Wetland-Scale Habitat Determinants Influencing Least Bittern Use of Created Wetlands

Waterbirds ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Slade Moore ◽  
Jack R. Nawrot ◽  
John P. Severson
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 187-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eveline Christien van der Deijl ◽  
Marcel van der Perk ◽  
Hans Middelkoop

Abstract. Many deltas are threatened by accelerated soil subsidence, sea-level rise, increasing river discharge, and sediment starvation. Effective delta restoration and effective river management require a thorough understanding of the mechanisms of sediment deposition, erosion, and their controls. Sediment dynamics has been studied at floodplains and marshes, but little is known about the sediment dynamics and budget of newly created wetlands. Here we take advantage of a recently opened tidal freshwater system to study both the mechanisms and controls of sediment deposition and erosion in newly created wetlands. We quantified both the magnitude and spatial patterns of sedimentation and erosion in a former polder area in which water and sediment have been reintroduced since 2008. Based on terrestrial and bathymetric elevation data, supplemented with field observations of the location and height of cut banks and the thickness of the newly deposited layer of sediment, we determined the sediment budget of the study area for the period 2008–2015. Deposition primarily took place in channels in the central part of the former polder area, whereas channels near the inlet and outlet of the area experienced considerable erosion. In the intertidal area, sand deposition especially takes place at low-lying locations close to the channels. Mud deposition typically occurs further away from the channels, but sediment is in general uniformly distributed over the intertidal area, due to the presence of topographic irregularities and micro-topographic flow paths. Marsh erosion does not significantly contribute to the total sediment budget, because wind wave formation is limited by the length of the fetch. Consecutive measurements of channel bathymetry show a decrease in erosion and deposition rates over time, but the overall results of this study indicate that the area functions as a sediment trap. The total contemporary sediment budget of the study area amounts to 35.7×103 m3 year−1, which corresponds to a net area-averaged deposition rate of 6.1 mm year−1. This is enough to compensate for the actual rates of sea-level rise and soil subsidence in the Netherlands.


2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (7) ◽  
pp. 1991-2005
Author(s):  
Mengjie Zhang ◽  
Xingzhong Yuan ◽  
Dongjie Guan ◽  
Hong Liu ◽  
Kuo Sun ◽  
...  

Scientifica ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah L. Clipp ◽  
Michael L. Peters ◽  
James T. Anderson

Information on nonbreeding waterbirds using created wetlands in the Central Appalachian region of the United States is limited. We compared waterbird communities of two managed wetlands, created in 2013 and 2001, in West Virginia. We observed 27 species of waterbirds. Species richness and diversity were generally similar between the wetlands, but species composition and use differed.Branta canadensis(Canada Geese),Anas strepera(Gadwall),Bucephala albeola(Buffleheads),Aythya affinis(Lesser Scaup), andAythya collaris(Ring-Necked Ducks) used the older wetland most frequently. Disparities in species use were the highest in March. The older wetland differed from the younger in supporting species such as diving ducks, possibly due to differences in size, vegetation, water depth, and microtopography. However, the ability to provide habitat for waterbirds during the winter was determined to be comparable between wetlands, despite their age difference.


2013 ◽  
Vol 125 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benoît Jobin ◽  
Marc J. Mazerolle ◽  
Nickolas D. Bartok ◽  
Ron Bazin

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel F. Strain ◽  
Philip J. Turk ◽  
Jordan Helmick ◽  
James T. Anderson

Context Evaluating the adequacy of created wetlands to replace the functions of lost natural wetlands is important because wetland mitigation is a major tool used to offset wetland losses. However, measurements such as vegetative cover and presence of wildlife may not provide sufficient evidence that created wetlands are functioning properly. Thus, examining the ecology of wetland biota such as that of amphibians may be a more useful surrogate for function. Aims The objectives of this study were to compare the abundance of amphibian metamorphs and survival and growth of larval amphibians in created wetlands, relative to natural wetlands. Methods Amphibian metamorphs were trapped in created and natural wetlands during the spring (April–May) and summer (June–August) of 2009 and 2010, and 165 green frog (Lithobates clamitans) larvae were raised during the spring of 2010 in laboratory aquaria containing water from created or natural wetlands. Key results Abundance of spring peeper (Pseudacris crucifer) metamorphs decreased significantly from 2009 to 2010 and abundance of green frog metamorphs increased with habitat complexity, but both were unaffected by wetland type. Detection probability of metamorphs of both species was low, increased with water temperature and declined with month of observation. Survival, growth curves and mass were similar among green frog larvae raised in created and natural wetland aquaria. Conclusions Our results suggest that the created and natural wetlands we examined function similarly with respect to providing adequate breeding habitat for green frogs and spring peepers. Implications Wetlands created to offset the loss of natural wetlands, although generally not designed for the purpose of wildlife habitat, can function as adequate breeding habitat for generalist amphibians such as green frogs and spring peepers.


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