The Ecology of coastal Marshes of Western Lake Erie: A Community ...

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Tabla 1. Cornparisor1 of ~oastai we"clands for the Laurentian Great Lakeswithin the ilnited States,LakeShore Number ofTotalarea ofMeanarea ofPercentof total1 ength wet1 ands wetlands wetlands area(km) (km2) (km21 (XILake Superior an? 1598 348St. Marys RiverLake Michigan and 2179 417Str. of MackjnacLake Huron 83 2 177St. Clair River, 256 20Lake St. Clair,and Detroit RiverLake Erie and 666 96Niagara RiverLake Ontario and 598 312St. LawrenceRiver--a Data source: Herdendorf et a7. (1981a).Such fluctuations, occurring over a periodof approximately 7 to 10 years, may causevegetatfon dlaback, eroslon of the wet-1 ands, or 1 ateral displacement of thevegetative zones of wetlands. Manycoastal wetlands, such as those alongwestern Lake Erfe, are exposed torelatively high wave energy. Such is notthe case fn the more quiescent inlandwetl ands.Coastal wetl ands along the GreatLakes do not appear to exhjbit senescence,i.e., the aging process associated within1 and freshwater wetlands. This processleads from open ponds to densely vegetatedmarshes, and eventual1 y to dry fields.Because of the fluctuating water levels ofthe Great Lakesl constant rejuvenatfon ofwetland comunittes occurs. As a consequence,diagrams in textbooks i 7 7 ustratingthe gradual senescence of freshwaterwetlands are more applicable to inlandwetlands of the glacfated Midwest than totho Great Lakes coastal wetlands. ManyInland freshwater wetlands undergosenescence and terrestri a1 ization as aresult of the formation of secondary andtertfary peat deposits. Peat is notcommon in coastal waters, but occurs insome 1 agoons.Coastal wetlands often dfsplay adiversity of landforms not normallyencountered fn other wetland envfranments.OwSng to changes in the water levels ofthe Great Lakes since the retreat of thePleistocene fce sheets, landf~rms such asbarrfer barsp deltas, beaches, spits,lagoons, and natural levees have beendeposlted or formed along the shoreline.Many of these geamorphic features promotethe formation of wetlands, each wfthdlslf ncttve features, vhtch results fn thegreat varjety and dfversity of coastalwetlands found fn the Great Lakes reglon.
1.3 FUNCTION AND VALUE OF COASTALWETLANDSGreat Lakes coastal wetlands arehfghly productive, diverse communitieswhich interface between terrestrfal andaquatic envfronments. The most obvjousand unique feature of these wetlands istheir characteristic vegetation, whichprovides a diverse communf ty structureoffering cover and food for the animalcomponents of the system, Because of theabiltty of this vegetatjon to slow theflow rate of water passlng through,wotlands are valuable for eroslon control,trapping sedjrnents before they reach theopen lake, and attenuating the force ofmoderate waves to lessen their destructivepowor. liowever, fntense lake storms canuproot macrophytes and eventual l y destroywetlands. The san;e vegetation provides anatural pol 1 utlon abatement mechanism byserving as a f i l t o r for coastaltributaries by roducfng the quantity ofnutrients and toxic pollutants beingwnshod into the Great Ldkes. Coastalwcstlands dre highly valued a5 rnc reatfond1sites for activities such as huntingttrappfng, f ishincj, boatinq access toldrger bodies of water, birdwdtching, andyenoral acsthetlc enjoyment. The comblnatfonOF recreat tonal desirabil ity,agr lcultural and restdontlal potential,and thc proximjty of coastal wotlands toldrger bodfes 5f water have contributed tothulr status as endanyored onvi ronments,Thcir unique properties are susceptible tonumerous natural and human-causedenvironmental dfsruptlons that are nowcausing coastal wet1 ands to disappear atan alarming rate.Coastal wetlands in the Great Lakesare mu1 tl-f unctional in nature becausethere environments are part of both theuplands and the open-water ecosystems. Itis the Interface wlth the lakes thatmultipl fes the wetland functians andcontributes t o thejr dynamics. Ingeneral, a nu1 ti-function1 ng wetland tendsto have a higher value than those wfthnarrower functions. However, coastalwetlands which are isolated by barriers ordegraded by factors such as land drainageor hfgk water may exhfbft fewer functionsand therefore have lower values. Coastalstreams and waterways enhance thefnteractfons, whereas obstacles such asdlkes result ln coastal wetland Sragmentatfonand loss of function. The effectof long-term lake level changes on thefunctlon of the coastal wetlands can alsobe stgnfficant. Function loss, then, canresult from both upland-derjved and 1 akederivedforces.1.4 DlSTRtBUTlON OF WESTERN LAKE ERIECOASTAL MARSHESThe coastal marshes of western LakeErie fringe the shorelines and estuariesof Michigan, Ohjo, and Ontarlo (Fi~ure 2).They occur along 189 km of the shore(about 32%) and encompass an area of 268km2. Appendlx A lists the coastal lengthand area of wetlands within the eightcounties in the study area. The names andownership of 70 of the major marshes aregiven in Appendix 5. The location of thelndfvidual marshes (designated by a numberin Appendix 3) are shown on Figure 3.The Mfchfgan shoreline of westernLake Erie (Figure 3) consjsts of low-lyingmarshes and sand beaches. Submergent andemergant wetlands surround the islands atthe mouth of the Detroit River. Themarshy shorc 'Is jnterrupted by StonyPoint, a rocky headland formed by abrecciated dolomite which crops out at thenorth end of Brest Bay. A 6-km-long sandspit, known as Woodtick Peninsula, formsthe northern edge of Maumee Ray andprovides protection for the wetlands whichhave developed in that portion of the bay.The Ohio shoreline of western LakeErie (Figure 3) in its natural state isgeneral1 y a marsh area fronted by lowbarrier beaches. Between Maumee Bay(Toledo Harbor) and Port Cl inton, earthenand rock dikes now protect most of theshore except for the rock-bound ErieIslands. Four of the islands containsmall wetlands formed wfthin narrowembayments or behind barrfer bars. Eastof Port Clinton the ground elevationrises, and at the headland known asCatawba Island a rock ledge stands over 10m above lake level. Further to the eastIs another headland known as Marblehead.The crescent-shaped 1 ow ground betweenthese headlands contains three open-watermarshes called West, Mfddle, and EastHarbors. Each is fronted by a sandy
Page 2 and 3: Cover, Aerial view of Uld Womn Gree
Page 5 and 6: PREFACEThis proti lc on the coastal
Page 7 and 8: CONTENTSPALTACE ...................
Page 9 and 10: Pap ai thc Great lakes drainage bas
Page 12 and 13: This report sl~oultl hc ci ttstl a'
Page 14 and 15: CONVERSlON FACTORSFOR METRIC (SI) U
Page 16 and 17: Dimensions of Western Lake Erie Coa
Page 18 and 19: Average monthly precipitation at fo
Page 20 and 21: TABLESNumber12345678910111213141516
Page 22 and 23: CHAPTER 1.INTRODUCTION1.1 COASTAL W
Page 26 and 27: Figure 2. Study droa in Vichlgan, O
Page 28 and 29: major wetland local l t fes. Reader
Page 30 and 31: Cedar Point marshes extend westward
Page 32 and 33: 0 WEST SISTER ISLANDFigure 8. Locat
Page 34 and 35: Figure 11. Heron and egret nests in
Page 36 and 37: Figure 13. East end of Sandusky Bay
Page 38 and 39: Figure 15. Big Island, an experir-i
Page 40 and 41: eds of floating-leaved species. In
Page 42 and 43: ?ark EnlrAncaSarlctuarv PondWest Cr
Page 44: -I he yortion of the Central Lowlan
Page 47 and 48: the northward plunging end of the F
Page 49 and 50: 'alJ3 ayP1 uJa$san ub steoqs pue 's
Page 51 and 52: GYPSUMPRESENTCAVESWDERGROUNDLAKE-P
Page 53 and 54: Figure 28. gap of promtnprit beach
Page 55 and 56: ?and surface had been depressed by
Page 57 and 58: (Herdendorf and Braidech 1972). Thl
Page 60 and 61: Redmond st a 1, 11971) mapped thema
Page 62: 05- low pressure systems from the G
Page 67 and 68: indicate no regular, predictable cy
Page 69 and 70: Figure 40. Dontinant surface and bo
Page 71 and 72: of falling into the lake. The highe
Page 73 and 74: epresents a retrieved STORET summar
Page 75 and 76:
Table 9.Mean dally solar radiation
Page 77 and 78:
Table 10. Annual deposition of airb
Page 79 and 80:
Table 11. Abundance of phaytoplankt
Page 81 and 82:
* Monthly Means. .Figure 43. Season
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microcrustaceans (primarily cladoce
Page 85 and 86:
* Monthly Means'.*.Figure 45. Seaso
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Typha angustifol ia (narrow-leaved
Page 89 and 90:
--- Rusiex vertic 1 1 lqtljs - j 5w
Page 91 and 92:
Figure 47. Emergent beds of America
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Eigurs 49. Gravel beach un the sout
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considerable fluctuation in size of
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Figure 5Q. Coastal landforms at Tou
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especfally over the shallower areas
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Figure 53.Aerial photograph of Old
Page 103 and 104:
Figure 55. Aquatic macrophytes in c
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Figure 56. Benthic invertebrate com
Page 107 and 108:
Table 15. Benthic macroinvertebrate
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Table 17. Invertebrates col lected
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Table18. (concluded)P~pojatjon per
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p-dTable 3'3. Wsstarn Lake Erie unl
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marshes* apparent1 y making o~portu
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Most of the fish fauna fnbabiting t
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scfantfffraliy tntsrestlng blcl~glc
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Figure 62. Water level control stru
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own skln, The female" throat 1s afg
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wooded cliffs to marshy shorelines;
Page 127 and 128:
Chio and East Sister, Middle Sister
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found that preferred natural foods
Page 131 and 132:
Figure 68. Fal l rrligration corrid
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heron (1, and little blueheron (E.
Page 135 and 136:
When northwestern Ohio was firstset
Page 137 and 138:
one of the following helmfnths:Schf
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Table 21. Habitat and den character
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CHAPTER 4.ECOLOG1CAL PROCESSESThe e
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Delta wetlands form a significantor
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compounds, which then become source
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Lutz (1960) workjng In Erie Marsh o
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the Detroit River fn Aprll or May,
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significantly 1 imited theofphytopl
Page 153 and 154:
Proclad& feeds on other chlronomlds
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ycottonwoodbulrushes Chara cattail
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the smallest variety of invertebrat
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may strong1 y affect the avadl abil
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1900, as coastal marshes were drain
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Recent wetland losses, In the pasth
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Water Level FluctuationsHiah water,
Page 167 and 168:
Shrubs 0 0.5 1 Mi.t 4Hardwoods0 0.5
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plant. The combined impact of entra
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d\LIGHT = 100-999 Tubificidae per m
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portlon of thejr life history (Van
Page 175 and 176:
(Ohio); Erie Marsh and Pointe Mouil
Page 177 and 178:
Figure 91. Interior region of Winou
Page 179 and 180:
WIthfn the last 50 years the marshe
Page 181 and 182:
Bednarik, K.E. 1975. Environmental
Page 183 and 184:
Dennfs, C.A. 1938. Aquatic gastropo
Page 185 and 186:
tieraendorf, C.E., and S.t. Herdend
Page 187 and 188:
iangj~lz, T.:!. 35a65. Foi-tage Ri$
Page 189 and 190:
Reutter, V.M., and 3.M- Reutter*Pw,
Page 191 and 192:
Sullivan, C.R, 1953. A phytoplankto
Page 193:
The Ecoloav of Coastal Marshes of W
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