Within the last two centuries, Kentucky has undergone wetland losses exceeding 80 percent (approximately 500,000 hectares). As a response to these losses, the Kentucky Division of Water (KDOW) and Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) developed the Kentucky Wetland Rapid Assessment Method (KY-WRAM) to evaluate the condition of Kentucky's remaining wetlands. The goal of this study was to validate the KY-WRAM for forested riverine wetlands using a vegetation index of biotic integrity (VIBI), bird surveys, and landscape development index (LDI). Specific objectives of this study were to: 1) determine the correlation between bird species richness, VIBI, and LDI with the KY-WRAM in forested riverine wetlands; and 2) determine which combination of vegetation and landscape metrics best explain each of the KY-WRAM metric categories. At twenty five sites throughout the Green, Upper Cumberland, and Kentucky River Basins, a KY-WRAM, VIBI, LDI, and survey for bird species richness was conducted. A linear regression indicated that the KY-WRAM was significantly, positively correlated with the VIBI and bird species richness, while the KY-WRAM showed a negative, marginally significant correlation with the LDI. Model-averaging using model selection and parameter estimates indicated that the top models and predictor variables were (1) percent forested, (2) floristic quality assessment index score and percent adventive, and (3) percent adventive and Carex species richness for Metric 2 (Buffers and Surrounding Land Use); Metric 4 (Habitat Reference Comparison); and, Metric 6 (Vegetation, Interspersion, and Microtopography), respectively. Overall, the method's effectiveness was demonstrated by its ability to be predicted by biological and landscape indices at the method level and biological and landscape variables at the metric level.
","abstract_html":"<p>Within the last two centuries, Kentucky has undergone wetland losses exceeding 80 percent (approximately 500,000 hectares). As a response to these losses, the Kentucky Division of Water (KDOW) and Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) developed the Kentucky Wetland Rapid Assessment Method (KY-WRAM) to evaluate the condition of Kentucky's remaining wetlands. The goal of this study was to validate the KY-WRAM for forested riverine wetlands using a vegetation index of biotic integrity (VIBI), bird surveys, and landscape development index (LDI). Specific objectives of this study were to: 1) determine the correlation between bird species richness, VIBI, and LDI with the KY-WRAM in forested riverine wetlands; and 2) determine which combination of vegetation and landscape metrics best explain each of the KY-WRAM metric categories. At twenty five sites throughout the Green, Upper Cumberland, and Kentucky River Basins, a KY-WRAM, VIBI, LDI, and survey for bird species richness was conducted. A linear regression indicated that the KY-WRAM was significantly, positively correlated with the VIBI and bird species richness, while the KY-WRAM showed a negative, marginally significant correlation with the LDI. Model-averaging using model selection and parameter estimates indicated that the top models and predictor variables were (1) percent forested, (2) floristic quality assessment index score and percent adventive, and (3) percent adventive and Carex species richness for Metric 2 (Buffers and Surrounding Land Use); Metric 4 (Habitat Reference Comparison); and, Metric 6 (Vegetation, Interspersion, and Microtopography), respectively. Overall, the method's effectiveness was demonstrated by its ability to be predicted by biological and landscape indices at the method level and biological and landscape variables at the metric level. </p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Polascik, JohnRyan Andrew"],"institution":"Eastern Kentucky University","degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Master's","degree_discipline":"Biological Sciences","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2015,"date_issued":"2015-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2015-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:15:32Z","subjects":["bird species richness","Forested Riverine Wetlands","Kentucky Wetland Rapid Assessment Method","KY-WRAM","Landscape Development Index","Vegetation Index of Biotic Integrity","Ecology and Evolutionary Biology","Environmental Monitoring"],"languages":[],"rights":["Copyright 2015 JohnRyan Andrew Polascik"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/305","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Polascik, JohnRyan Andrew"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Encompass Digital Archive, Eastern Kentucky University"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Master Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Biological Sciences"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Master's"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Eastern Kentucky University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["bird species richness","Forested Riverine Wetlands","Kentucky Wetland Rapid Assessment Method","KY-WRAM","Landscape Development Index","Vegetation Index of Biotic Integrity","Ecology and Evolutionary Biology","Environmental Monitoring"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright 2015 JohnRyan Andrew Polascik"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/305"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Within the last two centuries, Kentucky has undergone wetland losses exceeding 80 percent (approximately 500,000 hectares). As a response to these losses, the Kentucky Division of Water (KDOW) and Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) developed the Kentucky Wetland Rapid Assessment Method (KY-WRAM) to evaluate the condition of Kentucky's remaining wetlands. The goal of this study was to validate the KY-WRAM for forested riverine wetlands using a vegetation index of biotic integrity (VIBI), bird surveys, and landscape development index (LDI). Specific objectives of this study were to: 1) determine the correlation between bird species richness, VIBI, and LDI with the KY-WRAM in forested riverine wetlands; and 2) determine which combination of vegetation and landscape metrics best explain each of the KY-WRAM metric categories. At twenty five sites throughout the Green, Upper Cumberland, and Kentucky River Basins, a KY-WRAM, VIBI, LDI, and survey for bird species richness was conducted. A linear regression indicated that the KY-WRAM was significantly, positively correlated with the VIBI and bird species richness, while the KY-WRAM showed a negative, marginally significant correlation with the LDI. Model-averaging using model selection and parameter estimates indicated that the top models and predictor variables were (1) percent forested, (2) floristic quality assessment index score and percent adventive, and (3) percent adventive and Carex species richness for Metric 2 (Buffers and Surrounding Land Use); Metric 4 (Habitat Reference Comparison); and, Metric 6 (Vegetation, Interspersion, and Microtopography), respectively. Overall, the method's effectiveness was demonstrated by its ability to be predicted by biological and landscape indices at the method level and biological and landscape variables at the metric level.
"]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:source","label":"Dc Source","values":["Encompass Digital Archive: Online Theses and Dissertations"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Validating A Kentucky Wetland Rapid Assessment Method For Forested Riverine Wetlands Using Vegetation, Bird Surveys, And Landscape Analysis"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Polascik, JohnRyan Andrew"],"dc:description.abstract":["Within the last two centuries, Kentucky has undergone wetland losses exceeding 80 percent (approximately 500,000 hectares). As a response to these losses, the Kentucky Division of Water (KDOW) and Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) developed the Kentucky Wetland Rapid Assessment Method (KY-WRAM) to evaluate the condition of Kentucky's remaining wetlands. The goal of this study was to validate the KY-WRAM for forested riverine wetlands using a vegetation index of biotic integrity (VIBI), bird surveys, and landscape development index (LDI). Specific objectives of this study were to: 1) determine the correlation between bird species richness, VIBI, and LDI with the KY-WRAM in forested riverine wetlands; and 2) determine which combination of vegetation and landscape metrics best explain each of the KY-WRAM metric categories. At twenty five sites throughout the Green, Upper Cumberland, and Kentucky River Basins, a KY-WRAM, VIBI, LDI, and survey for bird species richness was conducted. A linear regression indicated that the KY-WRAM was significantly, positively correlated with the VIBI and bird species richness, while the KY-WRAM showed a negative, marginally significant correlation with the LDI. Model-averaging using model selection and parameter estimates indicated that the top models and predictor variables were (1) percent forested, (2) floristic quality assessment index score and percent adventive, and (3) percent adventive and Carex species richness for Metric 2 (Buffers and Surrounding Land Use); Metric 4 (Habitat Reference Comparison); and, Metric 6 (Vegetation, Interspersion, and Microtopography), respectively. Overall, the method's effectiveness was demonstrated by its ability to be predicted by biological and landscape indices at the method level and biological and landscape variables at the metric level.
"],"dc:format":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier":["https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/305"],"dc:publisher":["Encompass Digital Archive, Eastern Kentucky University"],"dc:rights":["Copyright 2015 JohnRyan Andrew Polascik"],"dc:source":["Encompass Digital Archive: Online Theses and Dissertations"],"dc:subject":["bird species richness","Forested Riverine Wetlands","Kentucky Wetland Rapid Assessment Method","KY-WRAM","Landscape Development Index","Vegetation Index of Biotic Integrity","Ecology and Evolutionary Biology","Environmental Monitoring"],"dc:title":["Validating A Kentucky Wetland Rapid Assessment Method For Forested Riverine Wetlands Using Vegetation, Bird Surveys, And Landscape Analysis"],"dc:type":["Master Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Biological Sciences"],"thesis:degree_level":["Master's"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"],"thesis:institution_name":["Eastern Kentucky University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:15:32Z"}