Monitoring of Restored Vegetation in the Wolf Lake Wetlands Rachel Shmagranoff

Wolf Lake Background 804 ha (450 acres) Once part of Lake Michigan, but then 19 th century industrialization and roads disconnected it Maximum depth of 5.5 m (18 feet) Habitat for many species including – Franklin ground squirrel (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus) – Lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) – Black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)

Restoration Pool #9 Pool #8 Controls exotic species, creates new environments and diversity Dredging in pool #9 to be caught by filtering wetland strips so it doesn’t contaminate pool #8

Field Site The area surveyed consisted of: Main shoreline stretching 370 linear meters 13 islands

Timeline May 15- May 30 Plot set up and analysis of main shoreline June 6- June 15 Island plot set up and surveying June 18- July 6 Shoreline and island clean up June 27 Bird Nest survey July 2 – July 30 Invertebrate sampling July 31- August 10 Water sampling and algae analysis

Survey Technique for Main shore Plot setup: 1.Marker pole placed every 20 meters Made 36 shoreline plots 2.1x1meter plot set at every pole 3.Point-contact method conducted 4.Species identified and tallied

Surveying the Islands 1.Shore line 1x1meter plots every 20 meters 2.Water line 1x1meter plots every 20 meters 3.Upland 1x1meter plots every 10 meters

Shoreline Vegetation Tally SpeciesScirpus pungens 3-square sedge Eleocharis palustris spikerush Rumex verticillatus Swamp dock Average Frequency (Touches/plots) 2,623/107 = /53= /77= 7.12 Picture

Water Vegetation Tally SpeciesMyriophyllum spicatum (Milfoil) Scirpus validus (Softstem bulrush) Nymphaea odorata (White water lily) Average Frequency (Touches/plots) 1,129/ / / Picture

Upland Vegetation Tally SpeciesScirpus pungens (3-squre sedge) Schizachyrium scoparium (Little Bluestem) Solidago speciosa (Goldenrod) Average Frequency (Touches/plots) 512/ / / Picture

Invasive Vegetation Problem Phragmites frequency – Total plots/ total touches: 590/92 = 6.41 Purple Loosestrife frequency – 648/103= 6.29 Cattail frequency – 254/25= 10.16

Area Clean Up wire Metal spikes Plastic mesh garbage Rope cord Restoration remnants

Bird Nest Survey Birds Nests Found  10 Canadian geese  8 Red winged black birds  4 sandpipers  3 mallards  3 Killdeer  1 Mute Swan Sandpiper nest Red winged black bird nest Mallard nest Red winged black bird nest

Invertebrates Top species caught – 183 ephemeroptera (mayfly) – 175 amphipoda (shrimp) – 103 gastropoda (snails) – 39 hirudinea (leech) – 10 other species tallying 56

Water and Algae Sampling Algae 25 buckets of water poured through filter Algae trapped in container at bottom Algae identification and volume to be assessed at a later date Water Dissolved oxygen – Manganous Sulfate and Alkaline Iodide-Azide reagents – Titration using Phenylarsine Oxide Conductivity pH

Thank you!