Unit 2: Louisiana’s Wetland Ecosystems

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Unit 2 Louisianas Wetland Ecosystems

• Louisianas wetlands are important because they
  are a vital habitat for many species of plants
  and animals. They provide stopover grounds for
  millions of migratory birds and homes for many
  endangered species
• -Jacoby Carter, JASON Host Researcher

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The Life of a Marsh (pg 48)

• 1. What kinds of wetland ecosystems can be found
  in Louisiana?
• The wetlands are divided into two main
  categories
• Swamps which are forested wetlands, and
• 4 different types of marshes (fresh water,
• intermediate, brackish, and saltwater).

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Marshes of Louisiana
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Swamps of Louisiana
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2. What kinds of plants and animals do
Louisianas wetlands support?additional info in
teachers manual, page 51-52

• The forested wetland ecosystem includes deciduous
  trees, small woody plants, alligators, turtles,
  frogs, salamanders, herons, egrets, ibises,
  crayfish, and much moredont forget, lots of
  BUGS!
• The marsh ecosystems include 93 species of
  plants, turtles, alligators, snakes, muskrats,
  egrets, herons, and ducks living in the
  freshwater system. The saltwater system is home
  to only 17 species of plants, blue crabs,
  speckled trout, redfish and shrimp. Finally, the
  brackish and intermediate systems are home to
  many grasses and reeds, fish and shellfish such
  as menhaden and shrimp.

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Blue Crab, Louisiana Irises, and a Bald
Cypress (LA State Tree)
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Menhaden and Mullet
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• 3. How do plants and animals depend on one
  another and their environment for survival?
• This section is great for discussing Food Webs
• and introducing vocabulary such as producers,
  consumers, decomposers, and the detrital cycle.
  For more advanced classes, have them identify the
  webs that are specific to these systems.

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• 4. How are changes to Louisianas wetlands
  impacting the plant and animal communities that
  live there?
• Louisiana is losing about 17.2 sq. mi. of
  wetlands every year do to natural and human
  processes. This means that about the area of a
  football field is being lost every 30 MINUTES!!
• Saltwater Intrusion is the process by which
  saltwater moves in from the ocean toward
  freshwater environments. As the coastal wetlands
  disappear, they provide less protection from
  ocean water moving inland. This increases the
  level of saltwater upstream causing freshwater
  species to shift to lower salinity areas, or die.

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• Saltwater intrusion is speeded up by human
  activities such as the building of navigational
  waterways called channels,

and by introducing alien (non-native) species,
such as the Nutria. Non-native species often
thrive in their new environments due to lack of
natural predators. Without predators the species
population gets out of control, and they end up
crowding out endemic and native species by
competition for food and space.
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Nutria The Problem

• Nutria are members of the rodent family and are
  native to South America. They were introduced to
  Louisiana in the late 1930s for fur farming.
  Some Nutria escaped the farms and found refuge in
  the nearby marshes, where they have flourished
  since. While fur trapping was popular, the Nutria
  numbers were kept in line. However, with the
  decline in demand for Nutria furs, and female
  Nutria having litters of 2-12 young two times per
  year, the Nutria population has grown out of
  control.
• Why are they a problem???
• Nutria drive out native species such as muskrats
  due to competition for food. Additionally, they
  gnaw large portions of marsh plants and
  eventually cause eat-outs. Eat-outs are not fast
  food restaurants, but a process which occurs when
  an animal feeds on the roots and lower portions
  of a plant. When this happens, the soil which was
  held together by that plant is washed into the
  marsh during a flood, along with other plants. A
  hole then remains in the marsh leaving open water
  where once there was land.

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NUTRIA Cute but Deadly!!!
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Nutria The New White Meat

• Louisiana made an attempt to control the Nutria
  population by promoting it as a delicacy. For a
  while, it was popular as the new fad food for
  those courageous enough to try it with an open
  mind. The state had a contract with the Louisiana
  Seafood Exchange for a while, and hunting laws
  were put into place. Unfortunately, though,
  people could not bring themselves to enjoy the
  dish. The mind set is still on the fact that it
  is a rodent, and now only select companies and
  restaurants carry it. If anyone is interested,
  and can get their hands on some Nutria meat,
  there are recipes on the internet.

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Activity 2.2 Page 63

• How Many Nutria Are Too Many Nutria?
• This activity will allow the students to see how
  an eat out is caused by the rapid reproduction of
  the Nutria in comparison to the slow growth of
  the marsh plants.
• They will also learn that if the growth of their
  marsh is faster than the rate at which it is
  consumed, their marsh is healthy. On the flip
  side, if the growth of their marsh plants is
  slower than consumption, their marsh is in
  danger.
• The ultimate lesson is how the introduction of
  an alien species impacts the environment

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Lab Activity Page T71c

• What Does It Take to Keep a Brood of Brine Shrimp
  Healthy?
• Resources for this lab
• http//ut.water.usgs.gov/shrimp
• This website gives detailed information about
  brine shrimp.
• For an elementary adaptation of this activity
  visit
• http//teachers.net/lessons/posts/659.html

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Additional Resources in Support of Unit 2

• JASON_at_ Ames website has website links and mentor
  teacher information
• http//quest.arc.nasa.gov/projects/jason/
• More info on Nutria
• www.nutria.com
• www.iisgcp.org/EXOTICSP/nutria.htm
• TJO Digital Lab
• The Secret Life of the Bayou

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Any Questions????? Please fill out your
teacher evaluation forms for this class
please. Thank you!!