Browsing by Subject "wetland management"
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(University of Helsinki, Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme, 2017)The Jakomäki-Vaarala wetland group and the Fazerila pond were studied in the summer 2017. The Fazerilanplotti had the most diverse invertebrate fauna (Table 3), while the Sydänlampi had the most diverse vertebrate fauna (Table 2). The smooth newts were found in the Twin-Länsi, Twin-Itä, and the Fazerilanplotti (Table 2). The biodiversity value of the Fazerilanplotti should be protected. The Jakomäki-Vaarala wetlands can be developed in different directions. The Vaaralanlampi and probably also the Sydänlampi can be developed for recreation, while the Twin ponds developed for their biodiversity values.
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Restoring wetland biodiversity using research : Whole-community facilitation by beaver as framework (2020)Wetlands are declining worldwide, and there is a great need for their restoration and creation. One natural agent of wetland engineering is beavers,Castorspp., which have returned or are returning to many parts of their former range. We initially studied the facilitative effect of the beaverCastor canadensison a waterbird community consisting of three waders and four ducks in boreal wetlands in southern Finland. Both waterbird species diversity and abundance increased when beavers impounded a pond. Common tealAnas creccaand green sandpiperTringa ochropuswere the species showing the most positive numerical response, but the other five species also increased upon flooding. This article evaluates how the results of the study have been used in management, both in theory and practice. The whole-community facilitation concept has been taken up in numerous articles considering the restorative effects of beavers. It has also been used as ecological background when planning and executing man-made wetland projects in Finland within both the public and the private sectors. Our study and its publication inAquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystemshave set a foundation for further evidence-based management of waterbird communities. As the results show, having beavers as wetland managers is a feasible tool for creating and restoring wetlands for waterbirds and other biota. Moreover, wetland restoration projects are becoming more popular endeavours, owing to an understanding of the diverse benefits of wetlands. Flooding by beavers is used as a model for managers when creating man-made wetlands; for example, in urban areas where it is difficult to maintain beavers. 1.2.3.4.
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(2019)Avian species respond to ecological variability at a range of spatial scales and according to life history stage. Beaver dams create wetland systems for waterbirds that are utilized throughout different stages of the breeding season. We studied how beaver?induced variability affected mobile pairs and more sedentary broods along with the production of Common Teal Anas crecca at the patch and landscape scale on their breeding grounds. Beavers Castor spp. are ecosystem engineers that enhance waterfowl habitats by impeding water flow and creating temporary flooding. Two landscapes in southern Finland with (Evo) and without (Nuuksio) American Beavers Castor canadensis were used in this study. To investigate the patch?scale effect, pair and brood densities along with brood production were first compared at beaver?occupied lakes and non?beaver lakes in the beaver landscape. Annual pair and brood densities/km shoreline and brood production were compared between beaver and non?beaver landscapes. Facilitative effects of beaver activity were manifest on brood density at both patch and landscape scales: these were over 90 and 60 percent higher in beaver patches and landscapes, respectively. An effect of beaver presence on pair density was only seen at the landscape level. Pair density did not strongly affect brood production, as shown earlier for relatively mildly density?dependent Teal populations. Because the extent of beaver flooding was a crucial factor affecting annual Teal production in the study area, we infer beaver activity has consequences for the local Teal population. Ecosystem engineering by the beaver could therefore be considered as a restoration tool in areas where waterfowl are in need of high?quality habitats. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
