Developing a Watershed-scale Baseline for Tidal Wetlands
Date
2020-12
Date Removed
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Trenton, N.J. : Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Science and Research
Abstract
Tidal wetlands are critical habitat for the maintenance of secondary production of nekton. This study addresses two key factors: the specific structural and functional traits of coastal wetlands that make them conducive to supporting the secondary production of nekton and how individual components of the marsh are inter-connected to form a functional whole. Structural characteristics
of relatively undisturbed tidal wetlands have been determined by meta-analysis from more than 500 papers and in-situ measurements and remote sensing of New Jersey wetland sites. Meta-analysis
(Hedges’ d values and 95% confidence intervals) has shown that restored sites compare favorably
with undisturbed sites in catch per unit effort (CPUE) for forage and predatory species but the average size of nekton captured at Phragmites-dominated sites was generally smaller than those of
comparable species at reference sites. In-situ ecological data collected within the Wading River Complex show that quadrats along Transects A and B, situated in the upper part of the estuary and reflecting lower saline conditions, were dominated by Phragmites australis, Spartina cynosuroides, and Typha augustifolia. The quadrats along the lower Transect C in more saline conditions were
dominated by Spartina alterniflora and Spartina patens. Water level readings from two transects on a single day showed that the marsh may flood up to 4.75 inches and flood stage over the marsh can last upwards of 7 hours. High resolution satellite images for a 20 km2 area of the Wading River Complex were used to determine the landscape composition of the area and model future trends.
Remote sensing analysis by a Grey System Series coupled system dynamic simulative model has shown in a 2019 to 2033 simulation that an increase in Phragmites australis will pose a severe
threat to local fauna and flora. We present an underlying framework for restoration success criteria that optimize secondary production and connectivity to adjacent habitats including the open waters of the estuary.
Description
Keywords
New Jersey, Wetlands - New Jersey