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Saltmarsh Sparrows on Chafee NWR

Saltmarsh Sparrows on Chafee NWR. Occupancy Methods. Presence / absence individuals = each SALS and associated habitat Established 1 ha grids along UTM lines John H. Chafee NWR = 123 grids Sachuest Point NWR = 34 grids Three replicates per year (June / July / August)

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Saltmarsh Sparrows on Chafee NWR

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  1. Saltmarsh Sparrows on Chafee NWR

  2. Occupancy Methods • Presence / absence individuals = each SALS and associated habitat • Established 1 ha grids along UTM lines • John H. Chafee NWR = 123 grids • Sachuest Point NWR = 34 grids • Three replicates per year (June / July / August) • Two years (2008 & 2009) • Minimum 3 observers • Presence / absence nests = nest searches 3x per year also

  3. Occupancy Surveys 2008-09 Kimberly Drive Marsh

  4. SALS Nest Data: • Occupancy Surveys 2008-09 • More extensive refuge-wide nest searching • SHARP Project 2011 – 13 •  Focused efforts mainly in demographic plots JH Chafee NWR

  5. Kimberly Drive - JHC • More pristine marsh • Higher proportion of high marsh habitat • Higher nest success rates • How much management should we do in this area? Drain some of the pools & pannes?

  6. Occupancy Surveys 2008-09 West Sprague Bridge/ Sedge Island – JHC

  7. West Sprague Bridge/ Sedge Island – JHC • Both high and low marsh habitat • High marsh is more patchy • Locally dense populations of sparrows • Some land ownership by Audubon Soc. • Can we raise elevation of low marsh in this area without detriment to current nesting habitat? • Should drain pannes and/or cattail marsh?

  8. Occupancy Surveys 2008-09 Starr Drive – JHC

  9. Starr Drive – JHC • May have lower densities of sparrows • Mostly low marsh habitat • Beginning to see rapid deterioration of shorelines (possibly due in part to high nutrient levels?)

  10. Occupancy Surveys 2008-09 South Middle Bridge – JHC

  11. Occupancy Surveys 2008-09 North Middle Bridge – JHC

  12. South Middle bridge/ North Middle bridge – JHC • Isolated patches of high marsh, mainly low marsh • Shoreline deterioration and erosion impacting much of the marsh (SMB) • Potential areas for excavating runnels (particularly NMB) and dredge deposition (SMB) • How and where to place dredge materials?

  13. Vegetation Surveys: • Established 1 ha grids along UTM lines • John H. Chafee NWR = 123 grids • Sachuest Point NWR = 34 grids • Each grid contained 4 - 70m transects (plus center point) • Points were surveyed every 5 meters, each transect contained 14 points • Total of 57 points per grid

  14. Other Salt Marsh Data • Nekton surveys for all of the refuge marshes, (~100 points) • Water level logger data: (3 – JHC, 1 – SPT) • SETs: JHC – 7 measured + 5 new in 2014; SPT – 6 measured • Salinity: limited data collected in 2009 with SMI data and also at nekton samplingsites • Marsh bird surveys: JHC - 9 points, SPT - 1 point

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