Abstract

Wetlands play a vital role in maintaining environmental health by filtering pollutants, controlling floods, and providing habitat for diverse species. These ecosystems are essential for sustaining biodiversity and regulating hydrological and biogeochemical cycles. The Red River Basin (The Red River of the South), spanning Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana, is home to various types of wetlands, which provide essential habitats to an array of wildlife. However, anthropogenic pressures such as agriculture and urbanization have led to the degradation and loss of these valuable ecosystems. To counter this loss, federal programs such as the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program - Wetland Reserve Easement (ACEP-WRE) have been implemented to restore wetland functionality and integrity. This study focuses on using avian species as bioindicators to assess the effectiveness of the constructed wetlands in the Texas/Louisiana Red River Basin compared to natural and agricultural wetlands. By developing an Avian Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) using avian abundance, diversity, and guild-specific metrics, the integrity of the constructed wetlands was assessed and compared to that of natural and agricultural wetlands. The findings suggest that constructed wetlands can support similar levels of ecological integrity as the natural wetlands. However, the moderate functionality of all wetland types, reflected in “Fair” IBI scores, underscores the need for ongoing restoration efforts to enhance wetland health and support higher ecological integrity within the Louisiana/Texas Red River Basin.

Date of publication

Fall 11-5-2024

Document Type

Thesis

Language

english

Persistent identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/10950/4799

Committee members

Matthew J. Greenwold, Jessica L. Coleman, Lance R. Williams, Katrin Kellner

Degree

Master of Science in Biology

Download

Share

COinS