Wildlife

The New England Wildlife Matrices:
This chart shows the presents or absents of factors in the New England Wildlife Matrices in our plot. The theory behind this matrices is that one can look at all the things that certain organisms need in a habitat, and with that information, one can see if an organism is likely to life in the habitat. For example, the Fisher requires a dense canopy cover. With this table one can see that the fisher could live in our plot because (although it is variable) the canopy closure is up to 70%.

High Exposed Perches	Low Exposed Perches	% Canopy Closure	Tree Cavities	Mid- story	Shrub Layer	% Ground Vegetation
Very Apparent	Very Apparent	31-70%	6-12’’	Deciduous	Deciduous	<30%

Vernal Pools/ Wetlands	Dead and Drowned Material	Over story Inclusions	Water Body	Miscellaneous Features
Minimal	Very Apparent	Deciduous	No Water Body	Trail

Species Possibly in plot #3:

Barred Owl:

Barred Owl
Photo Credit :http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Barred_Owl/id

According to The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the Barred Owl’s range is the entire East part of the country, while also existing in parts of Canada and parts of the Northwest of the United States. The preferred habitat of this species is forests made up of old growth trees, both deciduous and coniferous, which often have bodies of water directly adjacent.  The Barred Owl can be found nesting in tree cavities that are higher up in large trees (approximately 20-40 feet up). This species of owl eats many different types of small animals, including mice, squirrels, amphibians, small birds and more. The hypothesis of why Barred Owls prefer old growth forest is because there is a large amount of possible prays. Because of all these reasons, it would be highly probable that Barred Owls would be found living in our plot at Niquette Bay State Park. Our plot was mostly made up of mature Eastern White Pine stands, with a mix of some other mature deciduous trees. Also, Niquette Bay State Park is also bordering a large body of water, Lake Champlain.

Fisher:

Fisher
Photo Credit: http://www.k-state.edu/wiselylab/

The preferred habitat of the Fisher, M. pennanti, is found mostly in mature forests rather then in early-successional forests (Weir & Harestad, 1997).  In a studying looking at Fisher food habits, Powell, York and Fuller found that the Fisher eats a wide variety of foods ( forty-four different food types were identified), some of them being: fruits, small murids, birds, squirrels and raccoons.  (Powell, York, Fuller,1994) .  Because the majority of plot #3 was old growth, it would seem like a good habitat for Fishers. The only thing that keep plot 3 from being a perfect habitat for fishers would be that there were no berry bushes of any kind found. But because Fishers are animals that are known to be generalist in their eating habits, one can assume that Fishers could still survive in Niquette Bay State Park.

Pileated Woodpecker:

Pileated Woodpecker
Photo Credit: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pileated_Woodpecker/id

The Pileated Woodpecker, Dryocopus pileatus, has been known to live on the East and the West coast of the United States and in Southern Canada (The Cornell Lab of Ornithology). This woodpecker is also known to have different habitat preferences on different sides of the U.S.  Wherever it is found, this bird requires larger snags and coarse woody debris to feed on ants, termites and other insects (they also feed on some kinds of fruits) . They most likely to be found in mature forests, of any species. On the East coast though these birds have taken up to live in younger forests as well, and even in backyards. In plot 3, plenty of snags and dead woody debris where found, which would indicate that this plot, along with the rest of Niquette Bay State Park, would be a fitting habitat for Pileated Woodpeckers.

Red-backed Salamander:

Eastern Red-backed Salamander
Photo credit: http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/red-backed_salamander.htm

The Eastern Red-backed Salamander, Plethodon cinereus, is a wide spread and common amphibian on the East coast of the United States ( Bayer et. al., 2011). The Red-backed Salamander’s habitat is damp conditions in woody areas; these salamanders prefer staying under coarse wood debris and leaf litter( The Red List) . Red-backed salamanders are not known to live in ecosystems where the pH of the soil is under 3.8.  Every time the group assessed plot 3, the ground was either wet or damp. Although this could have been just been because of the frequency of rain in that particular time, there is also a low-land spot, which seemed to be a constant wetland. This feature of being constantly wet or damp would be very good habitat for a Red-backed Salamander. Also, the pH of soil in plot 3 was 7 (a neutral pH).  These two aspects of the plot, along with the fact that the this specific salamander is extremely abundant, seems to show that there is a very high likelihood of a Eastern Red-backed Salamander being found in Niquette Bay State Park.

Emerald Ash Borer (Agrilus planipennis): 

Emerald Ash Borer
Photo Credit:  http://www.emeraldashborer.info
/images/EABadultsideview.jpg    

 The Emerald Ash Borer is a native insect of Asia and can also be found in some areas of Russia and Mongolia.  Their larvae require Ash trees with which they feed on the vascular tissue between the bark and sapwood.  Although these insects are not native to North America, they have made their way here over the past decade.  They have been found in parts of Ontario, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Missouri and Virginia. Since there are ash trees found in our plot, we know that the Emerald Ash Borer could survive there.  However, this insect has not yet been found to live in Vermont, so currently none reside there.  

Brown Snake (Storeria): 

Brown Snake
Photo Credit: http://sensationalserpents.files.wordpress.com/
2007/04/storeria_dekayi.jpg

The Brown Snake is a small snake ranging from about 6 to 13 inches in length.  They can be found throughout the Eastern United States.  These snakes avoid high elevations but can be found in a variety of woodland habitats.  They are known for being efficient at surviving in urban areas as well.  Feeding primarily on soft-bodied invertebrates such as earthworms and slugs, these snakes could likely survive in out plot at Niquette Bay State Park.  They use logs and other woody debris to hide under.  This snake is able to survive in a wide range of habitats but is assumed to be present in our plot due to the insects we observed and the presence of logs and leaf litter for the Brown Snake to hide under. 

 Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea):

Scarlet Tanager
Photo Credit:  http://www.duncraft.com/
static/images/scarlettanagerfortips-wp.jpg

The Scarlet Tanager ranges from southeastern Canada to the southern United States and from the east coast to the mid-west.  This bird prefers a habitat with a mix of deciduous forest that also includes hemlocks and pines.  They favor oak trees since they provide the proper feeding, breeding, and nesting sites for them.  The Scarlet Tanager feeds on a variety of insects that are found in the canopy of the forest.  It would be likely to find this bird in our plot since it falls within its habitat range and is dense with pine trees and interspersed with oaks. 

Chestnut-Sided Warbler (Setophaga pensylvanica):

Chestnut-Sided Warbler
Photo Credit: http://www.planetofbirds.com
/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Chestnut-sided-Warbler.jpg

The Chestnut-sided Warbler ranges from southern Canada to Georgia along the east coast.  It thrives in northern hardwood and mixed forests and feeds primarily on insects and some types of seeds and fruits.  This bird chooses to nest close to the ground in shrubby, deciduous understory.  The presence of this bird on our plot would definitely be possible due to the trend in our vegetation and the make up of the trees that exist there. 

Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum):

(Image from Wikimedia Commons)

 Porcupines need large rocks or hollow logs for shelter. They diet includes the buds of small herbs and shrubs and the seed of trees such as Eastern White Pine, Maples, Oaks and Cottonwood. Our plot contains these trees and several suitable logs. It is very likely that a porcupine lives in the area. There range is about 100 hectares though so it is unlikely that there is more than one in the area.


Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo):

(Image from Wikimedia Commons)

 Turkeys need mature trees as roosting sites. Our plot has many mature pines that are suitable. They eat tree nuts (Red oak, hickories, ash and white pine), seeds, shrub leaves and insects all of which are plentiful in our plot. They also prefer a mix of hardwoods, shrubs and conifers. Our site is very well suited for turkeys. There are likely quite a few in the area.


White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus):

(Image from Wikimedia Commons)

 Deer eat broad leafs from various herbaceous plants and trees. oaks, osage orange, sumacs and poison ivy are important food sources for them. They like a mixture of species and need dense understory for cover and concealment. Our plot has the right food sources, but there is not much understory. Deer will probably not live here due to the lack of protection and the dogs that frequent the park.


European Earthworm (Lumbricus terrestris):

(Image from Wikimedia Commons)

Worms prefer soil that is moist or muddy. They eat the decaying roots, leaves and plant materials in the soil. Our plot has moist soils in some parts that are perfect for earthworms. We found several worms in the process of digging our soil pit. There is plenty of fallen plant material for them to eat. This is a good habitat for them.

Photo Credit: Kristen Wade

      This is a picture of the canopy cover on our site.  By understanding the amount of cover we can then have an understanding of what types of wildlife would thrive on here, as well as the time in which saplings may grow due to light availability.

Photo Credit: Kristen Wade

      This is a picture of a snag on our site.  A snag is a standing dead tree.  They can tell us many things about the ecosystem.  Snags provide shelter and food for many organisms such as owls, woodpeckers, insects, and many others.

Sources:

Hammerson, Geoffery. "Plethodon Cindereus." (Redback Salamander). The Red List, 17 Jan. 2004. Web. 21 Oct.  2012. <http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/59334/0>.

"All About Birds." Your Online Guide to Birds and Bird Watching. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. <http://www.allaboutbirds.org/Page.aspx?pid=1198>.

Wier, R.D., Harestad, A.S, (1997). Landscape-Level Selectivity By Fishers in South-Central British Columbia. Martes: Taxonomy, Ecology, Techniques, and Management. Pages 252-264

Powell, S.M, York, E.C., Fuller, T.K. (1997). Seasonal Food Habits of Fishers in Central New England.  Martes: Taxonomy, Ecology, Techniques, and Management. Pages 279-305.

Bayer et. al. (2011). Conservation genetics of an endemic mountaintop salamander with an extremely limited range. Conservation Genetics. 13 (2) 443-454.

Moore, J.D. (2009). Comparison of a Population of Eastern Red-backed Salamanders, Plethodon cinereus, under Native Dominant Wood Coverboards and Natural Cover Objects. The Canadian Field-Naturalist. 123 (3). 210-214.