Download - Lecture 18 Case Studies II April 6, 2010
Lecture 18Case Studies IIApril 6, 2010
Biological and Physical Importance
• Diversity• Fisheries and leisure• Protection from storms• Endemic spp.
– Marshbirds
www.sunherald.com
Threats to the Gulf
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
Texas Louisiana Alabama Florida
37%
26% 26%
32%
Saltm
arsh
con
vert
ed to
ope
n w
ater
Pred
icte
d be
twee
n 20
00 -
2060
*Adapted from McFadden et al. 2007
Life history characteristics
Thin as a rail
The Birds of North America
Coloration
Other attributes
Purpose and Goals of Study
OCCUPANCY OF SELECT MARSH BIRDS WITHIN
TIDAL MARSHES OF THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO:
CURRENT ESTIMATES AND PROJECTED CHANGE
Projections and Anticipations Study rationale
Loss of area
Loss of edge
Loss of interspersion
Increased saline incursionwww.flood.firetree.net
Current 1 m sea-level rise
Marsh Bird Surveys: Methods
AL: 2004 -108 survey points
MS: 2005 -119 survey points
2 surveys per point
Species detected at < 100m
Least Bittern, Seaside Sparrow, Common Moorhen, Purple Gallinule, and Clapper Rail
Landscape Features* Used GIS to Calculate % of landscape developed within
1000m of survey points
1000m
GIS for Landscape Features
INTERSPERSION
EDGE
AREA
JUNCUS
Clapper Rail Occupancy
Naïve estimate 71% 64 – 78%
Covariate Mean 95% CI Direction
INTERSPERSION 2.48 0.72 – 4.24 +JUNCUS 8.98 3.86 – 14.1 +
INTERSPERSION JUNCUS
Clapper Rail Response
What could this mean and why
Study caveats number of surveys area covered non-linear responses, etc.
VARIATION IN THE NESTING HABITS OF CLAPPER RAILS IN RESPONSE TO TIDAL MARSH
HABITAT
0 2 41
Kilometers
0 2 41
Kilometers
Focal Estuaries
Pascagoula Marsh Coastal Preserve
Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
Habitat DifferencesPascagoula
0 2 41
Kilometers
4500 ha
Hydrology – river-dominated
Habitats: Juncus roemerianus
Spartina alterniflora
Oligo to mesohaline (salinity range)
Unique (Odum, Wilson, Elueterius)
Grand Bay
0 2 41
Kilometers
7000 ha
Hydrology – marine-dominated
Habitats: Juncus roemerianus
Spartina alterniflora
Meso to polyhaline (salinity range)
Unique (Odum, Wilson)
Clapper Rail Nest Success
• Factors affecting nest success– Flooding / predation
• Why study nest success
• Why important – future trends
Nest data collection
• Nest location• Nest data collection• Veg data• Nest success
Nests and Habitat
• Monitored 76 nests (54 at Pascagoula, 22 Grand Bay)
• Nest success loss was low (10 at Pascagoula, 5 at Grand Bay)
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
Pascagoula Grand BayPerc
ent n
est l
oss
to fl
oodi
ng
Nests and HabitatV
eget
atio
n he
ight
(cm
)
0
40
80
120
160Clapper Rail nests
Control points
0
400
800
1200
1600
Pascagoula Grand Bay
Stem
den
sity
(m2 )
Vegetation height
Stem density
Nest success
Grand Bay PascagoulaNest survival 0.98, 0.96 to 0.99 0.99, 0.98 to 1.00
Effect of nest initiation date 0.0004, -0.01 to 0.01 0.01, 0.05 x 102 to 0.02
CLAPPER RAIL DIET COMPOSITION AND EGG
RESOURCES VARY ACROSS TWO HYDROLOGICALLY DYNAMIC
ESTUARINE ECOSYSTEMS
Clapper Rail Diet
Baises in gut content analysis
Feeding studies
Assimilation relationships
Why is it important to study diet
Stable Isotopes and Estuaries
Odum, W.E. 1988. Ann. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 19:147-176.
Juncus: C3Spartina: C4
Distinct Carbon Isotopic Signature
Spartina Juncus
-14 ‰ -26 ‰
Isotopes and Tissues
pectoral muscle
Reflects diet over several weeks to months
liver
Reflects diet over several hours to days
egg yolk
Reflects diet over several hours to days
Niche Breadth and Diet
13C (‰)
15 N
(‰)
Source A Source B
Source C
Population A
Population B
8
6
4
2
-27 -25 -23 -21 -19
CollectionPascagoula Grand Bay
Species / Tissue n n
Clapper Rail
Egg yolk 28 8
Liver 5 6
Pectoral muscle 5 8
Spartina sp. 18 3
J. roemerianus 23 7
olive nerite 22 0
marsh periwinkle 8 8
ribbed mussel 2 8
common rangia 14 1
Tettigoniids (grasshoppers) 10 3
blue crab 3 3
gulf fiddler crab 14 8
Estuarine Differences: Hydrology, Food web differences
0
25
50
75
100
0
25
50
75
100
0
25
50
75
100
Muscle
Liver
Egg yolk
Pascagoula
Grand Bay
Trophic Niche Breadth
Egg Yolk Lipids and Fiddler Crabs
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
Fiddler crab burrows/0.5 m2
Prop
ortio
n of
lipi
ds in
egg
yol
ks
Clapper Rails and Fiddler Crabs
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
Grand Bay Pasc. Grand Bay Pasc. Grand Bay Pasc.2006 2007 2008
Estuary/year
010
2030
4050
Fiddler Crab Life History
Rain and Distributions
Projected Precipitation Change
Predicted Habitat Change
www.flood.firetree.net
Current 1 m sea-level rise
THE INFLUENCE THE INFLUENCE OF OF
ACID RAIN ON THE ACID RAIN ON THE PRODUCTIVITY OF PRODUCTIVITY OF PURPLE MARTINS: PURPLE MARTINS:
A CONTINENT-WIDE, MULTI-YEAR A CONTINENT-WIDE, MULTI-YEAR
PERSPECTIVEPERSPECTIVE
Purple Martin
OutlineOutline• Acid Rain and Songbirds • Purple Martins
Methods
• Project Martinwatch • Precipitate Components • Soil pH
Results
• Acid Rain and Purple Martins
Acid RainAcid Rain
Transportation 7%
Fuel Combustion 3%
Electrical Utilities 25%
Transportation 53%
Other 5%
Industrial Sources 12%
Fuel Combustion 5%
Other 8%
Electrical Utilities 67%
Industrial Sources 15%
SOSO22 Source USA 1998 Source USA 1998
NONO33 Source USA 1998 Source USA 1998
Abstracted from Environment Canada www. ec.gc.ca/acidrain/acidfact.html
Acid Rain and SongbirdsAcid Rain and Songbirds
www.courses.washington.edu/vertebra/453/photos/sk
Environmental CalciumEnvironmental Calcium
M. Gillilland www.msu.edu/~gillilla/snailsofmich.html
Acid Rain and Wood ThrushAcid Rain and Wood Thrush
Hames et al. 2002
Purple MartinPurple Martin
Project MartinwatchProject Martinwatch
Locations for This StudyLocations for This Study
www.geographynetwork.comwww.geographynetwork.com
National Atmospheric Deposition National Atmospheric Deposition ProgramProgram
www. nadp.sws.uiuc.edu
Soil pHSoil pH
WWW.STATSGO.COM
Age EffectsAge Effects
Adult Age EffectsAdult Age Effects
4.2
4.6
5
5.4
Bro
od S
ize
Bro
od S
ize
Male ASYMale ASY
Female ASYFemale ASY
Male ASYMale ASY
Female SYFemale SY
Male SYMale SY
Female ASYFemale ASY
Male SYMale SY
Female SYFemale SY
House TypeHouse Type
4
4.2
4.4
4.6
4.8
5
5.2
Wooden House
Plastic Gourd
Natural Gourd
Metal House
Effect of House TypeEffect of House TypeC
lutc
h or
Bro
od S
ize
Clu
tch
or B
rood
Siz
e EggsEggs
HatchedHatched
FledgedFledged
Supplementary CalciumSupplementary Calcium
Effects on Eggs and HatchlingsEffects on Eggs and Hatchlings
EffectEffect SESE
SOSO44 -0.14-0.14 0.0760.076
EggsEggs
HatchedHatched
EffectEffect SESESOSO44 -0.067-0.067 0.0380.038
~ Loss of 0.7 eggs / nest
Influence of Acid RainInfluence of Acid Rain
HabitatHabitat
What Does This Mean?What Does This Mean?
Area of eastern Canada expected to receive SO4 deposition above critical loads (kg ha-1y-1) in 2010, without further controls beyond provisions in the 1991 Canada-
U.S. Air Quality Agreement.
Area of eastern Canada expected to receive SO4 deposition above critical loads (kg ha-1y-1) with
targeted emission reductions of 50% in Ontario, 50% in Quebec, 30% in New Brunswick, 25% in
Nova Scotia and 60% in the United States