Movements and Activity Patterns of the Light-Footed Clapper Rail

Zembal, Richard; Massey, Barbara W.; Fancher, Jack M.

doi:10.2307/3801302

Cited by 22 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…This is markedly different from Virginia populations that only nest adjacent to tidal creeks, which is why both tidal creek and tidal pool sediment/crabs were sampled in each home range and compared. The average clapper rail home range of 1.2 ± 0.8 SE ha found in this study, however, was consistent within the range found for previous studies, which generally varied from 0.4 to 1.8 ha (Eddleman and Conway 1998;Roth et al 1972;Zembal et al 1989). In this study, most rails had small home ranges and tended to stay within 1 ha of the nest.…”

Section: Home Rangecontrasting

confidence: 34%

“…Throughout their range, this species is an integral part of the salt marsh ecosystem in which they reside. The rails' strong fidelity to their breeding grounds (Zembal et al 1989) and predictable diet feeding relatively high on the food chain (Eddleman and Conway 1998), makes it an ideal organism to study the movement and fate of contaminants in disturbed ecosystems. Therefore, using rails as an indicator species addresses both ecosystem and human health risks over the long-term.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Clapper rails as indicators of mercury and PCB bioavailability in a Georgia saltmarsh system

et al. 2008

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Mills, Gary L.; Garvin, N.; Stephens, Warren L. Jr.; Novak, James N.; and Brisbin, I. L. Jr., "Clapper rails as indicators of mercury and PCB bioavailability in a Georgia saltmarsh system" (2008 Abstract Clapper rails (Rallus longirostris) were used as an indicator species of estuarine marsh habitat quality because of their strong site fidelity and predictable diet consisting of mostly benthic organisms. Mercury (Hg) and the polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) Aroclor 1268 concentrations were determined for sediments, crabs, as well as clapper rail adults and chicks collected from salt marshes associated with the LCP Superfund site in Brunswick, Georgia. Home ranges were established for adult rails, and sediment and crab samples were taken from each individual's range. The study was designed to minimize the spatial variability associated with trophic transfer studies by choosing an endpoint species with a potentially small home range and specifically sampling its foraging range. The mean home range for clapper rails was 1.2 ha with a median of 0.28 ha. Concentrations of Hg and Aroclor 1268 were shown to increase with each trophic level. Transfer factors between media followed the same pattern for both contaminants with the highest between fiddler crabs and clapper rail liver. Hg and PCB transfer factors were similar between sediment to fiddler crab and fiddler crab to muscle, however the PCB transfer factor from fiddler crabs to liver was over twice as large as for Hg. PCB congener profiles did not significantly differ between media types.

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Section: Home Rangecontrasting

confidence: 34%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Clapper rails as indicators of mercury and PCB bioavailability in a Georgia saltmarsh system

et al. 2008

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“…Species such as Seaside Sparrow, Saltmarsh Sharptailed Sparrow (hereafter referred to as Sharp-tailed Sparrow), and Clapper Rail, which are normally found only in the relatively short-stature Spartina spp. (cordgrass) marshes and adjacent transitional marshes (Burger 1985, Zembal et al 1989, Craig 1990, may be especially unlikely to use a marsh dominated by tall, thick stands of Phragmites.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of the spread ofPhragmites on the distribution of birds in Connecticut tidal marshes

1999

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Dense monoculturcs of Phragmites australis (common reed) have been rapidly expanding in Connecticut's tidal wetlands at the expense of cordgrass (Spartina spp.) and cattail (Typha spp). Bird and vegetation surveys in 40 salt and brackish marshes showed that there were significantly fewer species of birds and state-listed species in Phragmites-dorninated wetlands than in short-grass marshes. Seaside Sparrow, Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow, and Wilier, three marsh specialists adapted to nesting in short gramiholds, had low frequencies in plots dominated by Phragmites. Marsh Wren and Swamp Sparrow, however, are marsh specialists that prefer tall, reedy vegetation, and both species had signiticantly greater densities at sites with more Phragmites or cattail. Although the bird communities of cattail sites and Phragmites sites were similar, the abundance of Virginia Rails was positively correlated with percent cover of cattail but not Phragmites. The extent of pools was positively related to bird species richness in short-grass meadows but not in Phragmites plots. In Phragmites-dominated wetlands, the height and density of reed stands may inhibit bird use of any pools that are present. Muskrats create pools that may enhance bird species richness, but populations of this mammal have dwindled during the same time period that Phragmites increased in Connecticut's marshes. Although a few species may benefit from reed invasion, it has a negative impact on some marsh bird species thai have 'already declined. These findings support the continued need for marsh restoration and the control of comnlon recd.

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“…The minimum distance between snail sampling plots was 200 m, a distance exceeding the maximum home range size observed for Clapper Rails in California populations (Zembal et al 1989). The minimum distance between snail sampling plots was 200 m, a distance exceeding the maximum home range size observed for Clapper Rails in California populations (Zembal et al 1989).…”

Section: Quantifying Trematode Infection In Final Host Birdsmentioning

confidence: 85%

“…Furthermore, Clapper Rail populations are sedentary and adult birds are territorial, maintaining small home ranges throughout the year (Zembal et al 1989). Clapper Rails are habitat specialists, occurring almost exclusively in vegetated portions of coastal wetlands.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Endangered Light‐footed Clapper Rail Affects Parasite Community Structure in Coastal Wetlands

Whitney

Hechinger

Kuris

et al. 2007

Ecological Applications

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An extinction necessarily affects community members that have obligate relationships with the extinct species. Indirect or cascading effects can lead to even broader changes at the community or ecosystem level. However, it is not clear whether generalist parasites should be affected by the extinction of one of their hosts. We tested the prediction that loss of a host species could affect the structure of a generalist parasite community by investigating the role of endangered Light-footed Clapper Rails (Rallus longirostris levipes) in structuring trematode communities in four tidal wetlands in southern California, U.S.A. (Carpinteria Salt Marsh, Mugu Lagoon) and Mexico (Estero de Punta Banda, Bahia Falsa-San Quintin). We used larval trematode parasites in first intermediate host snails (Cerithidea californica) as windows into the adult trematodes that parasitize Clapper Rails. Within and among wetlands, we found positive associations between Clapper Rails and four trematode species, particularly in the vegetated marsh habitat where Clapper Rails typically occur. This suggests that further loss of Clapper Rails is likely to affect the abundance of several competitively dominant trematode species in wetlands with California horn snails, with possible indirect effects on the trematode community and changes in the impacts of these parasites on fishes and invertebrates.

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Movements and Activity Patterns of the Light-Footed Clapper Rail

Cited by 22 publications

References 3 publications

Clapper rails as indicators of mercury and PCB bioavailability in a Georgia saltmarsh system

Clapper rails as indicators of mercury and PCB bioavailability in a Georgia saltmarsh system

Impact of the spread ofPhragmites on the distribution of birds in Connecticut tidal marshes

Endangered Light‐footed Clapper Rail Affects Parasite Community Structure in Coastal Wetlands

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