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High Net Loss Of Intertidal Wetland Coverage In A Maine Estuary By Year 2100, Jack R. Mclachlan Jul 2018

High Net Loss Of Intertidal Wetland Coverage In A Maine Estuary By Year 2100, Jack R. Mclachlan

Biology and Ecology Faculty Scholarship

Rising sea levels and coastal land use are predicted to synergistically impact coastal wetlands by reducing their extent and ecosystem functioning through a process known as “coastal squeeze”. Impervious surfaces associated with coastal development prevent the natural process of wetland migration, whereby intertidal wetland area is lost at its seaward edge to rising low water lines, but is replaced by eroding uplands and accumulating new wetland at its landward edge. As these constructed surfaces prevent the replacement of lost wetland, intertidal wetlands are “squeezed” by rising sea levels until they disappear. This study uses geographic information system (GIS) to predict …


Does Drought Affect Reproduction In The Saltmarsh Sparrow (Ammodramus Caudacutus)?, Valerie K. Watson May 2018

Does Drought Affect Reproduction In The Saltmarsh Sparrow (Ammodramus Caudacutus)?, Valerie K. Watson

Honors College

The Saltmarsh Sparrow (Ammodramus caudacutus) is experiencing steep population declines, with extinction likely within the next few decades. Sea-level rise has been identified as a major threat to the species, but little has been done to examine the effects of other aspects of climate change on Saltmarsh Sparrow populations. In this study, I examine whether drought affects reproductive success in the Saltmarsh Sparrow. I use nest- and chick-monitoring data collected over five years across the northern half of the species range to test whether drought conditions affect four metrics of reproductive success in these birds: hatch rate, clutch …