2012 ERIE-REU Projects

Developing a nutrient-shed and quantifying water quality for a developing wetland

Advisor: Dr. Scott Mackay (Department of Geography)
Other Mentors: none
Primary Activities: Field work, potential for modeling

Project Summary: A developing wetland site in Cattaraugus County (south of Buffalo)consists of several miles of meandering stream that has been turning into a wetland since a large percentage of the water has been diverted for flood control. Dr. Mackay is currently developing a nutrient-shed and quantifying water quality at the site. REU students working on this project would focus on topics related to water flow and balance, how the aquatic vegetation affects flow, characterization of the aquatic vegetation (dynamics, species composition), and to what extent the wetland development is driven by reduced flow versus nutrient additions from the watershed. This project would mainly consist of fieldwork, however there is potential to combine the data collected with one or more watershed-scale hydrobiogeochemical cycling models.

Skills/Courses Recommended: Basic knowledge of biology, hydrology and/or biogeochemical cycling
Anticipated Conference Presentation(s): American Geophysical Union or Great Lake Research Consortium