Investigating the Influence of Pond Size and Water Quality on Water Bird Visitation at the William J. Robertson Nature Preserve

Authors

Carolyn Klein, The College of WoosterFollow

Abstract

Agriculture and urban expansion have caused widespread degradation and fragmentation of wetland ecosystems in the United States. As a result, the maintenance of wetland habitats is increasingly important for both natural ecosystems and human communities. Redevelopment of industrial and agricultural lands into wetlands has shown promise as an effective way to decrease contamination and provide necessary habitat for local species, but there is a need for further research into understanding how diverse biotic communities can establish in restored brownfields. This study contributes to our understanding of wetland restoration in a former brownfield turned nature preserve in Northeastern Ohio, by investigating the influence of pond size and water quality on differences in pond visitation by water birds. Bird counts and identifications were performed at seven adjacent ponds within the preserve between May 29^th and September 24^th, 2023, and were compared to recordings of six independent variables in each pond: water depth, pond area, amount of exposed shoreline, water pH, dissolved oxygen, and nutrient concentrations in water. Water birds were assigned to three functional groups: dabbling waterfowl, predatory wading birds, and shorebirds. Friedman tests showed that each bird group recorded significantly different visitation rates between the seven study ponds. Dominance analyses showed that the amount of exposed shoreline was the strongest predictor variable of these differences in bird visitation between ponds for all three bird groups, with pond area as the second strongest variable. More broadly, the results of this study suggest that prioritizing variety in water depth, pond sizes, and vegetation types at preserves such as the one in this study should facilitate the continued arrival of diverse bird communities.

Advisor

Moreno, Carlo

Department

Environmental Studies

Recommended Citation

Klein, Carolyn, "Investigating the Influence of Pond Size and Water Quality on Water Bird Visitation at the William J. Robertson Nature Preserve" (2024). Senior Independent Study Theses. Paper 11210.
https://openworks.wooster.edu/independentstudy/11210

Disciplines

Ornithology | Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology

Keywords

Wetland Conservation, Water Birds, Brownfield Restoration

Publication Date

2024

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis