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GarrisH_dis (final comments 4).pdf (2.8 MB)

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Restructuring of Wetland Communities in Response to a Changing Climate at Multiple Spatial and Taxonomic Scales

Garris, Heath William
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1383312022

Abstract Details

2013, Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, Integrated Bioscience.
Climate change threatens to alter the current distribution, productivity, and community composition of wetlands in the Midwestern United States. Increasing rainfall variability and rising temperatures will yield unique stresses for wetland vegetation, including an increase in flooding severity and a higher frequency of potentially harmful heat events. This dissertation explores the interactions and impacts of climate warming and hydrologic variability on productivity, morphological plasticity, reproduction, and functional composition within wetland communities, followed by an evaluation of the connection between wetland distribution and climate on a regional scale. Climate warming led to depressions in productivity during the warmest months while hydrologic variation consistent with climate projections yielded decreases in spring production and peak biomass. Reproductive allocation and other functional trait differences suggested that the future climate will limit productivity in many wetland ecosystems in the Midwest. A distribution model based on Artificial Neural Networks projected significant increases in flooding leading to wetland expansion concentrated in the Midwestern Corn Belt and potential declines in wetland area in Minnesota and northern Michigan. These results suggest that, though wetland area is projected to increase for the Midwest, without hydrologic management, many wetland systems are at risk of community turnover and degradation resulting from a shifting climate.
Randall Mitchell, Dr. (Advisor)
Linda Barrett, Dr. (Committee Member)
Lauchlan Fraser, Dr. (Committee Member)
Stephen Weeks, Dr. (Committee Member)
Gregory Smith, Dr. (Committee Member)
John Senko, Dr. (Committee Member)
163 p.
Ecology; Geographic Information Science; Geography
functional traits; vegetation; climate change; heat stress; wetland community; artificial neural networks; GIS; midwest wetland distribution; hydrology; mesocosms; open top chambers; OTC; Ratio vegetation index; plot-level remote sensing;

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Garris, H. W. (2013). Restructuring of Wetland Communities in Response to a Changing Climate at Multiple Spatial and Taxonomic Scales [Doctoral dissertation, University of Akron]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1383312022

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Garris, Heath. Restructuring of Wetland Communities in Response to a Changing Climate at Multiple Spatial and Taxonomic Scales. 2013. University of Akron, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1383312022.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Garris, Heath. "Restructuring of Wetland Communities in Response to a Changing Climate at Multiple Spatial and Taxonomic Scales." Doctoral dissertation, University of Akron, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1383312022

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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© 2013, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Akron and OhioLINK.