University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln U.S. National Park Service Publications and Papers National Park Service 2018 Influence of Invasive Hybrid Cattails on Habitat Use by Common Loons Spencer L. Wesche Benjamin J. O'Neal Steve K. Windels Bryce T. Olson Max Larreur See next page for additional authors Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/natlpark This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the National Park Service at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in U.S. National Park Service Publications and Papers by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Authors Spencer L. Wesche, Benjamin J. O'Neal, Steve K. Windels, Bryce T. Olson, Max Larreur, and Adam A. Ahlers Wildlife Society Bulletin 42(1):166–171; 2018; DOI: 10.1002/wsb.863 From The Field Influence of Invasive Hybrid Cattails on Habitat Use by Common Loons SPENCER L. WESCHE, Department of Biology, Franklin College, Franklin, IN 46131, USA BENJAMIN J. O’NEAL, Department of Biology, Franklin College, Franklin, IN 46131, USA STEVE K. WINDELS, National Park Service, Voyageurs National Park, International Falls, MN 56649, USA BRYCE T. OLSON, National Park Service, Voyageurs National Park, International Falls, MN 56649, USA MAX LARREUR, Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA ADAM A. AHLERS,1 Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA ABSTRACT An invasive hybrid cattail species, Typha  glauca (T.  glauca), is rapidly expanding across the United States and Canada. Dense clonal stands of T.  glauca outcompete native wetland plants, reduce open-water habitats, and negatively affect native wetland plant diversity; however, effects of hybrid cattail expansions on native wildlife are still unclear. We used multiple surveys and single-season occupancy models to examine how the relative coverage of T.  glauca affected habitat use by common loons (Gavia immer)at71 wetland sites in Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota, USA, during summer 2016. Delineated wetland sites (2 ha) were considered potential resource patches for common loons and positioned along a gradient of relative T.  glauca coverage. Detection of common loons was influenced negatively by the time of day surveys were conducted. Occupancy probabilities were greater at sites with deeper water levels, possibly indicating selection for areas with adequate water depths for pursuit-based foraging for fish. Contrary to our hypothesis, common loons appeared insensitive to the relative coverage of T.  glauca at wetland sites. Future research should focus on elucidating potential threshold-effects of T.  glauca expansions on additional loon demographic rates. Ó 2018 The Wildlife Society. KEY WORDS cattails, common loon, Gavia immer, invasive species, T.  glauca, Voyageurs National Park, waterbird, wetland management. Typha  glauca (hereafter, “T.  glauca”), a successful hybrid Common loon (Gavia immer; henceforth, “loons”) is a large between native broad-leaf cattail (Typha latifolia) and piscivorous waterbird (3.2–5.2 kg) and an iconic species in invasive narrow-leaf cattail (Typha angustifolia), is considered boreal lakes and lacustrine wetlands where T.  glauca is the most invasive Typha species in North America (Travis rapidly establishing (Piper et al. 1999, Windels et al. 2013). et al. 2010, Larkin et al. 2011, Marburger and Travis 2013). Loons are important predators in aquatic food webs and rely Once established, T.  glauca rapidly dominates native on high-quality habitats to forage and reproduce (Piper et al. vegetation communities by outcompeting native plants for 1999, McCarthy and DeStefano 2010, Radomski et al. light and nutrient resources because of its physical structure 2014). The littoral zone serves as vital foraging areas for and extensive root system (Travis et al. 2010, 2011). loons as they hunt for yellow perch (Perca flavescens), T.  glauca’s rapid replacement of native vegetation results in pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus), and bluegill (Lepomis dense monoculture stands that can negatively affect wetland macrochirus; Strong and Bissonette 1989, Ruggles 1994, plant diversity (Tuchman et al. 2009, Travis et al. 2010, Evers 2007). Prey-rich waters are critical for obtaining Larkin et al. 2011, Marburger and Travis 2013). Although necessary caloric input, which can be in excess of 423 kg of effects of T.  glauca’s encroachment on native plants and fish for a loon family (2 adults, 2 chicks) in a single breeding wetland structure have been well-established, less is known season (Barr 1996, Evers 2007). These areas can provide of its possible effects on native wildlife (Tuchman et al. 2009, loons with an abundance of prey and sufficient foraging areas Travis et al. 2010, Larkin et al. 2011, Marburger and Travis for pursuit of highly mobile and erratic prey (Strong and 2013). Bissonette 1989, Ruggles 1994, Barr 1996, Evers 2007). It is plausible that expanding T.  glauca populations could negatively affect habitat quality for common loons; however, this hypothesis has not yet been evaluated. Although Received: 22 June 2017; Accepted: 29 December 2017  Published: 13 March 2018 T. glauca reduces open-water area in wetlands, potentially reducing loon foraging areas, loons often construct floating 1E-mail: [email protected] nests made of emergent vegetation, including cattail litter, 166 Wildlife Society Bulletin 42(1) which suggests a potential positive effect of abundant T.  glauca was the dominant cattail species in the region T.  glauca stands (Mathieson 1969, DeSorbo et al. 2006, (Travis et al. 2010, Marburger and Travis 2013). Windels et al. 2013). Thus, the relationship between loons  and T. glauca remains unclear. METHODS Our goal was to quantify effects of T.  glauca encroach- ment on habitat use by loons in a representative lake Data Collection ecosystem. If expanding T.  glauca populations limit the We sampled 71 sites within Rainy and Kabetogama lakes to spatial distribution of loons, we expected lower habitat assess the presence or absence of loons. We used a digital occupancy rates at sites with abundant T.  glauca coverage. vegetation map of VNP (based on the National Vegetation We also predicted site occupancy probabilities by loons Classification System; Faber-Langendoen et al. 2007) to would be greater in deeper water and reduced submergent identify all wetlands adjacent to Rainy and Kabetogama vegetation because these areas likely provide better foraging lakes and delineated these areas as unique polygons in opportunities. ArcMap 10.4 (ESRI 2015). We randomly selected unique polygons to sample and ground-truthed each to ensure they STUDY AREA occurred in wetland habitats. We then established our Our study was focused in Rainy and Kabetogama lakes in sampling sites on the general centroid of each randomly northern Minnesota, USA (48.60268N, À93.403658E; selected wetland polygon (n ¼ 71; Fig. 2). Sites were Fig. 1). Both lakes were located on the United States– separated by a mean Euclidian distance of 1,247 m Canada border with portions of each falling within the (SD ¼ 377 m) and a post hoc analysis determined that sites boundaries of Voyageurs National Park (VNP; 88,300 ha; were distributed across a gradient of T.  glauca coverage Fig. 1). Our study area occurred in the boreal ecosystem (Fig. 3). We considered each site a resource patch (2 ha) characterized by warm, humid summers (x temp ¼ 178 C) because it was much smaller than the average loon home and cold, dry winters (x temp ¼138 C) with a mean annual range (6–200 ha; Evers et al. 2010). precipitation level of 62 cm (Kallemeyn et al. 2003, NOAA We determined loon occupancy at each site by repeated 2016). Shorelines and littoral zones of both lakes were visual surveys conducted by 2 observers from 1 June 2016 to 6 dominated by mats of T.  glauca with small patches of August 2016. All surveys were conducted between 0700 and common water reed (Phragmites australis), wild rice (Zizania 1800. Observers accessed sites by a single motorized boat, spp.), and bulrush (Schohenoplectus acutus) dispersed through- stopped approximately 100 m from the centroid of each site, out (Kallemeyn et al. 2003, Windels et al. 2013). Both lakes and visually searched for loons for 5 min using binoculars. If a contained hundreds of small islands and wetlands that serve loon was detected within the boundaries of our site by 1 as potential nesting habitat for waterbird species including observer during a site visit, the site was determined to be loons (Windels et al. 2013; Fig. 1). Dams at the outlets of occupied. We conducted 3 visits to each site (i.e., one survey both lakes maintained dynamic water levels, with annual per visit) and separated each site visit by 1 week to ensure peak water levels in Rainy Lake and Kabetogama Lake population closure (MacKenzie et al. 2006). Thus, our around 1 June and 1 July, respectively (Kallemeyn et al. 1993, detection histories for each site included 3 primary sampling Windels et al. 2013). Native broad-leaf cattails were periods. Our total sampling effort included 213 independent extremely rare in VNP and recent research suggested surveys across 142 ha of wetland habitat. Figure 2. Schematic diagram of a wetland site used to assess common loon habitat occupancy and measure site-level habitat variables in Voyageurs Figure 1. Sampling sites (dark circles; n ¼ 71) used to assess common loon National Park, Minnesota, USA, during 2016. Vertical lines represent habitat occupancy in wetlands in Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota, common loon habitat sampling transects. Small boxes positioned on the USA. Each randomly selected site (2 ha) was considered a resource patch and right transect show habitat sampling points along each transect. Patterns sampled 3 times during the summer of 2016 for the presence or absence of represent the location of upland shoreline, extent of Typha  glauca common loons.