Benthic Invertebrate Utilization of Man-Made and Natural Wetlands

Abstract

The benthic invertebrate communities of man-made and natural oligohaline wetlands were studied over time with the objectives of: (1) comparing faunal utilization of man-made and natural systems; (2) determining the rate of development of the faunal community in the manmade wetlands, and (3) identifying major factors controlling the rate of faunal community development in man-made wetlands.

The man-made wetland (‘Project Area 2”) is an eleven-acre site located at the junction of Drinkwater Creek and Jacobs Creek, in Beaufort County, North Carolina. Drinkwater Creek and Jacobs Creek are two subtributaries of the Pamlico River Estuary. Tooley Creek, Drinkwater Creek, and Jacks Creek were the natural oligphaline creeks which served as the control creeks for the study. Benthic grab samples (0.02 mL) have been collected quarterly (January, April, July, and October) since July 1985 at an upstream, midstream, and downstream location in each area. This report covers the data obtained from samples collected between July 1985 and July 1988.