Publication Date:
2021-07-06
Description:
Diking and holding water on salt marshes ("impounding" the marsh) is amanagement technique used on Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge(MINWR) and elsewhere in the Southeast to: a) prevent the reproduction ofsaltmarsh mosquitos, and b) attract wintertering waterfowl and other marsh,shore, and wading birds. Because of concern that diking and holding watermay interfere with the production of estuarine fish and shellfish,impoundment managers are being asked to consider altering managementprotocol to reduce or eliminate any such negative influence. How to changeprotocol and preserve effective mosquito control and wildlife management isa decision of great complexity because: a) the relationships betweenestuarine organisms and the fringing salt marshes at the land-water interfaceare complex, and b) impounded marshes are currently good habitat for avariety of species of fish and wildlife. Most data collection by scientistsand managers in the area has not been focused on this particularproblem. Furthermore, collection of needed data may not be possible beforechanges in protocol are demanded. Therefore, the purpose of this documentis two-fold: 1) to suggest management alternatives, given existing information,and 2) to help identify research needs that have a high probabilityof leading to improved simultaneous management of mosquitos, waterfowl,other wildlife, freshwater fish, and estuarine fish and shellfish on themarshland of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. (92 page document)
Description:
Research Work Order no. 15
Description:
Supported by:
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration
in cooperation with
U.S. Department of the Interior
Fish and Wildlife Service
Cooperative Agreement No. 14-16-0009-1544
Keywords:
Conservation
;
Management
;
Biology
;
salt grass
;
Merritt Island
;
Florida
Repository Name:
AquaDocs
Type:
monograph
Format:
application/pdf
Format:
application/pdf
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