Nature's Archive #71: Wetlands Rediscovered - Exploring Nature's Hidden Gems and Restoring Their Glory with Tom Biebighauser
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May 22, 2023 Tom Biebighauser, a wetland restoration expert with decades of hands-on experience and books on the topic, guides listeners through the wonders of wetlands. He explores beavers’ landscape-shaping role, vernal pools and their unique life cycles, peatlands and fens, and modern restoration techniques. Practical ideas include backyard wetlands, drainage repair, and community-led restoration projects.
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Beetles Transport Fairy Shrimp Cysts Between Pools
- Fairy shrimp cysts can disperse between wetlands inside flying beetles' guts and be deposited via beetle feces, aiding colonization.
- Tom cites research implicating predaceous diving beetles as vectors that inoculate other vernal pools.
Drainage Practices Converted Wetlands Into Farmland
- European settlers drained wetlands to gain rich, flat farmland and reduce local flooding risk for buildings and crops.
- Tom traces widespread ditching and later underdrainage (clay tiles, then plastic pipes) as drivers of historic wetland loss.
Recognize Drained Wetlands By Pipes Ditches And Banks
- Look for visible signs of past drainage like straight ditches, vertical ditch banks, surface inlet pipes, and power poles in fields to locate drained wetlands.
- Tom lists >50 signs and highlights surface inlet pipes and straight, high-banked ditches as common indicators.
