Why Study the Lafayette River Watershed?

The Lafayette River is a microtidal urban estuary that is surrounded by the city of Norfolk, VA. This river has faced several environmental challenges, including eutrophication, harmful algal blooms, microplastic contamination in both water and sediment, and contamination from local industries (Hale et al., 2018).

Lafayette River watershed is Norfolk’s largest and only drains land within the city limits. It covers almost 14 square miles and is home to over 40% of Norfolk’s residents (City of Norfolk, n.d.). Once lined with miles of wetlands that filtered excess nutrients from the water, provided habitat for wildlife, and kept shorelines from eroding, the area has undergone immense growth over the years (Solyst, 2022). Today, habitat fragmentation and urbanization has had a significant effect on biodiversity and the ecosystem. Infrastructure such as commercial buildings, roadways, bridges, and homes continue to create problems for biodiversity. There are small green ways, but they are so small and spread out that I am afraid that they do not provide much refuge for local wildlife. The Lafayette River runs through the area, but pollution from surrounding development and ship repairs has had a lasting negative effect on the waterway and the surrounding wetlands. Norfolk is also one of the most vulnerable areas of the Chesapeake Bay watershed to flooding due to sea level rise and land subsidence (Solyst, 2022).

 

City of Norfolk. No Date. Lafayette River. https://www.norfolk.gov/2360/Lafayette-River

Hale, R.P., Alvarado, A.g., Waggoner, D.C., Noffke, N.K., Hatcher, P. 2018. Microplastics in the Lafayette River estuary, Norfolk, Virginia, USA. American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2018. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2018AGUFM.H33Q2299H/abstract

Solyst, Jake. 2022. Harnessing people power to restore Lafayette River Wetlands. Chesapeake Bay Program. https://www.chesapeakebay.net/news/blog/harnessing-people-power-to-restore-lafayette-river-wetlands

 

Why is biodiversity so important?

 

Health of an Ecosystem:  Biodiversity is essential for every process that supports life on Earth. Healthy, functioning interactions are essential for a healthy ecosystem. Continued functioning of an ecosystem relies on biodiversity for the maintenance of the structure. Healthy ecosystems provide Fresh water, pollination, soil fertility, food, and medicine, essential part of climate change solution. Pollinators such as birds, bees and other insects are responsible for approximately one third of the world’s crop production. Agriculture is reliant on invertebrates that help maintain healthy soil. Plants help regulate the flow of water, preventing erosion. Plants also are used for medicine, building materials, food, and biofuels (Raven and Wackernagel, 2020).

Culture: Outside of its utilitarian value as food or sources of material, biodiversity has been important to humans. For thousands of years, plants and animals have enduring symbolic significance, many of which appear on emblems, in folklore legends, religious documents, and even money (Clark et al., 2014). Many indigenous and local communities are not only reliant on biodiversity, but also have a particular relationship with the landscapes and seascapes. There is often a deep, spiritual importance to plants and animals for indigenous peoples (UNESCO, 2022). It has also been found that human health can be negatively affected by the risk of environmental degradation and contact with natural spaces can have a positive effect (Clark et al., 2014).

Clark, Natalie E., Lovell, Rebecca, Wheeler, Benedict W., Higgins, Sahran L., Depledge, Michael H., Norris, Ken. 2014. Biodiversity, cultural pathways, and human health: a framework. Trends In Ecology & Evolution. Volume 29, Issue 4; 198-204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2014.01.009

Raven, Peter and Mathis Wackernagel. 2020. Maintaining biodiversity will define our long-term success. Plant Diversity. Volume 42, Issue 4; 211-220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pld.2020.06.002

UNESCO. 2020. Culture and Values. UNESCO. https://www.unesco.org/en/biodiversity/culture

 What is biodiversity?

I define biodiversity as the variety of life in an ecosystem or planet. It ranges from the tiniest bacteria to the most recognizable animals in the world. Populations of species interact with one another to support a healthy ecosystem and the introduction or absence of a single species can alter the health and sustainability of an ecosystem.