The original goal was to quantify the interrelationships of plants and animals found in marshes. Endangered birds spend several months in the marshes, there is great potential for using the area for environmental education, the marshes.
CLIMATE
A preliminary study showed that the instrument provided a sample that covered most of the root zone of the vegetation - about the top 50 cm. Schematic diagram of the Hamilton ■ Swamps, The pattern of water movement into and out of the marsh is shown at the bottom right.
TRENTON
Initially, the samples were analyzed in duplicate, but because there was very little variation between subsamples of the same soil plug, we decided to perform one analysis. With one exception, there is no significant trend in organic matter from the top of the soil to the 50 cm level and there is only a slight decrease in organic matter from the top to the bottom of the profile.
ORGANIC MATTER CONTENT OF MARSH SOILS
5A Arrow arum
5B Arrow arum
4A Arrow arum
4A Cattail
- or 20,8 + 2.9 Vegetation
4-A Arrow arum
VEGETATION ANALYSIS 1. Int xoduc t ion
We described these discrepancies to officials at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and they expressed concerns about the discrepancies. Different vegetation types exist in each habitat (Table 5). There is a lot of overlap between the vegetation types and it is difficult to delineate them.
HABITA? TYPE
VEGETATION TYPE
Stream channels (Site 5A)
- Yellow water lily, wild ri'ce, wild celery, arrowhead, water millfoil
- Yellow water lily, water hemp, arrowhead, picksreI weed, water smartweed, wild rice
- Swamp loosestrife, arrow arum, tearthumbs, touch-me-not, marsh mallow
Pond-like environments that are water covered at high tide and
- Reed canary grass
Ponds that are continuously water covered
- Yellow water lily, pickerelweed, Elodea,
- Swam'fc loosestrife * yellow water lily, arrow arum, water smartweed, marsh mallow
The data have been divided into two categories: (1) sites dominated by pilarum and/or yellow water. This separation was necessary because of a bixaodal production pattern for both pilarum and yellow water lily.
YEASDAY-
In the rest of June and in July, the crop of both species remained fairly unchanged. The highest above-ground biomass at site 4C was 460 g/m2 (Figure 4 ) » Standing crop remained fairly constant until late July, when dieback of yellow water lily began.
ARHOW ARUM- Peltandra virginica
YELLOW WATER LILY Nuphar advena
Aboveground biomass for Yellow Water Lily and Arrow arwm* All values are averages (g/m ) of 2 3 squares + 1> S.E. These values are comparable to the data obtained during the wild rice survey discussed on pg.
In both community types there was an initial spurt of growth followed by a slow net accumulation throughout the rest of the growing season (Figures 8,9 and Table 8. The initial burst of growth is followed by the reproductive period which lasts for the remainder). of the growing season.
T. glauca)
- NUTRIENT CONTENT OF PLANTS
- MUD ADGAE
Using these mean site values, the amount of chlorophyll and phaeophytin is calculated for each vegetation division in the marsh. Figure 10, Changes in chlorophyll a and phaeop.hyt.Ln J.n the first and second centimeters of friars h soil, in Nuphar dominated areas from June-i 1974 to January 1975- The solid line ■ represents chlorophyll a and the dashed line represents phaeophyphcin. Changes in chlorophyll a and phaeophytin in the first and BRCOM n.i,:';/roots of swamp soil in Peltandra-Nuphar dominated areas from June 1974 to January 1V75.
Figure 12, Changes in chlorophyll a and pheophytin in the first and second centimeters of streambank marsh soil from June 1974 to January 1975.
Changes in chlorophyll a and pheophytin in the first and second centimeters of wetland soil in Typha dominated areas from June 1974 to January 1975. Changes1 in chlorophyll a and pheophytin in the first and second centimeters of soil in Ziaania dominated areas from Juno 1974 to January 1975. Changes in chlorophyll a and pheophytin in the first and second centimeters of sparse soil in mixed vegetation dominated areas from Juno 1974 to January 1975 dominated.
Changes in chlorophyll A and phaeophytin concentrations in the top two centimeters of the swamp floor from June 1974 through January 1975.
DETRITUS TRANSPORT Introduct ion
At Site 2, movement into and out of the entire marsh can be monitored with the exception of a small portion of the marsh that is connected to a small stream that lies between Site 2 and the Delaware River. Analysis of the data after three months of sampling showed that sampling is only necessary at mid-low and mid-tide. Additional data is collected to determine the total amount of detritus moving through each station*.
Using the depth readings and cross-section diagrams from each station, we can determine the cross-sectional area of each station at the time of sampling.
RESULTS
SPTE4
Most of the waste moving through the swamps is in the nanofraction. Figures 21-23 show that approximately 90-98% of all suspended material is in the nanofraction, both during high and low tides. It is clear that the preponderance of material transported in and out of the swamps is in a highly fragmented state. No conclusion can be drawn about the annual balance of material moving in and out of the swamp, but if the current trend continues, it appears that much of the decomposing waste in the swamps will be mineralized.
In particular, we need to know how much of the waste is in the inorganic fraction.
FLOOD TIDB
EBBTIDE
WATER QUALITY Introduction
All sites show expected seasonal trends in dissolved oxygen concentrations, with levels lower in summer than in winter. Oranges in dissolved oxygen from June 197U to January i$7^ at sites 5t 5A, 7S, and 8, solid lines represent morning high tide values and dashed lines represent afternoon low tide values. Solid lines represent morning high tide values and dashed lines represent afternoon low tide values*.
Solid lines represent morning high tide values and dashed lines represent afternoon low tide values.
JJAS0NDJ
At location 7 upstream from the flow pipes, ammonia concentrations are significantly higher in hsw than in lsw. During summer, significantly more nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia are present in hsw than in lsw at site 5A. During fall and early winter, this difference disappears, but interestingly, less nitrate and ammonia are present in LSW than in hsw in site 5 downstream from site 5A during this period.
Site 5A phosphate levels are significantly higher at hsw than at Isw, where Isw values are much lower than downstream at Site 5.
INTRODUCTION
Wild rice also grows in small drainage channels that connect high wetlands with stream channels. The third major habitat of wild rice is areas that are ponded at high tide and drained at low tide. Wild rice covers about 24 acres in the Hamilton Marshes (New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Wetland Maps 1972) and the estimated total seed production was 9 billion.
The size of wild rice populations in swamps appears to be controlled mainly by seed mortality and by mortality during the vegetative and reproductive periods.
PRIMARY PRODUCTION
- S. - Not sampled
In site 4A wild rice maintained dominance throughout the growing season and individual plant size was the largest. There is no apparent correlation between wild rice production and the location of populations in relation to the amount of tidal activity. In fact, the primary production of wild rice in New Jersey's freshwater tidal marshes is comparable to the annual net production of salt marsh plants.
Although there are few comparable data for wild rice in inland areas of New Jersey, it appears that primary production is equal to or greater in the freshwater floodplain than it would be in non-tidal environments* Bray measured wild rice production at 630 g/m2 in Minnesota.
CONCLUSION
Other data presented in this report have shown that the marsh waters are not polluted. beyond acceptable standards. This study has also shown that wild rice is an invaluable component of the swamp ecosystem. We have assessed that communities dominated by wild rice .. aging swamps should include planning that will ensure the existence of this valuable species. 145.
A STUDY OF VARIOUS ASPECTS OF THE ECOLOGICAL LIFE HISTORY OF FONTEDERIA CORDATA { Picker elweed)
NOMENCLATURE AND DESCRIPTION
It was most common along the banks of Crosswicks Creek and in the Rowan Lake, Spring Lake and Sturgeon Pond marsh areas. In 1973, sampling at each site was random and, as the species is mainly concentrated in certain communities, there was considerable variation in crop data. In 1974, after determining what types of communities existed in the marshes, the vegetation was systematically sampled* Pickerelweed appeared in many samples collected at several locations where it was part of the communities found there.
The 1974 data show an increase in aboveground biomass throughout the growing season with a shoot biomass of approximately 592 g/m.
PHENOLOGY
TRANSPLANT EXPERIMENT
The rhizomes were planted in soil in 5-gallon plastic pots lined with plastic bags to retain water. Larger rhizomes were cut and planted individually, with at least one growing point on each. Rhizomes were removed from the cold room to the greenhouse at two-week intervals per ten after 8 to 16 weeks of cold storage.
There were no significant differences in the percentages of plants that broke dormancy after varying periods of cold storage.
SEED GERMINATION EXPERIMENTS
Eighty percent of the plants that received no cold treatment broke dormancy after 15 days. It was concluded that the penguin seeds were in a state of deep dormancy imposed by one or both of the following factors:. The latter type is unable to germinate without a period during which the development of the embryo within the dormant seeds is completed.
Under a cold moist stratification regime, high germination rates occurred for each of the four stratification periods.
GERMINATION CONDITIONS
The Effects of Seed Mucilage on Seedling Development and Seed Dessication
The seed coats were removed from 40 seeds and the mucilage was also removed from 20 of those seeds. Three categories were identified: whole fruits, fruits with the seed coat removed, and fruits with the seed coat and mucilage removed. Periodically (weekly for the whole fruit, daily for the other two categories), several dry seeds were removed from each category.
If the seed coats or mucilage were present, they were removed and the seeds were placed in water at room temperature.
Effect of Removal of Fruit components
When the seed coats and mucilage were removed, 40% of the seeds germinated within five days and 83.3%. The slowest germination occurred when the pericarp was partially removed near the end of the seed pen. 80 percent of whole fruits that were kept at 5°C for one week germinated after two weeks at room temperature (Table!?).
Effects of seed mucilage on germination and drying. Results of an experiment to determine the effects.
Seed Mucilage effects on germination and dessication Results of the experiment to determine the effects of
DISCUSSION
The intact fruit grows in water, however, with the removal of the seed coat, the embryo. Preliminary field studies also show that about ten percent of the seeds collected in early December have some amount of mucilage secreted through the seed coat. When the seeds are shed from the mother plant, most of the seed coats are intact and the seeds are liquid so that the seeds can be dispersed in the moss.
The area has a rich pre- and post-European history that needs to be incorporated into the center's planning.
