Browsing by Author "Bracey, Annie"
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Item Coastal Wetland Monitoring Survey Report: Clough Island(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2014-06) Dumke, Josh; Brady, Valerie; Danz, Nicholas P; Bracey, Annie; Niemi, Gerald JBetter than average water quality at Clough Island wetlands (for chloride and conductivity), as compared to most other SLR estuary wetlands, demonstrates the island's distance from human development. However, these wetlands still are located in the St. Louis River estuary, and thus have poorer quality by many measures than nearby Lake Superior wetlands. In particular, Clough Island wetlands had poorly-developed wet meadow zones compared to Lake Superior wetlands. Most of the Clough Island wetland areas were dominated by an emergent vegetation zone. Submergent vegetation was very patchy, and research by US EPA (Angradi, pers. comm.) found that SAV abundance across the whole estuary varies yearly depending on turbidity levels. In addition, Island wetlands have higher exposure to wind and wave action than do wetlands in secluded bays, which also affects the development of extensive aquatic vegetation beds. Clough wetlands had both high quality and low quality vegetation species, with purple loosestrife and invasive cattail particularly prevalent at 1089. Therefore, floristic quality values were very similar to other estuary sites, but lower than nearby Lake Superior wetlands that had fen components. Clough Island wetland fyke net fish catches were skewed toward warmer water fish (e.g., sunfish) than nearby Lake Superior sites, and water temperatures were substantially higher in the SLR estuary than in Lake Superior wetlands. Clough Island wetland site 1089 also had the most invasive tubenose gobies comprising a fish catch. In contrast, site 1089 had the greatest fish taxa richness. Clough Island wetlands did not provide as much habitat for YOY fish as did highly vegetated, secluded bays. Site 1102 had the greatest number of habitats and included a floating bog mat. Thus, macroinvertebrate richness was highest at site 1102, and more sensitive macroinvertebrates were present at this site. Site 1201 had the fewest habitats, and it had the lowest taxa richness for fish and macroinvertebrates (although sampling effort was also lowest at this site due to the lack of habitats). An invasive, non-native snail (Bithynio, the faucet snail) was found in all wetlands, but made up 7% of the macroinvertebrates collected from site 1201. This was different from nearby Lake Superior wetlands, in which no invasive macroinvertebrates were found. Bird use at Clough Island was different in some ways from other estuary wetlands. Wind and wave exposure and lack of protection may explain why migrating waterfowl and waterbirds were less commonly observed at Clough Island wetlands relative to other estuary wetlands. However, the island's isolation, lack of human usage, and potential for lower numbers of predators may benefit breeding birds, and forest-dwelling songbirds that were detected in large numbers during the breeding season. This idea is reinforced by the detection of secretive marsh birds and the foraging by Common Tern.Item Conservation and Management of Common Terns in the Western Great Lakes(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2016-12-30) Bracey, AnnieOur primary objective is to increase our understanding of factors that influence colony productivity and survival of Common Terns (Sterna hirundo) breeding in the Western Great Lakes region. Our goal of identifying factors that influence productivity and survival includes assessing methylmercury concentrations attained during both breeding and non-breeding seasons for adult and hatch-year (HY) birds. Collecting biological samples necessary to determine methylmercury concentrations was the primary objective supported by the MOU Savaloja Grant.Item An Ecological Design for the 21st Avenue West Remediation-to-Restoration Project(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2013) Host, George E; Meysembourg, Paul; Reschke, Carol; Brady, Valerie; Niemi, Gerald J; Bracey, Annie; Johnson, Lucinda B; James, Matthew; Austin, Jay; Buttermore, ElissaThe lower 21 miles of the St. Louis River, the largest U.S. tributary to Lake Superior, form the 4856 ha St. Louis River estuary. Despite the effects of more than 100 years of industrialized and urban development as a major Great Lakes port, the estuary remains the most significant source of biological productivity for western Lake Superior, and provides important wetland, sand beach, forested, and aquatic habitat types for a wide variety of fish and wildlife communities. The lower St. Louis River and surrounding watershed were designated an 'Area of Concern' (AOC) under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement in 1989, listing nine beneficial use impairments (BUIs), such as loss of fish and wildlife habitat, degraded fish and wildlife populations, degradation of benthos, and fish deformities. To address these BUIs, the St. Louis River Alliance (SLRA) completed the Lower St. Louis River Habitat Plan, which identified ecosystems and sites with significant habitat limitations due to contaminated sediments and other unknown factors. The 21st Avenue West Habitat Complex is one of several priority sites for a 'Remediation-to-Restoration' (R-to-R) project. The intent of the R-to-R process is to implement remediation activities to address limiting factors such as sediment contamination while also implementing restoration projects that best complement the desired ecological vision. This report documents the initial steps in the R-to-R process underway at 21st Avenue West, the development of an “Ecological Design” for the project area, and a preliminary evaluation of factors potentially limiting the realization of habitat and other land use goals. To establish the basis for this ecological design, researchers at the University of Minnesota Duluth’s Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI), in cooperation with U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and other partners, sampled the project area from late summer 2011 through fall 2012. The intent of field sampling was to establish baseline information on vegetation, benthos, birds, sediment contamination and types, and ecotoxicology. The subsequent ecological design effort will explore options to increase the overall footprint of quality aquatic vegetation beds and spawning habitat available, soften and extend shorelines, and remove or reduce the effect of industrially-influenced substrates. These options will be presented to adjacent landowners, as well as local and regional stakeholders, to contribute to the discussion on R-to-R options. The desired outcome of the project is to significantly increase the biological productivity of this complex of river flats and sheltered bays, in fulfillment of the SLRA Habitat Plan (SLRA 2002), while minimizing the risk of exposure of contaminants to fish and wildlife resources. This project was funded under USFWS Cooperative Agreement Number F11AC00517, and is part of the USFWS Environmental Contaminants Program’s goal to address contaminant-related needs of the St. Louis River Area of Concern as part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.Item An Ecological Design for the 40th Avenue West Remediation-to-Restoration Project(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2012) Host, George E; Meysembourg, Paul; Brady, Valerie; Niemi, Gerald J; Bracey, Annie; Reschke, Carol; Johnson, Lucinda BThe lower 21 miles of the St. Louis River, the largest U.S. tributary to Lake Superior, form the 4856 ha St. Louis River estuary. Despite the effects of more than 100 years of industrialized and urban development as a major Great Lakes port, the estuary remains the most significant source of biological productivity for western Lake Superior, and provides important wetland, sand beach, forested, and aquatic habitat types for a wide variety of fish and wildlife communities. The lower St. Louis River and surrounding watershed were designated an 'area of concern' (AOC) under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement in 1989 because of the presence of chemical contaminants, poor water quality, reduced fish and wildlife populations, and habitat loss. Nine beneficial use impairments (BUIs) have been identified in the AOC, including: loss of fish and wildlife habitat, degraded fish and wildlife populations, degradation of benthos, and fish tumors and deformities. The St. Louis River Citizens Action Committee, now the St. Louis River Alliance (SLRA), was formed in 1996 to facilitate meeting the needs of the AOC. Following the recommendations of the St. Louis River AOC Stage II Remedial Action Plan, the SLRA completed the Lower St. Louis River Habitat Plan (Habitat Plan) in 2002 as 'an estuary-wide guide for resource management and conservation that would lead to adequate representation, function, and protection of ecological systems in the St. Louis River, so as to sustain biological productivity, native biodiversity, and ecological integrity.' The SLRA also facilitated development of 'delisting targets' for each BUI in the St. Louis River AOC in December 2008. The Habitat Plan identified several sites within the AOC with significant habitat limitations. One of these sites, the '40th Avenue West Habitat Complex' (approximately 130 ha; Figure 1), was identified by a focus group within the SLRA habitat workgroup as a priority for a 'remediation-to-restoration' project. The purpose of the 'remediation to restoration' process is to implement remediation activities to address limiting factors such as sediment contamination, followed by restoration projects that best complement the desired ecological vision. The focus group developed a general description of desired future ecological conditions at the 40th Avenue West Habitat Complex, hereafter referred to as the 'project area,' including known present conditions and potential limiting factors of the area. In addition, the focus group recommended a process to develop specific plans and actions to achieve the desired outcomes at the site. This report documents the first step in the 'remediation-to-restoration process being implemented at the '40th Avenue West Habitat Complex,' the development of an 'Ecological Design' for the project area, and a preliminary evaluation of those factors potentially limiting the realization of those habitat and other land use goals. This report is intended to serve as a basis for a subsequent feasibility study in which remediation alternatives will be evaluated along with restoration alternatives, which may achieve the habitat goals noted here. This project was funded under USFWS Cooperative Agreement Number 30181AJ68, and is part of the USFWS Environmental Contaminants Program's goal to address contaminant-related needs of the St. Louis River Area of Concern as part of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. To establish the basis of an 'ecological design' for the project area, researchers at the University of Minnesota Duluth's Natural Resource Research Institute (NRRI), in cooperation with USFWS, USEPA, MPCA, MNDNR, and other partners, sampled the project area from the late summer 2010 through spring 2011 to establish baseline information on sediment contamination, ecotoxicology, vegetation, sediment types, benthic macroinvertebrates, fish assemblage, and bird usage of the area. Vegetation, macroinvertebrates, and sediment characterization were also completed for five reference areas selected by project cooperators. These reference areas represent less disturbed locations having high or low wind and wave exposure that can serve to demonstrate restoration potential for the project area.Item Ecology and Conservation of Common Terns (Sterna hirundo) Breeding in the North American Great Lakes Region(2021-05) Bracey, AnnieThe common tern (Sterna hirundo) is a long-distance migratory waterbird that breeds in both freshwater and marine environments in many parts of the world. Although the most wide-spread tern species in North America, populations have experienced extreme fluctuations during the last half century, with significant declines documented in the Great Lakes region and other inland breeding sites. Because of their reliance on coastal habitats, population declines have often been attributed to direct and indirect effects of human activity, such as habitat loss, modification, and degradation. In the Great Lakes most active breeding colonies occur at managed sites. The goal of my dissertation research was to document population dynamics of common terns breeding in western Lake Superior to understand how movement and demographic parameters vary between colonies and among colonies outside the region. A variety of intrinsic and extrinsic tagging methods were used to follow individuals throughout their annual cycle to identify potential risks to survival and fitness. Each chapter identifies potential risks to the population at different life stages and at different spatial and temporal scales. The first chapter documents large-scale movement patterns of adults breeding in the ‘central population unit’ using solar geolocation tracking devices to identify important migratory routes and wintering locations. Chapter 2 examines how adult foraging behavior influences mercury exposure in adults and chicks, to estimate exposure risk for birds nesting in western Lake Superior. Chapter 3 uses 36 years of mark-recapture data to identify drivers of population change by estimating survival, fecundity, and local-scale movements of adults and juveniles in western Lake Superior. These results filled gaps in knowledge about basic life history of Great Lakes nesting Common Terns and identified multiple potential risks (e.g., conditions at important stopover and non-breeding locations, especially coastal Peru, contaminant exposure at industrially-influenced breeding sites) to this population which can be mitigated through targeted conservation and management actions. Because climate change is expected to exacerbate these threats, it is imperative that suitable nesting habitat be restored and maintained for common terns breeding in the Great Lakes region, especially in the face of future environmental uncertainty and an ever-changing landscape.Item Encampment Forest: Breeding Bird Species Composition – 2014-2015(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2016) Niemi, Gerald J; Condon, Elizabeth; Bracey, Annie; Zlonis, Edmund J; Schutte, SaraDuring the summers of 2014 and 2015, we completed point count surveys for breeding birds along transects within a selected portion of the Encampment Forest during the breeding season (June) and the post-breeding season (late July-early August). The main objectives of these surveys were to determine the species composition of breeding birds within this old-growth forest area and identify the habitats and landscape characteristics associated with these species. During the breeding season a combined total of 66 species were observed within the 644 acre area that was sampled in 2014 and 2015. These included four species that flew over while sampling (Common Loon, Canada Geese, Turkey Vulture, and Ring-billed Gull). As expected, detectability decreased during the post-breeding period where we observed about 20 fewer species (44 species in both 2014 and 2015) and an average of about 500 fewer individuals with the same effort.Item Implementing Conservation Plans for Avian Species of Concern: Submitted to Audubon Minnesota(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2020-12) Grinde, Alexis R; Bracey, Annie; Liljenquist, Alexis LAudubon Minnesota is interested in establishing benchmark survey locations throughout Minnesota to guide restoration and enhance activities within designated Important Bird Areas (IBAs) for three species of conservation concern: common tern, black tern, and yellow rail. Data collected during the 2009–2013 Minnesota Breeding Bird Atlas (MNBBA) project (Pfannmuller et al. 2017) were used to identify potential and confirmed breeding locations for black tern and common tern in the state. These data were then aligned with IBA boundaries and previously established survey locations from Audubon’s statewide marshbird monitoring program. Using this information, survey locations were identified within selected IBAs to document presence and abundance of tern species during the 2020 breeding season. Collectively, survey results can be used as a first step by Audubon Minnesota to formalize high-priority benchmark survey locations for long-term monitoring of these species in IBAs throughout the state.Item Interstate Island Habitat Restoration: Phase III – Long-Term Monitoring and Maintenance Plan Common Tern Monitoring & Migratory Shorebird Assessment 2023 Final Report(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2023-12-01) Bracey, Annie; Kolbe, Stephen; Strand, Fred; Grinde, Alexis RThe goal of the Interstate Island avian habitat restoration project was to restore and enhance critical breeding habitat for the Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) and Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) in the St. Louis River Estuary (SLRE). The primary objective of the habitat restoration was to maintain and increase the population of Common Terns breeding at the Interstate Island colony. To assess the effectiveness of the restoration, post-restoration field surveys were conducted to document the breeding status of Common Terns relative to pre-restoration averages. To document breeding population size and productivity, we followed the long-term monitoring protocol developed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), to ensure comparability between pre- and post- restoration monitoring. There were no monitoring objectives related to Piping Plover since this species has not been documented on Interstate Island. A secondary objective of the project was to document shorebird use of the island during migration to determine if this species group was utilizing the restored habitat. To meet this objective, researchers developed a shorebird monitoring protocol, conducted in- person surveys, and utilized remote camera traps to observe and quantify shorebird species diversity, abundance, and spatial and temporal use of Interstate Island. Based on post-restoration surveys, population targets are not currently being met for Common Tern, with the number of nesting pairs currently at some of the lowest recorded since the island was colonized. However, post-restoration productivity is above the range deemed necessary to sustain a viable population and above pre-restoration averages. The overall quality of the nesting habitat for Common Terns was greatly improved. If habitat quality is the primary factor limiting the size of the breeding population, we anticipate the restoration actions will result in an increase in breeding numbers but there may be a lag in response time. We also documented 22 shorebird species and 38 other avian species using the island during our surveys. Our results indicate that shorebirds as well as many other species of birds will readily use the newly restored habitat at Interstate Island, habitat which is much needed in this important bird region. Continued monitoring and management will be necessary to determine long-term effects of restoration for both Common Terns and migratory shorebirds.Item Interstate Island Habitat Restoration: Phase III – Long-Term Monitoring and Maintenance Plan Common Tern Monitoring & Migratory Shorebird Assessment Final Report(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2022-09-01) Bracey, Annie; Kolbe, Stephen; Nelson, Stephen; Strand, Fred; Grinde, Alexis RThe goal of the Interstate Island avian habitat restoration project was to restore and enhance critical breeding habitat for the Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) and Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) in the St. Louis River Estuary. The primary objective of the habitat restoration was to maintain and increase the population of Common Terns breeding at the Interstate Island colony. To assess the effectiveness of the restoration, post-restoration field surveys were conducted to document the breeding status of Common Terns relative to pre-restoration averages. To document breeding population size and productivity, we followed the long-term monitoring protocol developed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), to ensure comparability between pre- and post-restoration monitoring. A secondary objective of the project was to document shorebird use of the island during migration to determine if this species group was utilizing the restored habitat. To meet this objective, researchers developed a shorebird monitoring protocol, conducted in-person surveys, and utilized remote camera traps to observe and quantify shorebird species diversity, abundance, and spatial and temporal use of Interstate Island. Based on post-restoration surveys, population targets are not currently being met for Common Tern, with the number of nesting pairs being at their lowest since the island was colonized. However, productivity was within the average range compared to pre-restoration numbers and the quality of the nesting habitat was greatly improved. If habitat quality is the primary factor limiting the size of the breeding population, we anticipate the restoration actions will likely result in an increase in breeding numbers but there may be a lag in response time. We also documented 18 shorebird species and 35 other avian species using the island during our surveys. Our results indicate that shorebirds as well as many other species of birds will readily use the newly restored habitat at Interstate Island, which is much needed in this important bird region. Continued monitoring and management will be necessary to determine long-term effects of restoration.Item Lake Superior Common Tern Conservation Final Report(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2016-12-22) Bracey, Annie; Niemi, Gerald J; Cuthbert, Francesca JSince its creation, Interstate Island has lost approximately two acres of useable tern nesting habitat, primarily due to wind and water erosion. In 2015, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) added 3,000 cubic yards of clean sand and pebbles to the island to mitigate the effects of erosion and fluctuating water levels, which has caused seasonal flooding of nesting sites. This restoration effort should make the island more suitable for nesting Common Terns, although more restoration work is needed. Interstate Island is a Wildlife Management Area jointly managed by the Minnesota and Wisconsin Departments of Natural Resources (DNR), with the primary objective of providing suitable nesting habitat for colonial waterbirds. Since 1990, this has been the only nesting location of Common Terns in the St. Louis River Estuary with roughly 200 breeding pairs. Interstate Island is also the primary breeding location of Ring-billed Gulls (Larus delawarensis) in the area, with an estimated 13,000 breeding pairs. The rapidly increasing population of Ring-billed Gulls has drastically reduced available breeding habitat for Common Terns. This species competes for breeding space with terns, depredates eggs, and preys on tern chicks. In some years the colony has had total nest failure, primarily due to intense predation by gulls.Item Mapping Avian Movement in Minnesota(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2021-09) Grinde, Alexis R; Bracey, Annie; Kolbe, StephenThe western Great Lakes region is home to one of the most diverse breeding bird communities in North America and is a key migration pathway for a wide array of species, including neotropical migrants and birds that breed in boreal ecosystems. To better understand and document how birds move in this region, we focused on two applications of automated radio telemetry technology: 1) large- and small-scale (local) movements of birds during the non-breeding season (i.e., migration and winter), and 2) local movements of breeding Common Terns and dispersal behavior of both adult and juvenile birds. Our goal was to assess the utility of using Motus automated telemetry technology at various spatial scales and on a variety of species to study different ecological questions. First, to study timing and behavior of fall migration along the shores of Lake Superior, we focused on two species: Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) and Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus). Second, we focused on Rusty Blackbirds in the St. Louis River Estuary to document the temporal and geographic use during their fall migratory stopover. Rusty Blackbirds are among the most rapidly declining bird species in North America, but the reasons driving these declines are unknown; a lack of suitable habitat during the migratory and non-breeding seasons is likely a contributing factor. Thousands of Rusty Blackbirds use the north shore of Lake Superior and the SLRE as a migration corridor each spring and fall, yet habitat use and duration of stopover is poorly understood. For this reason, we used automated radio tracking technology to document stopover duration of individual birds in relation to minimum daily temperature and to assess potential differences between sex and age. Third, we focused on documenting winter movement patterns of Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) in an urban-forested landscape: Hartley Park, Duluth MN, USA, to assess how detection rates related to minimum daily temperature and food availability at feeding stations. Black-capped Chickadees are an abundant resident species in our study area and have broad public appeal but are relatively understudied in the winter, particularly in urban settings. Finally, we assessed the utility of automated radio telemetry to study breeding behavior of Common Terns (Sterna hirundo). Common Tern are identified as one of the most vulnerable species at both a federal and state level in the region and as a high priority species for conservation in the state. Interstate Island, located in the SLRE, is one of only two breeding colonies of Common Terns in Lake Superior. Movement of juvenile birds is also a critical piece of the life-history of Common Terns that is not well understood due to previously existing limitations of tracking this age class. The ability to track individuals using the Motus network, which does not require re-encountering the individual to retrieve data, is a huge advancement in tracking of juvenile birds. Documenting breeding behavior and dispersal of adult and juvenile terns will help inform population dynamics, which is particularly important for at-risk and declining populations.Item Minnesota Department of Natural Resources 2021 Minnesota Colonial Waterbird Surveys(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2021-12) Bracey, Annie; Kolbe, Stephen; Grinde, Alexis R; Cuthbert, Francesca JThe Minnesota colonial waterbird surveys began in 2004 in an effort to document the distribution and abundance of colonial nesting waterbirds in the state. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MN DNR) partnered with researchers at the University of Minnesota to initiate monitoring efforts at colony sites of target waterbird species across the state (Table 1; Cuthbert and Hamilton 2016). The monitoring initially focused on documenting the number and distribution of two focal species, American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) and Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus), due to public concerns about the potential impacts of perceived population increases on recreation activities (e.g., fishing; Wires and Cuthbert 2006). The goal of monitoring was to evaluate efficacy of Double-crested Cormorant control efforts and document the status of American White Pelicans, which are a state-listed Species of Special Concern and Species in Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN; MN DNR 2016). Since the initial MN DNR waterbird surveys, conducted in 2004 and 2005, the intent was to conduct statewide surveys every five years. Surveys were conducted as planned in 2010 and 2015, but due to Covid-19 related work and travel restrictions, it was only possible to conduct a partial survey in 2020. Therefore, the primary objective of the 2021 survey was to complete the fourth census and provide a summary of the combined 2020–2021 survey results to MN DNR. The 2020 surveys were conducted by researchers at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities campus and the 2021 surveys were conducted by researchers in the Avian Ecology Lab at the Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI), Duluth, MN. The broad aim of this report is to provide a description of how sites were selected in 2020/21, which species were included as targets, and to provide recommendations for future monitoring efforts in the state. We include site-specific estimates of abundance for primary and secondary (when possible) target species for the combined 2020–2021 surveys. We also provide abundance and distribution estimates for primary target species for the current (2020–2021) and past census efforts at priority monitoring locations and focus on how future monitoring objectives and survey methodologies can best be tailored to maximize efficiency while providing necessary detail to effectively document population status of waterbirds breeding in Minnesota. Several additional waterbird species listed as SGCN in Minnesota include: Common Tern (Sterna hirundo), Black Tern (Chlidonias niger), Forster’s Tern (Sterna forsteri), Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus), Franklin’s Gull (Leucophaeus pipixcan), and Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax). These species also require long-term monitoring to assess population status and associated habitat conditions, which are poorly monitored by other non-targeted surveys (MN DNR 2016; Cuthbert and Hamilton 2016). There are ongoing concerns for two additional colonial nesting species: Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) and Great Egret (Ardea alba). Although they are not state-listed species, the number of Great Blue Heron nesting colonies appears to have declined by ~30% since 1985, and the number of Great Egret nesting colonies remains low throughout the state. Overall, little is known about colony persistence or changes in the distribution and abundance of these species throughout the state (Pfannmuller et al. 2017). For these reasons, in 2021 we implemented additional surveys at secondary sites in an attempt to obtain information about the status of these species in the state.Item Minnesota Land Trust Final Report - Let the Birds Guide You(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2019-12) Grinde, Alexis R; Walton, Nicholas G; Bracey, Annie; Liljenquist, Alexis LIdentifying environmental and habitat characteristics associated with specific bird communities can help guide conservation and habitat management efforts. The goal of this project was to quantify and characterize bird communities in the St. Louis River Estuary (SLRE) based on bird-habitat associations. Bird communities are commonly described with respect to their associated cover types (i.e., habitat). However, birds often respond to combinations of local cover types and larger-scale landscape features (e.g., forested wetlands in proximity to emergent wetlands), which are not adequately described by a single attribute such as dominant plant species or aquatic habitat type. Therefore, to understand bird species’ ecological needs and habitat preferences, we evaluated community assemblages without initially linking the locations sampled for birds with standard habitat categories. Bird assemblages were first identified using hierarchical cluster analysis, which revealed relationships among locations sampled within the SLRE based solely on bird species composition. This approach identified assemblages of species that tend to co-occur irrespective of traditionally defined habitat types. We used percent perfect indication (PPI) models to identify which species or groups of species were most strongly associated with specific landscape features. We also assessed habitat availability at the landscape-scale (i.e., within a 400m buffer from the shoreline) to identify specific features that are under-represented in the SLRE but likely important to a species or group of species. We also quantified species relative abundance, richness, and diversity throughout the SLRE to identify locations of high use and diversity. Once those locations were identified, we summarized local-scale habitat data define vegetation characteristics at locations with the highest and lowest species richness. Together, these analyses will provide a holistic assessment of the environmental and habitat requirements of migratory and breeding birds at multiple spatial scales. We quantitatively assessed which landscape and habitat characteristics are most likely to be beneficial for birds that use the SLRE and, ultimately, to assist in informing habitat management objectives for current and future projects in the area.Item St. Louis River AOC R2R Support Projects: Ecological Monitoring and Assessment (CR#6403)(University of Minnesota Duluth, 2016) Bracey, Annie; Chatterton, Jessica; Niemi, Gerald JThe primary objective (Objective 1) of this report was to summarize the baseline data collected at priority sites selected for potential future restoration (R2R) and their corresponding reference sites in the SLR AOC (2010-2015) with a focus on the richness and abundance of species that use water as their primary habitat (i.e., waterfowl, waterbirds, shorebirds, rails). The secondary objective (Objective 2) was to compare historical (1978-1979) and recent (2010-2015) data on bird use at sites that were surveyed during both sampling periods. Both objectives involve comparisons, objective 1 contrasts R2R and reference sites using contemporary data, while objective 2 compares contemporary data with those sampled in the 1970s; albeit the latter with slightly different methodologies.