Obligations of Researchers and Managers to Respect Wetlands: Practical Solutions to Minimizing Field Monitoring Impacts

Abstract

Research and field monitoring can disturb wetland integrity. Adoption of ethical field practices is needed to limit monitoring induced stressors such as trampling, non-native seed and invertebrate dispersal, and disease and fungal spread. We identify a linear pathway of deterioration highlighting stressors that can progress to cumulative impacts, consequences, and losses at the site scale. The first step to minimize disturbance is to assess and classify the current ecosystem quality. We present a tiered framework for wetland classification and link preventative measures to the wetland tier. Preventative measures are recommended at various intensities respective to the wetland tier, with higher tiered wetlands requiring more intense preventative measures. In addition, preventative measures vary by time of implementation (before, during, and after the wetland visit) to mitigate impacts at various temporal scales. The framework is designed to increase transparency of field monitoring impacts and to promote the adoption of preventative measures. Implementing preventative measures can build accountability and foster a greater appreciation for our roles as researchers and managers in protecting wetlands.

Researcher effects on the biological structure and edaphic conditions of field sites and implications for management

“…Second, we advocate that researchers limit the size of their field teams to the minimum number of researchers needed to safely complete the research. Reducing the number of researchers in the field will limit the amount of trampling activity and further reduce other indirect researcher effects, like trash and litter (see Bryzek et al, 2022), not assessed in our current study. Overall, researchers should work to optimize the frequency (visits) and intensity (team size) of their field activities to inflict the least amount of disturbance possible.…”

“…Given this need, field researchers need to act as environmental stewards and work to actively reduce their personal impacts on the ecosystems they study. Past efforts have proposed several strategies for minimizing researcher impacts in specific ecosystems, like wetlands, such as practicing “leave no trace,” backfilling soil pits, and using biodegradable materials to mark sampling locations (Bryzek et al, 2022). Based on our study, we support these practices and seek to further promote four key strategies that field researchers can implement to reduce their scientific footprints and limit their impacts on natural and constructed systems (Figure 6).…”

“…Fourth, given that even low‐intensity trampling can damage some plant communities (Pescott & Stewart, 2014), researchers should try to designate walking paths to minimize the area being disturbed by trampling (Bryzek et al, 2022). While using a single path will have dramatic negative effects on the habitat along that path, localizing those impacts to a single path, rather than multiple paths, should limit the overall impact that research teams have on their field sites.…”

“…For instance, field studies implemented at various spatial and temporal scales have helped develop island biogeography theory (Simberloff, 1974; Simberloff & Wilson, 1970), the resource ratio hypothesis (e.g., The Park Grass experiment; Silvertown et al, 2006; Tilman, 1982), the keystone species concept (Paine, 1966), theories of species interactions (Connell, 1961; Estes & Palmisano, 1974), and models of ecosystem disturbance (e.g., Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study; Holmes & Likens, 2016). Despite field studies being critical tools to advance scientific understanding, as a community of field researchers, we would be remiss if we did not recognize that conducting field research can disturb and degrade important habitats and the species that inhabit them (Bryzek et al, 2022). Here, we evaluate the effects of researchers following a series of manipulative field experiments to better understand the impacts of field research and develop practices to mitigate these impacts.…”

Influence of Wetland and Landscape Characteristics on Freshwater Turtle Relative Abundance and Movement Patterns in West Virginia, USA

“…For each sampling session, we set 10 traps ≥ 10 m apart and sampled for 3 consecutive days, with traps checked every 24 hours. We cleaned traps and boots between sites equipment to avoid the potential spread of invasive species and diseases among wetlands (Bryzek et al 2022).…”