740
penetrability; Dykstra 2015) and a community similar to that of adjacent mudflats
which is dominated by the amphipod Corophium volutator (Fig. 21.24b; Gerwing
et al. 2015). The dominant animal on the bottom of the salt pools in the reference
marsh is the small Hydrobia snail, and has only very occasionally appeared in the
restoration cells to date.
Two other communities, the nekton along the creeks and the birds, were sampled
in the early years (2010–2012) by Dr. Mike Brylinski from Acadia University and
by DUC, respectively. The large and mobile nekton entering the restoration cells
and the reference marshes and sampled during three consecutive spring tides in each
of spring, mid-summer and late summer (Fig. 21.18e), was similar even 1 and 2
years post breaching. It consisted mainly of tomcod Microgadus tomcod, American
eel Anguilla rostrate and mummichog, and moderate abundances of three-spine
stickleback, Atlantic silverside Menidia menidia and nine-spine stickleback. Indeed,
Burdick et al. (1997) and Roman et al. (2002) reported that fish use of restoration
sites can rebound quickly (after one season). However this does not imply that a fish
community has been reestablished (the latter takes longer; Burdick et al. 1997;
Raposa and Talley 2012).
The birds were sampled along 14 locations (point counts) in the restoration cells
and reference marshes, weekly or biweekly from late spring to fall (2010–2012), on
mornings with little wind (<5 Beaufort scale) and good visibility (Fig. 21.18f). Over
40 different bird species were recorded during the surveys, including songbirds
(main ones: Nelson’s sparrow Ammodramus nelsoni, savannah sparrow Passerculus
sandwichensis, song sparrow Melospiza melodia, swamp sparrow Melospiza georgiana, common yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas, red-winged blackbird Agelaius
phoeniceus), shorebirds and wading birds (main ones: Willet Tringa semipalmata,
great blue heron Ardea herodias, killdeer Charadrius vociferous, spotted sandpiper
Actitis macularius, semipalmated sandpiper Calidris pusilla) and water fowl (main
ones: Canada goose Branta canadensis, American black duck Anas rubripes, mallard Anas platyrhynchos). More shorebirds have been observed in the restoration
cells, and songbirds have not yet been observed to breed in them, which is not surprising since the plants have just started to cover the area. These patterns are similar
to those reported previously (Warren et al. 2002; Shriver and Greenberg 2012). Our
plan is to restart monitoring the bird community once the plant community is more
restored.
Table 21.3 Mean ± standard deviation of water variables measured in the large salt pools
(>1000 m
2 in area) in the Northwest restoration cell and both reference salt marshes in summer
(June–August) of 2015 (Dykstra 2015). Variables were measured in the evening just prior to
deploying traps (Fig. 21.18b) and before an overnight high tide
Water variable (units)
NW restoration cell (n = 15)
Reference sites (n = 28–30)
Salinity (ppt)
25.4 ± 0.7
23.0 ± 6.3
pH
7.7 ± 0.1
9.4 ± 0.6
Dissolved oxygen (mg/L)
9.9 ± 0.7
17.3 ± 6.0
Measurements were taken in previous years (when there was a large salt pool in both restoration
cells) and showed similar patterns
L.K. Boone et al.
penetrability; Dykstra 2015) and a community similar to that of adjacent mudflats
which is dominated by the amphipod Corophium volutator (Fig. 21.24b; Gerwing
et al. 2015). The dominant animal on the bottom of the salt pools in the reference
marsh is the small Hydrobia snail, and has only very occasionally appeared in the
restoration cells to date.
Two other communities, the nekton along the creeks and the birds, were sampled
in the early years (2010–2012) by Dr. Mike Brylinski from Acadia University and
by DUC, respectively. The large and mobile nekton entering the restoration cells
and the reference marshes and sampled during three consecutive spring tides in each
of spring, mid-summer and late summer (Fig. 21.18e), was similar even 1 and 2
years post breaching. It consisted mainly of tomcod Microgadus tomcod, American
eel Anguilla rostrate and mummichog, and moderate abundances of three-spine
stickleback, Atlantic silverside Menidia menidia and nine-spine stickleback. Indeed,
Burdick et al. (1997) and Roman et al. (2002) reported that fish use of restoration
sites can rebound quickly (after one season). However this does not imply that a fish
community has been reestablished (the latter takes longer; Burdick et al. 1997;
Raposa and Talley 2012).
The birds were sampled along 14 locations (point counts) in the restoration cells
and reference marshes, weekly or biweekly from late spring to fall (2010–2012), on
mornings with little wind (<5 Beaufort scale) and good visibility (Fig. 21.18f). Over
40 different bird species were recorded during the surveys, including songbirds
(main ones: Nelson’s sparrow Ammodramus nelsoni, savannah sparrow Passerculus
sandwichensis, song sparrow Melospiza melodia, swamp sparrow Melospiza georgiana, common yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas, red-winged blackbird Agelaius
phoeniceus), shorebirds and wading birds (main ones: Willet Tringa semipalmata,
great blue heron Ardea herodias, killdeer Charadrius vociferous, spotted sandpiper
Actitis macularius, semipalmated sandpiper Calidris pusilla) and water fowl (main
ones: Canada goose Branta canadensis, American black duck Anas rubripes, mallard Anas platyrhynchos). More shorebirds have been observed in the restoration
cells, and songbirds have not yet been observed to breed in them, which is not surprising since the plants have just started to cover the area. These patterns are similar
to those reported previously (Warren et al. 2002; Shriver and Greenberg 2012). Our
plan is to restart monitoring the bird community once the plant community is more
restored.
Table 21.3 Mean ± standard deviation of water variables measured in the large salt pools
(>1000 m
2 in area) in the Northwest restoration cell and both reference salt marshes in summer
(June–August) of 2015 (Dykstra 2015). Variables were measured in the evening just prior to
deploying traps (Fig. 21.18b) and before an overnight high tide
Water variable (units)
NW restoration cell (n = 15)
Reference sites (n = 28–30)
Salinity (ppt)
25.4 ± 0.7
23.0 ± 6.3
pH
7.7 ± 0.1
9.4 ± 0.6
Dissolved oxygen (mg/L)
9.9 ± 0.7
17.3 ± 6.0
Measurements were taken in previous years (when there was a large salt pool in both restoration
cells) and showed similar patterns
L.K. Boone et al.