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R E P O R T S I LLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY S U RVE Y R e p o r t s May/ June 1998 No. 351 I N S I D E Don't Blame It All on the Raccoons Much of the natural habitat of nesting song- Long-term Dormancy the midwestern U.S. has been birds do not in Freshwater converted to agricultural use. In fl edge enough Zooplankton east-central Illinois, for example, young to main- 2 row-crop agriculture covers tain stable pop- about 75% of the land area and ulations. These dominates the landscape. The areas may be Wetland Bird Conser- remaining natural areas are also population vation in Northeastern typically highly fragmented, sinks for song- Illinois creating large amounts of edge birds, meaning 3 habitat. Recent conservation that popula- literature has focused primarily tions must be Illinois Earthworms: In- on the negative aspects of such maintained by dicators of Soil Health? habitat fragmentation, but some constant immi- 4 species thrive in these heteroge- gration. Many neous areas. In fact, medium- kinds of preda- sized mammalian predators, such tors take song- Species Spotlight: as coyotes, raccoons, and opos- bird nests, but at ce of the Chief INHS Offi Photo by Steve Bailey, Passenger Pigeon sums, have increased to what are least two studies 6 probably historic high densities in the Midwest in Illinois in the past few decades have implicated despite extensive conversion of the raccoon as The Naturalist's natural habitats to agriculture. the major preda- Apprentice: These species tend to be very tor in agricul- Passenger Pigeon opportunistic in their choice of tural regions. A fox snake, one of several predators of songbirds. Colors food and habitat, as long as cer- So far, though, 7 tain basic requirements, such as few data show suitable den sites, are met. Some how different types of predators use recent studies have shown that habitat edges. raccoons reach their highest num- At the Middle Fork Fish and Resources, being conducted by ...two studies bers in landscapes with extensive Wildlife Area in Vermilion County, Scott Robinson, Jeff Brawn, Ed agricultural edges, in wooded we radio tracked 15 raccoons and Heske, and other INHS biologists in the Midwest remnants in areas with extensive 4 opossums to determine whether to study factors affecting nest corn cover, and in fragmented they used habitat edges preferen- predation on edge-, shrubland-, have impli- landscapes with a high diversity tially. We also conducted experi- and grassland-nesting songbirds. of cover types, especially where ments using wicker nests baited We tracked radio-collared cated the rac- there is proximity to water. with commercial quail and Zebra raccoons and opossums at night The good news for some kinds Finch eggs to determine if rates from two vehicles with antennae coon as the of animals can be bad news for of predation differed in fi elds of mounted on the roofs. Coordinat- major predator others, though. Predators may different sizes (are predation rates ing our positions and timing by use habitat edges as travel lanes lower in large fi elds?) or at differ- CB radio, we recorded simulta- in agricultural or forage more intensely there, ent distances from habitat edges neous bearings for each animal elevating rates of predation on (are predation rates higher closer to several times per night between regions. songbird nests. In some areas the edge than out in the middle of about 9 p.m. and 4 a.m. during of the Midwest where habitat the fi eld?). This research is part of three-week tracking sessions in fragmentation is extensive, rates a Federal Aid in Fish and Wildlife June and August 1997. Using of predation and nest parasitism Restoration project, funded through a differential global positioning by cowbirds can be so high that the Illinois Department of Natural Continued on back page 1 Long-term Dormancy in Freshwater Zooplankton Zooplankton (microscopic organ- pausing eggs can accumulate in isms suspended in water) are an densities ranging from 1,000 to 1 important component of a diverse million eggs per m2 of sediment. array of aquatic systems. Al- This storage of dormant stages though zooplankton differ in form forms an “egg bank” that is in and function, one trait common to many ways analogous to the seed a variety of species is the ability to banks of various terrestrial plant produce two types of eggs. Dur- species. One consequence of ing favorable conditions, females storing dormant stages in either Aquatic Ecology produce subitaneous eggs, which a terrestrial or aquatic system is develop immediately. When en- that it creates a reservoir of both vironmental conditions begin to species and genetic diversity. Photo by Carla Cáceres, INHS Center for decline for any number of reasons, This storage of biodiversity will females can switch to producing affect the way in which a system diapausing (resting) eggs, which responds to both natural and arti- Adult Daphnia pulicaria with enter a period of dormancy before fi cial changes. diapausing eggs. In Daphnia the resuming development. These In addition, the adults of female produces two diapausing eggs at a time, encased in a saddle- diapausing eggs sink to the bot- many freshwater zooplankton shaped protective covering known tom of the lake, pond, or river cannot tolerate desiccation and as an ephippium. When the female until they receive the appropriate therefore are not capable of ac- molts, the ephippium is released cues to resume development. tively dispersing overland from and sinks to the water bottom. The cues vary among species system to system. However, and are not well understood, but many of these specialized dor- aquatic ecology. This oversight likely include changes in light and mant stages resist drying, freez- is unfortunate because they are temperature. Historically it was ing, and gut passage through often an integral part of the sys- thought that these eggs served vertebrates, thus offering a series tem, and the response of systems to carry the population through of passive dispersal options. to perturbations will be related short-term environmental catastro- Dormant propagules have been directly to the ability of an egg transported to new loca- bank to store diversity. Cur- tions by ducks and other rent research being carried out birds, wind and rain, rac- by the Center for Aquatic Ecol- coons, and insects. Humans ogy focuses on the causes and have increased the rate of consequences of these eggs in intercontinental dispersal aquatic systems. Understanding when mud containing the the role of dormancy is essential diapausing eggs is intro- in making long-term predictions duced through ballast water about ecosystem responses to an- exchanges or fi sh-stocking thropogenic disturbances. Long- Aquatic Ecology practices. These human- lived dormant eggs can affect caused dispersal vectors are the ecology and evolution of the likely responsible for the populations that produce them. Photo by Carla Cáceres, INHS Center for introduction of at least two Therefore, to fully understand the exotic zooplankters into Il- dynamics of the planktonic stage linois waterways. The pre- we must consider its ties to the dacious Bythotrephes ced- Adult Daphnia galeata dormant stage as well. phes, such as the winter or the dry mendotae (left) and erstroemi, which entered Lake Carla E. Cáceres, Center for Aquatic Daphnia pulicaria, season. However, recent studies Michigan in the mid- 1980s, has both with subitaneous have indicated that some diapaus- been implicated in changes in the Ecology eggs. The Daphnia ing eggs are capable of remain- Lake Michigan food web. More pulicaria is about 3mm ing viable in the mud for over a recently, the suspension feed- long. century. This longevity increases ing Daphnia lumholtzi has been the life span of these organisms found in the Illinois River and from weeks or months to years several Illinois reservoirs. or even decades. In addition to The role of diapausing egg being extremely long-lived, dia- banks is rarely considered in 2 Wetland Bird Conservation in Northeastern Illinois Half of the 42 bird species listed (IDNR) and the U.S. Fish and among sites from year to year, both sampling design as endangered or threatened Wildlife Service, is conducting a making it diffi cult to predict the and logistics. To in Illinois nest exclusively in long-term study of wetlands that habitat requirements of the popu- overcome the logisti- wetlands. This relatively high is designed to provide accurate lation in the long term. In order cal problem volun- proportion of wetland species is estimates of the regional abun- to better understand the move- teers will be used to largely due to the loss of much of dance and distribution of wetland ments of these birds INHS and gather foraging data the state’s wetland habitat since birds. IDNR scientists are color mark- throughout the region. the early 1800s. Continuing de- Study sites are systematically ing large numbers of individuals. This summer, trained searched for nests The goals of this study are to: volunteers from the and the fate of all 1. quantify the reproductive Bird Conservation nests recorded. success of Yellow-headed Network will collect Characteristics Blackbirds, preliminary data at 12 (physical and fl oral) 2. assess habitat characteristics marshes in Lake and of marshes and nest that favor Yellow-headed McHenry counties. sites are also re- Blackbirds, and Information gathered corded. During the 3. assess site fi delity and dis- this year will be used 1997 fi eld season a persal in the area. to design a long-term team of 5 research- monitoring program ers working in 10 III. Use of foraging habitat by scheduled to begin in Photo by Michael Jeffords, wetlands located herons and egrets in northeast- 1999. INHS Center for Economic Entomology and monitored 450 ern Illinois.
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