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Salt Marsh Monitoring by The SaltSalt MarshMarsh MonitoringMonitoring byby thethe U.S.U.S. FishFish && WildlifeWildlife ServiceService’’ss NortheastNortheast RegionRegion Ralph Tiner Regional Wetland Coordinator U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-Northeast Region February 2010 TypesTypes ofof MonitoringMonitoring RemotelyRemotely sensedsensed MonitoringMonitoring Area and type changes (e.g., trends analysis) Can cover large or small areas OnOn--thethe--groundground MonitoringMonitoring Addressing processes (accretion, erosion, subsidence, salt balance, etc.) Analyzing vegetation and soil changes Plot analysis Reference wetlands Evaluating wildlife habitat RemotelyRemotely SensedSensed MonitoringMonitoring NWINWI usesuses aerialaerial imageryimagery toto tracktrack wetlandwetland changeschanges inin wetlandwetland typetype WetlandWetland StatusStatus && TrendsTrends StudiesStudies == aa typetype ofof monitoringmonitoring For large geographic areas Statistical Sampling – analyze changes in 4-square mile plots; generate estimates For small areas Area-based Analysis –analyze complete area for changes over time RegionRegion vsvs LocalLocal ReportsReports CanfieldCanfield Cove,Cove, CTCT 19741974 20042004 Canfield Island Cove 60 50 40 s e 30 Acr 20 10 0 1974 1981 1986 1990 1995 2000 2004 Low Marsh High Marsh Flat ConsiderationsConsiderations forfor SiteSite--specificspecific MonitoringMonitoring SpecialSpecial aerialaerial imageryimagery LowLow tidetide PeakPeak ofof growinggrowing seasonseason NormalNormal issuesissues re:re: qualityquality (e.g.,(e.g., cloudcloud--free)free) LargeLarge--scalescale oror highhigh resolutionresolution CIRCIR IntegratingIntegrating TrendsTrends withwith NWINWI UpdatesUpdates RegionRegion 55 StandardStandard Practice;Practice; OptionalOptional elsewhereelsewhere Delaware Recent Long Island Historic Recent MonitoringMonitoring SaltSalt MarshMarsh Migration:Migration: NortheastNortheast RegionRegion PilotPilot StudyStudy AsAs seasea levellevel rises,rises, marshesmarshes tendtend toto advanceadvance landwardlandward convertingconverting forestsforests toto marshlandmarshland ThisThis hashas happenedhappened sincesince thethe seasea levellevel ratesrates slowedslowed aboutabout 6,0006,000 yearsyears ago,ago, afterafter risingrising atat greatgreat ratesrates rightright afterafter thethe mostmost recentrecent glacialglacial epochepoch TheseThese lowlandlowland forestsforests needneed toto bebe keptkept availableavailable forfor saltsalt marshmarsh migrationmigration NeighboringNeighboring landslands areare vitalvital toto futurefuture ofof EastEast CoastCoast tidaltidal marshesmarshes andand preservingpreserving thethe benefitsbenefits theythey provideprovide forfor fishfish andand wildlifewildlife ThereThere areare manymany examplesexamples ofof deaddead treestrees oror stumpsstumps inin todaytoday’’ss saltsalt marshesmarshes DowneastDowneast MaineMaine CapeCape LookoutLookout Marshes,Marshes, MDMD MyMy InterestInterest RaisingRaising awarenessawareness ofof thethe needneed toto keepkeep forestsforests asas landslands suitablesuitable forfor marshmarsh migrationmigration DocumentDocument thethe longlong--termterm changeschanges inin vegetationvegetation andand soilssoils fromfrom forestforest toto marshmarsh StudyStudy ObjectiveObjective EstablishEstablish permanentpermanent plotsplots toto documentdocument changeschanges inin coastalcoastal plantplant commucommunitiesnities overover timetime Vegetation patterns Soil properties GainGain informationinformation onon howhow longlong itit takestakes forfor significantsignificant changeschanges toto occuroccur Salt marsh to tidal flat or open water Forested wetland to marsh Upland forest to forested wetland or marsh Changes in soil properties – mineral soil to organic soil; nonhydric soil to hydric soil MethodsMethods Analyze aerial photos and get input from refuge biologists on possible study sites Review sites in field Lay out transects along gradient from salt marsh to forested wetland to lowland upland forest Establish permanent plots 30’-radius circular plots for Forests 15’-radius circular plots for Shrub Thickets (or shrub stratum) 5’-radius circular plot for Marshes (or herb stratum) Mark center point with wooden stake or blaze tree Record GPS location Sample plant communities and soils VegetationVegetation SamplingSampling StrataStrata -- MetricMetric TreeTree –– arealareal cover;cover; dbhdbh/basal/basal area;area; densitydensity ShrubShrub -- covercover HerbHerb -- covercover WoodyWoody VineVine –– qualitativequalitative StressStress indicatorsindicators ChlorosisChlorosis Dieback/DeathDieback/Death SoilSoil SamplingSampling SoilSoil profileprofile descriptiondescription toto 50cm50cm TextureTexture analysisanalysis InIn--thethe--fieldfield byby feelfeel ConfirmedConfirmed oror correctedcorrected byby lablab analysisanalysis CarbonCarbon contentcontent PilotPilot RefugeRefuge ForsytheForsythe NationalNational WildlifeWildlife RefugeRefuge 44,000+44,000+ acreacre refugerefuge inin southernsouthern NJNJ 78%78% saltsalt marshmarsh 4%4% forestedforested wetlandwetland 13%13% uplandupland forestforest 3%3% grasslandgrassland 2%2% beachesbeaches andand dunesdunes areasareas ofof knownknown salt/brackishsalt/brackish marshmarsh migrationmigration (former(former AtlanticAtlantic whitewhite cedarcedar swamp)swamp) ForsytheForsythe NWRNWR StudyStudy ThreeThree ““transectstransects”” LeedsLeeds PointPoint 1 marsh plot, 1 marsh-forest edge plot, 2 forested wetland plots; 1 upland forest plot JobsJobs CreekCreek Several marsh plots, one mixed EM/dead-dying trees plots; 2 forested wetland plots; 1 upland forest plots AT&TAT&T SiteSite (OMWM(OMWM site;site; researchresearch ongoing)ongoing) Several marsh plots, 1 marsh-PFO edge plot; 2 forested wetland plots; 1 upland forest plot JobsJobs CreekCreek StudyStudy AreaArea SoilSoil MapMap NWINWI InfoInfo BrackishBrackish MarshMarsh ““GhostGhost ForestForest”” (Three(Three--square)square) ((PhragmitesPhragmites)) DyingDying ForestForest AtlanticAtlantic WhiteWhite (Nearly(Nearly Dead)Dead) CedarCedar SwampSwamp FrequencyFrequency ofof SamplingSampling Year 1 – establish initial conditions Every 5 years thereafter And when the Refuge’s Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) is updated Forsythe NWR CCP in 2004 for Forsythe NWR 2009 (initial salt marsh migration study) 2014 2019 (CCP update) 2024 2029, etc. (ideally, but at least when CCP is updated – 15-year cycle) FutureFuture PlansPlans DoDo aa fewfew moremore coastalcoastal refugesrefuges inin NortheastNortheast SeeSee ifif interestinterest inin otherother coastalcoastal refugesrefuges (secure(secure funds)funds) GainGain interestinterest byby otherother agenciesagencies toto dodo samesame onon theirtheir landslands CoordinateCoordinate studiesstudies withwith universitiesuniversities soso thatthat workwork cancan bebe passedpassed onon forfor graduategraduate studiesstudies (MS(MS theses)theses) SeparateSeparate Initiative:Initiative: PossiblyPossibly createcreate coastwidecoastwide mapsmaps showingshowing locationslocations suitablesuitable forfor saltsalt marshmarsh migrationmigration RegionRegion 55 RefugeRefuge ProgramProgram –– SaltSalt MarshMarsh MonitoringMonitoring SaltSalt MarshMarsh IndexIndex ofof EcologicalEcological IntegrityIntegrity CoordinatedCoordinated studystudy withwith USGSUSGS OneOne measuremeasure ofof biologicalbiological integrityintegrity ofof thethe NWRsNWRs DevelopingDeveloping thisthis index;index; USGSUSGS analyzinganalyzing datadata AtAt conclusionconclusion ofof study,study, recommendationsrecommendations willwill bebe mademade re:re: indicatorsindicators toto monitormonitor Contact:Contact: [email protected][email protected] MetricsMetrics BeingBeing EvaluatedEvaluated VegetationVegetation CommunityCommunity WildlifeWildlife CommunityCommunity TidalTidal RestrictionsRestrictions InvasiveInvasive SpeciesSpecies MosquitoMosquito ControlControl ActivitiesActivities DegreeDegree ofof PhysicalPhysical AlterationAlteration (e.g.,(e.g., ditching,ditching, pondpond creation)creation) AdjoiningAdjoining HabitatHabitat DegreeDegree ofof HumanHuman ActivityActivity OthersOthers (some(some locallocal interest)interest) UsesUses ofof IndexIndex Identify reference salt marshes to be used as restoration targets Use to rank the ecological integrity of salt marsh units and provide for long-term monitoring of salt marsh health Identify and prioritize restoration activities Evaluate the effectiveness of restoration practices Evaluate salt marsh objectives within CCPs and Habitat Management Plans Identify thresholds for maintaining intrinsic value of marshes Provide measurable objective to evaluate and guide management activities (use in annual performance reporting) Satisfy legal mandate to monitor biological integrity of refuges (Refuge Improvement Act) RefugesRefuges WhereWhere SaltSalt MarshMarsh MonitoringMonitoring isis UnderwayUnderway SelectedSelected RefugesRefuges RachelRachel CarsonCarson (ME)(ME) ParkerParker RiverRiver (MA)(MA) RIRI ComplexComplex McKinneyMcKinney (CT)(CT) WertheimWertheim (NY)(NY) ForsytheForsythe (NJ)(NJ) BombayBombay HookHook andand PrimePrime HookHook (DE)(DE) EasternEastern ShoreShore (VA)(VA) FWSFWS MonitoringMonitoring –– SaltSalt MarshesMarshes NotNot systemwidesystemwide PilotPilot projectsprojects SaltSalt MarshMarsh MigrationMigration MonitoringMonitoring ((TinerTiner)) SaltSalt MarshMarsh IntegrityIntegrity IndexIndex ((AdamowiczAdamowicz)) WetlandWetland TrendTrend StudiesStudies IntegratingIntegrating withwith updatesupdates ofof NWINWI inin RegionRegion 55 andand selectselect areasareas elsewhereelsewhere ((TinerTiner)) ForFor furtherfurther information,information, contact:contact: [email protected][email protected].
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