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May 2009

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From:
Bill Whan <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Bill Whan <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Thu, 28 May 2009 13:01:09 -0400
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I received six informative replies to my post about piping plovers in
Ohio. I thought it would be best if this information was available to
the entire list, rather than just to me, so here are some highlights.
        I mentioned only two potential nesting sites along the Lake Erie
shore--the old Crane Creek SP beach, and Little Cedar Point. There are
of course others: the Division of Natural Areas and Preserves has plover
management plans in force for Sheldon Marsh SNP and Headlands Dunes SNP.
Several of the former prime nesting sites, such as Bay Point and Cedar
Point peninsula, have been eradicated by development.
        As to what potential plover habitat looks like, the Feds have a
definition: "Appropriately sized sites must also have areas of at least
50 M (164 ft.) in length where the beach width is more than 7 M (23
ft.), there is
protective cover for nests and chicks, and the distance to the treeline
(from the normal high water line to where the forest begins) is more
than 50 M (164 ft.).  Beach width is defined as the distance from the
normal high water line to the foredune (a low barrier dune ridge
immediately inland from the beach) edge, or to the sand/vegetation
boundary in areas where the foredune is absent.  The beach width may be
narrower than 7 M (23 ft.) if appropriate sand and cobble areas of at
least 7 M (23 ft.) exist between the dune and the treeline.  Protective
cover for nests and chicks consists of small patches of herbaceous
vegetation, cobble (stones larger than 1 CM (0.4 inches) diameter),
gravel (stones smaller than 1 CM diameter), or debris such as driftwood,
wrack, root masses, or dead shrubs...
      The dynamic ecological processes that create and maintain
Piping Plover habitat are also important primary constituent elements.
These geologically dynamic lakeside regions are controlled by processes
of erosion, accretion, plant succession, and lake-level fluctuations.
The integrity of the habitat components depends upon regular sediment
transport processes, as well as episodic, high-magnitude storm events.
By their nature, Great Lakes shorelines are in a constant state of
change; habitat features may disappear, or be created nearby.  The
critical habitat boundaries reflect these natural processes and the
dynamic character of Great Lakes shorelines."
        Looks like we have a bit of this, but I don't think the distance from
high water to forest edge (i.e. those big cottonwoods) at the Crane
Creek sp portion of Magee Marsh WA (for example) would qualify, though
that long stretch to the east probably would. And I wonder if we have
enough suitable shoreline to handle the dynamic aspects in the model.
        As for systematics, for quite a while two subspecies of piping plovers
have been recognized by the AOU--the Great Lakes population being
Charadrius melodus circumcinctus, and the seacoast population C. m.
melodus. This distinction was said to be visible in some rather fussy
differences about the width of the breast-band, so understandably many
ornithologists wondered if the populations were really distinct enough.
But some brand-new work is out that demonstrates via DNA that there are
many other differences; if you are up to the scientific angle, it's at
http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2009/1032/pdf/OFR20091032.pdf  , and even if
you're unfamiliar with concepts and language, you can find some plain
English in there about the issue.
        There's much more accessible information about the species and its
conservation, concentrating on the Atlantic Coast, at
http://www.goldenrod.org/ar.html .  I also learned how the currently
sand-starved western Lake Erie beaches (a lot of what looks like sand at
a distance is actually crumbled zebra mussel skeletons) quickly are
overtaken by cottonwood seedlings (as at Magee). Some think that much
lower Lake levels, likely in the future, will be followed by a northward
march of phragmites.
        I hope others who have information to share on this topic will post to
the list, where such information is always welcome. Thanks to my helpful
and knowledgeable respondents. And thanks for the suggestion of Conneaut
Harbor as a piping plover nesting site--I needed a good laugh!
Bill Whan
Columbus

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