10.5061/DRYAD.VHHMGQNQG
Marshall, Hallie
0000-0002-4572-4788
University of Maine
Blomberg, Erik
University of Maine
Watson, Valerie
University of Maine
Conway, Meaghan
0000-0002-5084-0126
University of Maine
Cohen, Jonathan
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
Correll, Maureen
Bird Conservancy of the Rockies
Elphick, Chris
University of Connecticut
Hodgman, Thomas
Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Kocek, Alison
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
Kovach, Adrienne
0000-0002-6791-0610
University of New Hampshire
Shriver, W. Gregory
University of Delaware
Wiest, Whitney
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Olsen, Brian
University of Maine
Habitat openness and edge avoidance predict saltmarsh sparrow abundance
better than habitat area
Dryad
dataset
2020
Ammospiza caudacuta
edge avoidance
area sensitivity
tidal marsh
wetland conservation
sea-level rise
patch openness
saltmarsh sparrow
United States Fish and Wildlife Service and Federal Aid in Sportfish and
Wildlife Restoration
U2-5-R-1
United States Fish and Wildlife Service*
50154-0-G004A
United States Fish and Wildlife Service*
P11AT00245
United States Department of Agriculture
https://ror.org/01na82s61
ME0-H-6-00492-12
United States Department of Agriculture
https://ror.org/01na82s61
NH00068-M
National Science Foundation
https://ror.org/021nxhr62
DGE-1144423
National Science Foundation
https://ror.org/021nxhr62
DEB-1340008
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
50154-0-G004A
2021-02-24T00:00:00Z
2021-02-24T00:00:00Z
en
340282 bytes
2
CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
The Saltmarsh Sparrow (Ammospiza caudacuta) is a tidal marsh bird facing
rapid population decline throughout its range, largely caused by
degradation and loss of breeding habitat. Thus there is a need to preserve
tidal marshes in the northeastern United States, but to do so requires an
understanding of the habitat features that support robust populations.
Previous studies have shown Saltmarsh Sparrow abundance increases with
marsh size, but in similar bird species, area sensitivity is more directly
linked to edge avoidance. Whether additional landscape features affect the
abundance of Saltmarsh Sparrows is unknown. We explored how the height of
objects on the horizon, an index of habitat openness, affected abundance
of Saltmarsh Sparrows. Our primary goal was to determine whether the angle
to the highest point on the horizon (“angle to maximum horizon”) predicted
abundance better than marsh area or distance to the marsh edge. We used
N-mixture models to evaluate the combination of spatial factors that best
predicted Saltmarsh Sparrow abundance while also accounting for
survey-level variables that could influence detection probability. We
found that the interaction between distance to edge and angle to maximum
horizon best predicted abundance. Taller objects on the horizon were
negatively correlated with bird abundance, and this effect was strongest
within 50 m of the marsh edge. When we considered the predictive powers of
patch area, distance to edge, and angle to maximum horizon individually,
angle to maximum horizon was the best single predictor. We found the
highest abundance of Saltmarsh Sparrows at point locations where the angle
to maximum horizon was 0.0°, and at angles greater than 12° the predicted
abundance fell below one bird per survey point. We propose that managers
should prioritize marsh openness and experimentally test the effect of
marsh edge manipulations when making conservation decisions for this
rapidly declining species.
This dataset includes the abundance counts of Saltmarsh Sparrows and the
site and survey covariates for all surveys included in the analysis