SWTS (Stormwater Treatment System)

Appendix A Physical properties across the two wetland types. Values are means with standard error in brackets

Property / Urban Lake (n = 25) / SWTS ponds(n = 28)
Surface area (ha) / 3.3 / (0.8) / 0.5 / (0.1)
Wetland perimeter (m) / 1036 / (207) / 351 / (50)
Shoreline irregularity index / 1.6 / (0.1) / 1.6 / (0.1)
Littoral angle (°) / 17 / (3) / 18 / (2)
Security distance (m) / 131 / (37) / 43 / (7)
Proximity nearest wetland (m) / 553 / (113) / 1029 / (147)
WA/TCA / 0.04 / (0.02) / 0.003 / (0.001)
WA/TIA / 4.09 / (2.90) / 0.008 / (0.003)
Wetlands within 1 km / 2.5 / (0.4) / 1.6 / (0.3)
Buffer zone / 1.9 / (0.3) / 1.6 / (0.2)
Vegetated perimeter / 2.8 / (0.3) / 3.2 / (0.3)
Macrophyte cover / 1.1 / (0.2) / 2.1 / (0.2)
Access / 2.3 / (0.4) / 2.1 / (0.3)
Urban encroachment / 2.0 / (0.3) / 2.1 / (0.2)
Mown / 1.7 / (0.3) / 2.2 / (0.2)

SWTS (stormwater treatment system)

The ratio of wetland area to total catchment area (WA/TCA)is an index of the capacity of the wetland to treat all catchment runoff, including stormwater, and the ratio of wetland area to the total connected impervious area times the wetland area (WA/TIA) is an index of the capacity of a wetland to treat stormwater

Means for WA/TCA and WA/TIAare limited to 47 wetlands (22 lakes, 25 SWTS ponds) for which catchment area and total connected impervious area (TI) could be determined

Buffer zone, vegetated perimeter, macrophyte cover, access, urban encroachment and mown were measured according to aLikert scale (0-5), where 0 = none and 5 = greatest (see methods)

Appendix B Concentrations of water chemistry variables across the two wetland types. Values are means with standard errors in brackets

Property / Urban Lake (n = 25) / SWTS ponds (n = 28)
BOD (mg mL-1) / 10 / (7) / 8 / (2)
CHLA (µg mL-1) / 22 / (3) / 55 / (10)
COD (mg mL-1) / 59 / (14) / 44 / (7)
DOC (mg mL-1) / 15 / (3) / 9 / (1)
EC (µS cm-1) / 997 / (356) / 328 / (43)
B (µg mL-1) / 0.05 / (0.01) / 0.03 / (0.01)
Cu (µg mL-1) / 0.002 / (0.0002) / 0.001 / (0.0001)
Zn (µg mL-1) / 0.167 / (0.104) / 0.248 / (0.208)
NH4+-N (µg mL-1) / 0.072 / (0.023) / 0.035 / (0.008)
NO2--N (µg mL-1) / 0.021 / (0.010) / 0.005 / (0.001)
NO3--N (µg mL-1) / 0.087 / (0.024) / 0.069 / (0.021)
NOx (µg mL-1) / 0.108 / (0.028) / 0.073 / (0.022)
PO43- (µg mL-1) / 0.337 / (0.206) / 0.040 / (0.025)
pH / 7.3 / 6.9
TDS (mg mL-1) / 665 / (239) / 220 / (29)
TN (µg mL-1) / 1.46 / (0.20) / 2.18 / (0.67)
TP (µg mL-1) / 0.52 / (0.23) / 0.31 / (0.09)
Turbidity (NTU) / 15.3 / (2.3) / 29.9 / (6.8)

BOD(biochemical oxygen demand); CHLA (Chlorophylla); COD (chemical oxygen demand); DOC (dissolved organic carbon); EC (electrical conductivity); TDS (total dissolved solids); TN (total nitrogen); TP (total phosphorus)

Appendix C Phytoplankton abundance (organismsmL-1) and richness across the two wetland types. Values are means with standard error in brackets.

Genus / Urban lake (n = 25) / SWTS (n = 28)
Acanthoceras / 0.0 / (0.0) / 0.1 / (0.1)
Actinastrum / 14.8 / (13.6) / 42.4 / (28.3)
AnabaenaA / 173.7 / (72.4) / 248.3 / (144.2)
Ankistrodesmus / 84.1 / (22.5) / 1362.9 / (511.9)
Ankyra / 49.6 / (32.7) / 0.0 / (0.0)
Aphaniizomenon / 42.3 / (42.3) / 15026.5 / (9269.3)
Aphanocapsa / 33489.3 / (27783.1) / 8872.6 / (3923.1)
Aphanothece / 3691.3 / (3562.5) / 356239.3 / (182320.8)
Aulacoseira / 84.8 / 81.4 / 181.2 / (117.4)
BotryococcusB / 16.2 / (15.5) / 1.8 / (1.7)
Centrales / 116.5 / (47.4) / 70.4 / (20.5)
Centritractus / 1.8 / (1.8) / 3.5 / (3.5)
Ceratium / 17.8 / (15.4) / 0.0 / (0.0)
Chaetoceros / 2.0 / (2.0) / 0.0 / (0.0)
Chlorogonium / 9.6 / (6.3) / 0.0 / (0.0)
Chlorolobion / 3.7 / (2.6) / 0.0 / (0.0)
Chlosteriopsis / 0.5 / (0.3) / 0.4 / (0.3)
Closterium / 5.8 / (2.6) / 6.3 / (2.2)
Coelastrum / 995.8 / (886.1) / 68.6 / (47.7)
Coelomoron / 2731.4 / (2730.3) / 0.0 / (0.0)
Cosmarium / 2.0 / (1.9) / 1.6 / (1.5)
Crucigenia / 199.4 / (101.1) / 1132.1 / (423.8)
Crucigeniella / 85.4 / (37.0) / 16.4 / (13.8)
Cyanodyction / 3303.6 / (3300.0) / 0.0 / (0.0)
Cyanogranis / 0.0 / (0.0) / 185.5 / (184.0)
Dactylococcopsis / 0.0 / (0.0) / 8.2 / (4.8)
Dictosphaerium / 130.2 / (112.6) / 829.6 / (317.5)
Didymocystis / 93.2 / (75.1) / 424.6 / (181.2)
Dinobryon / 35.0 / (24.1) / 8.9 / (6.6)
Elaktothrix / 5.9 / (3.2) / 1.9 / (1.7)
Eudorina / 4.8 / (3.3) / 2.2 / (2.2)
Euglena / 31.7 / (10.4) / 165.0 / (30.2)
Eutetramorus / 6562.1 / (6545.8) / 6.6 / (6.6)
Geitlerinema / 251.7 / (197.3) / 1438.6 / (793.6)
Glenodinium / 2.6 / (2.0) / 0.3 / (0.3)
Golenkinia / 0.0 / (0.0) / 24.0 / (15.3)
Gymnodinium / 19.6 / (16.0) / 13.3 / (10.1)
Hyaloraphidium / 133.8 / (117.6) / 33.9 / (11.4)
Hyalotheca / 31.5 / (18.1) / 634.4 / (386.0)
Hydrodyction / 0.0 / (0.0) / 4.6 / (3.4)
Kirchneriella / 0.0 / (0.0) / 6.6 / (6.6)
Lagerheimia / 17.6 / (17.6) / 33.0 / (14.4)
Lepocinclis / 0.4 / (0.4) / 1.7 / (1.6)
Leptolyngbya / 53.0 / (43.2) / 0.0 / (0.0)
Lyngbya / 0.0 / (0.0) / 20.1 / (20.1)
Mallomonas / 0.0 / (0.0) / 3.3 / (2.2)
Melosira / 9.4 / (7.2) / 3.1 / (2.1)
Merismopedia / 4005.5 / (3998.2) / 2202.0 / (1010.1)
Merotrichia / 12.3 / (11.4) / 0.4 / (0.4)
Micractinium / 3.7 / (3.7) / 45.8 / (28.9)
Microcystis / 757.6 / (429.5) / 31.6 / (31.6)
Microspora / 0.0 / (0.0) / 5.4 / (4.1)
Monoraphydium / 2.2 / (1.8) / 15.0 / (10.2)
Mougeotia / 1.4 / (0.9) / 22.2 / (9.6)
Myxobactron / 0.0 / (0.0) / 0.0 / (0.0)
Nephrocytium / 0.6 / (0.6) / 0.6 / (0.6)
Oedogonium / 0.3 / (0.3) / 2.5 / (2.5)
Oocystis / 1878.6 / (1120.4) / 168.6 / (73.4)
Oscillatoria / 0.0 / (0.0) / 58.7 / (50.2)
Pandorina / 28.9 / (28.9) / 3.1 / (2.3)
Paulschulzia / 0.0 / (0.0) / 6.6 / (6.6)
Pediastrum / 30.4 / (16.6) / 161.9 / (59.0)
Penium / 0.0 / (0.0) / 0.1 / (0.1)
Pennales / 376.2 / (109.7) / 962.9 / (189.3)
Peridinium / 4.6 / (2.6) / 33.8 / (14.0)
Phacus / 1.9 / (1.3) / 18.6 / (7.6)
Phormidium / 190.9 / (74.2) / 1446.9 / (841.7)
PlanktolyngbyaA / 4435.4 / (3617.9) / 14794.4 / (7338.6)
Planktothrix / 0.0 / (0.0) / 303.3 / (289.8)
Pleurotaenium / 0.0 / (0.0) / 0.2 / (0.2)
Pseudanabaena / 145.4 / (54.7) / 406.4 / (203.6)
Raphidopsis / 0.6 / (0.6) / 0.0 / (0.0)
Rhabdoderma / 22.9 / (22.9) / 6.8 / (6.8)
Romeria / 0.0 / (0.0) / 2283.3 / (1577.0)
Scenedesmus / 152.0 / (61.3) / 1700.6 / (544.6)
Schroedaria / 5.8 / (4.2) / 1.9 / (1.6)
Selenastrum / 100.2 / (49.6) / 258.6 / (110.2)
Snowella / 0.0 / (0.0) / 28.1 / (27.3)
Sphaerocystis / 114.6 / (82.8) / 53.7 / (32.1)
Spirogyra / 0.0 / (0.0) / 16.4 / (14.0)
Spirulina / 3.8 / (2.6) / 201.5 / (201.5)
Staurastrum / 10.6 / (9.8) / 20.1 / (10.5)
Strombomonas / 2.2 / (1.9) / 4.6 / (4.6)
Synechocytis / 0.0 / (0.0) / 135.3 / (71.2)
Synecochoccus / 7.0 / (7.0) / 46.7 / (29.1)
Synura / 9.2 / (5.8) / 31.7 / (14.3)
Tetraedron / 4.0 / (2.6) / 137.6 / (57.1)
Tetrastrum / 0.0 / (0.0) / 13.3 / (9.2)
Trachelomonas / 123.8 / (42.5) / 769.4 / (296.5)
Trichodesmium / 0.0 / (0.0) / 76.7 / (76.7)
Zygnema / 0.0 / (0.0) / 8.3 / (8.3)
Mean total abundance / 67761.6 / 44408.7 / 417283.8 / 296.5
Mean species richness / 17.5 / (1.3) / 21.5 / (1.1)

SWTS (stormwater treatment system)

ACells connect to form filaments

B Cells aggregate into colonies. In such cases, counts represent filaments or colonies

Appendix DMean abundance (birds per wetland) for 24 species and 7 feeding guilds of waterbirds across two artificial wetland types, two seasons and two years in the Lower Dandenong Valley, south-eastern Australia

Wetland Type / Season / Year
Species / Urban lake / Storm water / P / spring / autumn / P / 2009/ 10 / 2010/ 11 / P
0.10 / 0.13 / 0.75 / 0.14 / 0.09 / 0.19 / 0.12 / 0.10 / 0.27
Australian Pelican
Darter / 0.18 / 0.16 / 0.85 / 0.16 / 0.18 / 0.15 / 0.18 / 0.16 / 0.92
Little Pied Cormorant / 0.30 / 0.24 / 0.48 / 0.08 / 0.49 / <.001 / 0.29 / 0.25 / 0.65
Great Cormorant / 0.03 / 0.07 / 0.48 / 0.05 / 0.07 / 0.48 / 0.09 / 0.03 / 0.86
Little Black Cormorant / 0.44 / 0.33 / 0.80 / 0.29 / 0.48 / 0.30 / 0.39 / 0.38 / 0.33
Australasian Grebe / 0.52 / 0.40 / 0.98 / 0.28 / 0.66 / <.001 / 0.51 / 0.40 / 0.82
Hoary-headed Grebe / 0.28 / 0.21 / 0.48 / 0.19 / 0.30 / 0.79 / 0.28 / 0.21 / 0.86
Black Swan / 0.27 / 0.43 / 0.75 / 0.15 / 0.57 / 0.20 / 0.25 / 0.45 / 0.50
Domestic Duck / 0.24 / 0.15 / 0.64 / 0.16 / 0.22 / 0.18 / 0.32 / 0.08 / 0.01
Mallard (or hybrid domestic duck) / 0.29 / 0.16 / 0.38 / 0.24 / 0.21 / 0.63 / 0.16 / 0.28 / 0.12
Pacific Black Duck / 4.78 / 10.18 / 0.08 / 5.72 / 8.62 / <.001 / 7.29 / 6.80 / 0.85
Grey Teal / 0.18 / 0.03 / 0.57 / 0.15 / 0.05 / 0.45 / 0.22 / 0.00 / 0.02
Chestnut Teal / 0.79 / 0.78 / 0.58 / 1.12 / 0.39 / 0.05 / 0.96 / 0.51 / 0.81
Hardhead / 0.07 / 0.15 / 0.17 / 0.33 / -0.05 / 0.01 / 0.22 / 0.01 / 0.14
Australian Wood Duck / 2.04 / 1.17 / 0.60 / 1.59 / 1.55 / 0.78 / 1.68 / 1.09 / 0.41
Blue-billed Duck / 0.27 / 0.02 / 0.42 / 0.20 / 0.09 / 0.12 / 0.27 / 0.10 / 0.63
Dusky Moorhen / 1.94 / 3.54 / 0.41 / 1.79 / 3.78 / <.001 / 2.03 / 3.40 / 0.02
Purple Swamphen / 1.77 / 4.32 / 0.12 / 2.16 / 3.65 / 0.01 / 2.70 / 2.97 / 0.45
Eurasian Coot / 2.05 / 2.22 / 0.98 / 2.83 / 1.56 / 0.01 / 3.41 / 1.22 / <.001
White-faced Heron / 0.11 / 0.32 / 0.01 / 0.20 / 0.22 / 0.01 / 0.23 / 0.18 / 0.75
Egret sp. / 0.03 / 0.03 / 0.80 / 0.03 / 0.03 / 0.20 / 0.06 / 0.00 / 0.38
Australian White Ibis / 0.06 / 0.09 / 0.60 / 0.01 / 0.15 / 0.03 / 0.14 / 0.01 / 0.53
Masked Lapwing / 0.14 / 0.70 / <.001 / 0.15 / 0.70 / <.001 / 0.46 / 0.33 / 0.63
Silver Gull / 0.34 / 0.31 / 0.94 / 0.17 / 0.51 / 0.01 / 0.56 / 0.13 / 0.10
Waders / 0.09 / 1.86 / <.001 / 0.38 / 1.26 / <.001 / 0.69 / 0.84 / 0.71
Long-legged waders / 0.24 / 0.48 / 0.10 / 0.30 / 0.41 / 0.01 / 0.51 / 0.21 / 0.21
Swamphens and coot / 7.14 / 10.73 / 0.63 / 8.01 / 9.60 / 0.29 / 9.99 / 7.70 / 0.02
Pursuit predators / 1.44 / 0.92 / 0.53 / 0.74 / 1.70 / 0.01 / 1.53 / 0.86 / 0.56
Diving waterfowl / 1.04 / 1.17 / 0.92 / 0.91 / 1.31 / 0.44 / 1.12 / 1.09 / 0.44
Dabbling waterfowl / 6.24 / 11.65 / 0.01 / 7.85 / 9.33 / 0.05 / 9.57 / 7.65 / 0.77
Herbivorous waterfowl / 2.25 / 1.46 / 0.35 / 1.61 / 2.06 / 0.40 / 2.04 / 1.63 / 0.91
Total abundance / 24.94 / 39.18 / 0.28 / 26.23 / 37.28 / 0.01 / 34.64 / 28.24 / 0.26
Total number species / 4.94 / 5.43 / 0.54 / 5.14 / 5.21 / 0.11 / 5.83 / 4.59 / 0.24

Values represent back transformed means (for all species with a minimum abundance of 10 individuals) generated from the REML analyses on log10(x + 1) data

P represents the P value for testing the null hypothesis of equal means between wetland types, season and year

Appendix EMean density (birds per hectare) of 24 species and 7 feeding guilds of waterbirds across two artificial wetland types, two seasons and two years in the Lower Dandenong Valley, south-eastern Australia

Wetland type / Season / Year
Species / Urban lake / Storm water / P / spring / autumn / P / 2009/10 / 2010/11 / P
0.01 / 0.03 / 0.16 / 0.03 / 0.02 / 0.09 / 0.02 / 0.02 / 0.37
Australian Pelican
Darter / 0.05 / 0.05 / 0.86 / 0.04 / 0.05 / 0.10 / 0.05 / 0.05 / 0.92
Little Pied Cormorant / 0.16 / 0.12 / 0.58 / 0.03 / 0.26 / <.001 / 0.14 / 0.14 / 0.98
Great Cormorant / 0.03 / 0.01 / 0.70 / 0.02 / 0.02 / 0.68 / 0.02 / 0.02 / 0.91
Little Black Cormorant / 0.24 / 0.11 / 0.79 / 0.13 / 0.21 / 0.38 / 0.20 / 0.14 / 0.49
Australasian Grebe / 0.48 / 0.38 / 0.96 / 0.28 / 0.59 / 0.01 / 0.44 / 0.42 / 0.64
Hoary-headed Grebe / 0.19 / 0.13 / 0.53 / 0.14 / 0.19 / 0.60 / 0.20 / 0.13 / 0.06
Black Swan / 0.11 / 0.16 / 0.76 / 0.06 / 0.22 / 0.37 / 0.10 / 0.17 / 0.27
Domestic Duck / 0.10 / 0.05 / 0.57 / 0.07 / 0.09 / 0.42 / 0.13 / 0.03 / 0.02
Mallard / 0.20 / 0.05 / 0.38 / 0.13 / 0.12 / 0.96 / 0.10 / 0.16 / 0.04
Pacific Black Duck / 2.89 / 5.84 / 0.05 / 3.47 / 4.96 / 0.01 / 4.14 / 4.18 / 0.27
Grey Teal / 0.09 / 0.05 / 0.59 / 0.09 / 0.05 / 0.91 / 0.14 / 0.00 / 0.05
Chestnut Teal / 0.52 / 0.37 / 0.88 / 0.65 / 0.26 / 0.18 / 0.64 / 0.26 / 0.82
Hardhead / 0.02 / 0.10 / 0.04 / 0.18 / 0.00 / 0.01 / 0.14 / 0.00 / 0.05
Australian Wood Duck / 1.30 / 1.37 / 0.61 / 1.37 / 1.30 / 0.79 / 1.48 / 1.19 / 0.60
Blue-billed Duck / 0.13 / 0.01 / 0.36 / 0.09 / 0.04 / 0.01 / 0.08 / 0.05 / 0.91
Dusky Moorhen / 1.30 / 1.75 / 0.94 / 1.03 / 2.12 / 0.01 / 1.18 / 1.90 / 0.05
Purple Swamphen / 0.98 / 2.36 / 0.09 / 1.19 / 2.05 / 0.03 / 2.12 / 1.69 / 0.38
Eurasian Coot / 1.02 / 1.22 / 0.58 / 1.63 / 1.11 / 0.07 / 1.90 / 0.91 / 0.01
White-faced Heron / 0.06 / 0.11 / 0.42 / 0.08 / 0.09 / 0.02 / 0.12 / 0.04 / 0.19
Egret sp. / 0.01 / 0.01 / 0.67 / 0.01 / 0.01 / 0.14 / 0.02 / 0.00 / 0.39
Australian White Ibis / 0.04 / 0.05 / 0.80 / 0.01 / 0.08 / 0.04 / 0.08 / 0.01 / 0.41
Masked Lapwing / 0.09 / 0.43 / 0.02 / 0.06 / 0.47 / <.001 / 0.28 / 0.21 / 0.49
Silver Gull / 0.15 / 0.20 / 0.39 / 0.06 / 0.31 / 0.02 / 0.33 / 0.04 / 0.24
Waders / 0.10 / 0.43 / 0.03 / 0.07 / 0.47 / <.001 / 0.29 / 6.05 / 0.54
Long-legged waders / 0.13 / 0.22 / 0.39 / 0.13 / 0.22 / 0.01 / 0.27 / 0.08 / 0.10
Swamphens and coot / 0.18 / 5.59 / 0.82 / 4.39 / 5.57 / 0.31 / 5.47 / 4.47 / 0.07
Pursuit predators / 0.72 / 0.52 / 0.88 / 0.32 / 0.99 / <.001 / 0.80 / 0.45 / 0.86
Diving waterfowl / 0.85 / 0.69 / 0.96 / 0.69 / 0.85 / 0.07 / 0.89 / 0.91 / 0.29
Dabbling waterfowl / 3.51 / 5.84 / 0.14 / 4.32 / 4.80 / 0.02 / 5.21 / 3.97 / 0.88
Herbivorous waterfowl / 1.44 / 1.83 / 0.52 / 1.47 / 1.79 / 0.59 / 1.68 / 1.59 / 0.71
Total density / 14.28 / 23.38 / 0.21 / 15.14 / 22.12 / 0.01 / 19.80 / 16.91 / 0.47
Total number species / 2.96 / 3.78 / 0.21 / 3.16 / 3.55 / 0.35 / 3.51 / 3.20 / 0.84

Values represent back transformed means (for all species with a minimum abundance of 10 individuals) generated from the REML analyses on log10(x + 1) data

P represents the P value for testing the null hypothesis of equal means between wetland types, season and year

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