科研之友
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摘要
To enhance upland and wetland habitat for waterfowl under the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, Ducks Unlimited Canada restored hundreds of wetlands throughout the Prairie Pothole Region in Canada. We surveyed restored wetlands in the Aspen Parkland region of Saskatchewan 3-8 years post restoration to evaluate whether avian species richness and assemblages differed between natural and restored wetlands. We recorded the presence or absence of bird species and local habitat metrics including wetland depth, conductivity, upland vegetation height, and the proportions of the basin covered by vegetation zones (as indicated by characteristic plant species). We quantified the landscape setting of each wetland using GIS, determining the proportion of woodland and wetland within a 500-m radius. We used ordination techniques to evaluate patterns of wetland habitat characteristics and bird community composition. Richness and composition for wetland-dependent bird species were comparable for natural and restored wetlands, however, natural wetlands had higher total species richness and a distinctive overall bird assemblage because of the presence of more woodland species. Environmental differences among individual wetlands included wetland depth, shape, proximity to woodland and roads, but were not consistently related to drainage history. We conclude that restoring seasonal and semi-permanent wetlands in the Aspen Parkland creates avian habitat and should continue to play a role in management.
- 出版日期2012-6-30
