Skip to main content

Influence of wetland age on bird use of restored wetlands in Iowa

Wetlands volume 16, pages 577–582 (1996)Cite this article

Abstract

A goal of wetland restoration is to provide habitat for breeding populations of waterfowl and other bird species. To meet this goal, it is important to determine how birds respond to restored wetlands and which factors influence their use of restored wetlands. We examined the relationship between bird species richness and years since restoration at restored prairie wetlands in lowa. We detected 42 bird species in restored wetlands. 15 of which were breeding species. The mean number of breeding bird species was significantly greater in older restored wetlands (4.3 species in 1-year-old wetlands, 7.2 species in 4-year-old wetlands,p=0.005). The mean number of all bird species, waterfowl species, and breeding waterfowl species did not change with wetland age. Total and breeding bird species richness increased with percent cover of emergent vegetation. Waterfowl species richness and breeding waterfowl species richness were influenced more by wetland area than vegetation characteristics, whereas total species richness and breeding bird species richness were influenced more by vegetation characteristics. If the goal of restoration is simply to provide a breeding site for waterfowl, our data suggest that this can be done in a few years. However, we favor longterm restorations. Such restorations are more likely to have a more diverse bird community that more closely resembles those found in natural wetlands.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Literature Cited

  • Batt, B.D.J., M.G. Anderson, C.D. Anderson, and F.D. Caswell. 1989. The use of prairie potholes by North American ducks. p. 204–227.In A. van der Valk (ed.) Northern Prairie Wetlands. Iowa State University Press, Ames, IA, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, M.W. 1985. Iowa marsh birds and the theory of island biogeography. M.S. Thesis. Iowa State University, Ames. IA, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dahl, T.E. 1990. Wetland losses in the United States 1780’s to 1980’s. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, DC, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Delphey, P.J. 1991. A comparison of the bird and aquatic macroinvertebrate communities between restored and ‘natural’ Iowa prairie wetlands. M.S. Thesis. Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Delphey, P.J., and J.J. Dinsmore. 1993. Breedign bird communities of recently restored and natural prairie potholes. Wetlands 13:200–206.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Galatowitsch, S.M. and G.A. van der Valk. 1994. Restoring prairie wetlands. Iowa State University Press, Ames, IA, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Galatowitsch, S.M. and A.G. van der Valk. 1996. The vegetation of restored and natural prairie wetlands. Ecological Applications 6:102–112.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gibbs, J.P. and S.M. Melvin. 1993. Call-response surveys for monitoring breeding waterbirds. Journal of Wildlife Mangement 57:27–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hemesath, L.M. and J.J. Dinsmore. 1993. Factors affecting bird colonization of restored wetlands. Prairie Naturalist. 25:1–11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaminski, R.M., and M.W. Weller. 1992. Breeding habitats of Nearctic waterfowl. p. 568–589.In B.D.J. Batt, A.D. Afton, M.G. Anderson, C.D. Ankeyy, D.H. Johnson, J.A. Kadlec, and G.L. Krapu (eds.) Ecology and Management of Breeding Waterfowl. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, MN, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kantrud, H.A., and R.E. Stewart. 1984. Ecological distribution and crude density of breeding birds on prairie wetlands. Journal of Wildlife Management 48:426–437.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marion, W.R., T.E. O’Meara, and D.S. Maehr. 1981. Use of playback recordings in sampling elusive or secretive birds. Studies in Avian Biology 6:81–85.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, L.D., M. Unverferth, K. Ghormley, and M.P. Skidla. 1990. A guide to MIPS: its features and applications. Microimages Inc., Lincoln, NE, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mueller-Dombois, D. and H. Ellenberg. 1974. Aims and Methods of Vegetation Ecology. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, NY, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Research Council, Committee on Restoration of Aquatic Ecosystems. 1992. Restoration of Aquatic ecosystems: science, technology, and public policy. National Academy Press. Washington, DC, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rouvalis, M.C. 1988. Restoration of wetlands under section 404 of the clean water act: an analytical synthesis of statutory and case law principles. Environmental Affiars 15:295–347.

    Google Scholar 

  • SAS Institute, Inc. 1988. SAS/STAT user’s guide, release 6.03 edition. SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sewell, R.W. and K.F. Higgins. 1991. Floral and faunal colonization of restored wetlands in west-central Minnesota and northeastern South Dakota. p. 108–133In F.J. Webb, Jr. (ed.) Proceedings of the 18th Annual Conference on Wetland Restoration and Creation. Hillsborough Community College, Tampa, FL, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stewart R.E. and H.A. Kantrud. 1971. Classification of natural ponds and lakes in the glaciated prairie region. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Resource Publication 92. Washington, DC, USA.

  • U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1987. Migratory nongame birds of management concern in the United States: The 1987 list. Office Migratory Bird Management, Washington, DC, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • VanRees-Siewert, K.L. 1993. The influence of wetland age on bird and aquatic macroinvertebrate use of restored Iowa wetlands. M.S. Thesis. Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Webster, J.T., R.F. Gunst, and R.L. Mason. 1974. Latent root regression analysis. Technometrics 16:513–522.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weller, M.W. and C.E. Spatcher. 1965. Role of habitat in the distribution and abundance of marsh birds. Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station Special Report 43. Ames, IA, USA.

  • Wienhold, C.E. and A.G. van der Valk. 1989. The impact of duration of drainage on the seed banks of northern prairie wetlands. Canadian Journal of Botany 67:1878–1884.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zar, J.H. 1984. Biostatistical Analysis. Second Edition. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, USA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zohrer, J.J. 1996. Iowa prairie pothoie joint venture 1995 status report. Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Des Moines, IA, USA.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal Ecology, Iowa State University, 50011, Ames, IA

    Kristin L. VanRees-Siewert & James J. Dinsmore

Authors
  1. Kristin L. VanRees-Siewert
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. James J. Dinsmore
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

VanRees-Siewert, K.L., Dinsmore, J.J. Influence of wetland age on bird use of restored wetlands in Iowa. Wetlands 16, 577–582 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03161348

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03161348

Key Words

  • bird use
  • habitat use
  • Iowa
  • prairie wetlands
  • restoration ecology
  • waterfowl
  • wetland birds
  • wetland restoration