Browsing by Subject "Marsh Wren"

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    Habitat and landscape characteristics that influence Sedge Wren (Cistothorus platensis) and Marsh Wren (C. palustris) distribution and abundance in Great Lakes coastal wetlands
    (2013-08) Panci, Hannah
    I analyzed habitat and landscape characteristics important to the Sedge Wren (Cistothorus platensis) and Marsh Wren (C. palustris) in Great Lakes coastal wetlands using breeding bird census data from two large projects in 2002-2003 and 2011-2012. Little is known about the population or distribution of these species in the Great Lakes region. For each of 840 survey points in coastal wetlands along the U.S. and Canadian shorelines, I used National Land Cover Data and Ontario Land Cover Data to calculate the percent cover of seven different land use classes within 500, 1000, and 2000 m buffers of each point. I combined these with climatic and landscape configuration variables as well as field-collected vegetation data to develop classification trees that predicted both Sedge and Marsh Wren presence and relative high abundance (≥3 wrens/site). After eliminating geographic variables, the best classification trees predicted Sedge Wrens to be present in wetlands with greater than 9% woody wetlands at the 2000 m buffer, and in high abundance in sites with less than 3% cattails and greater than 4% meadow vegetation. Marsh Wren presence was positively associated with emergent vegetation and cropland, and negatively associated with woody wetland at the 500 m buffer. Marsh Wrens were predicted to be in high abundance at sites with greater than 14% cattails. This classification tree analysis is a powerful predictive tool which significantly increases our ability to correctly predict the presence of these secretive wetland species. These results provide a basic understanding of characteristics of Great Lakes coastal wetlands important to two wetland-obligate bird species and can be useful in conservation decisions and management plans.