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A map of wetland study sites in southern Ontario surveyed between 2006 and 2008. In 2006 we surveyed Bronte Creek (BR), Credit River (CR), Grindstone Creek (GC), Cootes Paradise (CP), Grand River (GR), and Long Point (LP). In 2007 we surveyed Crysler Point (CY), Rattray Marsh (RT), Port Britain (PB), Van Wagner ’ s
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Coastal wetlands of southern Ontario are highly fragmented and exist as islands within a primarily urbanized and agricultural
matrix. Given the large variation in size of remaining fragments, it is important to determine if species-area relationships
exist for wetland birds, so that sampling effort can be adjusted for different sizes of wetlands an...
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... surveyed 21 coastal wetlands throughout southern Ontario between 2006 and 2008 ranging in size (Fig. 1). In 2006 and 2007 we surveyed wetlands ranging in size (4.1-5,963.6 ha) to identify a SAR for remnant wetlands in the anthropogenic matrix of southern Ontario. In 2008, we selected a subset of 11 wetlands ranging in size (3.5- 63.5 ha) to examine within-wetland species-area relation- ships or "census patches" (Tjørve 2003), in order to ...
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... Our observations during the migration periods gave a picture of the number of individuals that have stopped in the wetland on the day of the census, but the total abundance during each migration period is multiple. If this wetland is to be further degraded or completely dried, the next closest wetland along this route is 110 km further north (Hellenic Ornithological Society [HOS], 2019a), making the GLw-Natura2000 area a very important node in the connectivity of wetlands (Smith and Chow-Fraser, 2010). ...
Located at the south-western most part of the Balkan peninsula, along an important migration route (the Mediterranean/Black Sea Flyway), the Gialova Lagoon wetland is one of the few remaining Important Bird Areas (IBAs) along the south-west coast of Greece, also designated as a Special Protection Area. The wetland serves as the first suitable stopover for many spring migrants who have flown non-stop over the Mediterranean Sea, and the last before their journey back to Africa in the autumn. In this study, we conducted monthly field visits during the period October 2016 to January 2019 with the aim to complement existing information about the site, to evaluate the current status and distribution of waterbirds, to provide insights for the management of the area and to re-assess the IBA/Ramsar criteria. A total of 149 bird species representing 43 families and 15 orders were recorded, including 36 threatened species at an International, European or/and national level, and 40 species listed in the Annex I of the EUs Birds Directive (21 species were listed as both threatened and under Annex I). 81 species were identified as wetland related species, of which 66 species were identified as waterbirds (7 orders, 11 families). Waterbirds richness and abundance were higher during the Wet season and corresponding periods (Wintering and Spring migration). All parts of the wetland supported waterbirds and threatened species, with the S. Wetland sub-area being the most diverse during the Breeding/Nesting, and both migration periods. The abundance of most waterbirds and IBA species have declined over the last 20 years, but this does not necessarily mean that the area no longer fulfills Ramsar criterion 6 (and equivalent IBA criterion A4i). However, this outcome should not be overlooked by the site managers and conservation actions, such as the restoration of fresh water inflows which could improve habitats and water conditions for IUCN and IBA species, should be implemented with high priority. In addition, our results indicate that the area meets Ramsar criterion 4 and criterion 2, and thus we suggest that it should be further investigated and evaluated to potentially become the eleventh Greek Ramsar site.
... Additionally, winter site selection of Passerellidae sparrows may be impacted by broader landscape-scale factors in addition to site-level vegetative characteristics. For example, swamp sparrows' occupancy and abundance are positively associated with wetland size [15,22]. In addition to having associations with vegetation typically found in wetlands, many Passerellidae sparrows are frequently found within early successional agricultural landscapes, and have been previously used to evaluate early successional habitat [17]. ...
... We found that wetland size had the strongest influence in wintering bird communities, as this covariate influenced occupancy probability of 2 sparrows and was positively associated with species richness. Our finding of greater swamp sparrow occupancy in larger wetlands is consistent with previous studies [15,22]. Swamp sparrows are more strongly associated with wetlands than the other Passerellidae species investigated here [44]. ...
... Our finding that apparent avian species richness was positively correlated with wetland size is supported by earlier research. Previous studies of marsh bird communities have found similar increases in species richness as wetland size increased [16,22,50]. The correlation we found between avian species richness and wetland size is more broadly consistent with predictions from the species-area relationship, which postulates that species richness increases with patch size [51]. ...
Wetlands enrolled in the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) are established as a means of restoring wetland ecosystems and wildlife habitat on private, agricultural land. In West Virginia, USA, ACEP wetlands have never been evaluated to determine how they function as wildlife habitat in comparison to other available wetland habitat in the state. We measured the wintering occupancy of Passerellidae species and apparent avian species richness on ACEP wetlands and a set of reference wetlands located on public land in West Virginia to evaluate if ACEP wetlands are being used similarly by avian species to other available wetland habitat in the state. Apparent avian species richness and the occupancy probability of four Passerellidae species—song sparrows (Melospiza melodia), dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis), swamp sparrows (Melospiza georgiana), and white-throated sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis)—did not differ between ACEP and reference sites. In addition to other vegetative and habitat associations for each species, dark-eyed junco occupancy was negatively correlated with wetland size while swamp sparrow occupancy and apparent avian species richness were positively associated with wetland size. These results indicate that ACEP wetlands are providing winter avian habitat as well as another source of wetland habitat in the state. Maintaining and expanding ACEP wetlands in West Virginia would continue to provide wetland systems in areas that are otherwise lacking these habitats.
... Seven of these marshes were along the shore of Lake Ontario and seven were along the eastern shoreline of Georgian Bay. We chose wetlands of approximately equal size to account for prominent species-area relationships that exist for wetland birds (Smith and Chow-Fraser, 2010b). ...
Ecological indicators have gained increasing attention within the scientific community over the past 40 years. Several taxonomic groups have been used successfully as indicators including most prominently fish, invertebrates, plants, and birds because of their ability to indicate environmental changes. In the Laurentian Great Lakes region, there has been recent concern over the applicability of using indicators on a basin-wide scale due to species range restrictions and lake-based differences. The objective of this study was to determine the ability of the Index of Marsh Bird Community Integrity (IMBCI) to indicate land use disturbance surrounding coastal marshes of Georgian Bay and Lake Ontario. To meet this objective, we surveyed birds and vegetation at 14 marshes in Georgian Bay (low land use disturbance) and Lake Ontario (high land use disturbance). Even though Lake Ontario marshes were surrounded by significantly more altered land than Georgian Bay marshes, and had poorer water quality, we found significantly fewer birds in Georgian Bay marshes (mean=8.2) compared to Lake Ontario (mean=13.7) and no significant difference in IMBCI scores. This inconsistency could be due to vegetation differences affecting the strength of the index, because Georgian Bay wetlands had significantly more bulrush (Schoenoplectus spp.) and floating vegetation, while Lake Ontario wetland vegetation was taller and cattail-dominated (Typha spp.). These findings suggest that the IMBCI may not be useful on a basin-wide scale in the Great Lakes region in detecting human disturbance surrounding wetlands.
Coastal wetlands of eastern Georgian Bay provide critical habitat for a variety of wildlife, especially spawning and nursery habitat for Great Lakes fishes. Although the eastern shoreline has been designated a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO, a complete inventory is lacking. Prior effort by the Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Consortium (GLCWC) was unable to fully identify coastal wetland habitat in eastern Georgian Bay due to limited data coverage. Here we outline the methodology, analyses, and applications of the McMaster Coastal Wetland Inventory (MCWI) created from a comprehensive collection of satellite imagery from 2002– 2008. Wetlands were manually delineated in a GIS as two broad habitat types: coastal marsh and upstream wetland. Coastal marsh was further subdivided into low marsh (LM; permanently inundated) and high marsh (HM; seasonally inundated) habitat. Within the coastal zone of eastern and northern Georgian Bay there are 12629 distinct wetland units comprised of 5376 ha of LM, 3298 ha of HM and 8676 ha of upstream habitat. The MCWI identifies greater total wetland area within the coastal zone than does the GLCWC inventory (17350 ha versus 3659 ha resp.). The MCWI provides the most current and comprehensive inventory of coastal wetlands in eastern Georgian Bay.
