HUDSON RIVER, NY

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HUDSON RIVER, NY
TIDAL FOR 250 km FRESHWATER ABOVE WEST PT NO3
40 uM, PO4 1 uM MODERATELY TURBID
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HUDSON TIDAL FW WETLANDS(Factoids)

• Approx. 200 average size 57 acres (23 ha)
• Const. Marsh 500 Iona 300 acres
• Total area 4500 ha (11,250 acres)
• 15 of river area, evenly distributed
• 2.5 of river volume exchanged/day
• In summer water residence time is gt100 days, a
  molecule of HR water is likely to have been in a
  wetland.

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17,000,000 m3/day (summer flow)
1,000,000 m3/day (tidal exchange)
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FRESHWATER WETLANDS ACT

• 6. Multiple benefits
• a. Flood and storm control
• b. Wildlife habitat
• c. Protection of subsurface water
• d. Recreation
• e. Pollution treatment
• f. Erosion control
• g. Education and research
• h. Open space
• I. Sources of nutrients

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ZONATION
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ZONATION / ELEVATION
Broadleaf
Emergent
Hummocks
Submerged
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PRODUCTION COMPARISON

• River wide annual carbon supply
• Marsh plants 10,000 mT (1 mT 1000 kg C)
• Phytoplankton 3400 mT
• Submersed 360 mT (revising upwards)
• From watershed 186,000 mT

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Detritus plant litter
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Detritus Decomposition
DEAD PLANTS
DOC
Fungi
CO2 CH4
Bacteria
Fine POM
N,P etc
External Nutrients
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MASS LOSS
TIME TO ½ MASS Fast submersed
(days-weeks) Medium emergent (months
year) Slow wood (year decade)
100
ORIGINAL MASS
TIME
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Organisms
All pictures taken from http//www.chebucto.ns.ca/
Science/SWCS/ZOOBENTH/
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FISHES
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TIDAL WETLANDS AND ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONING
Process Studies Measure rates of material
movement, transformation at sites within system.
Use book-keeping to understand whole
system. Whole-system budgets Measure inputs
and outputs, infer transformations and processes.
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EXCHANGE WITH MAINSTEM
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NET EXCHANGE OF SUSPENDED MATTER(Tivoli S Bay,
A. Goldhammer)
IN
OUT
Wetland is net sink for particulate
matter (water clarity, sedimentation)
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These wetlands are sinks for nitrate
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Variable NO3 Removal Across Sites
Slope of ebb-tide decline as measure of removal
8 of 9 sites had negative slopes No ability to
account for magnitude
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DENITRIFICATION
NO3
N2O
N2
Greenhouse Gas
Return to Atmosphere
Mobile form of Nitrogen

• OPTIMUM CONDITIONS
• Absence of oxygen
• Available organic matter
• Supply of nitrate

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NITROGEN BUDGET (Tivoli N Bay)(kg N/ha/yr)
Atmospheric Deposition
Stream
240
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Tidal Exchange
23-74
Plants 20-60
165 (net input)
Denitrification
Burial
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EXCHANGE WITH MAINSTEM
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www.hrecos.org
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Phragmites australisCommon Reed
Native to NE USA Rapidly expanding range Higher
biomass than extant vegetation Reed 2-4 kg
DM/m2 Cattail 1-2
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STRAWMAN Phragmites is Poor wildlife
habitat Low plant community richness Low
detritus quality
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MEASURES OF DETRITUS QUALITY

• Decay rate
• Fast implies high quality
• Slow may allow burial
• Ability to support microbial growth
• Microbes immobilize nutrients
• Microbes associated with food quality

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FUNGAL BIOMASS
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Phragmites TAKE HOME
COMPARED TO WHAT?
WalMart
Wonderland
BIOMASS
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How Much Detail is Needed to Understand
Whole-System Effects on Water Quality?
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OFTEN USEFUL TO SEPARATE COMPONENTS
ECOSYSTEMS AS BLACK BOXES
Understanding variation in time/space Controlled
by different factors Regulatory management
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FIELD EXERCISE THURSDAYMeasure water quality at
sub-units
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ON SITE

• Record Site/Time
• Measure stage
• Record Dissolved Oxygen
• Collect water sample

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SAFETY

• WATER, SUNSCREEN, PFD, RADIO/PHONE

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www.hrecos.org
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