ASSESSING WILDLIFE UTILIZATION OF SEASONALLY SATURATED COASTAL PLAIN FORESTED WETLANDS (FLATWOODS) ON THE DELMARVA PENINSULA

Matt Perry, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Maryland

February, 2001

Seasonally saturated coastal plain forested wetlands (flatwoods) are described as shallow, temporary inundated/saturated systems. They commonly have depression/basin wetlands imbedded within their confines. Although they occur in a fairly wide geographical area within the forests of the Southeast, they are locally distributed within the region. The Eastern Shore of Chesapeake Bay is the northern extension of this habitat type. The trees in the Eastern Shore flatwoods that are most characteristic of these forests are the loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) and sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua). Flatwoods are among the most threatened wetlands in the coterminous United States and they constitute a great deal of the remaining large tracts of forest on the Coastal Plain interfluvial landscapes. Studies of wetland trends continue to show much loss of these wetlands given their proximity to urban/suburban areas.

Although flatwoods have been used and often exploited by humans since the early settlement of this region by Europeans, little is known of how these habitats are used by wildlife. Some researchers feel these areas are depauperate in regard to bird and mammal communities. Information on the significance of these wetlands to wildlife resources is needed to aid efforts in evaluating the need for stronger wetland protection. Currently, limited information exists on the wildlife use and dependency on such wetlands and efforts to increase protection of these areas have not been fruitful.

The current study is evaluating the wildlife using this unique habitat during one calendar year. The hypothesis that we are testing is that the wildlife using the flatwoods habitat are not significantly different in species composition and numbers than the wildlife using typical forested wetlands in the same geographical area. The goal will be to seek an understanding of the wildlife diversity of these areas so that managers will have a better understanding how to properly manage them. If these areas are degraded or destroyed managers can use this information in any restoration or habitat creation projects conducted as mitigation.

In 2000, numerous forested wetlands of the Eastern Shore were evaluated as possible study sites. Five sites that typified our understanding of flatwoods were selected for study. Wildlife surveys in these selected flatwoods will be conducted in 2001 using traditional wildlife survey techniques (including bird surveys and trapping of mammals, amphibians, and reptiles). The diversity and abundance of wildlife using flatwoods will be compared to data from typical forested wetlands in the same geographical area. The biotic and abiotic (hydrology and soils) factors that are most responsible for the wildlife community occurring in these habitats will be determined. Data from this study will allow managers to make decisions on use of these sites and on wetland mitigation, that will provide optimum protection to our dwindling natural resources.