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Monitoring of Sphagnum at a Restoration Site and Possibilities for Restorative Activities

Miller, John Anthony
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1466790016

Abstract Details

2016, Master of Science, University of Akron, Biology.
The restoration of the Tamarack Bog in Bath Township, Ohio is focused on a poor fen which was ditched and partially drained in the 1960’s. This thesis documents two studies relevant to the restoration of this site- initial survey and monitoring work, and a test of local adaptation. As Sphagnum is an important genus in the restoration of peatlands, the baseline coverage and extent within the restoration site was measured. Also, another important moss, Thuidium delicatulum, was monitored because it seemed to co-occur with Sphagnum during informal observations. 52 monitoring plots were setup for the purpose of measuring the coverage of these two genera within the Tamarack Bog. Nearly all of the Sphagnum occurred in the Core Bog region, but was absent from adjacent degraded areas. The coverage of Sphagnum in the monitoring plots amounted to 1.3% percent in 2014 and 1.4% in 2015. Thuidium coverage in the monitoring plots amounted to 7.5% in 2014 and 6.4% in 2015. In the surveys for 2015, Sphagnum presence was associated with Thuidium presence. One aim of the restoration project is to increase Sphagnum coverage within the Tamarack Bog, and this paper provides a method for measuring such coverage and provides baseline data of coverage and extent before the restoration begins. In peatland restoration projects, donor sites for Sphagnum collection are chosen based upon similar vegetation as the proposed restoration site. To test for local adaptation in S. palustre, I conducted two experiments using three different local populations grown in water collected from the three locations. Local adaptation would be indicated by a significant interaction in these analyses, where the moss from each location grows best within its water source and worse within the water sources of the other two locations. The first experiment showed Sphagnum source and water source yielding significant effects, but there was no observable interaction between Sphagnum source and water source. The second experiment yielded Sphagnum source effects, and again, no interaction. By the definition outlined above, no local adaptation was observed in these two experiments. Therefore, for the Tamarack Bog restoration project, the donor source of Sphagnum does not need to be collected from one specific site.
Randall Mitchell (Advisor)
Anne Wiley (Committee Member)
Donald Ott (Committee Member)
Biology; Ecology
Sphagnum; Peatland

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Miller, J. A. (2016). Monitoring of Sphagnum at a Restoration Site and Possibilities for Restorative Activities [Master's thesis, University of Akron]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1466790016

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Miller, John. Monitoring of Sphagnum at a Restoration Site and Possibilities for Restorative Activities. 2016. University of Akron, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1466790016.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Miller, John. "Monitoring of Sphagnum at a Restoration Site and Possibilities for Restorative Activities." Master's thesis, University of Akron, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1466790016

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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