Assessment of Storm Impacts on Coastal Bird and Other Wildlife Populations, Behavior, and Food Sources in the Outer Banks, North Carolina
Summary
Overview In the face of sea-level rise and as climate change conditions increase the frequency and intensity of tropical storms along the north-Atlantic Coast, coastal areas will become increasingly vulnerable to storm damage, and the decline of already-threatened species could be exacerbated. Predictions about response of coastal birds and other wildlife to effects of hurricanes will be essential for anticipating and countering environmental impacts. This project will assess shore- and marsh bird populations, behavior, and food sources in Hurricane Sandy-impacted North Carolina barrier islands. We will partner with NCWRC, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. National Park Service, and North Carolina Audubon, who are already collecting [...]
Summary
Overview In the face of sea-level rise and as climate change conditions increase the frequency and intensity of tropical storms along the north-Atlantic Coast, coastal areas will become increasingly vulnerable to storm damage, and the decline of already-threatened species could be exacerbated. Predictions about response of coastal birds and other wildlife to effects of hurricanes will be essential for anticipating and countering environmental impacts. This project will assess shore- and marsh bird populations, behavior, and food sources in Hurricane Sandy-impacted North Carolina barrier islands. We will partner with NCWRC, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. National Park Service, and North Carolina Audubon, who are already collecting survey data, including bird species identification, location, activity, habitat, and band data and sea turtle nest locations. In the first phase of the study, we will study seasonal foraging behavior and benthic macroinvertebrate community structure as a prey resource for focal species including the threatened piping plover, American oystercatcher, red knot, and Wilson’s plover. Soil core samples will be collected from barrier island inlet regions from the high-energy Atlantic Ocean front (wet sandy beach and wrack line), the inlet-shoreline interface, and low-energy sound-shoreline during fall migration (late August-September), winter (December-January), and spring migration (late March-April). Ground-based LIDAR data will be collected to model microtopography of shorebird foraging grounds and shorebird and sea turtle nest elevation to estimate prey base and nesting success. The data will be used in future models to assess storm impacts on nest locations, predict long-term population impacts, and influence landscape-scale habitat management strategies that might lessen future impacts of hurricanes on coastal birds and sea turtles and lead to better restoration alternatives.
Partners North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
North Carolina State University (NCSU)
USGS North Carolina Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at NCSU
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
U.S. National Park Service
North Carolina Audubon
Timeline and Milestones Onsite partner meeting Sept 2013
LIDAR data collection Sept 2013; repeat Aug/Sept 2014
Invertebrate sampling and foraging observations begin winter 2013/14; repeat seasonally into 2015
USGS project factsheet produced spring 2014
Manuscript submitted to peer-reviewed journal late 2015
Budget/Staffing Round 1 Net Allocation: $190,450
USGS salaries: $104,950
Partner salaries: $10,000
Graduate students and undergraduate technicians: $65,000
Travel: $6,000
Supplies: $4,500
Project Goals
1. Estimate abundance of focal species near inlets by season (breeding, migration, winter).
2. Determine use of inlet areas for foraging and roosting by focal species.
3. Gain further understanding of focal species’ nest site selection.
4. Develop models to estimate probability of alterations-to-inlets decreasing shorebird use of area for roosting, feeding, or nesting.
5. Develop models that estimate likelihood of nest areas being lost to strong storms.