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Human Health-Related Ecosystem Services of Avian-Dense Coastal Wetlands Adjacent to a Western Lake Erie Swimming Beach

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Abstract

Wetlands provide many valuable ecosystem services, including water quality improvement to protect downstream aquatic ecosystems such as lakes, rivers, and estuaries. However, their ability to improve water quality to safe levels for direct human exposure while largely surrounded by agricultural lands and hosting large wildlife populations remains unknown. Our aim was to examine the ecosystem service capabilities of an avian-dense coastal wetland surrounded by agricultural lands along the southwestern shore of Lake Erie in Ohio by assessing the quality of water as it flows through the wetland (Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge (ONWR)) and into Lake Erie beach waters. Our study used total phosphorus and fecal indicator (Escherichia coli) concentrations as water quality metrics across the wetland and at an adjacent Lake Erie swimming beach during the 2012 summer swim season. E. coli and total P levels were consistently highest at the site, where water enters the ONWR (mean E. coli = 507 CFU/100 mL; mean total P = 535 μg/L), and steadily decreased as water flowed through the wetland and into the adjacent beach (mean E. coli = 10 CFU/100 mL; mean total P = 41 μg/L). E. coli and total P showed statistically significant (α = 0.01) correlations with phycocyanin, chlorophyll-a, turbidity, specific conductivity, dissolved oxygen, and pH; total P was also significantly correlated with total N. The results suggest that this wetland may be contributing to improving water quality, which is beneficial for human health as well as to downstream ecosystem health (e.g., limiting eutrophication promoting conditions, etc.).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Public Health, Division of Environmental Health Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA

    Chris L. Rea, Michael S. Bisesi & Jiyoung Lee

  2. Everglades Wetland Research Park, Florida Gulf Coast University, Naples, FL, 34112, USA

    William Mitsch

  3. College of Public Health, Division of Biostatistics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA

    Rebecca Andridge

  4. Department of Food Science and Technology, The Ohio State University, 406 Cunz Hall, 1841 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA

    Jiyoung Lee

Authors
  1. Chris L. Rea
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  2. Michael S. Bisesi
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  3. William Mitsch
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  4. Rebecca Andridge
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  5. Jiyoung Lee
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Correspondence to Jiyoung Lee.

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Rea, C.L., Bisesi, M.S., Mitsch, W. et al. Human Health-Related Ecosystem Services of Avian-Dense Coastal Wetlands Adjacent to a Western Lake Erie Swimming Beach. EcoHealth 12, 77–87 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-014-1007-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-014-1007-y

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