Life Sciences Commons^™

Modeling Saltmarsh Sparrow Distribution In Connecticut, Susan T. Meiman

Master's Theses

To develop a map that would predict where saltmarsh sparrows live and reproduce in Connecticut, I compared models to test a) whether field data or remote-sensing data most effectively characterized within-marsh conditions that relate to sparrow occurrence, and b) whether including landscape-level variables improved model fit. The best sparrow presence model used a variable derived from raw spectral reflectance values associated with plots where sparrows did not occur, while the best nest presence model used a combination of vegetation structure descriptions. A second nest model, built using high resolution remote sensing data that organized marsh characteristics into high and low …