Abstract
A primary goal of many coastal restoration programs is to increase nekton habitat in terms of both quantity and quality. Using shallow water ponds rehabilitated with a technique called marsh terracing, we examined the quality of nekton habitat created, using and comparing several metrics including nekton density and diversity, functional group composition, and weight-length relationships as indirect measures of habitat quality. We examined three paired terraced and unterraced marsh ponds in southwest Louisiana. Nekton, submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), and soil and water quality variables were sampled bimonthly from April 2004 through April 2005 at four subtidal habitat types: terraced nearshore, terraced open water, unterraced nearshore, and unterraced open water. Results indicate that terraced ponds had increased the habitat value of degrading unterraced ponds over open water areas for estuarine nekton; nekton density and richness were similar between terraced and unterraced nearshore habitat types, but greater at all nearshore as compared to open water sites. Analysis of the distribution of nekton functional groups and weight:length ratios indicates the terraced and unterraced pond habitats were not functioning similarly: distribution of nekton functional groups differed significantly between habitat types with greater percentages of benthic-oriented species at unterraced open water habitats and higher percentage of open water species in terraced ponds as compared to unterraced ponds, and two of the six numerically dominant fish species had greater weight-length relationships in unterraced ponds as compared to terraced ponds. This lack of functional equivalency may be attributed to environmental differences between terraced and unterraced ponds such as water depth or SAV biomass, or the relatively young age of the terraces studied, which may not have allowed for the development of some critical habitat variables, such as soil organic matter that was found to be significantly lower in terraced versus unterraced ponds (p < 0.05). To properly assess the ecological equivalency of restored or rehabilitated sites for nekton requires that we move beyond measures of nekton density, biomass, and diversity and incorporate measures of functional equivalency, including habitat measures.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
Literature Cited
Able, K. W., D. M. Nemerson, andT. M. Grotheus. 2004. Evaluating salt marsh restoration in Delaware Bay: Analysis of fish response at former salt hay farms.Estuaries 27:58–69.
Baltz, D. M., C. Rakocinski, andJ. W. Fleeger. 1993. Microhabitat use by marsh-edge fishes in a Louisiana estuary.Environmental Biology of Fishes 36:109–126.
Barras, J., S. Beville, D. Britsh, S. Hartley, S. Hawes, J. Johnston, P. Kemp, Q. Kinler, A. Martucci, J. Porthouse, D. Reed, K. Roy, S. Sapkota, and J. Suhayda. 2003. Historical and projected coastal Louisiana land changes: 1978–2050. U.S. Geological Survey, Open Ftle Report 03-334. Lafayette, Louisiana.
Barras, J. A., P. E. Bourgeois, and L. R. Handly. 1994. Land loss rates in coastal Louisiana 156-90. National Biological Survey, National Wetlands Research Center, Open File Report 94-01. Lafayette, Louisiana.
Booth, D. J. andJ. A. Keast. 1986. Growth energy partitioning by juvenile bluegill sunfish,Lepomis macrochirus Rafinesque.Journal of Fish Biology 28:37–45.
Bowen, S. H. 1979. A nutritional constraint in detritivory by fishes; the stunted population ofSarotherodon mossambicus in Lake Sibaya, South Africa.Ecological Monographs 49:17–31.
Bulow, F. J. 1987. Techniques for the estimation of RNA, DNA, and protein in fish, p. 345–354.In R. C. Summerfelt and G. E. Hall (eds.), The Age and Growth of Fish. Iowa State University Press, Ames, Iowa.
Burke, J. S., D. S. Peters, andP. J. Hanson. 1993. Morphological indices and otolith microstructure of Atlantic croaker,Micropogomas undulatus, as indicators of habitat quality along an estuarine pollution gradient.Environmental Biology of Fishes 36: 25–33.
Bush Thom, C. S., M. La Peyre, andJ. A. Nyman. 2004. Evaluation of nekton use and habitat characteristics of restored Louisiana marsh.Ecological Engineering 23:63–75.
Callaway, J. C., J. S. Desmond, G. Sullivan, G. D. Williams, andJ. B. Zedler. 2001. Assessing the progress of restored wetlands: Hydrology, soil, plants and animals, p. 271–335.In J. B. Zedler (ed.), Handbook for Restoring Tidal Wetlands, 1st edition. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida.
Chabreck, R. H. 1970. Marsh zones and vegetative types of the Louisiana coastal marshes. Ph.D. Dissertation, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Craft, C., P. Megonigal, S. Broome, J. Stevenson, R. Freese, J. Cornell, L. Zheng, andJ. Sacco. 2003. The pace of ecosystem development of constructedSpartina alterniflora marshes.Ecological Applications 13:1417–1432.
Craft, C., J. Reader, J. N. Sacco, andS. W. Broome. 1999. Twenty-five years of ecosystem development of constructedSpartina alterniflora (Loisel) marshes.Ecological Applications 9:1405–1419.
Delaune, R. D., J. A. Nyman, andW. H. Patrick, Jr. 1994. Peat collapse, ponding, and wetland loss in a rapidly subsiding coastal marsh.Journal of Coastal Research 10:1021–1030.
Flynn, K. M., I. A. Mendelssohn, andB. J. Wilsey. 1999. The effect of water level management on the soils and vegetation of two coastal Louisiana marshes.Wetlands Ecology and Management 7: 193–218.
French McCay, D. P., C. H. Peterson, J. T. Dealteris, andJ. Catena. 2003. Restoration that targets function as opposed to structure: Replacing lost bivalve production and filtration.Marine Ecology Progress Series 264:197–212.
Gilliers, C., R. Amara, J. P. Bergeron, andO. Le Pape. 2004. Comparison of growth and condition indices of juvenile flatfish in different coastal nursery grounds.Environmental Biology of Fishes 71:189–198.
Heck, K. L., G. Hays, andR. J. Orth. 2003. Critical evaluation of the nursery role hypothesis for seagrass meadows.Marine Ecology Progress Series 253:123–136.
Heck, K. L. andR. J. Orth. 1980. Structural components of eelgrass (Zostera marina) meadows in the lower Chesapeake Bay — the decapod crustacean.Estuaries 3:289–295.
Hunter, J. andR. J. Feller. 1987. Immunological dietary analysis of two penaeid shrimp species from a South Carolina tidal creek.Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 107:61–70.
Kanouse, S., M. K. La Peyre, andJ. A. Nyman. 2006. Nekton use ofRuppia maritima and non-vegetated bottom habitat types within brackish marsh ponds.Marine Ecology Progress Series 327:61–69.
Kentula, M. E. 2000. Perspectives on setting success criteria for wetland restoration.Ecological Engineering 15:199–209.
Levin, L. A., D. Talley, andG. Thayer. 1996. Succession of macrobenthos in a created salt marsh.Marine Ecology Progress Series 141:67–82.
Lockwood, J. L. andS. L. Pimm. 2001. When does restoration succeed? p. 363–392.In E. Weiher and P. Keddy (eds.), Ecological Assembly Rules: Perspectives, Advances, Retreats, 1st paperback edition. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, U.K.
Magurran, A. E. 1988. Ecological Diversity and Its Measurement. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey.
Meng, L., G. Cicchetti, andM. Chintala. 2004. Nekton habitat quality at shallow water sites in two Rhode Island coastal systems.Estuaries 27:740–751.
Meretsky, V. J., R. A. Valdez, M. E. Douglas, M. J. Brouder, O. T. Gorman, andP. C. Marsh. 2000. Spatiotemperal variation in length-weight relationships of endangered humpback chub: Implications for conservation and management.Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 129:419–428.
Minello, T. J. 1999. Nekton densities in shallow estuarine habitats of Texas and Louisiana and the identification of essential fish habitat.American Fisheries Society Symposium 22:43–75.
Minello, T. J. 2000. Temporal development of salt marsh value for nekton and epifauna: Utilization of dredged material marshes in Galveston Bay, Texas.Wetlands Ecology and Management 8:327–341.
Minello, T. J. andJ. W. Webb, Jr. 1997. Use of natural and createdSpartina alterniflora salt marshes by fishery species and other aquatic fauna in Galveston Bay, Texas, U.S.A.Marine Ecology Progress Series 151:165–179.
Minello, T. J., R. J. Zimmerman, andR. Medina. 1994. The importance of edge for natant macrofauna m a created salt marsh.Wetlands 14:184–198.
Minello, T. J. andR. J. Zimmerman. 1992. Utilization of natural and transplanted Texas salt marshes by fish and decapod crustaceans.Marine Ecology Progress Series 90:273–285.
Morgan, P. A. andF. T. Short. 2002. Using functional trajectories to track constructed salt marsh development in the Great Bay estuary, Maine/New Hampshire, U.S.A.Restoration Ecology 10: 461–473.
Moy, L. D. andL. A. Levin. 1991. AreSpartina marshes a replaceable resource? A functional approach to evaluation of marsh creation efforts.Estuaries 14:1–6.
Naeem, S., L. J. Thompson, S. P. Lawler, J. H. Lawton, andR. M. Woodfin. 1994. Declining biodiversity can alter the performance of ecosystems.Nature 368:734–737.
Oliva-Paterna, F. J., P. A. Minano, andM. Torralva. 2003. Habitat quality affects the condition ofBarbus sclateri in Mediterranean semi-arid streams.Environmental Biology of Fishes 67:13–22.
Palmer, M. A., R. F. Ambrose, andN. L. Pore. 1997. Ecological theory and community restoration ecology.Restoration Ecology 5: 291–300.
Peterson, C. H. andR. N. Lipcius. 2003. Conceptual progress towards predicting quantitative ecosystem benefits of ecological restorations.Marine Ecology Progress Series 264:297–307.
Peterson, G. W. andR. E. Turner. 1994. The value of salt marsh edge vs. interior as a habitat for fish and decapod crustaceans in a Louisiana tidal marsh.Estuaries 17:235–262.
Raposa, K. B. andC. A. Oviatt. 2000. The influence of contiguous shoreline type, distance from shore, and vegetation biomass on nekton community structure in eelgrass beds.Estuaries 23:46–55.
Ratz, H.-J. andJ. Lloret. 2003. Variation in fish condiuon between Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) stocks, the effect on their productivity and management implications.Fisheries Research 60: 369–380.
Root, R. B. 1967. The niche exploitation pattern of the blue-gray gnatcatcher.Ecology 37:317–350.
Rozas, L. P., P. Caldwell, andT. J. Minello. 2005. The fishery value of salt marsh restoration projects.Journal of Coastal Restoration 40:37–50.
Rozas, L. P. andT. J. Minello. 2001. Marsh terracing as a wetland restoration tool for creating fishery habitat.Wetlands 21:327–341.
Rozas, L. P. and T. J. Minello. In press. Restoring coastal habitat using marsh terracing: The effect of cell size on nekton use. Wetlands.
Rozas, L. P. andW. E. Odum. 1988. Occupation of submerged aquatic vegetation by fishes: Testing the roles of food and refuge.Oecologia 77:101–106.
Rozas, L. P. andR. J. Zimmerman. 2000. Small-scale patterns of nekton use among marsh and adjacent shallow nonvegetated areas of the Galveston Bay Estuary, Texas (U.S.A.).Marine Ecology Progress Series 193:217–239.
Ruiz, G. M., A. H. Hines, andM. H. Posey. 1993. Shallow water as a refuge habitat for fish and crustaceans in non-vegetated estuaries: An example from Chesapeake Bay.Marine Ecology Progress Series 99:1–16.
Sacco, J. N., E. D. Seneca, andT. R. Wentworth. 1994. Infaunal community development of artificially established salt marshes in North Carolina.Estuaries 17:489–500.
SAS Institute. 1989. SAS/STAT User’s Guide, Version 6, 4th edition, Volume 1. SAS Institute, Cary, North Carolina.
Underwood, S. G., G. D. Steyer, B. Good, andD. Chambers. 1991. Bay bottom terracing and vegetative planting: An innovative approach for habitat and water quality enhancement, p. 164–173.In F. J. Webb (ed.), Annual Conference on Wetlands Restoration and Creation. Hillsborough Community College, Tampa, Florida.
Vila-Gispert, A. andR. Moreno-Amich. 2000. Use of the condition of Mediterranean barbel (Barbus meridzonalis) to assess habitat quality in stream ecosystems.Archiv fur Hydrobiologie 148:135–145.
Vila-Gispert, A. andR. Moreno-Amich. 2001. Mass-length relationship of Mediterranean barbel as an indicator of environmental status in south-west European stream ecosystems.Journal of Fish Biology 59:824–832.
Wicker, K. M., D. Davis, andD. Roberts. 1983. Rockefeller State Wildlife Refuge and Game Preserve: Evaluations of wetland management techniques. Coastal Management Division, Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Zedler, J. B. 2000. Progress in wetland restoration ecology.Trends in Ecology and Evolution 15:402–407.
Zedler, J. B. andJ. C. Callaway. 1999. Tracking wetland restoration: Do mitigation sites follow desired trajectories?Restoration Ecology 7.69–73.Restoration Ecology
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
La Peyre, M.K., Gossman, B. & Nyman, J.A. Assessing functional equivalency of nekton habitat in enhanced habitats: Comparison of terraced and unterraced marsh ponds. Estuaries and Coasts: J ERF 30, 526–536 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03036518
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03036518