Prioritizing coastal wetlands for marsh bird conservation in the U.S. Great Lakes

Grand, Joanna; Saunders, Sarah P.; Michel, Nicole L.; Elliott, Lisa H.; Beilke, Stephanie; Bracey, Annie; Gehring, Thomas M.; Giese, Erin E. Gnass; Howe, Robert W.; Kasberg, Bradford; Miller, Nathaniel R.; Niemi, Gerald J.; Norment, Christopher J.; Tozer, Douglas C.; Wu, Joanna X.; Wilsey, Chad B.

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108708

Cited by 15 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…All but one of our top models included local‐scale habitat characteristics; however, our models also indicated that landscape‐scale habitat features were informative for these species—a finding reported by others for some of these species within the Great Lakes (e.g., Grand et al, 2020; Saunders et al, 2019; Tozer et al, 2020), Prairie Pothole Region (Forcey et al, 2007), and Gulf Coast (Pickens & King, 2014) regions. Collecting local‐scale data requires much greater investment of time and labor, whereas remotely gathered data are easier to acquire and can be acquired across wide geographic ranges (Williams et al, 2002).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 62%

Application of habitat association models across regions: Useful explanatory power retained in wetland bird case study

et al. 2023

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Species often exhibit regionally specific habitat associations, so habitat association models developed in one region might not be accurate or even appropriate for other regions. Three programs to survey wetland‐breeding birds covering (respectively) Great Lakes coastal wetlands, inland Great Lakes wetlands, and the Prairie Pothole Region offer an opportunity to test whether regionally specific models of habitat use by wetland‐obligate breeding birds are transferrable across regions. We first developed independent, regional population density models for four species of wetland‐obligate birds: Pied‐billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps), Virginia Rail (Rallus limicola), Sora (Porzana carolina), and American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus). We then used adjusted pseudo‐R2 values to compare the amount of variation explained by each model when applied to data collected in each of the three regions. Although certain habitat characteristics, such as emergent vegetation and wetland area, were consistently important across regions, models for each species differed by region—both in variables selected for inclusion and often in the directionality of relationships for common variables—indicating that habitat associations for these species are regionally specific. When we applied a model developed in one region to data collected in another region, we found that explanatory power was reduced in most (71%) models. Therefore, we suggest that ecological analyses should emphasize regionally specific habitat association models whenever possible. Nonetheless, models created from inland Great Lakes wetland data had higher median explanatory power when applied to other regions, and the amount of explanatory power lost by other transferred models was relatively small. Thus, while regionally specific habitat association models are preferable, in the absence of reliable regional data, habitat association models developed in one region may be applied to another region, but the results need to be cautiously interpreted. Additionally, we found that median explanatory power was higher when local‐scale habitat characteristics were included in the models, indicating that regionally specific models should ideally be based on a combination of local‐ and landscape‐scale habitat characteristics. Conservation practitioners can leverage such regionally specific models and associated monitoring data to help prioritize areas for management activities that contribute to regional conservation efforts.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 62%

Application of habitat association models across regions: Useful explanatory power retained in wetland bird case study

et al. 2023

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“…Based on habitat associations of marsh birds nesting in the Great Lakes region, Grand et al (2020) developed a spatial http://www.ace-eco.org/vol16/iss2/art12/ prioritization to identify specific wetlands as conservation priorities. Other regions, such as the U.S. Prairie Pothole Region, have taken species-specific approaches to spatial prioritization of waterbirds (Prairie Pothole Joint Venture 2017).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Secretive marsh bird habitat associations in the Mississippi Flyway: a meta-analysis

Malone¹,

Webb²,

Mengel³

et al. 2021

ACE

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Secretive marsh birds, including rails and bitterns, have experienced widespread population declines due to the loss of wetland habitat on which they depend. Because of their cryptic behavior, secretive marsh birds are challenging to study and information on their habitat requirements is limited, especially across the full annual cycle. Quantifying habitat associations throughout the annual cycle and at broad geographic scales can advance a more comprehensive approach for secretive marsh bird conservation. The goal of this study was to quantitatively synthesize results from empirical studies that examined species-habitat relationships of secretive marsh birds in the North American Mississippi Flyway to identify general patterns and information gaps that can guide future management and conservation efforts. We performed a meta-analysis and incorporated results from 40 studies that quantitatively assessed habitat associations of American Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus), Least Bittern (Ixobrychus exilis), King Rail (Rallus elegans), Sora (Porzana carolina), Virginia Rail (Rallus limicola), and Yellow Rail (Coturnicops noveboracensis). Most studies examined breeding season habitat, whereas only 13% reported on habitat use during migration and none during winter. At landscape scales, breeding marsh birds were positively associated with amount of wetlands, especially in the Great Lakes region, and negatively associated with amount of urban land cover, particularly for American Bittern. At the local scale, breeding marsh birds were positively associated with cattail coverage (Typha spp) and other robust emergent vegetation. Overall, marsh birds were negatively associated with woody wetland vegetation, although effects were weaker in the Prairie region and varied among species. During autumn migration, moistsoil vegetation coverage was important for rails in the lower Midwest. The habitat use patterns we identified across studies provide a general characterization of marsh bird breeding habitat to aid in landscape-level multi-species conservation efforts. Our study also highlights the immediate research needs for full annual cycle conservation of secretive marsh bird habitat in North America: specifically, information during winter and migration.

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“…A prior study conducted in the Great Lakes region found that American Bittern, Black‐crowned Night‐Heron, Blue‐winged Teal, Least Bittern, and Swamp Sparrow occurrences were not significantly associated with the percentage of impervious surfaces compared with wetland type, water level, and Phragmites presence (Grand et al, 2020). Likewise, we found that Black‐crowned Night‐Heron, Blue‐winged Teal, and Least Bittern occupancy was not related to urbanization in our study area.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Spatial drivers of wetland bird occupancy within an urbanized matrix in the Upper Midwestern United States

2022

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Wetland birds are undergoing severe population declines in North America, with habitat degradation and wetland loss considered two of the primary causes. Due to the cryptic nature of many wetland bird species, the ecological conditions (e.g., matrix composition) that influence bird occupancy, and the relevant spatial scales at which to measure bird responses, remain unclear but may affect inference about wetland use and suitability. We conducted wetland bird surveys at 477 points across northeastern Illinois and northwestern Indiana within the highly urbanized landscape surrounding Chicago. Using remotely sensed land cover data, we built occupancy models for 10 wetland bird species (American Coot Fulica americana, Black-crowned Night-Heron Nycticorax nycticorax, Blue-winged Teal Anas discors, Common Gallinule Gallinula galeata, Least Bittern Ixobrychus exilis, Marsh Wren Cistothorus palustris, Pied-billed Grebe Podilymbus podiceps,

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Prioritizing coastal wetlands for marsh bird conservation in the U.S. Great Lakes

Cited by 15 publications

References 56 publications

Application of habitat association models across regions: Useful explanatory power retained in wetland bird case study

Application of habitat association models across regions: Useful explanatory power retained in wetland bird case study

Secretive marsh bird habitat associations in the Mississippi Flyway: a meta-analysis

Spatial drivers of wetland bird occupancy within an urbanized matrix in the Upper Midwestern United States

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