Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment

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Identification of Important Habitats in the Lower Casco Bay (Maine) Watershed

Table 5. COMPARISON OF OBSERVED WADING BIRD USE OF INLAND WETLANDS AND WETLAND RANKING CRITERIA

Data from Gibbs, J.P., J.R. Longcore, D.G. McAuley and J.K. Ringelman. 1991. Use of Wetland Habitats by Selected Nongame Water Birds in Maine. U.S. Fish Wildl. Serv., Fish Wildl. Res. 9. 57pp. [87 Maine wetlands, 20 variables, 1501 visits.]

VARIABLES =>

(from Gibbs et al)

PERCENTAGE OPEN WATER

WETLAND AREA (HECTARES)

LIFE FORM DIVERSITY

nwi types * most used by waders

nwi types rarely used by waders

( examined only l,pab,pem,pf,pss,pub)
SPECIES signif. preferred not preferred signif. preferred not preferred signif. preferred not preferred
Amer. bittern 0.01 28.8 54 ns 0.05 1.8 1.3 pss,pf,pem,pab pub
great blue heron 0.05 35 54 0.01 10 4 ns pss,pf,pem,pab,l pub
green-bk. heron ns 0.05 3 8 ns pss pab,l,pf,pub
Virginia rail ns 0.05 17.8 7 ns pss,pf pab,l,pub
sora rail 0.05 19.8 46 ns ns pss,pem,pf l,pub
Condition for
preferred
WWH ranking => 35 to 65 medium to large

3 or more wetl.types

TYPE RANKING
l 5
Species' pab 4
preference pem 3
compared to pf 2
WWH criteria => 1 of 5 agree 2 of 5 agree 1 of 5 agree pss 1
pub 6
* National Wetland Inventory Types
pab Palustrine aquatic bed
pem Palustrine emergent
pf Palustrine forested
pss Palustrine scrub shrub
pub Palustrine unconsolidated bottom