Office of the Regional Executive for Biology - Central Region
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BUREAU INFORMATION NEEDS
ANNUAL STATUS REPORT
FY 1999
Prepared by
U. S. Geological Survey
Biological Resources Division
National Wetlands Research Center
700 Cajundome Blvd
Lafayette, LA 70506
Prepared for
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service
April 2000
Contents
Gulf Coast Marsh Ecosystem Restoration, Management, and Protection 4
Evaluate Habitat and Wildlife Management Practices on Refuges and Refuge Partnership Lands 12
Techniques for Restoring Degraded Ecosystems and Watersheds and Reestablishing the Integrity of Their Plant and Animal Communities 15
Baseline Ecological Data and Studies of Forest Fragmentation of Bottomland Hardwood Forest in East Texas, Eastern Oklahoma, Eastern Kansas and Lower Mississippi
Valley 18
Biological Information Needs
BRD Central Region
Identification of Needs for Biological Information:
BRD science centers identify needs through formal and informal contact with DOI bureau and other agencies.
BRD science centers identify needs through focused workshops with partners (each Central Region center will be conducting 2 workshops during FY2000).
BRD science center principle investigators identify emerging issues in their respective fields.
BRD science centers host science and cooperator meetings involving presentation and discussions among principle investigators and partners and cooperators.
Addressing Identified Needs: BRD science centers meet natural resources information needs through:
Redirection of Center Base Funding (based on research and technical support capabilities that become available through completion of studies).
Consultations between principle investigators and partner resource managers.
NPS focused Natural Resource Preservation Program (Needs and priorities established by NPS).
FWS focused Quick Response Program (Needs and priorities established by FWS).
FWS focused Species at Risk Program (Species and geographic area identified by FWS followed by solicitation of proposals.
Budget Increases (Needs and priorities are established by respective DOI bureau for increases identified as "DOI Science Support").
Reimbursable funding (Need identified and funded by other bureaus or agencies).
Providing Information: BRD science centers provide information through:
Reports, publications and fact sheets at the conclusion of studies.
Consultations between principle investigators and partner resource managers.
Workshop results.
Science center home pages and the National Biological Information Infrastructure.
Annual science center summary reports to partner bureaus.
Presentations and discussions among principle investigators and partners and cooperators at BRD science centers’ science and cooperator meetings.
TITLE: Gulf Coast Marsh Ecosystem Restoration, Management, and Protection
SUBMITTING BUREAU: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
DATE SUBMITTED: June 15, 1999
BRD REGION: Central
DESCRIPTION OF NEED: The vast coastal marshes of Louisiana and Texas are being stressed via disruption of freshwater and sediment inflows; saltwater intrusion; seismic activities; rice agriculture; oil and gas pipelines; subsidence; relative sea-level rise; and invasion of exotic plants. Along with these impacts is a lack of acceptable or endorsed marsh management and rice culture techniques to help enhance or restore wildlife benefits and reduce loss of intermediate and freshwater marshes. Research is needed to help curb these impacts and document acceptable management practices (water regimes, control structures, water and sediment diversion, fire, modified cropping, etc.) that will control the loss of marsh habitats and associated prairie or rice systems.
MANAGEMENT PROBLEM WITH NEED: Many thousands of acres of highly productive low salinity and fresh marshes are being lost annually because of saltwater intrusion and other human-related actions which over time cause marsh to be replaced by open water. Acceptable multipurpose, multiple species water control structures or other devices or techniques may be required to stem losses on public lands that are critical to many avian groups. Associated with the marsh system and a major component of the adjoining landscape are ricelands. The current importance of these lands for migratory birds needs to be assessed, including alternative cultivation management factors and potentials for natural prairie restoration. Examples of problems needing more scientific and biologically sound studies are:
a. Primary causes of saltwater intrusion; successful mitigation techniques; use of GIS and mapping methods to provide landscape overview of problems and location of major regions of concern.
b. Best ways to use structures (weirs, gates, impoundments, etc.) to meet multiple species objectives (waterfowl, fish, shellfish, etc.) and advance restoration of fresh and intermediate marsh plant types.
c. Life history and control methods for exotic plant species such as Chinese tallow trees, cogon grass, alligator weed, etc.
d. Response of birds to rice cultivation practices and potentials and techniques for conversion back to natural prairies.
e. Assessment of the role of fire for meeting wildlife and habitat restoration goals.
f. Documentation of impacts of 3-D seismic surveys on plants and animals.
g. Evaluation of marsh and sediment building techniques such as creation of splays.
BUREAU CONTACTS: Frank Bowers, Region 4 Phone: (404) 679-7188
Kathy Granillo, Region 2 Phone: (505) 248-6818
BRD CENTER: NWRC
NWRC CONTACT: Carroll Cordes Phone: (337) 266-8653
E-mail: carroll_cordes@usgs.gov
RESULTS OF BRD-INITIATED COMMUNICATION: Ed Proffitt, Chief, Wetlands Ecology Branch, NWRC, initiated contact with Frank Bowers, USFWS Region 4, Atlanta, in November 1998 regarding the importance of the BIN. Bowers reported that he was pleased with the progress NWRC was making on this BIN and reemphasized the importance of restoring coastal wetlands for the benefit of trust species and their enjoyment by America=s citizens. Attempts to contact Kathy Granillo, USFWS Region 2, Albuquerque, were not successful. Messages, however, were left for Granillo that informed her of our efforts with this BIN. Both Regional Offices of the USFWS had previously indicated that this BIN was important to the success of future management operations in the Gulf of Mexico coastal region.
FY99 UPDATES OF NWRC PROJECTS RELATED TO BIN (Underlined working titles are NOT official project titles)
Testing and evaluation of high biomass plant species for wetland restoration. Rebecca Howard is in year 2 of a 5-year research project aimed at identifying high biomass-producing strains or ecotypes of emergent wetland plants that will facilitate restoration of wetland vegetation in highly eroding areas of the Louisiana coast. A series of greenhouse experiments is being used to examine growth rates of ecotypes of 4 common marsh plants. Observations have revealed that some ecotypes within a plant species can grow rapidly and maintain biomass under physical and chemical conditions likely to occur at restoration sites. Although results are preliminary, an ecotype of Distichlis spicata collected on Marsh Island showed very high biomass production under greenhouse conditions. Other marsh plants under investigation include Schoenoplectus californicus, S. robustus, and Phragmites australis. The productivity of the various ecotypes will be field-tested in FY01.
NWRC CONTACT: Rebecca Howard Phone: (337) 266-8639
E-mail: rebecca_howard@usgs.gov
Detecting genetic parameters in marsh restoration by using dredged materials. Ed Proffitt, Chief, Wetlands Ecology Branch, in collaboration with Steve Travis of McNeese University (LA), is investigating the success of using dredged materials in marsh restoration. Research is focused on analyses of genetic diversity in developing marshes. Preliminary results indicate that restored and natural marshes contain many different genotypes of Spartina alterniflora; and that genetic diversity in restored marshes 3-14 years old was slightly higher than that in Aold@ natural marshes. Proffitt, Sue Grace and Steve Travis also organized and led a special session on genetics of marsh restoration at the 1999 Annual Meeting of the Estuarine Research Federation, held in New Orleans. The special session focused on case studies that demonstrated the importance of genetic parameters in marsh restoration. The session served to transfer practical information on the importance of genetic analyses in marsh restoration to coastal resource managers.
NWRC CONTACT: Ed Proffitt Phone: (337) 266- 8509
E-Mail: edward_proffitt@usgs.gov
Use of fire in removing oil spills from marshes. Ed Proffitt, Chief, Wetlands Ecology Branch, directed completion of a Master=s thesis by Dan Smith at McNeese State University (LA) on the response of three genotypes of Spartina alterniflora exposed to crude oil and fire. The greenhouse experiment evaluated crude oil (0, 4, 8, 16, and 24 L/m2) and burn vs. no burn treatments on plant survival, growth, and flowering. Results indicated that increasing oil concentration adversely affected survival, growth, and flowering. However, there were significant differences among the three genotypes of Spartina, indicating that not all genotypes respond to oil spills equally. The genotype that survived and grew the poorest after oil exposure also flowered the most. Burning had no effects at low concentrations of oil, reduced adverse effects at intermediate oil concentrations, and increased adverse impacts at the two highest oil concentrations. These results are discussed more fully in the following publication:
Smith, D. L., and C. E. Proffitt. 1999. The effects of crude oil and remediation burning on three clones of smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora Loisel). Estuaries 22: 616-623.
NWRC CONTACT: Ed Proffitt Phone: (337) 266-8509
E-Mail: edward_proffitt@usgs.gov
Response of gulf coast marsh systems to sea level rise. Don Cahoon initiated a 5-year research effort to continue his evaluation of the mechanisms by which coastal marshes cope with sea-level rise. This new program builds upon a previous effort that Cahoon conducted to measure marsh elevation and sedimentation on federal lands in the southeastern United States. This earlier work demonstrated that vertical accretion is not a good analog for elevation change in many coastal marshes. This conclusion means that wetland managers should be calculating elevation deficits, not accretion deficits, in order to estimate the vulnerability of wetland systems to sea level rise. These findings also suggest that wetland managers need to obtain a better understanding of how common marsh management practices (e.g., sediment diversion, hydrologic manipulation, prescribed burning) influence wetland elevation change. The new program will primarily focus on the long-term potential for submergence of gulf coastal marshes and on identification of the critical subsurface processes controlling elevation change. The new program will also investigate impacts of wetland management and restoration practices on wetland elevation changes. The following publications on the subject of marsh elevation and sea level rise contain useful information for wetland managers.
Ford, M.A., D.R. Cahoon, and J.C. Lynch. 1999. Restoring marsh elevation in a rapidly subsiding salt marsh by thin-layer deposition of dredged material. Ecological Engineering 12: 189-205
Cahoon, D.R., J.W. Day, Jr., and D.J. Reed. 1999. The influence of surface and shallow subsurface soil processes on wetland elevation: a synthesis. Current Topics in Wetland Biogeochemistry 3: 72-88.
Cahoon, D.R., J.W. Day, Jr., D.J. Reed, and R.S. Young. 1998. Global climate change and sea level rise: estimating the potential for submergence of coastal wetlands. Pages 19-32, in: G. R. Guntenspergen and B. A. Vairin, editors. Vulnerability of coastal wetlands in the Southeastern United States: climate change research results, 1992-97. U.S. Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division Biological Science Report USGS/BRD/BSR-1998-0002.
Reed, D.J., and D.R. Cahoon. 1999. Response of coastal wetlands to future climate change and variability. Pages 245-248 in D. B. Adams, editor. Potential consequences of climate variability and change to water resources of the United States. American Water Association, Herndon, VA, TPS-99-1.
NWRC CONTACT: Don Cahoon Phone: (337) 8634
E-Mail: don_cahoon@usgs.com
Role of wetlands in reducing nutrients transported by the Mississippi River. Tom Doyle initiated research that focuses on the role of Louisiana deltaic wetlands in transforming and reducing nutrient loading to the gulf. Project study sites are in the Atchafalaya and Western Terrebonne Basins. The effort is a joint venture between the NWRC and the USGS Water Resources Division (USGS). During FY99 project scientists made initial observations on the processes by which nutrients (nitrates and phosphates) are transformed by wetlands and the effects that high levels of nutrients have on plant communities.
NWRC CONTACT: Tom Doyle Phone: (337) 266-8647
E-Mail: tom_doyle@usgs.gov
Restoration of gulf coast prairies. Jim Grace and Larry Allain continued their field studies on prairie restoration in the gulf coastal area. Much of their effort has focused on recovery of prairie habitat on Brazoria NWR. Procedures and techniques developed for prairie restoration will apply to other USFWS refuge lands, primarily Attwater Prairie Chicken NWR (TX), Aransas NWR (TX), Matagorda Island NWR (TX), Big Boggy NWR (TX), Lacassine NWR (LA), Cameron Prairie NWR (LA), and Sabine NWR (LA). Efforts during FY99 were primarily directed at the use of fire for controlling plant succession and recovering native prairie vegetation. Another major emphasis was on evaluating the use of fire in control and management of the Chinese tallow tree. This nonindigenous invasive species has largely displaced native prairie vegetation throughout the gulf coastal zone, along with the rice industry.
Jim Grace and Larry Allain also developed a photographic database and a prairie CD and web site during 1999. These products will be useful to resource managers in identifying native prairie vegetation.
Allain, L., M. Vidrine, V. Grafe, C. Allen, and S. Johnson. 1999. Paradise Lost? The coastal prairie of Louisiana and Texas. Joint U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Geological Survey Brochure.
NWRC CONTACT: Jim Grace Phone: (337) 266-8632
E-Mail: jim_grace@usgs.gov
Migratory bird use of ricefields in the gulf coast. Clint Jeske and Wayne Norling devoted 1999 to analyses of data sets involving observations of migratory birds using ricefields in Texas and Louisiana. Although analyses are far from complete, preliminary conclusions reveal that some ricefields are more heavily used than others are by migratory birds. For example, post-harvest ricefields and fields in rotation with rice receive higher bird use if the stubble is partially flooded. These conditions are especially attractive to waterfowl and shorebirds. Wading birds preferred fields in which the stubble was completely flooded.
NWRC CONTACT: Wayne Norling Phone: (337) 266-8640
E-Mail: wayne_norling@usgs.gov
Waterfowl use of wetland plant communities in coastal Louisiana. Tommy Michot organized and stored in electronic format historical vegetation data collected for Sabine NWR. An aircraft was fitted with a photoport, and a spatial data collection method was developed for aerial videography and sampling of plant communities. Initial sampling of waterfowl locations on Sabine NWR were also conducted in 1999.
NWRC CONTACT: Tommy Michot Phone: (337) 266-8664
E-Mail: tommy_michot@usgs.gov
Effects of 3-D seismic exploration on marsh soils and plant communities. During 1999, Rebecca Howard completed fieldwork at Sabine NWR on the impacts that 3-D seismic operations have on marsh soils and plants. Preliminary analyses indicated that, immediately following a seismic survey, the maximum vegetation height decreased within the survey zone and increased on control sites. Further, in one of two impoundments studied, Spartina patens cover decreased in the impact zone but was unaffected on the control site. Therefore, these results show that 3-D seismic exploration flattens vegetation and can decrease the cover of dominant plant species. These impacts are not likely to be permanent since the marsh ecosystem has good recovery potential. However, disturbance effects on plant vigor are not immediately apparent. Analyses of data collected at 3-month intervals over 2 years following seismic surveys on Sabine NWR are ongoing. These analyses should identify any long-term effects of seismic surveys on soils and plant community structure.
NWRC CONTACT: Rebecca Howard Phone: (337) 266-8639
E-Mail: rebecca_howard@usgs.gov
Dredged materials disposal and the encroachment of Salicornia spp. on tidal flats in the Laguna Madre, Texas. Chris Onuf continued investigation of the invasion of dredged materials by Salicornia spp. in the Laguna Madre. Observations made in FY99 quantify the spread of the succulent plant onto tidal flats. Such flats are heavily used by a variety of shorebirds, and the presence of Salicornia spp. may render such sites unusable by these migratory birds. More research must be accomplished, but the project points out potential negative side effects that disposal of dredged materials in the Laguna Madre may have on migratory birds.
NWRC CONTACT: Chris Onuf Phone: (361) 985-6266
E-Mail: chris_onuf@usgs.gov
Ecology and restoration of submerged grassbeds in the gulf coast. Ron Boustany completed a demonstration project at Cameron Prairie NWR (LA) involving use of coconut husk mats for restoration of beds of freshwater eelgrass, a major waterfowl foodbase on the refuge. The project involved the sprigging of coconut mats (approximately 4 feet wide by 8 feet long by 1 inch thick)
with eelgrass rhizomes under greenhouse conditions. Once the eelgrass had grown across the whole mat and established a thick root system, mats were transported to the field sites where eelgrass communities have been lost through erosion. Because the mats provided a substrate and protected the new plant growth from wave action, the eelgrass community was quickly re-established on the test sites. The coconut mats embedded with eelgrass shoots represent an effective restoration tool for aquatic grassbeds. Refinement of the technology is in progress.
NWRC CONTACT: Ron Boustany Phone: (337) 266-8625
E-Mail: ron_boustany@usgs.gov
Water quality and submerged aquatic grassbeds. Tommy Michot and Ron Boustany collected data on water quality and submerged aquatic grassbeds along the Atlantic coast of Florida during FY99. The project, funded by the USGS, USEPA, and the St. John=s Water Management District, involves interactions between water quality and health and survival of aquatic grassbeds. The ultimate objective is to develop water quality criteria for evaluating health of freshwater sites. Although the project is being conducted along the Atlantic coast of Florida, project results are expected to be of use in restoring, managing and protecting aquatic grassbeds along the gulf coast.
NWRC CONTACT: Ron Boustany Phone: (337) 266-8625
E-Mail: ron_boustany@usgs.gov
GIS database for evaluation of wetland restoration projects in coastal Louisiana. During FY99 Jimmy Johnston, Chief, Spatial Analysis Branch, John Barras, and Bill Jones continued to develop a GIS database for several wetland restoration demonstration projects in coastal Louisiana. The long-term effort is funded under the Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act (CWPPRA). The GIS database is available to the USFWS and other federal agencies and the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources for evaluating potential restoration sites and planned restoration projects. The database also allows for the assessment of economic vs. environmental conflicts involving both state-owned lands and private lands along the Louisiana coast. The effort has resulted in a large number of maps and other GIS products.
NWRC CONTACT: Jimmy Johnston Phone: (337) 266-8503
E-Mail: jimmy_johnston@usgs.gov
Use of remote sensing for detecting wetland vegetation change. During FY99 Elijah Ramsey applied remote sensing technology to the detection of changes in a black needlerush ( Juncus roemerianus) marsh following burning. The primary study site was St. Marks NWR (FL). Results of this project are summarized in the following publication:
Ramsey, E.J., III, G.A. Nelson, S.K. Sapkota, S.C. Laine, J. Verdi, and S. Krasznay. 1999. Using multiple-polarization L-band radar to monitor marsh burn recovery. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing. 37 (1): 635-639.
NWRC CONTACT: Elijah Ramsey Phone: (337) 266-8575
E-Mail: elijah_ramsey@usgs.gov
Changes in wetland communities at Lacassine NWR, Louisiana. Larry Handley and Bill Jones used infrared aerial photography to analyze changes in wetland vegetation at Lacassine NWR over time, using photography taken in 1956, 1978, 1988, and 1995.
NWRC CONTACT: Larry Handley Phone: (337) 266-8691
E-Mail: larry_handley@usgs.gov
GIS arcview training for resource managers. Steve Hartley offered a hands-on GIS ArcView training course designed for resource managers. The 3-day course prepared biologists and wildlife managers with the skills to use GIS tools for assessing and evaluating wetland resource issues and for developing GIS databases for wetland management. During FY99 the course attracted a number of federal and state biologists, including representatives from the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
NWRC CONTACT: Steve Hartley Phone: (337) 266-8543
E-Mail: steve_hartley@usgs.gov
DATE SUBMITTED TO USFWS: April 12, 2000
DATE SUBMITTED TO CENTRAL REGION: April 12, 2000
PREPARED BY: Carroll Cordes
U. S. Geological Survey
National Wetlands Research Center
700 Cajundome Boulevard
Lafayette, LA 70506
Phone: (337) 266-8653
E-Mail: carroll_cordes@usgs.gov
TITLE: Evaluate Habitat and Wildlife Management Practices on Refuges and Refuge Partnership Lands
SUBMITTING BUREAU: U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
DATE SUBMITTED: March 31, 1995
BRD REGION: Central
DESCRIPTION OF NEED: As responsible land managers, the USFWS is often asked to demonstrate the effectiveness of its management activities. It is, therefore, important to document what management actions are applied, why they are used, and how effective they are in achieving results. There is a critical need for evaluating the effects of wildlife management techniques used on and off (Private Lands Program) USFWS lands on vegetation and wildlife. Major partnership programs have been initiated with private landowners to restore and enhance wetlands, improve hydrology and reestablish bottomland hardwood forests (reforestation). For the most part, the USFWS assumes that its land management practices and tools are successful; however, there is limited data to substantiate this assumption and to provide feedback to managers to improve habitat management. Evaluations of the following management tools and programs are needed: (a) grazing; (b) prescribed burning; (c) nonchemical alternatives (biological) to weed control; (d) predator management; (f) water manipulation for winter management of rice, soybeans, and moist soil sites; (g) reforestation; and (h) hydrology restoration. This proposal has national significance throughout the National Wildlife Refuge System and Central Region.
MANAGEMENT PROBLEM WITH NEED: It is USFWS policy to manage grassland areas in ways that foster recovery of deteriorated natural grasslands and maintain in good condition those grassland areas that have not been severely degraded. Livestock grazing on USFWS lands is currently being challenged in relation to compatibility. Although some resource managers consider grazing with livestock a wildlife habitat management tool, there is limited scientific data on which to evaluate grazing. Extensive research is needed to evaluate the impacts of various grazing systems on fish and wildlife and their habitats. Grazing must also be compared to other vegetation management techniques (e.g., prescribed burning) in terms of ecological benefits and cost of treatment. Similar information is also needed for prescribed burning, nonchemical alternatives to weed control, and predator management. In many cases, all four management tools will be used in concert with each other. Additionally, many of the USFWS=s Apartners@ programs need to be evaluated with emphasis on agroeconomic benefits to farmers and land owners involving practices such as reforestation; winter water management; moist soil manipulation, and FMHA restoration.
BUREAU CONTACTS: Wayne King, Region 6 Phone: (303) 236-8155 ext 256
Frank Bowers, Region 4 Phone: (404) 679-7188
Kathy Granillo, Region 2 Phone: (505) 248-6818
BRD CENTER: NWRC
NWRC CONTACT: Carroll Cordes Phone: (337) 266-8653
E-Mail: carroll_cordes@usgs.gov
RESULTS OF BRD-INITIATED COMMUNICATION: Initial contacts with USFWS personnel and BRD centers were initiated by Robert ABobby@ Cox (NPWRC). Cox determined that Regions 2, 4 and 6 of the USFWS considered the BIN to be highly important. Further, Cox summarized a number of BRD research projects that directly supported this BIN. These summaries were presented in the BRD=s Central Region FY 98 BIN Update Report submitted to the USFWS.
Earlier, in FY 97, the USFWS Region 6 identified three key research needs with respect to management practices, primarily grazing and burning, on refuge lands. These needs were (1) to assimilate and synthesize current information about the effects of USFWS management actions on vegetation and wildlife; (2) to analyze existing data pertaining to treatment effects of grazing and burning (such datasets are available for Audubon NWR and Des Lacs NWR in North Dakota, and Valentine NWR in Nebraska); and (3) to establish long-term monitoring programs to determine effects of burning, grazing and other management practices on additional refuge lands in the region. Also, USFWS Regions 2 and 4 identified grazing, burning, and mowing to be the primary management practices employed along the gulf coast for the control of vegetation. Resource managers in these regions are especially interested in knowing whether such practices are appropriate for restoring the native coastal prairie ecosystem. Several refuges in Texas and Louisiana have been identified as test areas for prairie restoration, using these practices. These refuges are Lacassine NWR (LA); Cameron Prairie NWR (LA); Sabine NWR (LA); Anahuac NWR (TX); Attwater Prairie Chicken NWR (TX); Brazoria-San Bernard NWR (TX); Big Boggy NWR (TX); Aransas NWR (TX); and Matagorda NWR (TX). The USFWS=s North American Waterfowl Management Plan also includes objectives for habitat restoration, and USFWS personnel associated with the Gulf Coast Joint Venture have expressed the need to evaluate practices used in rice culture to determine their effects on migratory birds that overwinter in the region.
FY99 UPDATES OF NWRC PROJECTS RELATED TO BIN (Underlined working titles are NOT official project titles.)
Effects of burning, grazing, and mowing on vegetation. Jim Grace continued monitoring of 27 study sites on Brazoria-San Bernard NWR. These sites are subjected primarily to burning and mowing for vegetation management (both to control certain species and to retard plant succession). During FY99 an intensive phase of the monitoring was completed and data analyses were initiated. Plans are to monitor these sites periodically over the next several years to gain a better perspective of the long-term responses of different vegetation communities to refuge management practices.
NWRC CONTACT: Jim Grace Phone: (337) 266-8632
E-Mail: jim_grace@usgs.gov
Effects of surface water management on plant communities. Tommy Michot and Tom Doyle conducted field surveys on Catahoula NWR (LA) during FY99 to establish baselines for water depths, lake bottom slope, and vegetation zones. A contemporary map was prepared from these data. These preliminary data and map products will be used to assess the effects of water management practices on waterfowl food plants and on woody habitat that encroaches onto the lakebed during low water periods.
NWRC CONTACT: Tommy Michot Phone: (337) 266-8664
E-Mail: tommy_michot@usgs.gov
DATE SUBMITTED TO USFWS: April 12, 2000
DATE SUBMITTED TO CENTRAL REGION: April 12, 2000
PREPARED BY: Carroll Cordes
U. S. Geological Survey
National Wetlands Research Center
700 Cajundome Boulevard
Lafayette, LA 70506
Phone: (337) 266-8653
E-Mail: carroll_cordes@usgs.gov
TITLE: Techniques for Restoring Degraded Ecosystems and Watersheds and Reestablishing the Integrity of Their Plant and Animal Communities
SUBMITTING BUREAU: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
DATE SUBMITTED: March 29, 1995
BRD REGION: Central
DESCRIPTION OF NEED: Information is needed that will improve the USFWS=s efforts in ecosystem management. The focus of research should be on tall grass prairie, riverine wetlands, bottomland hardwoods, oak savannas, and barrens. Products from BRD should include reports, management guidelines, and evaluation techniques. Areas especially recommended for study include Walnut Creek NWR (prairie restoration), Necedah NWR (oak savanna and barrens), Cypress Creek NWR and Big Muddy NWR (riverine habitats), and Mark Twain NWR (bottomland hardwoods).
MANAGEMENT PROBLEM WITH NEED: Long-term degradation and destruction of several ecosystems have resulted in severely declining populations of many species. Ecosystem restoration is essential to the stabilization of these populations and reduced reliance on the Endangered Species Act. Information is needed on how to restore these systems and how to monitor progress.
BUREAU CONTACT: Steve Wilds, Region 6, (612) 725-3313
BRD CENTER: NWRC
NWRC CONTACT: Carroll Cordes Phone: (337) 266-8653
E-Mail: carroll_cordes@usgs.gov
RESULTS OF BRD-INITIATED COMMUNICATION: Original contact with Steve Wilds was initiated by Gary Wilson (BRD). After confirming that the needs description was current, Wilson initiated discussions with representatives from USGS’s MESC, MSC, NPWRC, and the National Park Service to determine what these units were doing to respond to this BIN. A summary of the FY98 projects related to this BIN may be found in BRD=s Central Region Bureau Information Needs Annual Status Report, dated January 1998.
FY99 UPDATES OF NWRC PROJECTS RELATED TO THE BIN (Underlined working titles are NOT official project titles.)
Bottomland hardwood restoration guide. Although the NWRC did not initiate research in the geographic areas designated for this BIN by the USFWS, the center did complete a draft guide to restoration of bottomland hardwood forests. This guide, prepared by Bob Keeland and Sammy King, is based largely on research and field experiences gained in the bottomland systems of the Lower Mississippi River region. The contents of the guide, however, should have general application to management of the bottomland ecosystem at Mark Twain NWR and its environs. The restoration guide is expected to be completed and distributed during FY00.
NWRC Contact: Bob Keeland Phone: (337) 266-8663
E-Mail: bob_keeland@usgs.gov
Symposium on management of bottomland hardwoods. During FY99, Sammy King participated in the organization of the symposium entitled AEcology and Management of Bottomland Hardwood Systems: The State of Our Understanding.@ The symposium, held in Memphis, TN, was designed for natural resource mangers and provided a synthesis of the ecology and management of these forested systems. Also included were presentations on policy and conservation implications related to bottomland systems. The invited and contributed papers for this symposium are being organized in a book format for distribution during FY00. This collection of papers should contain management guidelines and other information useful for bottomland hardwood managers across North America.
NWRC Contact: Sammy King Phone: (337) 266-8619
E-Mail: sammy_king@usgs.gov
Publication on restoration of bottomland forests. Sammy King and Bob Keeland, in partnership with Ronnie Haynes (USFWS), surveyed restorationists throughout the Lower Mississippi Valley to learn of their failures and successes in restoration of bottomland systems. The information, which is the most comprehensive to date, may be found in:
King, S. L., and B. D. Keeland. 1999. Evaluation of reforestation in the Lower Mississippi River Alluvial Valley. Restoration Ecology 7 (4): 348-359.
Cooperative bottomland hardwood restoration study in the Lower Mississippi River. Bob Keeland participated in a cooperative project with the USFWS and Mississippi State University that focused on survival and growth characteristics of hardwood saplings following restoration of former bottomland hardwood sites. Site characteristics 3, 5, and 7 years after restoration were monitored and evaluated. Preliminary results were presented at the 1999 Bottomland Hardwood Ecology and Management Conference held in Memphis, TN. Final reports are expected in FY 00.
NWRC Contact: Bob Keeland Phone: (337) 266-8663
E-Mail: bob_keeland@usgs.gov
DATE SUBMITTED TO USFWS: April 12, 2000
DATE SUBMITTED TO CENTRAL REGION: April 12, 2000
PREPARED BY: Carroll Cordes
U. S. Geological Survey
National Wetlands Research Center
700 Cajundome Blvd
Lafayette, LA 70506
Phone: (337) 266-8653
TITLE: Baseline Ecological Data and Studies of Forest Fragmentation of Bottomland Hardwood Forests in East Texas, East Oklahoma, East Kansas and Lower Mississippi River Valley
SUBMITTING BUREAU: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
DATE SUBMITTED: June 15, 1997
BRD REGION: Central
DESCRIPTION OF NEED: Bottomland hardwood forest is essential habitat for many bird species for breeding, overwintering, and migration. In order to determine appropriate management actions on lands that the USFWS manages, as well as provide information/advice to other landowners and partners in conserving bottomland hardwoods, the USFWS needs information on the effects of forest fragmentation, importance of size of areas, and evaluation of silvicultural and harvest techniques, as well as baseline information on population sizes, trends and productivity of forest birds.
MANAGEMENT PROBLEM WITH NEED: The USFWS has responsibility for protecting migratory birds under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The USFWS needs more information on distribution, abundance, productivity and effects of management on birds that use bottomland hardwood forest in order to better protect these species. This information is also useful for land acquisition projects.
BUREAU CONTACT: Kathy Granillo, Region 2, (505) 248-6818
Frank Bowers, Region 4, (404) 679-7188
Wayne King, Region 6, (303) 236-8155- ext 256
BRD CENTER: NWRC
NWRC CONTACT: Carroll Cordes Phone: (337) 266-8653
E-Mail: carroll_cordes@usgs.gov
RESULTS OF BRD-INITIATED COMMUNICATION: Initial contacts with USFWS personnel were made by Virginia Burkett, Chief, Forest Ecology Branch, Sammy King, and Wylie Barrow. These NWRC scientists visited several bottomland sites with USFWS biologist Jim Neal (Nacogdoches, TX) and refuge managers from Cygnes NWR (KS). Discussions with Kathy Granillo, Region 2, were conducted to determine priority needs for bottomland forests. One of the top needs identified by Granillo was to determine tract size requirements for breeding and wintering migratory birds. As a result of these discussions, Granillo transmitted the following additional descriptive information for this BIN on November 30, 1998: AIncreased emphasis is needed on validating basic biological assumptions regarding forest size/composition and nongame bird use. We need to better monitor bird usage, reproduction, food production, etc. in relation to forest patch size and silvicultural practices. There is a need to address (1) the number of breeding pairs needed to be a source population in different forest block sizes, and (2) the relationship of forest composition/health/size on forest bird feeding strategies.@ This additional descriptive information for the BIN was agreed to by Regions 2, 4, and 6 of the USFWS. Frank Bowers, Region 4, indicated that the BIN was of very high importance for his geographic region. Wayne King, Region 6, emphasized the need for baseline surveys of plants and animals on the recently acquired Marais des Cygnes NWR in eastern Kansas.
FY99 UPDATES OF NWRC PROJECTS RELATED TO BIN (Underlined working titles are NOT official project titles)
Bird survey of the Columbia bottomlands, Texas. Wiley Barrow initiated a survey of breeding and wintering bird abundance and species richness on the Dance Bayou Tract in the Columbia bottomlands in Brazoria County, TX. This tract of bottomlands is a recently acquired addition to the Brazoria-San Bernard NWR. The Dance Bayou Tract is a remnant of a once vast coastal bottomland forest dominated by a liveoak overstory. Bird and habitat data collected by Barrow on the Dance Bayou Tract will provide baseline information for assessing similar remaining tracts in the region for possible acquisition by the USFWS.
NWRC Contact: Wiley Barrow Phone: (337) 266-8668
E-Mail: wiley_barrow@usgs.gov
DATE SUBMITTED TO USFWS: April 12, 2000
DATE SUBMITTED TO CENTRAL REGION: April 12, 2000
PREPARED BY: Carroll Cordes
U. S. Geological Survey
National Wetlands Research Center
700 Cajundome Boulevard
Lafayette, LA 70506
Phone: (337) 266-8653
E-Mail: carroll_cordes@usgs.gov
TITLE: Integrated Migratory Bird Research in the Mississippi River Alluvial Valley
SUBMITTING BUREAU: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
DATE SUBMITTED: May 22, 1996
BRD REGION: Central
DESCRIPTION OF NEED: Continue and increase BRD support for an integrated migratory bird plan and estimates of migratory bird carrying capacities for the Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV). Several aspects of this research need have been initiated, but efforts need to be continued and funded for several more years. The needs include (1) to determine the role of foraging habitat as a limiting factor of wintering waterfowl and shorebirds, including estimates of foraging support capabilities of different habitat types within the MAV; (2) to develop a GIS-based forest fragmentation database for area-sensitive song birds and test assumptions about optimal habitat sizes; (3) to improve techniques for censusing and estimating shorebird numbers in the MAV; and (4) to provide scientific information and procedures for quantifying impacts of managing private agricultural lands (for winter water) on water quality and on waterfowl and shorebird use of these lands.
MANAGEMENT PROBLEM WITH NEED: Addressing the above needs will allow implementation of an integrated migratory bird conservation program on private and public lands. The program will be designed to reduce forest fragmentation, support waterfowl foraging needs associated with the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, and restore hydrology and natural and cropped wetlands with benefits to waterfowl, shorebirds, and wading birds. Some aspects of the needed research are already underway at the Patuxent field station at Vicksburg, MS.
BUREAU CONTACT: Charles Baxter Phone: (601) 629-6600
BRD PRIMARY CENTER: NWRC
NWRC CONTACT: Carroll Cordes Phone: (337) 266-8653
E-Mail: carroll_cordes@usgs.gov
RESULTS OF BRD-INITIATED COMMUNICATION: Initial contacts with USFWS and BRD personnel were made by Carroll Cordes. Personnel of the USFWS (Frank Bowers, Ray Aycock, and Charles Baxter) confirmed that this BIN was of high priority. Dan Twedt and Ken Reinecki (PWRC) were already engaged in research with Neotropical songbirds and overwintering waterfowl, respectively, in support of this BIN, while they were with the NWRC. Clint Jeske (NWRC) initiated a shorebird project complementary to the ongoing work with songbirds and waterfowl. Additionally, Wylie Barrow reported that he was completing field observations of Neotropical migratory songbirds in LMV bottomland hardwood habitats.
FY99 UPDATES OF NWRC PROJECTS RELATED TO BIN (Underlined working titles are NOT official project titles)
Shorebird populations and migration chronology in the LMV. Clint Jeske and Paul Chadwick continued the second year of study of shorebird populations and migration chronology in the LMV. Efforts in FY 99 focused on species composition and population size of shorebirds staging at Catahoula Lake NWR (LA) and its environs. Efforts to do complementary surveys at Yazoo NWR (MS) were cancelled because of budget reductions. How not being able to include the Yazoo NWR site in this study will affect shorebird management in the LMV is unknown at this time.
NWRC Contact: Clint Jeske Phone: (337) 266-8652
E-Mail: clint_jeske@usgs.gov
Species richness, abundance, and habitat relations of birds in LMV bottomlands. Wylie Barrow and collaborators from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Forest Service, and the University of Southern Mississippi completed investigations of species richness, relative abundance, and habitat relations of breeding and wintering birds at bottomland hardwood sites in the Cache River (AR) and Iatt Creek (LA) basins. This project is a component of the Southern Forested Wetlands Initiative at the NWRC. The 4-year project is now drawing to a close and data are being analyzed and prepared for inclusion in final reports and publications. Preliminary results indicate that both elevation and disturbance events influence the distribution and abundance of birds on LMV bottomland ecosystems.
NWRC Contact: Wylie Barrow Phone: (337) 266-8668
E-Mail: wylie_barrow@usgs.gov
DATE SUBMITTED TO USFWS: April 12, 2000
DATE SUBMITTED TO CENTRAL REGION: April 12, 2000
PREPARED BY: Carroll Cordes
U. S. Geological Survey
National Wetlands Research Center
700 Cajundome Boulevard
Lafayette, LA 70506
Phone: (337) 266-8653
E-Mail: carroll_cordes@usgs.gov
U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://biology.usgs.gov/cro/NWRCFWS00StatusReport.htm
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