Secretive Marsh Bird Densities and Habitat Associations in the Prairie Pothole Region

Orr, Joseph T.; Duquette, Cameron A.; Hovick, Torre J.; Geaumont, Benjamin A.; Harms, Tyler M.

doi:10.1007/s13157-019-01251-x

Cited by 2 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…subsequent winters, the weight of snow and freezing causes cattail mats to disintegrate and sink, creating more edges and interspersion of open water, resulting in higher structural heterogeneity and higher plant species diversity (Lishawa et al 2015). We suspect that these changes in wetland vegetation in our study increased habitat quality for breeding marshbirds, especially for rails (Conway and Eddleman 1994, Melvin and Gibbs 1994, Fairbairn and Dinsmore 2001, Orr et al 2020.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

“…For example, food abundance and availability may be affected either directly or indirectly by herbicide application, although we do not know the extent or direction of these effects in the system we studied. In addition, marshbird‐habitat relations in the context of wetland vegetation and the response of breeding marshbirds to large‐scale changes in vegetation and wetland characteristics are poorly documented in the PPR (but see Fairbairn and Dinsmore 2001, Orr et al 2020)—future evaluation of the potential effects of food abundance and availability, factors that influence marshbird detection, and marshbird‐habitat relations at the breeding home‐range scale may provide further insight into the response of marshbirds to control of invasive vegetation in PPR and other wetlands. For impounded PPR wetlands, our results indicate a positive response of breeding marshbirds to chemical control of invasive, monotypic cattail vegetation, and that the effect of that control on marshbirds is evident 3 years following treatment and may extend further.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In general, breeding marshbirds prefer habitat with patches of emergent vegetation interspersed with open water or mudflats (Lor and Malecki 2006), high edge‐to‐interior ratio (Chabot et al 2014), and plant communities with a range of canopy height and density (Johnson and Dinsmore 1986) that are generally free of woody vegetation (Bolenbaugh et al 2011, Harms and Dinsmore 2013). In the PPR, however, marshbird‐habitat relations in the context of wetland vegetation are poorly documented (but see Fairbairn and Dinsmore 2001, Orr et al 2020). Most marshbird species rely on seasonally dynamic water levels, and some species, particularly rails (family Rallidae), are abundant in wetlands that include diverse vegetation structure and patchy interspersion of cover types (Johnson and Dinsmore 1986, Tacha and Braun 1994, Fairbairn and Dinsmore 2001, Zimmerman et al 2002, Orr et al 2020).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the PPR, however, marshbird‐habitat relations in the context of wetland vegetation are poorly documented (but see Fairbairn and Dinsmore 2001, Orr et al 2020). Most marshbird species rely on seasonally dynamic water levels, and some species, particularly rails (family Rallidae), are abundant in wetlands that include diverse vegetation structure and patchy interspersion of cover types (Johnson and Dinsmore 1986, Tacha and Braun 1994, Fairbairn and Dinsmore 2001, Zimmerman et al 2002, Orr et al 2020). If treating areas dominated by cattail with herbicide restores these conditions, then breeding marshbird use and abundance may increase in wetlands following herbicide application (as reported for black terns [ Chlidonias niger ]; Linz et al 1994, Linz and Blixt 1997).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Marshbird response to herbicide control of cattail in northwestern Minnesota

Hill,

Johnson,

Cooper

et al. 2023

J Wildl Manag

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Wetlands provide essential habitat for a wide variety of wildlife species. In the once wetland‐rich Prairie Pothole Region and adjacent areas of central North America, many wetlands have been converted to agricultural production. Many remaining wetlands experience ecological change via the invasion and spread of non‐native plant species, such as non‐native narrowleaf (Typha angustifolia) and hybrid cattail (Typha x glauca), which spread aggressively and displace native vegetation, especially in large, impounded wetlands. Management of wetlands in these landscapes often includes broad‐scale herbicide application intended to break up mats of cattail and restore areas to more wildlife‐friendly conditions. Although restoration of wildlife habitat is a common goal of such management, marshbird response to invasive cattail control is poorly understood. To evaluate the effects of cattail management on wetland wildlife, we conducted standardized call‐broadcast surveys for 5 species of marshbirds at 9 study sites that included survey locations associated with areas treated with herbicide and paired areas not treated with herbicide in wetland impoundments in northwestern Minnesota, USA, using a before‐after, control‐impact study design. We surveyed American bitterns (Botaurus lentiginosus), least bitterns (Ixobrychus exilis), pied‐billed grebes (Podilymbus podiceps), soras (Porzana carolina), and Virginia rails (Rallus limicola) during the breeding season prior to herbicide application (late summer and early autumn of 2015) and during the 3 breeding seasons after herbicide application (2016–2018). We modeled species counts using a generalized linear mixed model with year‐by‐treatment interactions as fixed effects and site as a random effect. Before herbicide application, expected mean counts did not differ between treatment and control survey locations. Three years post‐treatment, we detected significant increases in expected mean counts at treatment compared to control survey locations for soras (t193 = −3.373, P = 0.020) and Virginia rails (t193 = −3.167, P = 0.037), and point estimates for all species except least bittern were higher at treatment survey locations. Overall, our results suggest that these marshbird species responded positively to herbicide control of invasive cattail and that breeding marshbirds in these and similar wetland systems may experience positive population response over a period of at least 3 years following treatment.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Marshbird response to herbicide control of cattail in northwestern Minnesota

Hill,

Johnson,

Cooper

et al. 2023

J Wildl Manag

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“…Homogenization of other prairie-pothole ecosystem attributes threaten their important landscape functions and the societal benefits they provide. The increased presence of more monotypic stands of non-native vegetative communities in the wetland marsh zones has been attributed to a decline in native wetland plant communities [74,95,112] and has been found to limit the abundance of certain secretive marsh bird densities [138,139]. However, the impacts of homogenized plant communities dominated by invasive plant species and other land-use related effects on wetland aquatic animal species (e.g., aquatic invertebrates and amphibians) are relatively unknown.…”

Section: Consequences Of Ecosystem Homogenizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate and Land Use Driven Ecosystem Homogenization in the Prairie Pothole Region

McLean

Mushet

Sweetman

2022

Water

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The homogenization of freshwater ecosystems and their biological communities has emerged as a prevalent and concerning phenomenon because of the loss of ecosystem multifunctionality. The millions of prairie-pothole wetlands scattered across the Prairie Pothole Region (hereafter PPR) provide critical ecosystem functions at local, regional, and continental scales. However, an estimated loss of 50% of historical wetlands and the widespread conversion of grasslands to cropland make the PPR a heavily modified landscape. Therefore, it is essential to understand the current and potential future stressors affecting prairie-pothole wetland ecosystems in order to conserve and restore their functions. Here, we describe a conceptual model that illustrates how (a) historical wetland losses, (b) anthropogenic landscape modifications, and (c) climate change interact and have altered the variability among remaining depressional wetland ecosystems (i.e., ecosystem homogenization) in the PPR. We reviewed the existing literature to provide examples of wetland ecosystem homogenization, provide implications for wetland management, and identify informational gaps that require further study. We found evidence for spatial, hydrological, chemical, and biological homogenization of prairie-pothole wetlands. Our findings indicate that the maintenance of wetland ecosystem multifunctionality is dependent on the preservation and restoration of heterogenous wetland complexes, especially the restoration of small wetland basins.

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Secretive Marsh Bird Densities and Habitat Associations in the Prairie Pothole Region

Cited by 2 publications

References 44 publications

Marshbird response to herbicide control of cattail in northwestern Minnesota

Marshbird response to herbicide control of cattail in northwestern Minnesota

Climate and Land Use Driven Ecosystem Homogenization in the Prairie Pothole Region

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