Affected Environment 3–1 International, National, Regional, and Landscape Context
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Contents Chapter 3. Affected Environment 3–1 International, National, Regional, and Landscape Context ........................................... 3–1 Ecological and Socioeconomic Conditions of the Chesapeake Bay Estuary .............................. 3–9 Geographic and Physiographic Setting ....................................................... 3–9 Relative Sea-level Rise and Its Effect....................................................... 3–11 Salinity and Tides...................................................................... 3–13 Bay Wetland Ecology................................................................... 3–14 Socioeconomic Setting of the Tidewater and Delmarva Regions .................................. 3–19 Land Use............................................................................. 3–22 Environmental Assessment Study Area......................................................... 3–24 Geographic and Physiographic Setting ...................................................... 3–25 Location and Size of Refuges............................................................. 3–26 Wetland Communities ................................................................... 3–55 Forest Communities .................................................................... 3–78 Upland Communities ................................................................... 3–84 Unique Communities ................................................................... 3–86 Fauna................................................................................ 3–91 Migratory Birds.................................................................... 3–92 Migratory Nongame Species of Management Concern .................................... 3–108 Shorebirds, Gulls, Terns, and Allied Species ............................................ 3–111 Marsh and Water Birds............................................................. 3–111 Breeding Songbirds ................................................................ 3–122 Threatened and Endangered Species................................................... 3–128 Benthic Organisms and Invertebrates.................................................. 3–140 Finfish and Shellfish............................................................... 3–140 Reptiles and Amphibians ............................................................ 3–150 Mammals........................................................................ 3–152 Exotic and Invasive Species ......................................................... 3–160 Resident Species .................................................................. 3–171 Cultural and Historical Environment.......................................................... 3–174 Paleoenvironment..................................................................... 3–174 Historical Overview ................................................................... 3–175 Cultural Resources .................................................................... 3–182 Socioeconomic Environment ................................................................ 3–186 Regional Overview.................................................................... 3–186 County Descriptions ................................................................... 3–188 Community Attitudes and Opinions ....................................................... 3–196 Recreation and Tourism ................................................................ 3–198 Recreational Opportunities on the Refuge Complex .......................................... 3–199 Administrative Staff and Facilities ........................................................ 3–202 Figures Figure 1. The mid-Atlantic coast of the United States and Chesapeake Bay (Ellison and Nichols 1975) ........... 3–1 Figure 2. Regional context ....................................................................... 3–3 Figure 3. County boundaries ...................................................................... 3–6 Figure 4. Current land use........................................................................ 3–7 Figure 5. Physiographic setting .................................................................... 3–9 Figure 6. Annual mean relative sea level at Solomons Island 1937–1997 ................................. 3–11 Figure 7. Maryland’s land cover.................................................................. 3–23 Figure 8. Barren Island Soils (color plate) .......................................................... 3–35 Figure 9. Blackwater NWR Soils (color plate)....................................................... 3–36 Figure 10. Bishop’s Head and Spring Island Soils (color plate) .......................................... 3–37 Figure 11. Honga Focus Area Soils (color plate) ..................................................... 3–38 Figure 12. Blackwater NWR salinity ranges A–J..................................................... 3–41 Figure 13. Water quality monitoring sites (color plate) ................................................ 3–42 Figure 14. Salinity at Route 335.................................................................. 3–43 Figure 15. Salinity at Shorter’s Wharf ............................................................. 3–43 Figure 16. Average salinity (Blackwater NWR)...................................................... 3–44 Figure 17. Average dissolved oxygen (Blackwater NWR).............................................. 3–44 Figure 18. Average hydrogen sulfide (Blackwater NWR).............................................. 3–45 Figure 19. Average pH (Blackwater NWR)......................................................... 3–45 Figure 20. Agriculture and moist soil units (Blackwater NWR) (color plate) ............................... 3–46 Figure 21. Comparative marsh 1939 ............................................................... 3–48 Figure 22. Comparative marsh 1989 ............................................................... 3–48 Figure 23. Eastern Shore island losses (middle portion of the Bay)....................................... 3–50 Figure 24. Eastern Shore island losses (conclusion)................................................... 3–51 Figure 25. Barren Island NWI (color plate) ......................................................... 3–57 Figure 26. Blackwater NWR NWI (color plate)...................................................... 3–59 Figure 27. Bishop’s Head and Spring Island NWI (color plate) .......................................... 3–60 Figure 28. Honga Focus Area NWI (color plate) ..................................................... 3–61 Figure 29. Martin NWR and Watts Island NWI (color plate) ........................................... 3–62 Figure 30. Nanticoke Protection Area NWI (color plate)............................................... 3–63 Figure 31. Chesapeake Bay Program segments in the Middle Chesapeake Bay (1978) (color plate) ............. 3–66 Figure 32. Segment FSBMH (hectares) (color plate).................................................. 3–67 Figure 33. Segments CB5MH and HNGMH (hectares) (color plate) ...................................... 3–68 Figure 34. Segment LCHMH (hectares) (color plate) ................................................. 3–69 Figure 35. Segment NANMH (hectares) (color plate) ................................................. 3–70 Figure 36. Segment NANOH (hectares) (color plate) ................................................. 3–71 Figure 37. Segment TANMH (hectares) (color plate) ................................................. 3–72 Figure 38. Land cover types as a percent of total area on Blackwater NWR................................ 3–85 Figure 39. Midwinter waterfowl counts on the Refuge Complex as a percent of Maryland’s total ............... 3–94 Figure 40. Midwinter dabbler counts on the Refuge Complex as a percent of Maryland’s total ................. 3–95 Figure 41. Midwinter diver counts on the Refuge Complex as a percent of Maryland’s total ................... 3–96 Figure 42. Numbers of dabblers on Blackwater NWR................................................. 3–97 Figure 43. Midwinter snow goose counts on the Refuge Complex as a percent of Maryland’s total ............ 3–102 Figure 44. Midwinter tundra swan counts on the Refuge Complex as a percent of Maryland’s total ............ 3–103 Figure 45. Midwinter Canada goose counts on the Refuge Complex as a percent of Maryland’s total ........... 3–104 Figure 46. Shorebird survey charts, Blackwater NWR (color plate) ..................................... 3–112 Figure 47. Shorebird survey charts, Blackwater NWR (color plate) ..................................... 3–113 Figure 48. Peregrine towers and water bird colony sites .............................................. 3–121 Figure 49. Fifty-Year Summary, Southern Dorchester County Christmas Count ........................... 3–125 Figure 50. Southern Dorchester County Christmas Count (continued) ................................... 3–126 Figure 51. Southern Dorchester County Christmas Count (conclusion) ................................... 3–127 Figure 52. Number of DFS observed per 100 sampling days at seven sites (color plate) ..................... 3–131 Figure 53. Number of DFS observed per 100 sampling days at two sites (BLK) (color plate) ................. 3–132 Figures. Seven benchmark sites: DFS population structure (color plate) ................................. 3–133 Figure 61. Adult, subadult, and juvenile DFS observed (BLK) (color