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Influence of Local, Landscape, and Regional Variables on Sedge and Marsh Wren Occurrence in Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands

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Abstract

We determined the influence of habitat, landscape, geographic, and climate variables on Sedge Wren (Cistothorus platensis) and Marsh Wren (C. palustris) occurrence in 840 coastal wetland survey points throughout the Great Lakes. Variables included surrounding land use and configuration out to 2000 m; latitude; longitude; temperature; precipitation; and vegetation characteristics within 100 m. Classification trees predicted Sedge Wren occurrence at points in the western Great Lakes with < 11 km of roads within 1000 m. Emergent herbaceous wetland within 500 m, woody wetland within various distances, and sedge within 100 m were also positively associated with Sedge Wren occurrence. Marsh Wren occurrence was predicted at points in the southern Great Lakes with < 42% developed land within 500 m. Emergent herbaceous wetland within 500 m, cropland within various distances, and cattail within 100 m were also positively associated with Marsh Wren occurrence. Our results suggest limiting development around wetlands is important for conserving these bird species throughout Great Lakes coastal wetlands. Landscape-scale land cover variables are easily obtainable and significantly increase our ability to predict occurrence of these species across a broad geographic scale.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by 1) a Cooperative Agreement from the United States Environmental Protection Agency to the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Great Lakes Environmental Indicators (EPA/R-8286750), 2) a Contract from the United States Environmental Protection Agency Great Lakes National Program Office to Central Michigan University and the University of Minnesota-Duluth for GLIC: Implementing Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Monitoring (GL-00E00612), and 3) a Grant from United States Environmental Protection Agency Great Lakes National Program Office to University of Minnesota-Duluth for GLIC-GLEI II Indicator Testing and Refinement (GL-00E00623). We thank Tom Hollenhorst and Julie Etterson for their contribution. This is contribution number 618 of the Natural Resources Research Institute, University of Minnesota-Duluth.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Natural Resources Research Institute, University of Minnesota, 5013 Miller Trunk Highway, Duluth, MN, 55811, USA

    Hannah G. Panci & Gerald J. Niemi

  2. Department of Biology, University of Minnesota, 1035 Kirby Drive, Duluth, MN, 55812, USA

    Hannah G. Panci & Gerald J. Niemi

  3. Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Minnesota, 1117 University Drive, Duluth, MN, 55812, USA

    Ronald R. Regal

  4. Bird Studies Canada, PO Box 160, 115 Front Street, Port Rowan, ON, Canada, N0E 1MO

    Douglas C. Tozer

  5. Department of Biology, Central Michigan University, 181 Brooks Hall, Mount Pleasant, MI, 48859, USA

    Thomas M. Gehring

  6. Department of Natural and Applied Sciences, Cofrin Center for Biodiversity, University of Wisconsin, 2420 Nicolet Drive, Green Bay, WI, 54311, USA

    Robert W. Howe

  7. Department of Environmental Science and Biology, The College at Brockport, State University of New York, 350 New Campus Drive, Brockport, NY, 14420, USA

    Christopher J. Norment

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  1. Hannah G. Panci
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Correspondence to Hannah G. Panci.

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Panci, H.G., Niemi, G.J., Regal, R.R. et al. Influence of Local, Landscape, and Regional Variables on Sedge and Marsh Wren Occurrence in Great Lakes Coastal Wetlands. Wetlands 37, 447–459 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-017-0881-9

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