BACI/timeseries(?) design
impacts to mangrove nursery sites question:
'Does an increase of acid sulphate runoff water decrease the health (abundance) of intertidal vegetation in downstream intertidal estuary communities'
Survey method-
BACI
Risk posed
acid sulphate soils inundation /
desiccation cycles more eratic
sea level rise - increased salt water intrusion
flooding - increased from altered land use
altering habitats for fish nurseries
Select the site:
Known areas where ASS occurs
- Richmond RIver
- Brunswick River
statistical analysis - which test?
monitoring -
compare with water quality data;
- flood records
- water quality (pH.) from historical records
using aerial imagery
images collected historically
provide indication of species diversity
duration of study
long term
short term
5 years? (allows for historical flood data to be compared)
1 year (seasonal variation)
potential resources
setup of treatment in nursery with exposure to variable pH. water
setup of controls in nursery with 'normal water conditions
using NDVI spectral analysis software
Unknowns: Assumptions
- natural fluctuations of these species occurs anyway
increase turbidity and freshwater are also factor that influence biota health
- Mangroves / estuarine vegetation doesn't like acid runoff
- it could be because more land is cleared within the catchment
- water runoff is actually increase due to rainfall -