Large-scale logging can often affect the delicate balance of
plant
and animal life in nearby wetlands. But how much? A University
of Georgia scientist says if you look close enough, some little
creatures can tell you big things about wetlands.
Darold Batzer, an entomologist with the UGA College of
Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences, has spent the past four years hunting
the state's wetlands in search of tiny, sometimes microscopic,
invertebrates for answers.
Why Invertebrates?
Invertebrates, Batzer said, would be the first animals to show
any changes in the wetland ecology. They feed on plants and are
closer to the beginning of the food chain than a hawk or a
frog.
"Invertebrates are a major link between plants and higher
animals like birds, reptiles and amphibians," Batzer said.
"So, they are kind of like the guts of the food
web."
An invertebrate is an animal with no backbone. The most commonly
known Georgia wetland invertebrate is the mosquito, but Batzer
also looks for small crustaceans and fly larvae.
They're easy to collect, he said, and useful in looking for
impacts.
Batzer's hunting weapons are simple: a sweep net, plastic bags
and alcohol to preserve samples.
"There are a lot of different kinds of invertebrates, and
each kind gives you a lot of clues on what is going on in that
habitat," Batzer said.
Depends on the
Numbers
For instance, a water flea can tell you the loss of tree coverage
in the wetland due to logging. Algae need sunlight to grow. A
water flea feeds on algae. The number of algae depends on the
amount of sunlight. And the number of water fleas depends on the
amount of algae. Counting the water fleas can give you an idea
on how much sunlight is hitting the wetland.
Batzer mostly investigates low-lying wetlands inside pine
plantations.
He studies a site for a couple of years to see how it operates
before the timber is harvested. When the timber is cut, he
returns
to identify any changes.
"We see what impacts do occur: increased sunlight, increased
nutrient runoff or some sort of runoff," he said. "We
then look at ways to find out why those changes occur and ...
ways we can reduce any changes."
Batzer has found some ecological changes in wetlands near timber
harvesting. So far, though, he has detected no harmful
impacts.
If there are negative impacts, he said, strips of trees could
be planted to act like a buffer zone and protect the wetland.
But a buffer zone could cost thousands of dollars.
"The research could affect many acres in Georgia," he
said, "because there are literally thousands of these
wetland
ponds in the state."
Need More Valuable
Clues
So far, the experiments are in the early stages, and more
research
must be conducted. But Batzer is hopeful he can identify the
environmental
changes affected by timber harvests in these delicate ecosystems
in Georgia.
"People realize that wetlands are valuable resources and
environmental benefits are hard to put into a dollar value,"
he said.
Georgia is the largest timber producer in the eastern United
States.
About 72 percent (17 million acres) of the state's forests are
privately owned. Forestry is Georgia's largest renewable
resource,
with an annual impact of $19.5 billion on the state's economy.
Published on 01/10/01
Little Creatures Reveal Big Things about Wetlands
Brad Haire is the former news editor with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
Experts/Sources:
CAES News
Manage holiday stress with kindness, boundaries
11/21/24 Maria M. Lameiras
The holiday season can be a time of anticipation and joy, but balancing multiple commitments and personalities across families and friends can be a source of stress for hosts and visitors alike. Much like preparing parts of the meal ahead of time allows you to spend more of the holiday with guests, setting expectations ahead of the celebration can go a long way to ensuring enjoyable gatherings, said Ted Futris, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension specialist and professor of human development and family science.
CAES News
CAES welcomes 2024 cohort of Rural Scholars
11/20/24 Maria M. Lameiras
The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences welcomed its fourth cohort of students chosen for the CAES Rural Scholars Program this fall just weeks after celebrating the program's first graduation. Georgia Orman, one of four inaugural Rural Scholars in CAES, graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education.
The new scholars for 2024, all from Georgia, are Ela Ash of Ocilla, Lauren E. Coley of Cochran, Amelia Housley of Canon, and London O’Steen of Ambrose.
CAES News
The women and stress behind rural farming in America
11/19/24 Leigh Hataway
Recent research from the University of Georgia suggests the unique stresses from farm life may be taking a toll on one of the pillars of the families that make your dinners possible: the women who keep farming families running. “If we don’t control our food sources, we don’t control our health and safety,” said Anna Scheyett, lead author of the study and a professor in UGA’s School of Social Work. “It’s a matter of national security that farmers survive in the United States. And one of the big factors in helping farms survive is women.”
CAES News
That's the spirit!
11/18/24 Maria M. Lameiras, Claire Sanders Kinnard
Wheat breeders spend years meticulously crossing varieties to coax the best traits out of each species, carefully propagating plant varieties that are healthier, heartier and better suited for the environments where they are grown. Professional brewmasters are equally painstaking when choosing the components that will give their beers a specific flavor profile.
CAES News
Poultry in motion
11/14/24 Sean Montgomery
Chris Ayers emerged from his orange and black rough-terrain vehicle with an ear-to-ear grin. “This is Chiktopia,” he said, sweeping his arm wide to indicate the back half of a 3,600-square-foot warehouse on his family’s farm in Ball Ground, Georgia. “This is where I manufacture and assemble the chicken coops. Everything is done entirely from over here.”
CAES News
UGA Grand Farm wins stage two of 2024 Growth Accelerator Fund competition
11/13/24 Jordan Powers
Startups in the agricultural technology sector face significant barriers on the path to establishment, including access to training and capital. These barriers are heightened for underrepresented entrepreneurs seeking to start new companies. The University of Georgia Grand Farm, part of a historic partnership between the University of Georgia and Fargo, North Dakota-based Grand Farm, aims to change that.