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<p>Coastal marsh ecosystems play a vital role in supporting biodiversity and providing essential ecosystem services. The northern Gulf of Mexico, critical habitat for numerous tidal marsh bird species, faces increasing threats from human activities and environmental disturbances. Using winter survey data collected from 2018 to 2020 along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, we evaluated non-breeding season habitat use and landscape associations of eight tidal marsh bird species by integrating transect occupancy summaries, kernel density analyses, species-richness mapping, and generalized additive models to characterize spatial patterns of occurrence and species-specific responses to environmental gradients. Across species, several landscape variables influenced occupancy, including vegetation greenness (EVI), elevation, surface water availability, and distances to marsh-upland or marsh-water ecotones. Species exhibited distinct spatial hotspots concentrated in major coastal marsh systems (e.g., Grand Bay, Bay St. Louis, Pascagoula River), and species richness was highest near the immediate coastline. Several species showed similar patterns of habitat use and tended to occur in similar transects. Analyses showed that &gt; 70% of the surveyed transects were occupied by ≥ 4 focal species. Our results provide new insight into winter habitat use by tidal marsh birds and identify coastal areas of high conservation value where management or restoration actions could benefit multiple species simultaneously.</p>

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Spatial Patterns of Habitat Use of Wintering Tidal Marsh Birds Along the Mississippi Gulf Coast

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年3月26日

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  • Carlos Ramirez-Reyes,
  • Kristine O. Evans,
  • Mark S. Woodrey,
  • Rachel Anderson,
  • Jared Feura,
  • Landon R. Jones,
  • Raymond B. Iglay

摘要

Coastal marsh ecosystems play a vital role in supporting biodiversity and providing essential ecosystem services. The northern Gulf of Mexico, critical habitat for numerous tidal marsh bird species, faces increasing threats from human activities and environmental disturbances. Using winter survey data collected from 2018 to 2020 along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, we evaluated non-breeding season habitat use and landscape associations of eight tidal marsh bird species by integrating transect occupancy summaries, kernel density analyses, species-richness mapping, and generalized additive models to characterize spatial patterns of occurrence and species-specific responses to environmental gradients. Across species, several landscape variables influenced occupancy, including vegetation greenness (EVI), elevation, surface water availability, and distances to marsh-upland or marsh-water ecotones. Species exhibited distinct spatial hotspots concentrated in major coastal marsh systems (e.g., Grand Bay, Bay St. Louis, Pascagoula River), and species richness was highest near the immediate coastline. Several species showed similar patterns of habitat use and tended to occur in similar transects. Analyses showed that > 70% of the surveyed transects were occupied by ≥ 4 focal species. Our results provide new insight into winter habitat use by tidal marsh birds and identify coastal areas of high conservation value where management or restoration actions could benefit multiple species simultaneously.