Implications of coastal wetland management to nonbreeding waterbirds in Texas
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Published source details
Fitzsimmons O.N., Ballard B.M., Merendino M.T., Baldassarre G.A. & Hartke K.M. (2012) Implications of coastal wetland management to nonbreeding waterbirds in Texas. Wetlands, 32, 1057-1066.
Published source details Fitzsimmons O.N., Ballard B.M., Merendino M.T., Baldassarre G.A. & Hartke K.M. (2012) Implications of coastal wetland management to nonbreeding waterbirds in Texas. Wetlands, 32, 1057-1066.
Actions
This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
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Disturb soil/sediment surface: brackish/salt marshes Action Link |
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Actively manage water level: brackish/salt marshes Action Link |
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Disturb soil/sediment surface: brackish/salt marshes
A replicated, paired, site comparison study in 2007–2009 of eight brackish/salt marshes in Texas, USA (Fitzsimmons et al. 2012) found that managed marshes (disked every spring, along with a spring/autumn drawdown) and unmanaged marshes (subjected to neither of these interventions) had few plant species in common, but had similar overall plant species richness and diversity. Only 24–34% of plant species were found in both managed and unmanaged marshes (reported as a similarity index). However, both marsh types had statistically similar plant species richness (six of six comparisons; managed: 12–21 species/marsh; unmanaged: 8–18 species/marsh) and plant diversity (six of six comparisons; data reported as a diversity index). Methods: In autumn, winter and spring 2007/2008 and 2008/2009, vegetation was surveyed in four pairs of managed and unmanaged marshes (fifty-six 1-m2 quadrats/marsh, placed along transects). In the managed marshes, the soil surface was disked every spring for 6–9 years. The managed marshes had also been impounded to control water levels and salinity (drawdown each spring-autumn). The study does not distinguish between the effects of three interventions. All marshes were grazed each summer and burned every three years. The marshes were brackish in 2007/2008 (managed: <2 ppt; unmanaged: <10 ppt) but saline in 2008/2009 following a hurricane and storm surge (e.g. average salinity in managed marshes: 20 ppt).
(Summarised by: Nigel Taylor)
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Actively manage water level: brackish/salt marshes
A replicated, paired, site comparison study in 2007–2009 of eight brackish/salt marshes in Texas, USA (Fitzsimmons et al. 2012) found that managed marshes (impounded and drawn down each spring/autumn, along with annual disking) and unmanaged marshes (subjected to neither of these interventions) had few plant species in common, but had similar overall plant species richness and diversity. Only 24–34% of plant species were found in both managed and unmanaged marshes (reported as a similarity index). However, both marsh types had statistically similar plant species richness (six of six comparisons; managed: 12–21 species/marsh; unmanaged: 8–18 species/marsh) and plant diversity (six of six comparisons; data reported as a diversity index). Methods: In autumn, winter and spring 2007/2008 and 2008/2009, vegetation was surveyed in four pairs of managed and unmanaged marshes (fifty-six 1-m2 quadrats/marsh, placed along transects). The managed marshes had been impounded for 6–9 years to control water levels and salinity (drawdown each spring-autumn) and the soil surface was disked every spring. The study does not distinguish between the effects of these interventions. All marshes were grazed each summer and burned every three years. The marshes were brackish in 2007/2008 (managed: <2 ppt; unmanaged: <10 ppt) but saline in 2008/2009 following a hurricane and storm surge (e.g. average salinity in managed marshes: 20 ppt).
(Summarised by: Nigel Taylor)
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