambiente), Santarém, PA, Brazil The Lower Amazon floodplain is the vast fluvial wetland associated with the Amazon River upstream of its internal delta and estuary. It is characterized by large open water bodies surrounded by seasonally flooded grasslands and forests that vary in extension and inundation state during the annual flood cycle. While natural grasslands are the dominant vegetation type, the Lower Amazon is also the most deforested section of the Amazon floodplain. Today, cattle ranching and fishing are the dominant resource use activities. Deforestation and degradation of forests and grasslands is the result of the economic strategies employed by small-scale fishers who fish in floodplain lakes, practice shifting cultivation for annual crops and raise cattle on community grasslands. Floodplain smallholders understand the importance of floodplain forests and grasslands to their livelihoods, not only as feeding and nursery habitat for fish, but also for controlling bank erosion and as wave barriers to protect houses during flood season thunderstorms. Several research initiatives have documented the close relationship between the extent of forest cover surrounding lakes and the productivity of fishing effort. These studies make it possible to calculate the cost to fishers of forest and grassland degradation caused by cattle and shifting agriculture. We plan to use this approach in working with floodplain communities to negotiate more effective agreements for regulating cattle and to justify community investments in large-scale reforestation projects that improve the productivity of lake fisheries, increase aquatic biodiversity and the resilience of floodplain fisheries and household subsistence strategies. n

Presented On-Demand

AMPHIBIAN TERRITORIES IN TRANSITION: SOCIOECOLOGICAL REHABILITATION OF WETLANDS Toscana, Ronal Ayazo, Humboldt Institute Ramírez, Wilson, Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt Cárdenas, Klaudia, Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt Hernandez-Manrique, Olga Lucía, Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt López, Natalia Gómez, Corporación Paisajes Rurales (Colombia) Vargas, William, Corporación Paisajes Rurales (Colombia) Isaacs-Cubides, Paola, Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt Aguilar, Mauricio, Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt Herrera, Yenifer, Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt Huertas, Henry, Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt Linares, Juan C., Universidad de Córdoba (Colombia) López, Wendy, Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (Colombia) Bedoya, Jorge, UNDP - United Nations Development Programme (Colombia) The successful rehabilitation of a wetland landscape requires more than a single restoration method. In Colombia, the La Niña phenomenon from 2010-2011 was particularly destructive, causing significant damage to infrastructure, economy, and human lives. For this reason, in The Mojana, a process of rehabilitating wetlands through socioecological services and ecosystem restoration was initiated to increase the adaptive capacity of natural ecosystems and the livelihoods of people dependent on it by reducing the risk of flooding and drought associated with climate change and its variability. The Mojana Region is an internal delta located at the south center of the Colombian Caribbean region. It is a floodplain landscape with marshes, swamps, lagoons, streams, rivers, and zapales. It is part of the region known as the "Momposina Depression" that is characterized by the flood pulses of the rivers Magdalena, Cauca and San Jorge. To account for the extremes of droughts and floods in the region, activities focused on the household level by diversifying crops in home gardens, rehabilitating

the floodplain landscape, rescuing the cultural heritage of being a mojanero, and monitoring with citizen science. As a result, between 2016 and 2019, it was possible to implement a socio-ecological rehabilitation through a participatory process that facilitated the recovery of ecological connectivity for 4,822 hectares of this floodplain. To date, these processes of social transformation and ecological rehabilitation are expanding the most successful interventions piloted through the project to an additional eleven municipalities in The Mojana Region. n

Presented On-Demand

CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF MANGROVE WETLANDS: THE CASE FOR COMMUNITY BASED ECOLOGICAL MANGROVE RESTORATION (CBEMR) Mulonga, Julie, Wetlands International Eastern Africa Mangrove planting has become hugely popular. The majority of planting efforts are however failing. A more effective approach is to create the right conditions for mangroves to grow back naturally. Mangroves restored in this way generally survive and function better. Community-Based Ecological Mangrove Restoration (CBEMR) works to restore underlying hydrology and considers adjustments to a disturbed area’s topography, so that mangroves may regenerate naturally, resulting in true ecosystem restoration with a richer biodiversity. CBEMR empowers local communities to restore and steward their mangroves. Involving local communities in mangrove restoration is essential, as it offers participants a sense of empowerment and involvement in resolving their own environmental, social and economic issues of community development. Wetlands International has demonstrated success with this approach in different countries including Guinea Bissau. n

Wetland Science & Practice January 2021 45

Presented On-Demand

THE TWENTY YEARS OF WETLANDS CONSERVATION IN SOUTH AFRICA Tererai, Farai, Department of Environmental Affairs, Pretoria, South Africa Bahadur, Umesh, Department of Environmental Affairs, Pretoria, South Africa Beetge, Andre, Department of Environmental Affairs, Pretoria, South Africa Silima, Collin, Department of Environmental Affairs, Pretoria, South Africa Mekgoe, Keitumetse, Department of Environmental Affairs, Pretoria, South Africa Nieuwoudt, Heidi, Department of Environmental Affairs, Pretoria, South Africa Letsaba, Mathabiso, Department of Environmental Affairs, Pretoria, South Africa Ramburran, Esmeralda, Department of Environmental Affairs, Pretoria, South Africa Munzhedzi, Eric, Department of Environmental Affairs, Pretoria, South Africa Lowies, Margaret, Department of Environmental Affairs, Pretoria, South Africa Wetlands constitute small parts of the landscape and yet provide disproportionately important ecosystem goods and services to society. In South Africa, wetlands are the most threatened ecosystem type and yet, are the least protected. This has necessitated the establishment of a dedicated programme, Working for Wetlands (WFWets), which focuses on the protection, promotion of wise-use and rehabilitation of wetlands. In line with the main funder, Expanded public Works Programme (EPWP)’s ethos, WfWets conducts wetlands conservation in a way that maximizes employment opportunities, transfer of skills to participants and support for upcoming businesses. Since its formal establishment in the year 2000, WfWets has invested over R1.3billion in the rehabilitation of wetlands, generating 37000 jobs and over 3.3million person days, nearly 10% of which were in skills development. The rehabilitation process involves strategic and rehabilitation planning, implementation of interventions and, monitoring and evaluation. A combination of regulatory, engineered rock and concrete, and bioengineered interventions are employed in wetlands conservation. While South Africa has made significant progress in developing

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the rehabilitation science and methodologies, the high cost associated with wetlands conservation remain a major constrain. Where wetlands rehabilitation has been conducted, evaluation studies of outcomes and impact have seldom been conducted, making it more challenging to make a case for unlocking other sources other than government funding for wetlands conservation. The twenty years of formalized wetlands conservation in South Africa have taught us that, while wetlands ecological infrastructure provide us important ecosystem services “free of charge, this cannot be “free of care”. n

Evaluating wetland restoration under global change – how to improve best practices Presented On-Demand

TRENDS OF "TEAL CARBON" STOCKS & DECOMPOSITION IN SWAMPS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER Middleton, Beth, U.S. Geological Survey Hydrology is an important regulator of carbon stocks in wetlands, and so hydrologic remediation during drought may be an important aspect of maintaining freshwater inland stocks of “teal carbon” in the future. A commonly held idea in the discussion of soil carbon processes is that litter decomposition rates and soil carbon stocks are inversely related. Studies of the relationship of these processes to hydrology and climate were conducted in Taxodium distichum swamps across the Mississippi River Alluvial Valley (MRAV) and northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) of the US. In these swamps, both precipitation and flooding gradients were negatively related to leaf and wood litter decomposition rates. Woody T. distichum detritus had a half-life of up to 300 years in the MRAV, which suggests the important role of wood in the maintenance of inland “teal” soil organic carbon. In the MRAV, soil organic carbon increased southward with increasing precipitation and air temperature (30-year climate normal). Also, carbon stored in T. distichum knees was 7.5 times greater in flooded vs. not flooded conditions (34.6 ± 7.3 vs. 4.6 ± 1.0 Mg ha-1, respectively). These studies demonstrate that hydrology is likely an important regulator of carbon in T. distichum swamps, so that attention to hydrologic environment may be an important means of maintaining carbon stock in the future conservation of these floodplain wetlands. n

Presented On-Demand

SOURCES AND CHEMICAL STABILITY OF CARBON ACCUMULATION ACROSS A 32-YEAR CHRONOSEQUENCE OF CREATED MARSHES IN LOUISIANA Quirk, Tracy, Louisiana State University Tidal marshes can sequester carbon at a relatively rapid rate. However, their loss exposes previously stored soil organic carbon (SOC) to oxidation and reduces their capacity to serve as carbon sinks. The goal of this study was to examine the sources and chemical stability of SOC across a range of marsh types. Soil cores were collected in six created dredge sediment marshes across a 32-year chronosequence, and two natural reference marshes in the Chenier Plain region of southwest Louisiana. Carbon accumulation rates were determined by measuring carbon concentration and bulk density with depth and determining an accretion rate using depth of the dredge material for the created marshes and 137Cs analysis for the natural marshes. The source of carbon (algal, C3, C4 plants) was assessed using δ13C analysis and a mixing model and acid hydrolysis digestion was used to distinguish labile and recalcitrant SOC. SOC accumulation rates ranged from an average of 52-76 g C m-2 yr-1 in created marshes and averaged 101 g C m-2 yr-1 in natural marshes. Recalcitrant carbon comprised an average of 69% of SOC overall, which did not vary among created and natural marshes. However, the refractory fraction of bulk soil was significantly greater in the natural (17%) compared to the created marshes (4%). The carbon signature of the created marshes was more depleted than predicted based on the vegetation. This study indicates that these created marshes are accumulating SOC at a slower rate and the carbon signature is fundamentally different than nearby natural marshes. n

Presented On-Demand

MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT OF VALUED ECOSYSTEM COMPONENTS (VEC) IN A CONSTRUCTED JUNCUS-DOMINATED SALT MARSH ON THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO Biber, Patrick, The University of Southern Mississippi Murphy, Nickolas, The University of Southern Mississippi Marshall, Emelia, The University of Southern Mississippi Mavrodi, Dmitri, The University of Southern Mississippi Monotypic stands of Juncus roemerianus dominate the marshes of Mississippi and other areas in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. Few studies examined the effects of restoration efforts on faunal inhabitants of these marsh ecosystems. Here we assess the outcome of the efforts to restore the Juncus-dominated landscape with beneficial use mate-

rial since 2003 on Deer Island in Mississippi. Particularly this study examined environmental characteristics, faunal community structure, and trophic support in two restored marshes (5+ yrs old and 15+ yrs old) and a natural reference marsh (100+ yrs old). Microbial diversity assessment discovered that plants from the restored and reference areas supported similar microbial diversity indicating the rapid colonization of planted grasses with indigenous soil microbiota. Although close in composition, the microbial communities from the three studied sites differed significantly in the relative abundance of specific taxa. The observed differences are likely driven by the host plant identity and properties of sediment material used for the creation of restored marshes. The two constructed sites also had a diverse array of vegetation, but function of the salt marsh in terms of root production and sediment organic carbon deposition remained underdeveloped when compared to the natural reference site. In addition, invertebrate abundances were significantly higher in the natural marsh. Nekton abundance, species richness, and Simpson’s index of diversity varied by site and season. Birds’ survey is under way. Stable isotope analysis (SIA) will provide additional insight as to whether Juncus is a primary carbon source and how energy is transferred through consumers. n

Presented On-Demand

DEICING SALTS AS AN EMERGING DRIVER OF WETLAND CHANGE Lawrence, Beth, University of Connecticut Walker, Samantha, University of Connecticut, BSC Group, USA Lishawa, Shane, Loyola University, Chicago, USA Exponential growth of deicing salt application rates throughout the temperate north have salinized many freshwater ecosystems, though the biological and biogeochemical consequences in wetlands are not fully understood, nor are management options well-defined. Drawing on our work from southern New England red maple swamps, experimental mesocosms of invasive macrophytes, and a large-scale harvest experiment in the Chicago region, we will highlight how salinization via road salt is an emerging driver of global change altering vegetation composition and biogeochemical cycles in freshwater wetlands. In exurban New England, seed bank responses in red maple swamps were typically reduced above salinities of ~1 ppt, but in the field, surface and groundwater salinities were well below 1 ppt; since salinities were below plant response thresholds in this landscape, we did not see shifts in plant community composition (ground, shrub layers). Chronic or extreme Wetland Science & Practice January 2021 47

road salt exposure will alter plant health and community composition however. For example, in exurban New England we observed elevated Na+ and reduced Mg2+ of dominant species leaf tissue near roads. Likewise, in wetland detention basins in urban Chicago where salt-tolerant Typha angustifolia and Phragmites australis dominate, we observed high salt and heavy metal concentrations in plant tissues. In this urban, high-salt environment, we initiated a three-year harvest experiment in 2019 to examine if biomass removal of dominant macophytes from detention basins can mitigate downstream salinization and are exploring end uses (compost, bioenergy) for harvested biomass, which will improve decision making for those managing road-salt affected wetlands. n

Presented On-Demand

RESTORATION OF WETLANDS IN COASTAL WATERSHEDS IN THE FACE OF CLIMATE CHANGE Battaglia, Loretta, Southern Illinois University Cherry, Julia A., University of Alabama Wetlands in coastal watersheds are at the forefront of climate change. Formulation of restoration goals and plans that do not explicitly incorporate climate change scenarios, namely sea level rise and other saline intrusions, are shortsighted and are unlikely to be successful in the long term. However, restorations that are too “futuristic” may not be feasible if habitat conditions are not yet suitable for some downslope species to be planted or released upslope. The goals of this research were 1) to test the efficacy of assisted migration (AM) for the purpose of enhancing resilience to sea level rise; 2) to determine how far upslope coastal plant species could be established; and 3) to detect obstacles to upslope migration of species. To accomplish these objectives, a series of experiments was conducted in several locations along the northern Gulf of Mexico. Native coastal species, representative of dominant vegetation zones, were planted downslope and upslope of their current distributions. Species that were transplanted downslope rarely survived, whereas seedlings and transplants could thrive upslope, particularly when regeneration barriers (mainly woody upslope species) were removed or circumvented. These results indicate that restoration plans should consider climate change and principles of AM, i.e., restoring downslope species in upslope locations. Restoration goals and AM options should be geared to the rates of physical changes that have taken place, and are expected to occur, in an area such that restoring a site "back to the future" is based on an appropriate selection of restoration targets. n

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Wetland Restoration, Function, and Inventory in the Rocky Mountains Presented On-Demand

IGNORING FENCE LINES-MESIC MEADOW RESTORATION IN THE UPPER GUNNISON RIVER BASIN Breibart, Andrew, Bureau of Land Management When functional, meadows function like sponges as they capture precipitation; allowing it to slowly infiltrate; store it as groundwater; and slowly release it to maintain base flow and peak flow conditions. In the Upper Gunnison River Basin, gully erosion, headcuts, and incision altered the hydrological function of these systems. Causes include historic wagon roads, primitive roads, mining, road crossings, and current and past livestock and wildlife trailing which have disrupted natural surface and groundwater runoff and infiltration processes. The Gunnison Climate Working, a collaborative group, comprised of youth corps, federal land managers, county and municipal governments, state wildlife agencies, universities, private land owners, and NGO’s work across fence lines to restore 100s of acres of mesic meadows using techniques developed by Bill Zeedyk. Benefits of restored meadows include: functional brood-rearing habitat for Gunnison sage-grouse, a Federally Threatened species; and healthy habitat for elk, amphibians, neo-tropical migratory birds; forage for domestic livestock; and resilient ecosystems in light of global weirding. This project continues to scale up its efforts while also adding new partners. n

Presented On-Demand

ON PATIENTS AND PATIENCE: STREAM RESTORATION AS A HEALING PROCESS Doran, Jessica, EcoMetrics Beardsley, Mark, EcoMetrics Biotic processes are now recognized as key drivers of wetland systems that work in concert with hydrological and geomorphic processes, not separately from them. When we understand wetland systems as integrated biophysical ecosystems rather than as physical habitat that simply houses plants and animals, restoration appears less like a physical engineering exercise and more like an organic healing process. Restoration efforts can be thought of less like construction projects and more like medical treatments. From this view, systems are like patients. They are complex organic systems that we help heal—not physical things that we design and build. We cannot simply design biotic processes or build biotic communities. Healing takes time

and organic restoration requires patience. As in medicine, careful management over time (rehabilitation) is often necessary in addition to, or instead of, instant fixes (surgery). Health, healing, and medical analogies are nothing new to the field of ecological restoration. As stream conservation and restoration practitioners, we feel the health concept should be more than a metaphor. It is a mindset and a model—a way of thinking and a practical approach to restoration that respects the inherent complexity of natural functioning ecosystems. The shift from an engineering/ construction mindset to a medical/healing mindset opens the door to process-based restoration. In this talk, we share examples from work on small streams and headwater wetland complexes in the Colorado Rockies, but we think the concepts apply to all restoration efforts that seek natural and sustainable benefits. n

Presented On-Demand

CLIMATIC INFLUENCE ON WETLAND BIOGEOCHEMISTRY Schwyter, Anna, University of Wyoming Wetland ecosystems perform critical ecological services and are ideal environments to examine soil biogeochemical, hydrological, and functional. Alpine and sub-alpine wet meadows in the Rocky Mountains are high elevation wetlands with vital ecological significance, a short growing season, and an increased capacity to store C compared to adjacent uplands. This research seeks to examine climate as a driver of C sequestration, redoximorphic feature development and wetland functional processes by using an elevation gradient of three montane wetland meadows. The elevation gradient serves as a proxy for climate with the MAT ranging from 6 to 1 oC and MAP from 50 to 120 cm as elevation increases. This gradient allows for the analysis of how decreasing temperatures and increasing precipitation influence soil properties, processes, and function. At three wetland study sites (~9,000, 10,000, and 11,000 ft elevation), monitoring locations were established in the wetland, transition, and upland zones. Soil physical, chemical, and morphological properties were analyzed, biogeochemical status was studied with Indicator of Reduction in Soil films, hydrologic conditions were monitored using automated loggers in wells, and soil temperature data were recorded via automated sensors at two depths. As the climate varies across the three sites, data collected in summer 2019

will enhance our understanding of climatic influences on soil biogeochemistry and wetland processes and function. Through the examination of the effect climate has on high elevation wetland properties, we can begin to understand how the function of these critically important ecosystems may transform as our climate continues to change. n

Presented On-Demand

NEW TOOLS TO UNDERSTAND WETLAND EXTENT AND CONDITION ACROSS COLORADO Lemly, Joanna, Colorado Natural Heritage Program Wetlands are uncommon on Colorado’s landscape, but their ecological significance outweighs their extent. For decades, the only estimate of wetland acreage in Colorado was a rough 1-million-acre estimate from a 1990 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) report on wetlands across the United States. National Wetland Inventory (NWI) mapping was not fully digitized and was often out of date. For over a decade, Colorado Natural Heritage Program (CNHP) and Colorado Parks and Wildlife partnered with USFWS and many funding partners to digitize original NWI mapping and update mapping in select areas, completing the first statewide digital dataset in 2015. CNHP recently reviewed the statewide dataset for attribute consistency and to address major landscape-scale concerns, particularly on the eastern plains. The results of this review have been summarized in a new report, 2020 State of Colorado’s Wetlands, which summarizes NWI acres across Colorado and for each major river basin, including analyses on wetland by type, hydrologic regime, modifier, landowner, region, significance, and condition. CNHP also launched the Colorado Wetland Plots Database, a searchable online database of field data collected in nearly 3000 wetlands and riparian areas across the state. Each plot in the database includes detailed vegetation and environmental data that can be queried by wetland type, watershed, and county to create typical species lists for different regions of the state. The two new tools will improve access to information about wetlands, increase general understanding of wetland resources, and lead to more effective conservation, restoration, and management of this vital ecosystem. n

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Wetland science and practice in the Oceania region Presented On-Demand

WHY TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND CUSTOMS MATTER TO WETLAND CONSERVATION: LESSONS FROM OCEANIA Gerbeaux, Philippe, NZ Department of Conservation Indigenous communities of Oceania, including New Zealand Māori, often regard waterways and wetlands as one of the most important elements of the landscapes in which they live. They are not just collections of gravel and water and fish or other aquatic species. They use it for washing, for cleansing, fishing, for growing crops, but underlying these is another set of values that are deeply entrenched in their heart. They recognise that those systems distribute (e.g. rivers) and store (e.g wetlands) water the way that Mother Earth intended them to be. They connect the mountains to the sea; they have ‘mana’ and a life presence of their own. Waterscapes have therefore a strong spiritual and identity associations and a strong belief is that they should be treated with total respect, and their health given the utmost priority. As an ecologist of Western origin, such a traditional approach merges with my vision of a holistic response to the conservation needs of wetlands. It helps me better identify some of the threads that have enabled all communities to maintain a strong connection with their (wet) land to meet the needs that are associated with their well-being and their sustenance. In this presentation, I will attempt to illustrate with wetland examples the life force or energy that can flow through all humans and objects and places, and how it can be better cultivated through the understanding of indigenous words and the set of values that hide behind them. n

Presented On-Demand

ECOLOGICAL RENEWAL: THE MOKOAN PROJECT - CREATING WINTON WETLANDS Lloyd, Lance, Winton Wetlands Committee of Management Over 30 wetlands were flooded in 1970 to form Lake Mokoan - to allow for irrigation and recreation. The largest were open cane grass and river red gum wetlands. In 2010, Lake Mokoan was decommissioned and a major project is now underway to restore the site and encourage tourism to support the long-term viability of the site. The restoration of the 8,750hectare Winton Wetlands Reserve is a project of national scientific, cultural and environmental significance. Located in north east Victoria, the wetlands have 3800ha of wetlands surrounded by 4,950ha of river red gum and 50 Wetland Science & Practice January 2021

box grassy woodlands. The aim is to adaptively manage to implement, monitor and refine works and measures to improve biodiversity and resilience of the ecosystem. The Ecological Renewal program has several inter-related elements: 1. Vegetation regeneration and improvement 2. Water quality management and improvement 3. Invasive species monitoring, management and control 4. Restoring ecosystem function via species rewilding 5. Community-driven projects to monitor and manage threatened or indicator species 6. Research Programs that directly inform land and water management activities The ecological renewal project at Winton Wetlands is following the Restoration and Monitoring Strategic Plan and is supported by specific management plans that the current science team have developed for fish, water quality, aquatic plants and feral animals. The program is supported by a high-level science committee, an annual Science Forum and research partnerships with regional and national universities. This talk will discuss the restoration activities conducted to date, research, and the ecological outcomes already achieved. n

Presented On-Demand

IMPENDING LOSS OF CARBON FROM DRYING WETLANDS IN SOUTHWESTERN AUSTRALIA Rutherford, Jasmin, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions The retention of organic carbon in southwestern Australia’s landscapes is low due to the complex interplay between climate, geology, geomorphology, and vegetation. Inland drainage gradients are subdued, and aquifers concentrate solutes from rainfall. Where gradients support seasonal inundation, discrete low salinity aquifers develop and support wetlands. In these areas, groundwater, surface water and vegetation has supported the formation of peat since the Oligocene. These peat wetlands store on average 50% organic carbon compared to ~2% in agricultural areas and have a higher density and lower porosity compared to low temperature, alpine peats. This helps them retain water in drought, providing an important refugia for flora and fauna. Reductions in rainfall over the past 30 to 50 years have tested the resilience of peat wetland systems in these moderate rainfall areas (~750mm/yr). Results from a five-year study of peat wetlands in the Muir-Byenup Ramsar site have shown that as peat dries, organic carbon is lost to mineral and gaseous phases and water bodies acidify as stored

metals are released. Secondary porosity (e.g. cracks) develop increasing both acidification and wetland water requirements. Acid stores remain intact closer to wetlands shorelines where the primary porosity is maintained. Evaporite crusts form in the wetland base and soluble sulfur and sodium phases dissolve with winter rains and are redistributed across the wetland. This is of concern as this is likely to accelerate the breakdown of minerals buffering acidity and increase organic carbon losses. n Presented On-Demand

WATERBIRD RESPONSES TO ENVIRONMENTAL WATER DELIVERY IN SOUTH-EAST AUSTRALIAN WETLANDS Rogers, Danny, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning Many wetlands in south-east Australia haves severely altered water regimes, mostly because of waterway regulation. In Victoria, south-east Australia, use of the “environmental water reserve” to has provided a relatively recent management response to reinstating water regimes to achieve biodiversity outcomes. To assess the effectiveness of this approach, the Victorian Government’s Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning initiated “WetMAP - the Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program for environmental flows” in 2017. One of the four themes of the WetMAP project examines the responses of birds to environmental water. Monitoring of ~20 wetlands over the past three years has demonstrated that waterbirds respond rapidly to environmental water, coming in soon after the wetland is flooded and leaving as soon as it dries out. The number of birds that move into environmentally watered wetlands is influenced by many factors, including season, structural vegetation in the wetland (in turn affected by duration of inundation) and the extent of surface water elsewhere in the landscape. A better understanding of the interaction of these factors would be desirable to make sound predictions of the number of waterbirds likely to be attracted to watered wetlands; models of this kind would be helpful when making watering decisions, and in assessing the success or otherwise of environmental watering. Relatively few waterbirds nested in the environmentally watered wetlands that we studied. It is possible that waterbird breeding at these sites could be enhanced by altering watering regimes, but doing so could impact other conservation values of the wetlands. n

Updates from the States: programmatic news and changes from WA and OR Presented On-Demand

OREGON DEPARTMENT OF STATE LANDS: 2020 REGULATORY OVERVIEW Wolf, Grey, Oregon Department of State Lands The presentation will include sweeping regulatory updates from Oregon Department of State Lands. The first subject to be covered will evolution of, and updates to, the Statewide Wetlands Inventory (SWI). The SWI is a screening tool to help identify approximate locations of wetlands and waterways in Oregon. Next, developments in the Aquatic Resource Mitigation Framework, specifically as it pertains to stream accounting will be, discussed. Upcoming rulemaking for streams will also be included in this section of the presentation. The third topic will be HB2437 and OR Dept. of Agriculture rulemaking associated with creating a notice-based process for traditionally maintained agricultural drainage channels. Finally, new details regarding DSL partial assumption for Federal Clean Water Act (Section 404) permits will bring the presentation to a close. n

Presented On-Demand

HOW LOW DOES YOUR HABITAT GO? ECOLOGY'S BUFFER GUIDANCE AND RECENT UPDATES TO HABITAT SCORE BREAKS Yahnke, Amy, WA State Department of Ecology In 2014 Ecology published updates to its Wetland Rating Systems for eastern and western Washington. With those updates came a need to revise Ecology’s guidance to local jurisdictions for appropriate buffer widths based on habitat scores from the rating system. After publication of the updates, several applicants and land owners expressed concerns about the break between Low and Moderate habitat scores in local buffer regulations. In response to those concerns, Ecology reviewed data submitted by applicants and from Ecology’s reference wetland dataset. We found that the data supported a change in the break point between scores that represent Low and Moderate habitat from wetland ratings. Initially, the break between Low and Moderate habitat scores was between 4 and 5 points. Ecology’s buffer guidance changed so that the break between Low and Moderate habitats is now between 5 and 6 points. In this talk I will discuss the process we used to review the habitat scores, the findings, and how Ecology made the decision to change the buffer guidance. n Wetland Science & Practice January 2021 51

Presented On-Demand

CATCHING UP WITH WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF ECOLOGY Mraz, Rick, Washington State Department of Ecology Rick Mraz, the Wetland Policy Lead for Washington Department of Ecology, will provide details on the latest agency actions and efforts. Topics will include the following • Discussion of the State actions associated with changes to the Clean Water Act (Navigable Waters Protection Rule), EPA’s new 401 rule, and the 2020 Nationwide Permit Program. • Updates to the State Wetland Program Plan • The newest version of Joint Agency Mitigation Guidance. • Efforts to provide guidance for salmon restoration projects that affect wetlands. If time permits, Rick may also discuss upcoming annotations to Ecology’s CAO guidance, and agency involvement in the Voluntary Stewardship Program. n

LIGHTNING TALKS Biology and Ecology Presented December 1, 2020, 1:45 - 2:15 PM ET

STRUCTURAL HETEROGENEITY OF WATERBIRD HABITAT IN RESTORED HAWAIIAN WETLANDS Orloff, Alishia, Yale Indigenous and Local Knowledge serves as a robust lens for sustainable ecosystem management and restoration. Through agro-ecological practices, Indigenous peoples of Hawai’i have developed comprehensively complex strategies and traditions for maintaining the resilience of wetland ecosystems. Traditional practices such as the cultivation of kalo has been exercised in Hawaiian wetlands for centuries particularly because of its capacity to optimize multiple wetland ecosystem services. Traditional management approaches support the incorporation of kalo because of its capacity to occupy a similar niche in terms of native sedge function and structure while simultaneously contributing to biocultural diversity of food production. Kalo farming retains sediment and organic matter in the watershed, cre-

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ates and maintains wetlands, and modifies nutrient cycling. These key habitat characteristics are understood to have an effect on waterbird abundances although the extent to which they are facilitated by different management approaches, namely kalo cultivation, is still not clear. A study was conducted to elucidate the differences of habitat structure and functioning as it relates to waterbird abundances in the He’eia wetlands. The preliminary results highlight agro-ecological practices associated with kalo cultivation in a comparison to other management approaches of the wetland in i) maintaining structural heterogeneity, ii) regulating water quality, and iii) supporting populations of invertebrates and waterbirds. This project will have significant implications on substantiation of transgenerational management of wetlands by Indigenous peoples as a more comprehensive means of implementing land conservation practices, and to provide a sustainable model for contemporary wetland management. n

KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE TOOLS FOR WETLAND CONSERVATION Mingo, Leanne, Ducks Unlimited Canada Canada’s boreal forest contains the largest concentration of wetlands on earth which provide valuable ecosystem services including carbon sequestration, groundwater recharge, recreation value and critical habitat. It is also an area that is rich in resource development including oil and gas, forestry, mining and utilities. With a diverse group of practitioners working across the boreal landscape, anthropogenic activities frequently intersect wetlands. Despite their importance, these complex and diverse ecosystems are often poorly understood and difficult to identify. Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) has over 80 years of experience in wetland conservation across Canada and over 20 years of experience working in Canada’s boreal forest. Over this time, DUC’s National Boreal Program has developed knowledge exchange tools to raise awareness and understanding of wetlands and to promote effective wetland conservation, management, and restoration. In this presentation I will share examples of tools such as wetland classification field guides, online wetlands training, and the Wetland Centre project – an on-the-ground training and demonstration site. Collaboration is key to identifying needs, developing tools, and engaging audiences when working with diverse partners and stakeholders to deliver conservation programs in Canada’s boreal. n

USING EASILY ACCESSIBLE DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY TO MONITOR GROWING SEASON PHENOLOGY OF BOREAL PEATLANDS DISTURBED BY LINEAR DISTURBANCES Davidson, Scott. University of Waterloo Plant phenology is a useful metric for understanding disturbance impacts on ecosystem functioning. Disturbance following the creation of linear features such as seismic lines can impact vegetation communities through changes in productivity and shifts in composition. Here, we develop a simple approach to monitor growing season phenology by quantifying vegetation ‘greenness’ using easily accessible digital photography. The objectives of this study were 1) to evaluate variation in vegetation greenness between disturbed/undisturbed boreal sites using the Green chromatic coordinate (Gcc) index and 2) evaluate if variation in greenness is related to differences in plant composition. This study was undertaken at three boreal peatland sites (two bogs and one fen) in northern Alberta, Canada. Weekly photographs were taken between May and August 2019. The photographs effectively quantified the temporal variation in greenness at all three sites. The disturbed bog sites were greener than natural bog sites. Conversely, at the fen, natural sites were greener than disturbed sites in the spring, but by summer both areas had similar greenness levels. Results indicate that variation in greenness is more driven by changes in plant composition than loss of plant cover between disturbed and natural sites. There has been a shift from a feather moss/lichen dominated system to a Sphagnum dominated system at the bog sites while the disturbed fen sites have become dominated by sedges and willows compared to the feather moss dominated natural sites. This highlights the ease of use of digital photography to quantify phenological changes in boreal peatland vegetation communities. n

FOOD WEB DYNAMICS OF FLOODPLAIN LAKES WITH CONTRASTING RIVERINE CONNECTIVITY Cazzanelli, Matteo, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (Ecosur) Floodplains in the Usumacinta River Basin (Southern Gulf of Mexico) are highly productive and biodiverse ecosystems, whose integrity is threatened by increasing water resource development. We sought to investigate how food webs in these ecosystems can vary in relation to their hydrological connectivity to the river and seasonal flood cycles. To achieve this, we analyzed water quality as well as stable isotopes of fish and their potential basal resources in two lakes with permanent connection to the Usumacinta River and two isolated lakes during the dry, early rainy and late rainy season. Differences in chlorophyll-a, nutrients, and

suspended solids were reflected in contrasting trophic dynamics between the lakes. Phytoplankton was the dominant resource for fish in the isolated lakes, while aquatic macrophytes were the largest contributors to consumer production in the connected lakes. Fish showed the largest isotopic niches during the early rainy season, probably reflecting the consumption of a wider range of resources following the first significant flow pulses of the year. Our study points to the importance of hydrological connectivity and natural flow regimes in order to maintain the ecological integrity and fishery yields of these floodplain ecosystems. n

REMOVAL OF HELMINTH PARASITES BY CONSTRUCTED WETLANDS Butt, Sidra, National University of Sciences and Technology Parasite removal for wastewater treatment has become a necessity for developing countries in order to ensure public health and safety. Pilot scale constructed wetlands in National University of Sciences and Technology were investigated for removal of helminth parasites from domestic wastewater. Wastewater and treated wastewater were studied in details for efficiency of wetlands. Domestic wastewater contained a variety of helminth eggs i.e. Ascaris lumbricoides, Hook worm, Trichuris trichuria, Hymenolepis nana and Enterobius vermicularis. Results showed that performance efficiency of constructed wetlands is highly influenced by seasonal variation. Lowest concentration was observed during the winter seasons whereas High concentration were observed during the summer season. Up to 100% removal efficiency was observed for helminth eggs. These studies demonstrated that constructed wetlands have a capacity for effective removal of parasites and provide a environmental friendly, low cost technology for treating wastewater and ensuring better health of the society. n

Education and Policy Presented December 1, 2020, 2:25 - 2:55 PM ET

SWS IN THE COMMUNITY Taylor, Alani, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers This would be presented by the Human Diversity committee. It has been suggested that having more active regional SWS chapters could increase SWS membership. Regional chapters could also play a role in putting the presence of SWS in places, schools, and businesses that are not aware of SWS. How can SWS partnership with grassroots organizations in local communities better connect with nonWetland Science & Practice January 2021 53

traditional and under-served areas? This presentation would provide ideas on how SWS regional chapters can reach out to local communities and non-traditional people who could be inspired to become members. n

SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE Johnson, Kwanza, NOAA Fisheries This would be presented by the Human Diversity committee. 2020 national movements have raised the question of if and how scientific organizations have a place in social activism. We would elaborate on the meaning of "environmental injustice" and present some examples of how it has occurred for communities influenced by wetlands. We would describe how activism plays a role in the activities of scientific organizations. We would present examples of appropriate and legal actions of science organizations that were related to potentially sensitive political issues. n

METHODOLOGY FOR DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES - WETLAND MITIGATION PLANNING FOR FORE-CASTED PROJECTS Duoto, Lauryn, Wood Environment & Infastructure This research serves to create a government (transportation specific) guidance methodology for deciding on wetland mitigation opportunities for specific transportation projects that impact wetlands. This guidance using the Hylebos mitigation site in Western Washington as an example will determine options for the next ten years of planned and unplanned projects that are expected to impact wetlands. This guidance serves as a methodology and the primary methods utilized were literature reviews of government documents and scientific articles as discussed in the literature review. The methodology proposed identifies 10 steps to anticipate wetland mitigation needs for government transportation project. The ten steps determine agency processes for determining wetland mitigation needs, GIS parameters to identify wetland mitigation need, and types of mitigation that best suit the agencies policies and regulations. This methodology can be used primarily by government agencies that focus on development. n

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FORESTED WETLANDS AND PACIFIC NORTHWEST FOREST PRACTICES - KNOWN UNKNOWNS FOR SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT Hough-Snee, Nate, Four Peaks Environmental Science and Data Solutions Forested wetlands are unique features in forested landscapes of the U.S. Pacific Northwest and western Canada. The management of industrial timberlands has long been regulated to prevent the degradation of water quality and stream habitats through riparian buffering, road and culvert standards, and limitations on forest regeneration practices. Forested wetlands, specifically those wetlands that are not connected to fish-bearing streams, have received substantially less attention than streams and rivers. Here we present a systematic literature review on forested wetland buffer practices across the western U.S. and Canada, linking applications to Washington State Forest Practice Rules. Many studies of forested wetland ecology, hydrology, geomorphology, and biogeochemistry that inform current policy have taken place in different wetland types and geographic locations than would be ideal for informing state level wetland policy. Specifically, longitudinal studies on timber harvest and wetland buffers are lacking across the region. We recommend additional research be undertaken on how forested wetlands recover from harvest and how this post-harvest succession may differ from natural successional pathways caused by windthrow, floods, fire, or pestilence. Additional research can be applied to the sustainable management of forested wetlands and connected downstream waters. n

Global Climate Change Presented December 2, 2020, 1:30 - 2:00 PM ET

ASSESSMENT OF MEXICAN RIVERS TOWARDS CLIMATEADAPTIVE ENVIRONMENTAL FLOWS Salinas-Rodríguez, Sergio, WWF The Mexican government recently announced the establishment of 295 environmental water reserves, a volume of water designated to secure and protect wetlands’ water needs for up to 50 years (e.g. Ramsar Resolution XII.12). The strategy has been based on a three-level hierarchical framework for determining and implementing environmental flows (eflows). However, it has not been investigated climate change, the historical trends in river discharge, and basin rainfall. Neither has been revised the appropriateness of the current criteria –a novel frequency-of-occurrence ecohydrology-based approach– for integrating eflows to different

hydrological conditions between different river types. The goal of this research was to fill these gaps. The flow’s interannual and seasonal variability contribution for wet, average, dry, and very dry hydrological conditions were evaluated in forty rivers, selected based on their climate, geographic and hydrological representativeness. Multivariate assessments were conducted for the grouping of river types (principal components) and on the differences between the response variables (one-way PERMANOVA). A Mann-Kendall trend test was performed on the rivers’ discharge and basins’ rainfall. Eflows were calculated according to the frequencyof-occurrence baseline, and an adjustment in light of the differentiated hydrological dependencies findings between river types. Results revealed that there are significant differences in the flow variability contributions on all hydrological conditions between river types, some of them showed significant increasing or decreasing trends (p-values < 0.05). Furthermore, and based on the performance assessment outcomes, the new criteria of frequency-of-occurrence delivered more robust non-stationary eflows that strengthen the water balance by buffering future climatic uncertainties. n

HOW WILL SEA LEVEL RISE IMPACT GREENHOUSE GAS FLUXES FROM SALT MARSH SOILS? Comer-Warner, Sophie, McGill University/University of Birmingham Salt marshes are important blue carbon ecosystems that sequester large amounts of carbon mitigating the effects of climate change. This negative climate feedback, however, may be offset by soil emissions of the potent greenhouse gases CH4 and N2O, which some studies have shown to vary with marsh elevation and vegetation zone. Salt marshes of the northern Northwest Atlantic typically have unvegetated tidal flat at the lowest elevation, which transitions with increasing elevation into two grass zones: Spartina alterniflora followed by Spartina patens. The increased flooding that occurs with climate-related sea level rise will cause a landward shift in these zones. An additional zone of the invasive common reed Phragmites australis is found at higher elevations in many regions. Here we present findings from a study conducted on a salt marsh at La Pocatière, Quebec, located on the St. Lawrence River estuary, which is typified by this zonation. Here the average annual temperature is 4.5 °C and the marsh is subject to extensive winter freeze. We measured greenhouse gas fluxes from the four different areas of the marsh to investigate differences in climate feedbacks between them and to determine how this feedback may shift with sea level rise and increases in invasive species. n

MOVIN' ON UP WITH SEA LEVEL RISE: MARSH GRASS MIGRATION AND PHENOTYPIC PLASTICITY Kottler, Ezra, The George Washington University In the Mid-Atlantic region, sea-level rise is accelerating at 3-4 times the global average rate, provoking rapid habitat shifts in many coastal areas. As salt water intrudes on upland habitats, tidal wetland species are colonizing space opened up by upland dieback and can even establish in coastal forest understory prior to canopy death. One such species is the high marsh foundation species salt marsh hay, Spartina patens, which has been well-studied in marsh, dune, and swale, but has only recently been found growing in the understory of coastal forests. I conducted a factorial outdoor mesocosm experiment designed to characterize the genotype by environment interactions of S. patens as it migrates into coastal forest understory. The experiment addresses the following research questions: 1) Does genotypic identity impact the plasticity of S. patens responding to salinity & light limitation? 2) How are plant traits impacted by the salinity tolerance and light conditions of their habitat of origin, and how does this vary among genotypes? 3) What are the separate & cumulative physiological and growth allocation effects of salt stress and light limitation? The upland migration of S. patens dominated high marsh may be critical to maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services in the face of widescale marsh habitat loss and invasion by the non-native Phragmites australis. n

PIECING TOGETHER THE MUD PIE: DETECTING RELATIVE STRESS IN FLORIDA’S GULF COAST SALT MARSHES Verhulst, Stephanie, University of Florida Comparing marshes experiencing relatively high to relatively low sea-level rise (SLR) impacts can aid in prioritizing management efforts or in exploring mechanisms of marsh loss. Selection of high and low impact salt marsh study systems should consider estimates of conversion to open water, health of the vegetation, and field indicators of marsh loss (e.g. creek slumping). Our goals were to identify salt marshes in the Big Bend region of Florida that were 1) “stressed” with signs of die-off or at risk of die-off versus 2) “healthy” with no signs of die-off or risk of die-off. We used 3 methods to assign relative stress to salt marsh systems based on aerial imagery (2013 and 2017), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (difference between 1998 and 2018 NDVI values), and ground-truthing marsh conditions. Each method had unique limitations. Aerial imagery identified 18 potential salt marsh systems, yet these showed minimal sign of die-off and little difference between sites resulting in weak evidence for relative stress rankings. DifWetland Science & Practice January 2021 55

ferences in NDVI values were confounded by fluctuating marsh water levels and response to rainfall events preceding image capture, which obscured detection of relatively low levels of loss during this 20 yr time period. Groundtruthing confirmed 12 marsh systems were comparable with similar vegetation communities and common marsh system morphologies, therefore good candidates for comparison, but few signs of differential die-off risk were observed. Visual indicators of relative stress were insufficient at producing relative stress rankings making additional site-level data necessary to determine SLR impacts. n

INCREASING FLOOD INTENSITY AND DURATION ALTERS WETLAND FUNCTIONS IN THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER FLOODPLAIN Berkowitz, Jacob, US Army Corps of Engineers The establishment of >3500 km of levees along the Mississippi River decreased the extent of active floodplain wetlands by >75%. The constrained floodplain wetlands experience more frequent high intensity, long duration floods than under historic conditions and several climate models suggest that worse flooding may occur in the future. The Mississippi River exhibited record flooding during 2019, inducing >150 days of floodplain wetland inundation. We evaluated flood effects using repeated measures of hydrogeomorphic (HGM) wetland assessment variables prior to the flood (October 2018), immediately post-flood (August 2019) and one year after initial assessment (October 2019). The flood had little/no impact on most assessment variables, but altered the abundance of woody debris and forest floor litter. Immediately after the flood, these changes decreased the functional capacity of wetlands to 1) detain floodwater (mean − 9.7% reduction) and 2) precipitation (−17.3%); 3) cycle nutrients (−7.5%); and export organic carbon (−23.8%). Subsequent sampling documented the detain precipitation function returning to pre-flood conditions. The export organic carbon function also improved, yet remained below pre-flood levels. Other functions will likely require additional recovery time due to the persistence of accumulated excess woody debris. Across all sample intervals, floodplain wetlands displayed high wetland functional capacities and appear resilient to surface water inundation. However, the impact of prolonged floods that extend further into the growing season may alter conditions in the future. This analysis also highlights the utility of the HGM assessment to detect responses to changing environmental conditions over short time intervals. n

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Restoration Presented December 2, 2020, 2:10 - 2:40 PM ET

EVALUATING RESTORATION TECHNIQUES FOR A COASTAL FEN ON LAKE ONTARIO DEGRADED BY TYPHA X GLAUCA AND SHRUB ENCROACHMENT Kirkpatrick, Sarah, SUNY Brockport Peatlands along the coast of the Great Lakes are undergoing ecosystem change including colonization by invasive plant species and shrub encroachment. The development of restoration techniques are necessary to protect this rare wetland class. Typha× glauca is a clonal dominant species that is highly competitive and significantly reduces native vegetation diversity and abundance by decreasing light availability and altering nutrient availability. Woody shrub encroachment also changes peatlands by lowering plant diversity and limiting peatland-specific vegetation through the alteration of hydrology, nutrient availability, and light availability. Our objective is to test the efficacy of techniques to restore native vegetation at a 23 hectare coastal poor fen on the southern shore of Lake Ontario that is degraded by both T.× glauca and shrub encroachment. We are testing combinations of cutting, herbicide, and litter removal in both intermediately invaded and less invaded areas. Vegetation and porewater will be sampled to evaluate changes in nutrient availability and vegetation communities in response to the treatments. Our pre-treatment sampling indicated that nitrate/ nitrite concentrations were significantly higher in T.× glauca invaded plots compared to the reference wetland. There was also a significant positive correlation between relative T.× glauca cover and orthophosphate concentration. Relative shrub cover below 60% was found to be positively correlated to cover-weighted FQI, weighted mean C, richness, and diversity. The effectiveness of these treatments will be assessed next growing season by comparing vegetation metrics and porewater nutrient concentrations after treatment, treatment plots to the control plots, and treated plots to the reference wetland. n

“PACK IT IN, PACK IT UP” MOTTO INAPPROPRIATE FOR FEN RESTORATION FOLLOWING OIL SANDS WELL PAD DISTURBANCES Lemmer, Meike, Université Laval Vast mosaics of pristine peatlands in the boreal forest of Northern Alberta are subject to disturbance and pollution by the oil and gas mining industry. As of 2009, more than 180,000 in-situ oil sands well pads (> 1 ha in size)

and according supplemental infrastructure have been installed, causing a disturbance of >149,000 km2. Since 2015 restoration efforts in these disturbed peatlands aimed at returning peat accumulation and carbon sequestration, the primary peatland functions. Accordingly, we evaluated restoration techniques by focusing on the vegetation development, greenhouse gas emissions dynamics and the peat accumulation potential. Restoration works had the clay of a well pad completely removed and spontaneously re-vegetated, or partially removed and adjusted such that the well pad’s surface was similar to adjacent fens, in order to install optimal hydrological conditions and further spontaneous revegetation and active introduction of Larix laricina, Salix lutea, Carex aquatilis. Comparisons were made to regional reference wetlands. Plant species introduction did not prove crucial for adequate plant communities to emerge, especially, when a diverse diaspore bank of fen species was in close range and permitted species to migrate easily. Partial well pad removal was efficient for shrub and moss species to thrive, which had a significant effect on C uptake. The complete removal of the well pad rather created a shallow open water sector, with marsh-like vegetation where high methane emissions lowered the C sink function. n

BOREAL PEATLAND RESTORATION OF IN-SITU OIL AND GAS FOOTPRINT Xu, Bin, Northern Alberta Institute of Alberta Restoration of peatlands disturbed by in-situ oil and gas exploration across Alberta’s boreal regions is a complex process that requires: 1) a thorough understanding of the impact of linear disturbances and the ecosystems they are built in; 2) clear and well defined restoration goals; 3) practical field techniques to reclaim and revegetate, and 4) effective tools and methods for monitoring and assessment at the local and landscape scales. I will present progresses and learnings from cases studies to remove clay fill and geotextile, and methods to create microsites and restore hydrologic/edaphic conditions. Different options to introduce wetland/peatland vegetation through natural ingress, donor transfer, and stock planting will also be evaluated. Their effectiveness to achieve reclamation goals and to restore valuable peatland function will be discussed. Lastly, I will highlight key knowledge gaps and immediate technological challenges still facing peatland scientists, practitioners, land managers, and policy makers. n

WETLAND AND RIPARIAN PRIORITIZATION METHODOLOGY AND APPLICATION TO THE PUNTLEDGE RIVER WATERSHED Wright, Nicole, Ecofish Research Ltd. Similar to many watersheds around the world, development pressures in the Puntledge River watershed on Vancouver Island have led to the degradation and loss of wetland and riparian habitats and their ecosystem functions. The objectives of this study were to use watershed-level and site-specific assessments to identify and describe the historic and current abundance, distribution, and condition of wetlands and riparian habitat in the Puntledge River watershed and to identify and prioritize sites with high conservation value that could provide future opportunities for conservation, enhancement, and/or restoration projects. The methodological approach included: 1) compilation of information obtained from a community-based workshop; 2) identification of riparian and wetland habitats using public and private data sets, application of GIS cost-distance and fixed-distance models, orthophoto interpretation, and field visits to verify the modelled habitats; 3) classification of habitats as intact or degraded based on land use pressures; 4) generation of a watershed-scale conservation value map created with geospatial conservation assessment and proper functioning condition approaches; and 5) field-based site-specific proper functioning condition and conservation value assessments of high value conservation sites identified from the watershed-level assessment to prioritize sites for conservation. The novel methodological approach developed and applied for this study successfully identified, categorized, and prioritized the conservation value of over 12,000 ha of wetland and riparian habitats in the Puntledge River watershed, comprising 20% of the total watershed area. This approach can be applied to other landscape-level or smaller-scale wetland and riparian and management projects to achieve similar objectives. n

AQUATIC MACROINVERTEBRATE COMMUNITIES IN RELATION TO ENVIRONMENTAL VARIABLES IN RESTORATION AND REFERENCE WETLANDS IN NORTH CAROLINA, USA Shiflett, Sheri, UNCW Worldwide, interest is growing in the reliability of using macroinvertebrates as wetland condition indicators and for signaling restoration or mitigation success. We compared macroinvertebrate community characteristics and environmental parameters of reference sites to restoration sites, representing re-establishment and enhancement techniques. We also determined which habitat factors most influenced macroinvertebrate community metrics. We hypothesized that water quality, hydrology, and vegetation Wetland Science & Practice January 2021 57

characteristics would be correlated with macroinvertebrate community metrics, specifically, that less acidic pH and higher dissolved oxygen (DO) would be correlated with higher macroinvertebrate diversity and abundance, and that macroinvertebrate diversity and abundance would be higher in wetlands with continuous surface hydrology and more emergent vegetation cover. Data were collected from 16 wetland sites in four categories: 4 re-establishment, 4 enhancement, and 4 of each closed or open canopy reference. At each site, water quality, hydroperiod, and vegetation attributes were sampled. Macroinvertebrates were collected at each site in early spring. Dissolved oxygen and aquatic plant coverage were positively correlated with macroinvertebrate diversity and richness. Vegetation variables emerged as primary drivers of macroinvertebrate communities. Higher quality sites for macroinvertebrate communities had longer inundation times, more coverage of aquatic plants, and fewer dominant tree species in the wetlands relative to lower quality sites. If macroinvertebrate abundance and diversity are indicators of restoration success and restoration goals, then appropriate mitigation designs should incorporate heterogeneous mixtures of habitat types ranging from open to partially closed which influence inundation duration, coverage of aquatic plants, and DO content. n

Management and Applied Science Presented December 3, 2020, 1:00 - 1:30 PM ET

THE CONVERGENCE OF TECHNOLOGY AND WETLAND SCIENCE Schewe, Jeremy, Ecobot Inc. Technology impacts the way we live and work. Natural resources consulting is no exception. Jeremy Schewe, PWS, cofounder and Chief Scientific Officer of Ecobot, will address the increasingly important role that technology plays in wetland science and regulatory reporting. The talk will surface some of the most impactful recent developments and present highlights from our connections with industry leaders in the AEC and environmental industries and cover exciting topics as field applications, GPS receivers paired with field applications, predicting and field-mapping wetlands, plus mapping and monitoring wetlands with drones. In keeping with this year's theme of "Wetland Connections Over 40 Years", we'd like to highlight a handing off the baton to the next generation of wetland-specific technol-

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ogy: in August of 2020 Ecobot merged with WetForm, with founder Patrick Murphy joining Ecobot as Senior Wetland Scientist. Pat was one of the original scientific collaborators with the USACE in the development of the initial wetland delineation workflow. In 1997 he created WetForm, the first software and longest-standing technology platform serving wetland scientists, catapulting the industry forward. Ecobot's technology has recently been further enhanced by partnerships with Esri and Trimble; Ecobot customers report that they are completing wetland delineations twice as fast, with greater scientific accuracy. Each month Ecobot customers successfully produce thousands of USACEready reports along with submeter accurate ArcGIS shapefiles of field-mapped wetlands. Further connectedness in the decades to come will only continue to better equip wetland scientists with the best possible tools and technology to augment wetland science. n

WETLAND PLANT DIVERSITY CONTRIBUTES TO THEIR PHENOLOGICAL STABILITY AT BROAD SPATIAL SCALES Dronova, Iryna, University of California Berkeley Contributions of biodiversity to ecosystem stability have been widely studied in experimental studies in upland ecosystems, but remain less well understood in wetlands and at broader spatial scales relevant to conservation, policy and planning. Here we show evidence that plant diversity contributes to phenological stability relevant to the timing of ecosystem function, based on a national-scale sample of 1,138 wetlands from the 2011 National Wetland Condition Assessment and a novel analysis of an 18-year open-access satellite image time series. We further show that detecting and interpreting plant diversity contributions to ecosystem stability at such scales must account for both exogenous drivers of phenology, such as climate variables, and endogenous determinants of remote sensing signatures of wetland vegetation and dynamics, including both site-level characteristics and some types of disturbance in the wetland site neighborhoods. Our findings uncover new research questions about wetland-specific mechanisms behind their biodiversity-stability contributions to better understand the effect of management and conservation on the future of their ecosystem function and services. n

ARE THE WETLANDS ON THE COAST OF LIMA SHRINKING? A STUDY BASED ON REMOTE SENSING AND GIS Rojas, Daneska Alexandra Urbina, Universidad Cientifica del Sur Coastal wetlands are ecosystems of high primary productivity, promote nutrient recycling and provide food for different species. Knowing the changes that occur in these ecosystems is important for a proper management of the ecosystem services they provide. The objective of the study was to determine the total areas and vegetation cover of five wetlands on the coast of Lima and to evaluate their potential changes in the period 2002-2019. For this, remote sensing, GIS and an unsupervised classification were used. Results show increases in wetland area: Albúferas de Medio Mundo (+ 37.51%) and Laguna El Paraiso (+ 6.40%). On the other hand, Humedales de Ventanilla (-21.88%), Humedal de Puerto Viejo (-7.37%) and Santa Rosa (-3.17%) showed a decrease. The average area change rate (+0.14% per year) is higher than the global average change (-1.08% per year). Regarding vegetation cover, three wetlands showed an increase: Albuferas de Medio Mundo (+ 51.54%), Laguna El Paraiso (+ 26.03%) and Santa Rosa (+ 12.36%). The contrary was found for the Humedal de Puerto Viejo (-1.34%), Humedales de Ventanilla (-6.62%) and Los Pantanos de Villa (-18.13%). These reductions may be due to anthropogenic activities (agriculture, dumping of construction waste or livestock) reported in previous studies for the evaluated areas; the increases in coverage and area may be related to the development of these ecosystems when they are far from the population (ex. Medio Mundo and Paraíso) or when the vegetation grows as a result of eutrophication processes (Santa Rosa wetland). n

DRIVERS OF CHANGE IN THE COASTAL WETLANDS OF LIMA: IDENTIFYING THE CAUSES Aponte, Héctor, Universidad Cientifica del Sur This work compiles the drivers of change (DC) in the coastal wetlands of Lima. A systematic search of DCs (83 documents reviewed corresponding to the period 20002020; mainly scientific articles) reveals that the wetlands with the most DC in this region were Los Pantanos de Villa (10), Ventanilla Wetlands and Laguna El Paraíso (9). The most frequent DCs were the accumulation of rubble and/ or garbage (100% of the wetlands), population growth and/ or urbanization, the introduction of species, and degradation due to livestock and grazing (all this, present in 75% of these wetlands). Common DCs are discussed; due to the low similarity between wetlands, the need to propose specific strategies for each wetland is also recognized.b n

Carbon and Biogeochemical Cycles Presented December 3, 2020, 1:40 - 2:10 PM ET

HIGH RATES OF CARBON BURIAL IN A RIVERINE-INFLUENCED FRESHWATER MARSH IN THE LAKE ERIE WATERSHED Loder, Amanda, University of Toronto Freshwater marshes are one of the most prevalent wetland types in North America, have potential to accumulate carbon (C) at high rates over short (decades, post-European settlement) and long (centuries and millennia, pre-European settlement) timescales, and bury C in deeper soils. However, analyses on long soil cores that extend back to the mid- to late-Holocene are scarce yet needed to improve existing estimates of organic and inorganic C stocks, and long-term rates of C accumulation in freshwater marshes. To address these knowledge gaps, we collected a 4-m core from a riverine-influenced reference marsh (CBC3-01) in the watershed of Big Creek which drains into Lake Erie in southern Ontario, Canada. We have been conducting paleoecological analyses (radiometric dating, C densities, rates of C accumulation) to better understand the capacity for freshwater marshes to be long-term C sinks. Our results suggest that rates of vertical accretion, rates of organic carbon accumulation and organic matter contents have ranged between 0.4–1.7 mm yr-1, 19–216 g C m-2 yr-1 and 1.3–44.5%, respectively, in CBC3-01 over the past 5,700 years. Rates and organic matter contents tend to be highest in the top 50 cm of the soil profile of CBC3-01, but have markedly fluctuated throughout the paleorecord. In this presentation, we will discuss the importance of specifying timeframes over which rates of carbon burial are measured, differentiating organic versus inorganic carbon stocks, and considering deeper soils in freshwater marshes in order to better understand their potential to contribute to climate change mitigation strategies. n

IMPACT OF FIRE ON CARBON STOCKS IN SCHOENOPLECTUS AMERICANUS COASTAL WETLAND OF PERU Reyes, Wendy Ampuero, McGill University There have been few studies of carbon (C) storage in Peru’s coastal wetlands, but the reports available indicate that they serve as valuable C sinks. Here we report on the impact of fire on C storage in a salt marsh of Los Pantanos de Villa Wildlife Refuge in Lima. We compared marsh areas dominated by Schoenoplectus Americanus, one burned in the previous year and a control site with no known history of recent burning. In both sites, we sampled five 1 m2 plots, harvesting all vegetation before collecting three soil Wetland Science & Practice January 2021 59

cores in each. Our 30 cm-deep soil cores were cut into 10 cm segments. Roots and rhizomes were separated from the soil matrix and analyzed as separate C pools. C concentrations were measured with an elemental analyzer. The dry bulk density was used to calculate C density and stocks. C stocks in the control and burned areas decreased with depth and at all depths were substantially lower in the burned area as well as the living aboveground biomass. The matrix contributed more to the C stock than the roots and rhizomes. The amount of total C stored was 305 MgCha-1 and 156 MgCha-1 in control and burned site, respectively. Our results show that, per unit area, C storage of the S. Americanus marsh compares favorably to global averages, but is substantially reduced when burned. As most of the fires in the Refuge are of anthropogenic origin, the prevention of fire is imperative to maintain C stocks. n

SOIL CARBON LOSS FROM CONVERSION OF MANGROVES TO AQUCULTURE PONDS AND RICE FIELDS, SUNDARBANS, INDIA Sah, Anushka, McGill University Globally, about 35% of mangrove swamp has been lost in the last 20 years. This loss is widely attributed to the transformation of mangroves for shrimp aquaculture. As one of the world’s most efficient carbon sinks, substantial losses of its soil blue carbon occur with this transformation (Globally 7 TgCO2eyr-1). We conducted field work in West Bengal, India, which has the country’s 2nd highest shrimp production and contains part of the world’s largest contiguous mangrove forest area, the Sundarbans. Surprisingly, we found that in Jharkhali and Kanmari areas of West Bengal, mangrove swamps were first drained for rice cultivation. Later, the rice culture is followed by shrimp aquaculture. IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories provide estimates for soil carbon loss from shrimp ponds created directly from mangroves, but there are no estimates for losses when mangroves are transformed to rice fields. Further, IPCC guidelines provide estimates for emissions for irrigated OR rain fed rice fields but not for the mixed management regime we found in Jharkhali. We believe that our measurements of soil carbon stocks in rice fields and active shrimp aquaculture ponds in Jharkhali are the first for these types of wetland transformations. In this presentation, we will compare carbon stocks of mangrove to that of rice field and shrimp aquaculture ponds to determine which has the greater impact on historical blue carbon loss in West Bengal. n

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CARBON STORAGE IN THE COASTAL SWAMP OAK FOREST WETLANDS OF AUSTRALIA Kelleway, Jeff, University of Wollongong Coastal Swamp Oak Forests (CSOF) dominated by the species Casuarina glauca are an Endangered Ecological Community under state and Commonwealth legislation in Australia. These forests have suffered significant historic declines due to changes in land-use and hydrological modification. Although they have a limited contemporary extent (~320 to over 500 km2) along the east coast of Australia, CSOF represent part of a much larger range of supratidal forested wetlands in Australia, which include wetlands vegetated by the more broadly distributed genus Melaleuca. We estimated aboveground and 1 m-depth belowground organic carbon (Corg) stocks in CSOF (mean ± SD: 143 ± 61 Mg Corg ha-1 and 241 ± 136 Mg Corg ha-1; respectively) across six study sites in temperate and sub-tropical Australia. Variations in aboveground Corg stock are explained by differences in the forest structure, while belowground Corg stocks appear more reflective of within- and among-estuary variations in geomorphic evolution. These findings show that Corg stocks in CSOF are within the range of values – and in some cases higher than – those reported for adjacent mangrove, saltmarsh and seagrass ecosystems. Our data provide a foundation for future research efforts to determine the carbon sequestration potential of CSOF, and their amenability to management interventions which seek to reverse past losses and contribute to climate change mitigation. n

WETLAND WATER QUALITY ACROSS WEST VIRGINIA IN RELATION TO GEOGRAPHY AND LAND-USE PRACTICES De Silva, Sindupa, West Virginia University Wetlands contribute to improved water quality of watersheds through their functions and ecosystem services. In West Virginia, USA wetlands are present across diverse elevations and landscape geography that feed into both the Chesapeake Bay and Gulf of Mexico. We are assessing 200 of these wetlands to test their water quality and evaluate how geography and land-use practices influence wetland water quality. Select water quality parameters (20) are being used to evaluate these variables and determine how they reflect the wetlands ability to carry out select functions. Preliminary results indicate that wetlands at higher elevation with fewer watershed-scale land-use practices generally had lower E. Coli, heavy metal (Lead and Zinc), and nutrient (Phosphorus and Nitrogen) concentrations than wetlands at lower elevations. Wetlands with disturbed watersheds had higher conductivity readings following seasonal rainfall and within each wetland; conductivity

and salinity readings decreased along its drainage gradient which was indicative of the wetland performing its function. We also observed that conductivity and nutrient concentrations were highest during the winter and lowest during the summer, coinciding with the bottom and peak periods of primary productivity. The results of this assessment will be used to develop wetland water quality standards for West Virginia, and help inform future wetland management, mitigation, and restoration efforts. Sindupa De Silva, Dr. Jason Hubbart, Dr. Michael Strager, Dr. Elliot Kellner, Dr. Christopher Rota, Elizabeth Byers, Dr. James T. Anderson. n

Biology and Ecology Presented On-Demand

A SURVEY OF THE CUTANEOUS BACTERIA OF THE SPOTTED SALAMANDER (AMBYSTOMA MACULATUM) Stevens, Richard, Monroe Community College Amphibian skin has been found to be host to a diverse community of microorganisms and there is evidence that amphibians manipulate the composition of this community by the secretion of antimicrobial substances such as peptides. Cutaneous bacteria are thought to play a role in preventing the chytrid fungus and other fungal diseases in amphibians. While there has been a recent increase in studies researching the microbiome of amphibians, there have been relatively few studies investigating the skin microbiome of salamanders and only one small study of the microbiome of ambystomid salamanders. This study attempts to provide insight into the components of the cutaneous microbiome of spotted salmanders, Ambystoma maculatum. We identified colonies collected from 10 spotted salamanders, including 7 adults, one juvenile, and two larvae. Bacteria were cultured on R2A agar in the lab and identified using sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. A total of 9 distinct bacteria from 6 genera were identified. Two bacteria were identified to family but genus could not be identified. Bacterial diversity was greatest among adult salamanders. Among the bacteria found was Janthinobacterium, which is known to prevent chytrid fungal infection and is even used to inoculate amphibians reintroduced to sites where they have been extirpated from chytridiomycosis. The majority of bacteria identified from salamanders had some known antifungal properties. n

AN ASSESSMENT OF STREAM QUALITY IN RELATION TO POPULATION HEALTH OF PLANTAGO CORDATA Hudgens, Faith, Southern Illinois University Gibson, David J., Southern Illinois University Battaglia, Loretta M., Southern Illinois University Brooks, Marjorie M., Southern Illinois University Rare and endangered aquatic plants are typically sensitive to environmental and biological changes, and they could potentially be the first organisms to reflect changes in their habitats. Knowledge of these changes would provide critical information to conservation efforts. Southern Illinois has seen habitat changes due to agriculture, mining, industrialization, and urbanization. One rare plant at risk because of these habitat changes is Plantago cordata, an aquatic perennial herb with specific stream habitat requirements. The objective of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between population size structure and habitat factors among populations. A Hierarchy of Hypotheses framework was developed to address parameters such as herbivory, stream pH, stream depth, co-occurrence of functional groups and species, and stream quality effects on the size of P. cordata populations. Historical data from southern Illinois populations of P. cordata and stream quality data of similar streams were compared to data collected in this study from the time frame of May to October 2020. It is expected that three of the four sites in this study will have similar stream qualities, while one with a small population of P. cordata will have a lower quality than the other three. It is also expected that seedling recruitment will be highest at the longest contiguous population, although seedling recruitment across all populations overall was low. Further study of this rare plant not only aids in better understanding of the health of P. cordata populations, but also the quality of related streams in southern Illinois. n

BIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT WITH SUNDRY DATA: FLORIDA WETLAND CONDITION INDEX (FWCI) 2020 Reiss, Kelly, American Public University Variability in taxa distribution in the same wetland across time and space has been detected in previous studies on a small subset of Florida wetlands, leading to our interest in revising and expanding the Florida Wetland Condition Index (FWCI), which was developed from a reasonable but small set of wetlands within targeted wetland classes and with geographically isolated hydrologic features. In an effort to expand on the types of wetlands included in the development of the FWCI, more data were sought. In total data from 326 unique sample locations were included in the project from sampling events that spanned 21 years (1997-2017), Wetland Science & Practice January 2021 61

occurred across the state of Florida (16% panhandle, 33% north, 33% central, and 18% south wetland regions), and were dominated by different plant community types (35% herbaceous, 63% forested, 2% other). Using the established biotic assessment concept, metrics were defined as biological attributes with reliable and expected response to anthropogenic activities. Revision of the FWCI was straight forward, as variations of most of the metrics previously used in FWCI work were included in the FWCI 2020, with six vegetation and six macroinvertebrate metrics. Surprisingly, no major changes were suggested using the combined dataset in metrics selected or scoring conventions. Perhaps concern over so many zeros in presence / absence community data is not as much a deterrent in biological assessment work as assumed, despite high taxonomic variability in sites both within the same classification unit and across classification units. n

MONITORING WETLAND INVASIVE VEGETATION WITH DRONES: PILOT STUDY ON REED CANARY GRASS. Sanna, Astrid, University of Washington Compared to field survey methods, drones have the potential to quickly and safely survey large areas, reducing human effort and cost. By focusing on a single mitigation wetland site and one plot, we investigated the use of drones as an effective tool to accurately survey RCG. We flew two drones under different light conditions, at ~37 m altitude, collecting data with three different sensors: two built-in 3-band (red, green, blue (RGB)) cameras and an add-on 5-band (RGB, red-edge, near-infrared (NIR)) camera. We conducted object-based image analysis (OBIA) with Random Forest (supervised machine learning (ML) algorithm) to create maps of RCG cover and test the accuracy of the maps using visual interpretation and confusion matrices. The data collected with the RGB sensor (1.5 cm resolution) on a cloudy day generated the best results, having an overall map accuracy of 88%, an omission error (OE) of 0.04% and a commission error (CE) of 0.08%. Based on a confidence level of 80%, we estimated RCG cover to be between 65.6 - 67.1%, accounting for 66.4% of the site's area, and ~ 9 percentage points higher than field survey estimate. Finally, we considered opportunities and limitations of using drones and OBIA as tools to survey and map invasive species respectively, by comparing drone survey to field survey results. Moreover, we highlight the factors ecologists and natural resource managers should consider when using drones for wetland monitoring such as light condition, resolution (spectral, spatial, temporal), and vegetation phenology, phenotypic characteristics, and composition.

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FIFTY YEARS OF DEVELOPMENT OF MANGROVE PLANTATIONS IN BANGLADESH: PATTERNS IN STRUCTURE AND DIVERSITY Uddi, Mohammad Main, The University of Queensland Aziz, Ammar Abdul, The University of Queensland Lovelock, Catherine E., The University of Queensland Mangroves provide a range of ecosystem services, one of which is habitat for biodiversity. Ecological succession during mangrove wetland development has rarely been described, yet is important for understanding enhancement of community structure and plant species richness that created mangroves may provide, particularly given high rates of mangrove loss. Since 1966, the Government of Bangladesh has created nearly 280 km2 of plantation mangroves (0.21% of the global mangrove cover) on the deltaic coastline of Bangladesh to the east of the Sundarbans, where diverse communities of plant species occur. Using a chronosequence of these plantations, I assessed patterns in forest structure and plant species composition to test the hypotheses that structural complexity and species richness increase over time to reach that of natural forests. The field datasets indicated that while forest structure similar to natural mangroves can be achieved in less than 40 years, equivalent species richness may not be reached until plantations are older than 40 year. The outcome of this research suggests that while some functions of mangroves are achieved relatively rapidly after plantation establishment, achieving high biodiversity occurs over longer time scales, which should be included in planning conservation and restoration strategies for high diversity mangroves. n

RECREATING REQUISITE HYDROLOGIC CONDITIONS FOR FEN VEGETATION INITIATION Nwaishi, Felix, Mount Royal University Oil and gas exploration in Alberta’s boreal forest regions has led to the development of thousands of wellsites on boreal peatlands, which are important ecosystems at both regional and global context. Impacts of these wellsites on peatland vegetation and hydrology presents the need for innovative reclamation approaches to remove mineral footprint and restore ecosystem functions. Current approach to reclaim mineral features in boreal peatlands involves complete removal of the wellsite's mineral fill and geotextile. Although the results are promising in limited trials, this approach is very costly and may cause additional disturbance through repeated access by heavy equipment. This lighting talk presents a novel study that involves removing only some of the mineral fill (partial removal) to restore hydrological connectivity around the mineral feature and cre-

ate the requisite soil moisture and nutrient conditions that support the initiation of boreal fen vegetation communities on the remnant mineral substrate. This approach presents an opportunity for significant reduction in restoration cost, while meeting provincial reclamation standards by restoring boreal fen vegetation on decommissioned wellsites and associated mineral features. n

Restoration and Management Presented On-Demand

LANDSCAPE CHANGES IN THE NEW JERSEY PINE BARRENS FROM HISTORIC HUMAN USE Ballas, Chase, Columbia University Understanding the dynamics of past human-caused environmental changes at an ecosystem and landscape scale leads to better restoration management strategies, and furthers our knowledge of human-environment interactions. In this project, we are using historical ecology methods to understand how historical human activity has affected flora biodiversity and forested wetland structure over time, and has created legacy effects that are still seen in a modern forestscape. We are using the New Jersey Pine Barrens as a case study, and examining how the region’s history of ironworks industrialization (in this case, Batsto Village in Burlington County, New Jersey) in the 1700s and 1800s impacted the cedar swamp and savannah landscape matrix of the Wharton State Forest. We are collecting two peat cores (one from savannahs to the north of Batsto Village, one from cedar swamps to the south), and are analyzing them using paleoecology methods for pollen grains (which gives regional floral changes), macrofossils (which gives local floral changes), charcoal (yielding both natural and anthropogenic-induced fires), metals via X-ray fluorescence, and organic content via Loss-on-Ignition (both which give indications to changes in erosion patterns). We are then overlapping our ecological data with data from social history, including changes in human population size, industrial output, and other pieces from the environmental humanities to see how our observed ecological changes correlate to, and can be explained by events in human history. Our goal is to create an environmental history of this section of the Pine Barrens going back roughly 600 years. n

INTRODUCING A GLOBAL EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS FOR THE EFFECTS OF WETLAND CONSERVATION INTERVENTIONS Taylor, Nigel, Tour du Valat The importance of evidence-based practice, including conservation, has been increasingly recognized over the past 40 years. However, evidence-based conservation may be limited if relevant information is hidden amongst the vast and often inaccessible scientific literature. Within the framework of the Conservation Evidence project (www. conservationevidence.com), we have produced a comprehensive synthesis of global evidence for the effects of interventions to conserve wetland vegetation. We identified over 170 relevant conservation interventions, from planting trees in mangroves to adjusting grazing pressure on salt marshes and lobbying for wetland protection. We collated, summarized and synthesized over 400 publications that tested these interventions. The resulting synthesis is freely available online. We hope it will help wetland practitioners to make evidence-informed decisions about management actions, and help wetland researchers to identify knowledge gaps. This talk will give a brief overview of the synthesis: how it was created, what it contains, and how to use it. n

RETHINKING RESTORATION BY CONSIDERING NATURAL DYNAMICS: THE CASE OF THE KROM WETLAND, E CAPE, SA. Ellery, Fred, Rhodes University Wetland restoration in the global and South African contexts traditionally considers the hydrological regime as the primary driver of physio-chemical processes that influence wetland ecosystem structure and function. However, in a dryland situation such as South Africa that is dominated by weathering over timescales of tens of thousands to millions of years and erosion processes over timescales of hundreds of years, geomorphological processes governed by flowing water play a key but largely unrecognised role in shaping the landscapes that host wetlands. As such, the geomorphic work of flowing water and its benefits for wetland formation and maintenance has not before been incorporated into wetland restoration efforts. The Krom River wetland highlights the range of processes in an erosional landscape that contribute to creating a landform well suited to host wetlands. Erosion events lead to both longitudinal slope reduction and valley widening, thereby creating a landform that is suited to wetland formation. Erosion is associated with deposition of a gully-fan at the toe of the gully, which happens over timescales of years to decades. It is proposed

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that this variation in hydrodynamic and geomorphic processes, operating over different time scales, have contributed to the limited success of the large-scale engineering structures that have been put in place as part of wetland restoration activities in the area. It is argued that restoration activities need to incorporate hydrodynamic and geomorphic processes that work with, rather than in opposition to, the natural dynamics of the system. n

THE TWIN LIMIT MARSH MODEL: A NON-EQUILIBRIUM APPROACH TO PREDICTING THE EXTENT OF MARSH VEGETATION Campbell, Daniel, Birchbark Environmental Research Ltd Keddy, Paul, Birchbark Environmental Research Ltd Vast areas of wetland occur on shorelines of ponds, lakes and rivers. These wetlands are divided into vegetation zones including aquatic vegetation, marsh, and swamp. Here we provide a simple, mechanistic and non-equilibrium model that explains the occurrence of marsh as a function of past flood pulses. Marshes are sandwiched between two limits, both of which fluctuate with time. The lower limit is set by the tolerance of marsh plants to continuous flooding. The upper limit is set by woody plants, which are killed by extreme high water events. The twin limit marsh model (TLMM) requires water level records and two biological inputs: duration of flooding required to drown marsh plants (f) and the duration of dewatering required for woody plants to reinvade once water levels drop (s). In the temperate zone, we suggest that f is ~4 yr and s is ~30 yr. We illustrate the model for the marshes of Lake Erie. High water years that kill woody plants, followed by low water years, produce large expanses of marsh. The regulation of lakes and rivers generally have negative effects on marsh area and diversity. The TLMM can be calibrated for other climates or ecoregions. n

PLASTIC RIVERS: A UK CITIZEN SCIENCE PROJECT TO TRACK PLASTIC POLLUTION IN RIVERS Marazzi, Luca, Florida International University I will present preliminary results of Earthwatch Europe’s Plastic Rivers research and engagement project, funded by SC Johnson. In the spring-summer 2020, volunteers from two important catchments formed teams to survey macroplastic pollution in river and stream sites in North Hampshire and Surrey. Identifying and counting plastic litter items in 5m2 quadrats on riverbanks, our trained citizen scientists recorded both macroplastic items and non-plastic items. Plastic litter was much more abundant than non-plas64 Wetland Science & Practice January 2021

tic litter. Some of the highest numbers of plastic items were found near industrial areas, urban parks, highways and supermarkets. Similarly, to other studies, the great majority of the plastic items found (85%) were food-related items (mostly wrappers), plastic bags and bottles and smoking-related items (i.e. cigarettes and their packaging). The Plastic Rivers project is supporting our volunteers to (i) work with the local relevant authorities to reduce pollution levels around the hotspots identified and (ii) raise awareness on methods to reduce plastic use and plastic pollution. This project is part of a wider programme that includes a plastic footprint calculator through which people can monitor and reduce their personal use of plastics and thus their impact on pollution. As most of the plastics found in the ocean comes from river basins, our work could be significantly expanded in the UK and beyond. n

HYDROLOGICAL EVALUATION OF TIDAL RESTRICTIONS AT RUMNEY MARSH IN SAUGUS AND REVERE, MASSACHUSETTS Reiner, Edward, United States Environmental Protection Agency Located in Saugus and Revere, MA, the abandoned I-95 embankment constructed across Rumney Marsh between 1967 and 1969 formed a continuous barrier across the 3.8-kilometer wide marsh with only one opening for tidal flow and flushing to the upper Pines River marsh. All projects to restore salt marsh or intertidal habitat have had to maintain a continuous flood control berm out of the embankment fill, based on the belief that the embankment provides flood protection. In order to determine if the I-95 abandoned highway embankment affects flooding in the upper marsh, EPA undertook a comparative water level investigation installing seven pressure transducers at key locations. marsh. We discovered that maximum daily tidal water levels were nearly identical throughout the Pines River. Three new bridges on Route 107 constructed between 2009 and 2012 increased tidal flow and flushing along the Pines River. Improvements to these bridges have restored a more normal tidal hydrology to the marsh, however, the slightly lower tides on the upstream side of Route 107 compared to the downstream side, still demonstrate a slight tidal restriction by the roadway. We conclude that Route 107 is primarily responsible for the tidal restriction in the Pines River Estuary. For this reason, removal of the upstream abandoned I-95 embankment from the marsh can be done in a manner which restores the previous flow patterns, decreases the erosive water velocities, improves drainage, restores clam flats, salt marsh and fish and wildlife habitat, all without increasing existing flooding problems. n

AUTHORS INDEX Aguilar, Mauricio, Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt An, Shuqing, Nanjing University Aponte, Héctor, Universidad Cientifica del Sur Aziz, Ammar Abdul, The University of Queensland Bahadur, Umesh, Department of Environmental Affairs, Pretoria, South Africa Ballas, Chase, Columbia University Batista, Poliane, Sapopema (Sociedade para a Pesquisa e Proteção do Meio Ambiente), Santarém, PA, Brazil Battaglia, Loretta M., Southern Illinois University Beardsley, Mark, EcoMetrics Bedoya, Jorge, UNDP - United Nations Development Programme (Colombia) Beetge, Andre, Department of Environmental Affairs, Pretoria, South Africa Bentes, Antonio José Mota, Sapopema (Sociedade para a Pesquisa e Proteção do Meio Ambiente), Santarém, PA, Brazil Berg, Joe, Biohabitats Berkowitz, Jacob, US Army Corps of Engineers Biber, Patrick, The University of Southern Mississippi Bozimowski, Sasha, U.S. Geological Survey, Great Lakes Science Center Breibart, Andrew, Bureau of Land Management Brooks, Marjorie M., Southern Illinois University Butt, Sidra, National University of Sciences and Technology Campbell, Daniel, Birchbark Environmental Research Ltd Cárdenas, Klaudia, Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt Cazzanelli, Matteo, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (Ecosur) Chambers, Lisa, University of Central Florida Cherry, Julia A., University of Alabama Comer-Warner, Sophie, McGill University/University of Birmingham Correll, Maureen D., Bird Conservancy of the Rockies da Gama, Antonia Socorro Pena, Federal University of Western Pará, Santarém, PA, Brazil Davidson, Nick, Nick Davidson Environmental Davidson, Scott. University of Waterloo Davies, Gillian, BSC Group, Inc. De Silva, Sindupa, West Virginia University Doran, Jessica, EcoMetrics Doss, Terry, NJ Sports & Exposition Authority Dronova, Iryna, University of California Berkeley Dunton, Eric, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge Duoto, Lauryn, Wood Environment & Infastructure Ellery, Fred, Rhodes University Ewel, Katherine C., University of Florida Fang, Wei-Ta, National Taiwan Normal University Faust, Derek, Clover Park Technical College Finlayson, Max, Institute for Land, Water & Society, Charles Sturt University Forsberg, Bruce, Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, Montpelier, VT, USA Gerbeaux, Philippe, NZ Department of Conservation Gibson, David J., Southern Illinois University Gong, Yu, Memorial University of Newfoundland Guevara, Mario, University of Delaware Hantson, Wouter, University of Maine Hernandez-Manrique, Olga Lucía, Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt Herrera, Yenifer, Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt Hess, Laura L., Earth Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA

45 39 59 62 46 63 44 48, 61 48 45 46 44 41 56 47 41 48 61 53 64 45 53 36 36, 36, 48 55 38 44 42 53 43 60 48 42 58 41 54 63 33 35 34 43 44 50 61 37 38 38 45 45 44

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Hough-Snee, Nate, Four Peaks Environmental Science and Data Solutions 54 Hudgens, Faith, Southern Illinois University 61 Huertas, Henry, Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt 45 45 Isaacs-Cubides, Paola, Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt Jiang, Ming, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology 39 Johnson, Kwanza, NOAA Fisheries 54 Johnson, Olivia, USGS 41 Keddy, Paul, Birchbark Environmental Research Ltd 64 Kelleway, Jeff, University of Wollongong 60 Kirkpatrick, Sarah, SUNY Brockport 56 Kottler, Ezra, The George Washington University 55 Kowalski, Kurt, U.S. Geological Survey 41 Kumar, Ritesh, Wetlands International South Asia 33 37 Lamb-Wotton, Lukas, Florida International University Lawrence, Beth A., University of Connecticut 35, 41, 47 36, 36 Ledford, Taylor, The University of Alabama Lemly, Joanna, Colorado Natural Heritage Program 49 Lemmer, Meike, Université Laval 56 Le, Thuong Ba, Memorial University of Newfoundland 37 Letsaba, Mathabiso, Department of Environmental Affairs, Pretoria, South Africa 46 Linares, Juan C., Universidad de Córdoba (Colombia) 45 Lishawa, Shane C., Institute of Environmental Sustainability, Loyola University of Chicago 41 Liu, Yingnan, Institute of Natural Resources and Ecology, Heilongjiang Academy of Science and Ecology, China 40 Llamas, Ricardo, University of Delaware 38 Lloyd, Lance, Winton Wetlands Committee of Management 50 59 Loder, Amanda, University of Toronto López, Natalia Gómez, Corporación Paisajes Rurales (Colombia) 45 López, Wendy, Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (Colombia) 45 Lovelock, Catherine E., The University of Queensland 62 Lowies, Margaret, Department of Environmental Affairs, Pretoria, South Africa 46 34 Magalhães, Tatiana Lobata-de, Autonomous University of Queretaro Marazzi, Luca, Florida International University 64 Marshall, Emelia, The University of Southern Mississippi 47 Mavrodi, Dmitri, The University of Southern Mississippi 47 McGrath, David G., Earth Innovation Institute 44 McInnes, Rob, RM Wetlands & Environment Ltd & Charles Sturt University 43 Mekgoe, Keitumetse, Department of Environmental Affairs, Pretoria, South Africa 46 Middleton, Beth, U.S. Geological Survey 46 Mingo, Leanne, Ducks Unlimited Canada 52 Moreno-Casasola, Patricia, Instituto de Ecologia AC 44 Mortazavi, Kevin KueBehzad, The University of Alabama 36, 36 Mraz, Rick, Washington State Department of Ecology 52 Mulonga, Julie, Wetlands International Eastern Africa 45 Munguia, Steffanie, Florida International University 38 Munzhedzi, Eric, Department of Environmental Affairs, Pretoria, South Africa 46 Murphy, Nickolas, The University of Southern Mississippi 47 Nieuwoudt, Heidi, Department of Environmental Affairs, Pretoria, South Africa 46 Nwaishi, Felix, Mount Royal University 62 Orloff, Alishia, Yale 52 Panda, Abha, Department of Earth and Environmental Studies, University of Michigan 41 Paul, Swapan, Sydney Wetland Institute 34 66 Wetland Science & Practice January 2021

Puchkoff, Anna, University of Connecticut Quirk, Tracy, Louisiana State University Ramburran, Esmeralda, Department of Environmental Affairs, Pretoria, South Africa Ramírez, Wilson, Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt Reiner, Edward, United States Environmental Protection Agency Reiss, Kelly, American Public University Reyes, Wendy Ampuero, McGill University Roe, April, Nisqually Reach Nature Center Rogers, Danny, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning Rojas, Daneska Alexandra Urbina, Universidad Cientifica del Sur Rutherford, Jasmin, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions Sah, Anushka, McGill University Salinas-Rodríguez, Sergio, WWF Sanna, Astrid, University of Washington Sapopema (Sociedade para a Pesquisa e Proteção do Meio Ambiente), Santarém, PA, Brazil Schewe, Jeremy, Ecobot Inc. Schwyter, Anna, University of Wyoming Shiflett, Sheri, UNCW Shriver, W. Gregory, University of Delaware Silima, Collin, Department of Environmental Affairs, Pretoria, South Africa Simpson, Lorae’, The University of Alabama Simpson, Matt, 35percent Starr, Sommer, The University of Alabama Stevens, Richard, Monroe Community College Symth, Erin, The University of Alabama Tatariw, Corianne, The University of Alabama Taylor, Alani, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Taylor, Nigel, Tour du Valat Tererai, Farai, Department of Environmental Affairs, Pretoria, South Africa Toscana, Ronal Ayazo, Humboldt Institute Troxler,Tiffany G., Florida International University Uddi, Mohammad Main, The University of Queensland Vargas, Rodrigo, University of Delaware Vargas, William, Corporación Paisajes Rurales (Colombia) Vasilas, Bruce L. , University of Delaware Verhulst, Stephanie, University of Florida Walker, Samantha, University of Connecticut, BSC Group, USA Wang, Guodong, Chinese Academy of Sciences Wang, Mei, Memorial University of Newfoundland and South China Normal University Wardrup, Jocelyn, University of Delaware Wilburn, Brittany, Drexel University Wilcox, Douglas A., SUNY Brockport Wolf, Grey, Oregon Department of State Lands Wood, Abigail Griffin, The University of Alabama Wright, Nicole, Ecofish Research Ltd. Wu, Jianghua, Memorial University of Newfoundland Xu, Bin, Northern Alberta Institute of Alberta Yahnke, Amy, WA State Department of Ecology Yepsen, Metthea, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Zou, Yuanchun, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

35 47 46 45 64 61 38, 59 35 51 59 50 60 54 62 44 58 49 57 38 46 36, 36 43 36, 36 61 36 36, 36 53 63 46 45 37 62 38 45 38 55 47 39 37 38 40 33 51 36, 36 57 37 57 51 40 39

Wetland Science & Practice January 2021 67

WETLANDS IN THE NEWS

isted below are some links to some random news articles that may be of interest. Links from past issues can be accessed on the SWS website: https://www.sws.org/wetlands-in-the-news/. The Association of State Wetland Managers' website: https://www.aswm.org/ contains a section entitled “Wetland News Digest.” This section includes links to newspaper articles that should be of interest: https://www.aswm.org/publications/wetland-news-digest. Members are encouraged to send links to articles about wetlands in their local area. Please send the links to WSP Editor at ralphtiner83@ gmail.com and reference “Wetlands in the News” in the subject box. Thanks for your cooperation. n

Kesling Wetland Is An Official Indiana Paradise https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/indiana/kesling-wetland-paradisegoshen-in/amp/ This brightly colored tropical bird is popping up in Maine this winter https://bangordailynews.com/2021/01/21/act-out/this-brightly-coloredtropical-bird-is-popping-up-in-maine-this-winter/ Big cat comeback: Jaguars prowl Argentina’s Iberá Wetlands after 70 years https://news.mongabay.com/2021/01/big-cat-comeback-jaguars-prowlargentinas-ibera-wetlands-after-70-years/ Nashawannuck Brook in Northampton to be restored, one of 8 river and wetlands designated as priority projects https://www.masslive.com/news/2021/01/nashawannuck-brook-innorthampton-to-be-restored-one-of-8-river-and-wetlands-designated-aspriority-projects.html Humanity’s ‘ecological Ponzi scheme’ sets up bleak future, scientists warn https://news.mongabay.com/2021/01/humanitys-ecological-ponzischeme-sets-up-bleak-future-scientists-warn/ Environmentalists sue to stop Florida from handling wetlands development permits https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/2021/01/14/environmentalists-sue-to-stop-florida-from-controlling-wetlands-development/ Earth’s oceans are storing record-breaking amounts of heat https://www.sciencenews.org/article/earth-oceans-storing-heat-recordbreaking-amounts How Whale Poo Is Powering the World’s Rainforests https://scitechdaily.com/how-whale-poo-is-powering-the-worlds-rainforests/ Rising Seas in Charleston https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/147761/rising-seas-in-charleston Study warns of ‘biotic annihilation’ driven by hunting, habitat destruction https://news.mongabay.com/2021/01/study-warns-of-biotic-annihilationdriven-by-hunting-habitat-destruction/ In a parting gift, EPA finalizes rules to limit its use of science https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/01/in-a-parting-gift-epa-finalizesrules-to-limit-its-use-of-science/ The ‘Wildebeest of the Great Lakes’ Is Just One of the Region’s Unsung Aquatic Wonders https://news.wttw.com/2021/01/03/wildebeest-great-lakes-researchshedd-aquarium Restoration plan for L.A. County’s largest coastal wetlands complex advances https://ktla.com/news/local-news/restoration-plan-for-l-a-countys-largest-coastal-wetlands-complex-advances/

CDFW Approves Restoration Project for Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve https://cdfgnews.wordpress.com/2020/12/30/cdfw-approves-restorationproject-for-ballona-wetlands-ecological-reserve/amp/#csi=0&referrer=ht tps%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s Alaskas Pristine Bering Sea Western Interior at Risk of Resource Extraction https://www.pewtrusts.org/research-and-analysis/issue-briefs/2020/12/ alaskas-pristine-bering-sea-western-interior-at-risk-of-resource-extraction Platypuses increasingly threatened, scientists say https://api.nationalgeographic.com/distribution/public/amp/animals/2020/12/scientists-petition-australia-platypus-protection Crippled Apalachicola River leaves wetland forests in peril, famous oysters extinct https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/2020/12/29/crippled-apalachicola-river-leaves-wetland-forests-in-peril-famous-oysters-extinct/ Spotlight: Conservation in marine habitats https://appliedecologistsblog.com/2019/05/07/conservation-in-marinehabitats/ Declining Sea Levels in the Caspian Sea Will Lead to ‘Genuine Ecocide,’ Scientists Warn https://weather.com/science/environment/news/2020-12-24-caspian-seawater-levels-falling-climate-change ‘Swamp king’ prehistoric crocodile identified in Australia https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/22/asia/prehistoric-crocodile-australiascli-intl-scn/index.html State orders wetlands near Pier 39 restored https://www.dailyastorian.com/news/local/state-orders-wetlands-nearpier-39-restored/article_8fbadeac-43d6-11eb-9944-2b0b15c00d53.html Scientists Find New, Rare and Rediscovered Species in Bolivian Andes https://www.ecowatch.com/bolivian-andes-new-species-2649525291.html Coral Sanctuary Discovered off Kenyan and Tanzanian Coast https://www.ecowatch.com/coral-sanctuary-discovered-africa-2649520618.html Targeting U.S. wetland restoration could make cleaning up water much cheaper https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/12/targeting-us-wetland-restoration-could-make-cleaning-water-much-cheaper EPA agrees to let Florida oversee more wetlands development https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/2020/12/17/epa-agreesto-let-florida-oversee-more-wetlands-development/?outputType=amp#c si=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From%20 %251%24s

Local Conservation of a National Wild and Scenic River https://www.ecowatch.com/local-river-conservation-2649689636.html

US gives Florida wider authority over wetland development https://apnews.com/article/environment-wetlands-florida0f2892c841eacd7ec45fe42eb2fec161

State approves contentious Ballona Wetlands restoration plan https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-01-01/restorationplan-for-los-angeles-county-wetlands-advances

Restoring wetlands near farms would dramatically reduce water pollution https://phys.org/news/2020-12-wetlands-farms-pollution.html

Janet Reno’s Sister Owes a Florida Developer $4 Million. She Has Zero Intention of Paying https://gen.medium.com/janet-renos-sister-owes-a-florida-developer5-million-she-has-zero-intention-of-paying-d1e667e84096

Losing Ground: Climate Change Is Altering the Rules of Ecosystem Hierarchy https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/losing-ground-climatechange-is-altering-the-rules-of-ecosystem-hierarchy/

68 Wetland Science & Practice January 2021

Florida to close bay known for oysters https://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/florida-will-close-downbay-known-nationally-for-its-oysters/IATAZD7SLRFKRNOTZKKS36RQRQ/

Wolves alter wetland creation and recolonization by killing ecosystem engineers https://phys.org/news/2020-11-wolves-wetland-creation-recolonizationecosystem.html

Flooded Everglades: Boon for Birds but High Waters a Threat https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/flooded-everglades-boon-forbirds-but-high-waters-a-threat/2342688/

Costa Mesa’s Fairview Park Wetlands, once seen as a boon, bogged down by deficiencies https://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/story/2020-11-12/costamesas-fairview-park-wetlands-once-seen-as-a-boon-now-bogged-downby-deficiencies

https://www.news4jax.com/news/florida/2020/12/13/flooded-evergladesboon-for-birds-but-high-waters-a-threat/ Louisiana scientists say a reviled plant - Phragmites - could save the coast’s insect-ravaged wetlands https://www.nola.com/news/environment/article_2ef7fd82-3bf4-11eb8155-9300126102b7.html ATU chapter members get their feet wet in river cleanup https://wildlife.org/atu-chapter-members-get-their-feet-wet-in-river-cleanup/ USFWS releases final environmental review on Migratory Bird Treaty Act rule https://wildlife.org/usfws-releases-final-environmental-review-on-mbta-rule/ Kentucky aquatic snakes have high fungal disease prevalence https://wildlife.org/kentucky-aquatic-snakes-have-high-fungal-diseaseprevalence/ Wolves alter Minnesota wetlands https://wildlife.org/wolves-alter-minnesota-wetlands/ The climate change time bomb? https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2020/12/world/ticking-time-bomb/ Eighty-acre wetland restored at Great Cypress Swamp https://www.capegazette.com/article/eighty-acre-wetland-restored-greatcypress-swamp/212388 Mitigation “bank” near Greeley will offset wetland damage, meet Clean Water Act rules https://coloradosun.com/2020/12/05/wetland-damage-bank-colorado/ This American wilderness is being destroyed in silent massacre https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2020-11-29/mobile-river-biodiversity-extinctions-alabama EU to ban use of lead shot by wetland bird hunters https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/nov/26/eu-to-ban-useof-lead-shot-by-wetland-bird-hunters Flooding can help resurrect wetlands and slow climate change – here’s how https://theconversation.com/flooding-can-help-resurrect-wetlands-andslow-climate-change-heres-how-148939 Permit Denied for Pebble Mine Project in Alaska https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/25/climate/pebble-mine-permitdenied.html How is a changing Arctic affecting wildlife movement? https://wildlife.org/how-is-a-changing-arctic-affecting-wildlife-movement/ Waterfowl killed after mistaking wet roads for wetlands https://wildlife.org/waterfowl-killed-after-mistaking-wet-roads-for-wetlands/ Lake Michigan under threat: How climate change is eroding Midwest beaches https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/environment/great-lakes/ct-lakemichigan-climate-change-20201120-p3jsqgcldvdq7ozpapdi7oxixahtmlstory.html Why Seagrass Could Be the Ocean’s Secret Weapon Against Climate Change https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/seagrass-ocean-secretweapon-climate-change-180976235/ The wetlands that defend New Orleans from storms are dying. Two big grants hope to change that. https://www.nola.com/news/environment/article_6ba9cc8a-2ab3-11ebacf4-bb0979c9731e.html Seas are rising faster than ever https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/11/seas-are-rising-faster-ever

Conservation that prioritizes wetlands helps terrestrial too https://www.anthropocenemagazine.org/2020/11/focus-on-freshwaterconservation-and-land-gets-swept-along-for-the-ride/ Environmental group suing to stop BJ’s development, save wetlands https://www.silive.com/news/2020/11/environmental-group-suing-tostop-bjs-development-save-wetlands.html?outputType=amp#aoh=1 6051263954574&csi=1&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google. com&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s Rising Waters https://www.nasa.gov/specials/sea-level-rise-2020/ NASA Watches Sea Level Rise from Space, and Its Centers’ Windows https://www.nasa.gov/feature/esnt/2020/nasa-centers-on-the-coast-grapple-with-sea-level-rise Kansas Wetlands Education Center creates virtual tour of Cheyenne Bottoms https://salinapost.com/posts/5f60e40b-b22f-41b6-9092-84a369547107 Wetland habitat restored in south Morgan Hill https://morganhilltimes.com/wetland-habitat-restored-in-south-morgan-hill/ The spread of rice farms threatens key wetlands in South-East Asia https://www.newscientist.com/article/2259193-the-spread-of-rice-farmsthreatens-key-wetlands-in-south-east-asia/ Can wetlands and farms go together? https://www.wisconsinwetlands.org/updates/can-wetlands-and-farms-gotogether/ Science Sound(E)scapes: Amazon Pink River Dolphins https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/science-sound-escapes-amazon-pink-river-dolphins/ Coral reef taller than the Empire State Building discovered in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef https://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/coral-reef-taller-empirestate-building-discovered-australia-s-great-n1244955 Wetland regulations bog down Manitoba farmers https://www.producer.com/2020/10/wetland-regulations-bog-downmanitoba-farmers/ Trump environmental rollback spurs mining near Okefenokee https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/trump-environmental-rollbackspurs-mining-okefenokee-73723031 Using GIS and Remote Sensing for Conservation https://archipelago.gr/en/using-gis-and-remote-sensing-conservation/ Invasive species that once fled Soviet Union takes over Turkish wetlands https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/invasive-species-that-once-fledsoviet-union-takes-over-turkish-wetlands-159365 GIS and Remote Sensing Applications in Identifying wetlands https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/ee1b5419e23e46d6bcc37e1edc10524e Feds consider plan to transfer Florida wetlands permitting to state https://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/2020/10/21/feds-considers-plan-to-transfer-florida-wetlands-permitting-to-state/ Drought effects on wet soils in inland wetlands and peatlands https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/ S0012825220304335 Audubon Completes Phase 1 of Reef Project https://www.coastalreview.org/2020/10/audubon-completes-phase-1-ofreef-project/ Wetland Science & Practice January 2021 69

WETLAND BOOKSHELF

here are no new books to add to this listing. Please help us add new books. If your agency, organization, or institution has a website where wetland information can be accessed, please send the information to the Editor of Wetland Science & Practice at ralphtiner83@gmail. com. Your cooperation is appreciated. n BOOKS • History of Wetland Science: A Perspective from Wetland Leaders https://www.amazon.com/History-Wetland-Science-Perspectives-Leaders/dp/B08DC6GXDM • An Introduction to the Aquatic Insects of North America (5th Edition) https://he.kendallhunt.com/product/introduction-aquatic-insects-north-america • Wading Right In: Discovering the Nature of Wetlands https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/W/ bo28183520.html • Sedges of Maine https://umaine.edu/umpress/books-in-print/ • Sedges and Rushes of Minnesota https://www.upress.umn. edu/book-division/books/sedges-and-rushes-of-minnesota • Wetland & Stream Rapid Assessments: Development, Validation, and Application https://www.elsevier.com/ books/wetland-and-stream-rapid-assessments/dorney/978-0-12-805091-0 • Eager: The Surprising Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter https://www.chelseagreen.com/product/eager/ • Wetland Indicators – A Guide to Wetland Formation, Identification, Delineation, Classification, and Mapping https://www.crcpress.com/Wetland-Indicators-A-Guide-toWetland-Identification-Delineation-Classification/Tiner/p/ book/9781439853696 • Wetland Soils: Genesis, Hydrology, Landscapes, and Classification https://www.crcpress.com/Wetland-Soils-Genesis-Hydrology-Landscapes-and-Classification/VepraskasRichardson-Vepraskas-Craft/9781566704847 • Creating and Restoring Wetlands: From Theory to Practice http://store.elsevier.com/Creating-and-Restoring-Wetlands/ Christopher-Craft/isbn-9780124072329/ • Salt Marsh Secrets. Who uncovered them and how? http://trnerr.org/SaltMarshSecrets/ • Remote Sensing of Wetlands: Applications and Advances. https://www.crcpress.com/product/isbn/9781482237351 • Wetlands (5th Edition). http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/ WileyTitle/productCd-1118676823.html

70 Wetland Science & Practice January 2021

• Black Swan Lake – Life of a Wetland http://press.uchicago. edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/B/bo15564698.html • Coastal Wetlands of the World: Geology, Ecology, Distribution and Applications http://www.cambridge.org/ us/academic/subjects/earth-and-environmental-science/ environmental-science/coastal-wetlands-world-geologyecology-distribution-and-applications • Florida’s Wetlands https://www.amazon.com/FloridasWetlands-Natural-Ecosystems-Species/dp/1561646873/ ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1518650552&sr=84&keywords=wetland+books • Mid-Atlantic Freshwater Wetlands: Science, Management, Policy, and Practice http://www.springer.com/environment/ aquatic+sciences/book/978-1-4614-5595-0 • The Atchafalaya River Basin: History and Ecology of an American Wetland http://www.tamupress.com/product/ Atchafalaya-River-Basin,7733.aspx • Tidal Wetlands Primer: An Introduction to their Ecology, Natural History, Status and Conservation https://www. umass.edu/umpress/title/tidal-wetlands-primer • Wetland Landscape Characterization: Practical Tools, Methods, and Approaches for Landscape Ecology http:// www.crcpress.com/product/isbn/9781466503762 • Wetland Techniques (3 volumes) http://www.springer.com/ life+sciences/ecology/book/978-94-007-6859-8 • Wildflowers and Other Plants of Iowa Wetlands https://www.uipress.uiowa.edu/books/2015-spring/wildflowers-and-other-plants-iowa-wetlands.htm • Wetland Restoration: A Handbook for New Zealand Freshwater Systems https://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/publications/books/wetlands-handbook • Wetland Ecosystems https://www.wiley.com/en-us/ Wetland+Ecosystems-p-9780470286302 • Constructed Wetlands and Sustainable Development https://www.routledge.com/Constructed-Wetlands-and-Sustainable-Development/Austin-Yu/p/book/9781138908994

ONLINE SOURCES OF WETLAND INFORMATION The following is a listing of some government agencies and environmental organizations that provide online information on wetlands and where their publications on wetlands may be accessed. • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Waterways Experiment Station, Environmental Laboratory https://www.erdc. usace.army.mil/Locations/EL.aspx • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Wetland Plants Database http://wetland-plants.usace.army.mil/nwpl_static/v34/home/home.html • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency https://www.epa. gov/wetlands • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Wetlands Inventory https://fws.gov/wetlands/

• U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center https://www.usgs.gov/centers/wetland-and-aquaticresearch-center-warc • U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center https://www.usgs.gov/centers/npwrc • U.S. Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center https://www.usgs.gov/centers/pwrc • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of Coastal Management https://coast.noaa.gov/ • U.S.D.A. Natural Resources Conservation Service, Hydric Soils https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/ soils/use/hydric/ • Association of State Wetland Managers https://www. aswm.org/

Hot spring at Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA. (R. Tiner photo)

Wetland Science & Practice January 2021 71

WETLANDS JOURNAL

What’s New in the SWS Journal - WETLANDS?

he following articles appear in Volume 40, Issue 6 of WETLANDS, Journal of the Society of Wetland Scientists.

Tidal Wetland Resilience to Increased Rates of Sea Level Rise in the Chesapeake Bay: Introduction to the Special Feature Tidal Marsh Restoration at Poplar Island I: Transformation of Estuarine Sediments into Marsh Soils Tidal Marsh Restoration at Poplar Island: II. Elevation Trends, Vegetation Development, and Carbon Dynamics Rates of Mainland Marsh Migration into Uplands and Seaward Edge Erosion are Explained by Geomorphic Type of Salt Marsh in Virginia Coastal Lagoons Rapid Land Cover Change in a Submerging Coastal County Large Projected Population Loss of a Salt Marsh Bivalve (Geukensia demissa) from Sea Level Rise What Drives Property Owners to Modify Their Shorelines? A Case Study of Gloucester County, Virginia Marsh Migration, Climate Change, and Coastal Resilience: Human Dimensions Considerations for a Fair Path Forward Where the Wetlands Are—And Where They Are Going: Legal and Policy Tools for Facilitating Coastal Ecosystem Migration in Response to SeaLevel Rise Legal and Policy Challenges for Future Marsh Preservation in the Chesapeake Bay Region Evolution of Tidal Marsh Distribution under Accelerating Sea Level Rise Ecological Interfaces between Land and Flowing Water: Themes and Trends in Riparian Research and Management Assessing Preble’s Meadow Jumping Mouse (Zapus hudsonius preblei) Habitat and Connectivity for Conservation and Restoration Predicting Bird Guilds Using Vegetation Composition and Structure on a Wild and Scenic River in Arizona Using Vegetation Guilds to Predict Bird Habitat Characteristics in Riparian Areas Riparian Plant Communities Remain Stable in Response to a Second Cycle of Tamarix Biocontrol Defoliation The Human Element of Restoration Success: Manager Characteristics Affect Vegetation Recovery Following Invasive Tamarix Control Legacy Effects of Russian Olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia L.) in a Riparian Ecosystem Three Years Post-Removal Variation in Tree Growth along Soil Formation and Microtopographic Gradients in Riparian Forests Seedling Submergence Tolerances Accurately Predict Riparian Tree Species Distributions: Insights to Help Design Environmental Flows Cottonwood Seed Dispersal Phenology across North America and Worldwide: Tracking ‘Summer Snow’ through an Internet Search Wetland Functional Responses to Prolonged Inundation in the Active Mississippi River Floodplain The Life and Death and Consequences of Canals and Spoil Banks in Salt Marshes Prediction of the Abundance of Artemia parthenogenetica in a Hypersaline Wetland Using Decision Tree Model Biochar Simultaneously Reduces Nutrient Leaching and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Restored Wetland Soils Suitability of Wetlands for Migrating and Breeding Waterbirds in Illinois Legacy Effects of Hydrologic Alteration in Playa Wetland Responses to Droughts Floristic and Macroinvertebrate Responses to Different Wetland Restoration Techniques in Southeastern Wisconsin Living on the Edge: Multi-Scale Analyses of Bird Habitat Use in Coastal Marshes of Barataria Basin, Louisiana, USA Broadcasting Regional Call Dialects Has Little Influence on the Effectiveness of Call-Broadcast Surveys for Marsh Birds Influences of Physical Vegetation Management on Odonata Abundance in Urbanized Ecosystem: a Case Study in Northern Taiwan Long-Term Trends in Nitrogen Removal by an Aridland Constructed Treatment Wetland The Nutrient Removal Ability and Microbial Communities in a Pilot-Scale Horizontal Subsurface Flow Constructed Wetland Fed by Slightly Polluted Lake Water Do Existing Constructed Ponds on Pelee Island, Ontario Match the Habitat Requirements of Endangered Ambystoma Larvae? Effect of Ferrous Iron Addition on Ammonium Nitrogen Removal and Microbial Communities in Horizontal Subsurface Flow Constructed Wetlands Using Analytic Hierarchy Process to Map and Quantify the Ecosystem Services in Oualidia Lagoon, Morocco Nitrogen and Phosphorus Gradients from a Working Farm through Wetlands to Streams in the Georgia Piedmont, USA

72 Wetland Science & Practice January 2021

Wave Attenuation by Spartina alterniflora under Macro-Tidal and Storm Surge Conditions Ecosystem Functioning of Great Salt Lake Wetlands Salinity, Water Level, and Forest Structure Contribute to Baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) Rhizosphere and Endosphere Community Structure Molecular Fingerprints of Soil Organic Carbon in Wetlands Covered by Native and Non-native Plants in the Yellow River Delta Soil Organic Matter Dynamics as Affected by Land Use Change from Rice Paddy to Wetland Hydrogeology and Landform Morphology Affect Plant Communities in a Great Lakes Ridge-and-Swale Wetland Complex Hydroperiods of Cypress Domes in West-Central Florida, USA Modeling of a Surface Flow Constructed Wetland Using the HEC-RAS and QUAL2K Models: a Comparative Analysis Multiple Potential Stressors and Dieback of Phragmites australis in the Mississippi River Delta, USA: Implications for Restoration Ecosystem Carbon Stock of Selected Mangrove Forests of Vypin – Cochin Region, Southwest Coast of India Factors Driving Seed Bank Diversity in Wetlands of a Large River Floodplain Influence of Anthropic Impacts on the Functional Structure of Aquatic Invertebrates in Subtropical Wetlands Flood and Edge Effects on Leaf Breakdown in Wetlands of the Cerrado Savanna to Amazonia Ecotone Climate Change Mitigation through Land Use on Rewetted Peatlands – Cross-Sectoral Spatial Planning for Paludiculture in Northeast Germany Peatland Vegetation Patterns in a Long Term Global Change Experiment Find no Reflection in Belowground Extracellular Enzyme Activities Spatial Heterogeneity of Surface Topography in Peatlands: Assessing Overwintering Habitat Availability for the Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake Land-Use Changes Associated with Oil Palm Plantations Impact PLFA Microbial Phenotypic Community Structure throughout the Depth of Tropical Peats Natural Recovery of the Crab Ucides cordatus (Ocypodidae) in Replanted Mangroves on the Brazilian Amazon Coast Which is more Important, Ecological Conservation or Recreational Service? Evidence from a Choice Experiment in Wetland Nature Reserve Management Structural Impacts, Carbon Losses, and Regeneration in Mangrove Wetlands after Two Hurricanes on St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands Adaptation of Willows in River Lowlands to Flooding under Arctic Amplification: Evidence from Nitrogen Content and Stable Isotope Dynamics Groundwater Controls on Wetland Vegetation of a Ridge-and-Swale Chronosequence in a Lake Michigan Embayment Metrics for Evaluating Inundation Impacts on the Decomposer Communities in a Southern California Coastal Salt Marsh Eco-cultural Restoration of Riparian Wetlands in California: Case Study of White Root (Carex barbarae Dewey; Cyperaceae) Wetland Plant Communities of the Eastern Himalayan Highlands in Northern Bhutan Leave or Die: Dispersal of Red-Bellied Mudsnakes (Farancia abacura) from their Home Ranges in an Isolated Wetland Tree Encroachment Varies by Plant Community in a Large Boreal Peatland Complex in the Boreal-Temperate Ecotone of Northeastern USA Wetland Bird Response to Habitat Composition and Configuration at Multiple Spatial Scales Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of a Semi-Aquatic Reptile Community in Caspian Reed Bed Ecosystems Variation in Plant Functional Composition of the Afromontane Palustrine Wetlands Along an Altitudinal Gradient in Lesotho Property Rights and Institutional Arrangements of a Man-Made Wetland in Dryland Area of West Bengal, India Restoration of Freshwater Inflows: the Use of Spatial Analysis for Hydrologic Planning in the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, USA Dredging Impacts on Soil Properties of the Kankakee River System 150 Years after Perturbation The Relative Effects of Willow Invasion, Willow Control and Hydrology on Wetland Zooplankton Assemblages Ecological Water Rights of the Bosten Lake Wetlands in Xinjiang, China Wetland Vegetation Response to Groundwater Pumping and Hydrologic Recovery Unmanned Aircraft System Photogrammetry for Mapping Diverse Vegetation Species in a Heterogeneous Coastal Wetland Effects of Clipping on Bud Bank and Population Regeneration of Triarrhena lutarioriparia in Dongting Lake Wetland, China Use of Remote Sensing and Field Data to Quantify the Performance and Resilience of Restored Louisiana Wetlands

WETLANDS Journal contents continue on the next page. Wetland Science & Practice January 2021 73

WETLANDS Journal contents continue from the next page. Ecological Restoration of Degraded Supratidal Wetland Based on Microtopography Modification: a Case Study in the Yellow River Delta The Influence of Root Exudate Flavonoids on Sulfur Species Distribution in Mangrove Sediments Polluted with Cadmium No Fertile Island Effects or Salt Island Effects of Tamarix chinensis on Understory Herbaceous Communities Were Found in the Coastal Area of Laizhou Bay, China Does Soil Pore Water Salinity or Elevation Influence Vegetation Spatial Patterns along Coasts? A Case Study of Restored Coastal Wetlands in Nanhui, Shanghai Quantifying the Correlated Spatial Distributions between Tidal Creeks and Coastal Wetland Vegetation in the Yellow River Estuary Study on Durability against Dry-Wet Cycles and Chloride Ion Erosion of Concrete Revetment Materials at the Water-Level-Fluctuations Zone in Yellow River Delta Wetlands Determination of Landscape Ecological Network of Wetlands in the Yellow River Delta Wetland Ecosystem Service Dynamics in the Yellow River Estuary under Natural and Anthropogenic Stress in the Past 35 Years A Comparison of the Development of Wetland Restoration Techniques in China and Other Nations Effect of Water Level and Salinity on Metal Fractionation in Sediments of the Yellow River Delta Potential Effect of Bioturbation by Burrowing Crabs on Sediment Parameters in Coastal Salt Marshes Negative Feedback by Vegetation on Soil Organic Matter Decomposition in a Coastal Wetland Assessment of As, Cd, Zn, Cu and Pb Pollution and Toxicity in River Wetland Sediments and Artificial Wetland Soils Affected by Urbanization in a Chinese Delta Nutrients Have a Different Impact on the Salt Tolerance of Two Coexisting Suaeda Species in the Yellow River Delta Modelling Hydrological Connectivity in the Marine-Freshwater Interaction in the Yellow River Estuary of China • A Network Perspective to Evaluate Hydrological Connectivity Effects on Macroinvertebrate Assemblages • Correction to: Effects of Agricultural Pollutants on Stress Hormones and Viral Infection in Larval Salamanders

The following articles appear in Volume 41, Issues 1 and 2 of WETLANDS, Journal of the Society of Wetland Scientists. Observed Dispersal of Invasive Yellow Flag Iris (Iris pseudacorus) through a Saline Marine Environment and Growth in a Novel Substrate, Shell Hash Co-Variation among Vegetation Structural Layers in Forested Wetlands Alteration of above and below-Water Soundscapes by Roads An Eco-Compensation Policy Increases Shorebird Diversity during the Non-farming Period for Aquaculture Advances in Application of a Process-Based Crop Model to Wetland Plants and Ecosystems

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JOB POSTING

Dr. Marinus L. Otte (Department of Biological Sciences) and Dr. Xuefeng (Michael) Chu (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering) at North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA, are looking for two PhD students for a project titled: Wetlands for reduction of sediment and nutrient loadings in impaired watersheds Abstract: The aim of the project is to assess how much area of wetlands would be needed to reduce sediment/nutrient loads (‘loads’) to below acceptable levels in impaired watersheds in North Dakota, initially without taking any limiting factors (e.g. legal considerations, land uses, ownership) into consideration. The NDDEQ has identified several small 303(d)-listed watersheds and inclusion of wetlands for remediation has high priority. We will select some of the impaired watersheds and use existing databases and modeling to assess the efficacy of incorporating wetlands (restoration and new construction) under different scenarios into remediation. The first two years will focus on developing models, while the third year will be used to assess feasibility taking existing constraints into account. We expect that significant increases in wetland area will be needed in each watershed to obtain lower loads, as well as changes to land uses adjacent to streams and wetlands. This will provide invaluable information about incorporating wetlands into watersheds for remediation of loads in the context of the climate and landscapes of North Dakota and similar settings in the USA. PhD student #1: will already have an MSc degree and experience with hydrologic and environmental modeling and will focus on all aspects related to model development, calibration and validation, and execution. Preferred experience: familiarity with wetlands in the USA, ArcGIS, SWAT modeling, and Fortran programming. PhD student #2: will already have an MSc degree and experience with wetland ecology, ecosystem services, assessment and valuation, and will focus on aspects related to restoration and construction of wetlands, efficacy for retention of nutrients and sediments, assessment of modeling scenarios, such as PTMApp, as well as to other ecosystem services, such as provision of habitat and support of biodiversity, as well as stakeholders’ interests. Preferred experience: familiarity with wetlands in the USA, ArcGIS. Funding for the Project is for three years, starting spring 2021. Both students will receive training in PTMApp and off-site delineation. Compensation: Both PhD students will be Research Assistants at about $20,000/year plus tuition waiver Contact Information: Dr. Marinus L. Otte: Email: marinus.otte@ndsu.edu Dr. Xuefeng (Michael) Chu: Email: xuefeng.chu@ndsu.edu

Wetland Science & Practice January 2021 75

WSP SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

About Wetland Science & Practice (WSP)

etland Science and Practice (WSP) is the SWS quarterly publication aimed at providing information on select SWS activities (technical committee summaries, chapter workshop overview/ abstracts, and SWS-funded student activities), articles on ongoing or recently completed wetland research, restoration, or management projects, freelance articles on the general ecology and natural history of wetlands, and highlights of current events. WSP also includes links to U.S. federal agencies involved in wetland research, mapping, and conservation. The publication also serves as an outlet for commentaries, perspectives and opinions on important developments in wetland science, theory, management and policy. Both invited and unsolicited manuscripts are reviewed by the WSP editor for suitability for publication. When deemed necessary or upon request, some articles are subject to scientific peer review. Student papers are welcomed. Please see publication guidelines herein. Electronic access to Wetland Science and Practice is included in your SWS membership. All issues published, except the current issue, are available via the internet to the general public. The current issue is only available to SWS members. However it will be available to the public four months after its publication when the next issue is released (e.g., the July 2020 issue will be an open access issue in October 2020). WSP is an excellent choice to convey the results of your projects or interest in wetlands to others. Also note that as of January 2021, WSP will publish advertisements, see following page for details. HOW YOU CAN HELP If you read something you like in WSP, or that you think someone else would find interesting, be sure to share. Share links to your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn accounts. Make sure that all your SWS colleagues are checking out our recent issues, and help spread the word about SWS to non-members! Questions? Contact editor Ralph Tiner, PWS Emeritus (ralphtiner83@gmail.com). n

76 Wetland Science & Practice January 2021

WSP Manuscript – General Guidelines LENGTH: Approximately 5,000 words; can be longer if necessary. STYLE: See existing articles from 2014 to more recent years available online at: http://www.sws.org/Publications/wsp-contents.html TEXT: Word document, 12 font, Times New Roman, single-spaced; keep tables and figures separate, although captions can be included in text. For reference citations in text use this format: (Smith 2016; Jones and Whithead 2014; Peterson et al. 2010). FIGURES: Please include color images and photos of subject wetland(s) as WSP is a full-color e-publication. Image size should be less than 1MB – 500KB may work best for this e-publication. REFERENCE CITATION EXAMPLES: • Claus, S., S. Imgraben, K. Brennan, A. Carthey, B. Daly, R. Blakey, E. Turak, and N. Saintilan. 2011. Assessing the extent and condition of wetlands in NSW: Supporting report A – Conceptual framework, Monitoring, evaluation and reporting program, Technical report series, Office of Environment and Heritage, Sydney, Australia. OEH 2011/0727. • Clements, F.E. 1916. Plant Succession: An Analysis of the Development of Vegetation. Carnegie Institution of Washington. Washington D.C. Publication 242. • Clewell, A.F., C. Raymond, C.L. Coultas, W.M. Dennis, and J.P. Kelly. 2009. Spatially narrow wet prairies. Castanea 74: 146-159. • Colburn, E.A. 2004. Vernal Pools: Natural History and Conservation. McDonald & Woodward Publishing Company, Blacksburg, VA. • Cole, C.A. and R.P. Brooks. 2000. Patterns of wetland hydrology in the Ridge and Valley Province, Pennsylvania, USA. Wetlands 20: 438-447. • Cook, E.R., R. Seager, M.A. Cane, and D.W. Stahle. 2007. North American drought: reconstructions, causes, and consequences. Earth-Science Reviews 81: 93-134. • Cooper, D.J. and D.M. Merritt. 2012. Assessing the water needs of riparian and wetland vegetation in the western United States. U.S.D.A., Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Ft. Collins, CO. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-282.

SOCIETY WETLAND �

SCIENTISTS

2021 Advertising Prospectus* Monthly E-Newsletter The SWS monthly e-newsletter is sent to approximately 3,000 members around the world, and enjoys an open rate between 40-50%, which is well above industry average. Place your organization in front of leading environmental scientists monthly with an ad that links to your website.

Website

With SWS.org launching a major website re-design in December, the new, far more user-friendly, engaging, and SEO-optimized format is expected to increase the site’s visibility and exposure. Highlight your company on the SWS.org homepage with a display ad that links to your website.

Wetland Science & Practice (WSP) WSP is the SWS quarterly publication aimed at providing information on select SWS activities (technical committee summaries, chapter and section workshop overview/abstracts, and SWS-funded student activities); brief summary articles on current or recently completed wetland research, restoration, or management projects; information on the general ecology and natural history of wetlands; and highlights of current events. It is distributed digitally, with over 1,000 impressions and more than 250 reads in the first six months after release.

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Wetland Science & Practice January 2021 77

Journal Land Seeking Contributions for Special Issue Commemorating 25th Anniversary of World Wetlands Day Submitted by Dr. Richard Smardon, Guest Editor, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York, Syracuse, NY

he journal Land is planning a special issue to celebrate 25 years of “World Wetlands Day.” There is no other ecosystem that has its very own Ramsar Convention or such a challenge impacting ecosystem sustainability. Papers are encouraged that provide an overview of wetland status and function within different regions of the world. Of special interest are papers that address wetland ecosystem and human health and well-being as well as key international wetland management challenges and actors. A “Universal Declaration of the Rights of Wetlands” has even been proposed; therefore, we need innovative solutions for wetland management and maintenance for this Special Issue. Topics of interest for this Special Issue include the following: World Wetlands Day, coastal and inland wetlands status, wetland functions and values, Ramsar Convention, wetland ecology, stress, restoration and change over time. Deadlines for submission of manuscripts is December 31, 2021. Please contact Dr. Smardon at rsmardon@esf.edu for further information; please mention Land – Special Issue in the subject block.

Wetland Science Practice

WSP is the formal voice of the Society of Wetland Scientists. It is a quarterly publication focusing on the news of the SWS and providing important announcements for members and opportunities for wetland scientists, managers, and graduate students to publish brief summaries of their works and conservation initiatives. Topics for articles may include descriptions of threatened wetlands around the globe or the establishment of wetland conservation areas, and summary findings from research or restoration projects. All manuscripts should follow guidelines for authors listed above. All papers published in WSP will be reviewed by the editor for suitability and may be subject to peer review as necessary. Most articles will be published within 3 months of receipt. Letters to the editor are also encouraged, but must be relevant to broad wetland-related topics. All material should be sent electronically to the current editor of WSP. Complaints about SWS policy or personnel should be sent directly to the elected officers of SWS and will not be considered for publication in WSP. n

Advertise in WSP! See the previous page for more information. SOCIETY OF WETLAND SCIENTISTS 1818 Parmenter St., Ste 300, Middleton, WI 53562 (608) 310-7855 www.sws.org

78 Wetland Science & Practice January 2021

January 2021 Wetland Science & Practice

Articles inside

SYMPOSIA

Universal RIghts of Wetlands

PLENARY PRESENTATIONS

Notes from from the Field

SWS News

Reflections from Indian Scientist Dr. Nepal Chandra Nandi

Wetlands of Distinction

40th Anniversary Awards

From the Editor’s Desk

President’s Message

Applied Wetland Science Has a Plastics Problem