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<p>Wetlands provide critical breeding and brood-rearing habitat to waterfowl populations. The Chignecto Isthmus connecting Nova Scotia and New Brunswick contains diverse wetland habitats and is an important breeding and stopover site for waterfowl in the Atlantic flyway. Historically, much of this area was salt marsh before being dyked and drained for agricultural use. Recent conservation and restoration efforts have increased available freshwater wetland habitat. Understanding the ecological function of these restored wetlands is essential for optimizing their role in mitigation and conservation strategies. In 2012, we conducted a comprehensive study of the invertebrates and the physico-chemical parameters of these wetlands. From 14 May – 31 July, we sampled 11 wetlands weekly for invertebrates: two salt marsh wetlands (natural), one freshwater beaver pond, and eight restored freshwater wetlands (including five impoundments, two excavated wetlands, and one ditch plug) constructed on reclaimed agricultural lands (created), which were formerly salt marsh, over the last several decades. We assessed invertebrate biomass and biodiversity and applied generalized additive models to identify temporal trends. Natural salt marsh ponds had greater invertebrate biomass, while freshwater wetlands showed a greater taxonomic diversity, expressed by greater Shannon diversity index (1.18 ± 0.23 and 2.24 ± 0.11 for salt marsh ponds and freshwater wetlands, respectively). However, we did not observe a post-winter “pulse” of productivity, typical of wetlands. Results suggest that freshwater wetlands provide lower invertebrate availability than salt marsh ponds for waterfowl breeding or migrating through this area. Future optimization strategies should enhance resource availability in restored wetlands to support waterfowl populations.</p>

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Seasonal phenology, diversity, and relative abundance of macroinvertebrate waterfowl foods in a coastal wetland landscape in Maritime Canada

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年11月19日

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  • Ingrid L. Pollet,
  • Christine McLauchlan,
  • Nic R. McLellan,
  • Amanda L. Loder,
  • Ian Spooner,
  • Mark L. Mallory

摘要

Wetlands provide critical breeding and brood-rearing habitat to waterfowl populations. The Chignecto Isthmus connecting Nova Scotia and New Brunswick contains diverse wetland habitats and is an important breeding and stopover site for waterfowl in the Atlantic flyway. Historically, much of this area was salt marsh before being dyked and drained for agricultural use. Recent conservation and restoration efforts have increased available freshwater wetland habitat. Understanding the ecological function of these restored wetlands is essential for optimizing their role in mitigation and conservation strategies. In 2012, we conducted a comprehensive study of the invertebrates and the physico-chemical parameters of these wetlands. From 14 May – 31 July, we sampled 11 wetlands weekly for invertebrates: two salt marsh wetlands (natural), one freshwater beaver pond, and eight restored freshwater wetlands (including five impoundments, two excavated wetlands, and one ditch plug) constructed on reclaimed agricultural lands (created), which were formerly salt marsh, over the last several decades. We assessed invertebrate biomass and biodiversity and applied generalized additive models to identify temporal trends. Natural salt marsh ponds had greater invertebrate biomass, while freshwater wetlands showed a greater taxonomic diversity, expressed by greater Shannon diversity index (1.18 ± 0.23 and 2.24 ± 0.11 for salt marsh ponds and freshwater wetlands, respectively). However, we did not observe a post-winter “pulse” of productivity, typical of wetlands. Results suggest that freshwater wetlands provide lower invertebrate availability than salt marsh ponds for waterfowl breeding or migrating through this area. Future optimization strategies should enhance resource availability in restored wetlands to support waterfowl populations.