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Woody Plant Invasion Into The Freshwater Marl Prairie Habitat Of The Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow: Final Report, Erin Hanan, Michael Ross, Jay Sah, Pablo L. Ruiz, Susana Stofella, Nilesh Timilsina, David Jones, Jose Espinar, Rachel King

SERC Research Reports

In the fall of 2005, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services (USFWS) contracted with Florida International University (FIU) to study the physical and biological drivers underlying the distribution of woody plant species in the marl prairie habitat of the Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow (CSSS). This report presents what we have learned about woody plant encroachment based on studies carried out during the period 2006-2008. The freshwater marl prairie habitat currently occupied by the Cape Sable seaside sparrow (CSSS; Ammodramus maritimus mirabilis) is a dynamic mosaic comprised of species-rich grassland communities and tree islands of various sizes, densities and compositions. Landscape heterogeneity …