Life Sciences Commons^™

Perception Of The Horizon Predicts Bird Abundance Better Than Habitat Patch Size In A Tidal Marsh Species Of Conservation Concern, Hallie Marshall

Honors College

The Saltmarsh Sparrow (Ammodramus caudacutus) is a tidal marsh bird species facing rapid population decline throughout its range. A major cause of this decline is degradation and loss of breeding habitat, and thus there is a need to preserve coastal marshes in the northeastern United States. To do so requires an understanding of the habitat features that support robust populations. Previous studies have shown increases in Saltmarsh Sparrow abundance with marsh size increases. In other grassland bird species, habitat patches with low horizons are preferred to those with tall objects (e.g., trees, telephone poles, wind turbines). This study tests how …