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HABITAT RELATIONS OF WATERFOWL WINTERING IN NARRAGANSETT BAY
Citation:
McKinney, R A. AND S. R. McWilliams. HABITAT RELATIONS OF WATERFOWL WINTERING IN NARRAGANSETT BAY. Presented at RI Natural History Survey Conference, Cranston, RI, March 5, 2004.
Description:
As part of a project investigating the effect of changes in habitat quality brought about by habitat loss or impairment on resident wildlife in coastal ecosystems, we conducted periodic surveys of wintering waterfowl in Narragansett Bay. A total of 17 species of waterfowl were identified, including 10 species of sea ducks, 4 species of dabbling ducks, Canada geese, brant, and mute swans. Survey data was analyzed using abundance weighted principal component analysis (AWPCA), an exploratory multivariate statistical technique, to investigate habitat and landscape characteristics influencing patterns of utilization by waterfowl. Two distinct groupings of species and habitats were apparent: rocky headland sites and species located near the mouth of the Bay, and shallow, salt marsh dominated cove sites with their associated species. Visual analysis of AWPCA plots revealed that waterfowl at rocky headland sites tended to avoid sites with high residential development and man-made buffer areas in favor of sites with high area, natural vegetated buffer, and high salt marsh area. We identified residential development, total buffer area (including vegetated, forested, and man-made), and salt marsh area within a 100 m buffer around the site as important characteristics to be included in future more rigorous modeling efforts.