The Missing Metric: An Evaluation of Fungal Importance in Wetland Assessments

Aaron Onufrak,Megan A Rúa,Katie Hossler

doi:10.1007/s13157-019-01228-w

Aaron Onufrak, Megan A Rúa + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-019-01228-w

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Abstract

To preserve wetland ecosystem function, federal and state agencies have developed assessment procedures to better manage remaining wetland areas. Currently, wetland assessments do not consider microorganisms when determining wetland quality. This is notable, because fungi are often the primary decomposers of organic material and thus important players in nutrient cycling. The objective of this study is to quantify how wetland quality, as measured using the Ohio Rapid Assessment Method (ORAM), relates to fungal community composition. We sampled soils from six depressional emergent marshes in Ohio belonging to each of the three ORAM quality categories, assessed soil physicochemical properties, and recovered fungal DNA. We then determined if wetland quality as expressed by the ORAM reflects soil health. Our results indicate that ORAM scoring methodology significantly explains differences in fungal community composition between wetlands. We also found that soil physicochemical properties not currently included in the ORAM are strong drivers of fungal community composition, particularly bulk density, pH, soil organic matter, and soil moisture. Overall, our results suggest fungal community composition reflects wetland quality as assessed by the ORAM, and that the ORAM and potentially other wetland assessments could better capture the soil environment by including easily measured soil physicochemical properties.

Highlights

To facilitate the regulation and restoration of wetlands, federal and state agencies established assessment procedures to monitor wetland quality (Fennessy et al 2007)
We identified six depressional marshes with emergent vegetation (Table 1) in the state of Ohio using the National Wetland Inventory (NWI; https://www.fws.gov/wetlands/data/mapper. html) and previous Ohio Rapid Assessment Method (ORAM) scoring data provided by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OH EPA)
As an important first step in determining the need and feasibility of adjusting current wetland assessment frameworks to consider microbial communities, we assessed the relationship between the ORAM, and fungal community composition and diversity

Summary

Introduction

To facilitate the regulation and restoration of wetlands, federal and state agencies established assessment procedures to monitor wetland quality (Fennessy et al 2007). The “quality” of wetlands is largely determined by metrics that characterize their condition or the degree of anthropogenic disturbance (Mack 2001a). High functioning wetlands are generally considered to be pristine, having experienced little anthropogenic disturbance, and are capable of carrying out ecosystem services The United States Environmental Protection Agency recognizes three levels of assessment that vary in intensity and requisite expertise (Fennessy et al 2007). Level 2, or rapid assessments, require 24 h or less to complete and incorporate several descriptive metrics that are tied to wetland functions

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