Wetland Management For Waterfowl Handbook

1 Wetland Management FORWATERFOWL HANDBOOKM ississippi River TrustNatural Resources Conservation ServiceUnited States Fish and Wildlife Service2007 Edited and Compiled byKevin D. Nelms, Natural Resources Conservation Service, MississippiWith Assistance FromBrian Ballinger, Mississippi River TrustAlyene Boyles, Wildlife MississippiAcknowledgementsThe following biologists made contributions to one or more parts of this publication:Brian Ballinger, Mississippi River TrustLeigh Fredrickson, Gaylord Laboratory, University of MissouriBrett Hunter, Fish and Wildlife Service, LouisianaKevin D. Nelms, Natural Resources Conservation Service, MississippiJody Pagan, Natural Resources Conservation Service, ArkansasPat Stinson, Fish and Wildlife Service, MississippiBob Strader, Fish and Wildlife Service, MississippiMark Tidwell, Natural Resources Conservation Service, ArkansasPhotographyPhotographs courtesy of Russell Stevens and Chuck Coffey, Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Ardmore,Oklahoma; Jody Pagan, NRCS, Arkansas; Victor Ramey and Anne Murray, Center for Aquatic and InvasivePlants, University of Florida; James Manhart, Department of Biology, Texas A&M University; RobertKowal, Kenneth Sytsma, and Michael Clayton, Department of Botany, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

2 Dennis Woodland, Biology Department, Andrews University; Robert H. Mohlenbrock, Patrick J. Alexander,Ted Bodner, Thomas G. Barnes, Larry Allain, Steve Hurst, Clarence A. Rechenthin, Jennifer Anderson, Cooper and William S. Justice, USDA-NRCS PLANTS database; Chris Evans, River to River CWMA, ; Mary Ellen (Mel) Harte, ; John D. Byrd, Mississippi State University, ; Steve Dewey, Utah State University, ; Brian Ballinger, Mississippi River Trust,Kevin D. Nelms, NRCS, Mississippi; and Michael Kelly, Wild ExposuresSome of the photographs can be found on the internet Artist:Katherine G. BoozerCover photograph provided by Michael Kelly, Wild Exposures, MANAGEMENTFOR WATERFOWLHANDBOOKTABLE OF CONTENTSW etland types common to the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley.

3 1 Duck-use Days ..3 Waterbird migration season overview ..4 Wetland Management Strategies for Food and HabitatMoist-soil Management for wildlife ..6 Management of seasonally flooded impoundments for wildlife ..8 Strategies for water level manipulations in moist-soil systems ..19 Preliminary considerations for manipulating Waterfowl FoodsFlooded food plots for agricultural foods for invertebrates important for Waterfowl production ..40 Invertebrate response to Wetland History and Wetland Management for Wood DucksLife history and habitat needs of the wood duck ..54 Design for a wood duck beaver to benefit Waterfowl ..63 Common Moist-Soil Plants Identification GuideVegetation control food value for Waterfowl ..72 Common Wetland plants (in alphabetical order).

4 73-127 AppendixMoist-soil data sheet ..1281 Wetland Types Common to the LowerMississippi Alluvial ValleySeasonally Flooded Bottomland HardwoodsBottomland hardwood wetlands are forested wetlands comprised of trees, shrubs, broadleafherbaceous plants, and grasses that withstand flooding of various depths, duration, and is the predominant Wetland type in the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley (LMAV). Whenselecting tree species for planting, susceptibility of flooding and flood tolerance of species shouldbe considered. Species that are tolerant of flooding will do well on elevated sites, but speciesintolerant to prolonged flooding will not do well on flood prone water control is possible on bottomland hardwood sites then it is called a greentree reservoirs should only be flooded during dormancy, usually December 1 to March 15 inMississippi.

5 Early fall flooding can be more detrimental than late spring flooding. Whenmanaging greentrees, flooding and draining at the same time annually should be avoided. Waterdepth, duration of flooding, and flood timing should be changed each year. The reservoir shouldbe left dry 1 in 4 years. Improper flooding will result in tree stress and over time will killdesirable oaks and favor flood tolerant trees such as tupelo and cypress. Swollen and crackedtrunks at water level, acorn crop failure, dead branches, and yellowish leaves are signs of treestress and improper WetlandsMoist-soil wetlands historically occurred where openings existed in bottomland openings were often caused by high winds, catastrophic floods, beavers, fires, etc.

6 Man-made impoundments are commonly managed as moist-soil wetlands. Moist-soil areas aretypified by seed producing annuals such as smartweeds, wild millets, panicums, and moist-soil areas is not necessary because native plant seeds are abundant in frequentlyflooded soils. Over 2,500 pounds per acre of seed can be produced in a properly managed moist-soil area. Over time, plant succession will favor perennials and moist-soil areas will need to more than one moist-soil area is being managed, it is best to stagger draining and floodingbetween units. This will increase plant diversity, prolong habitat availability, and increase wildlifebenefits. Of 156 species of birds that use moist-soil, 131 prefer water depths 10 inches or again, varying depth, duration, and timing will provide the best MarshesEmergent marshes are generally 6 to 3 deep and contain vegetation rooted in soil that emergesabove the water surface.

7 Emergent plants include cattail, bulrush, spikerush, and sedges. Thesemarshes are valuable as nesting and brood rearing habitat for resident wading birds. They alsoprovide feeding, resting, and roosting habitat for migratory shorebirds and Waterfowl . Emergentmarshes are often managed in rotation with moist-soil use of emergent marshes takes place when plant cover reaches 50 percent leaving 50percent open water; this is called a hemimarsh. As marsh succession occurs, a marsh will movefrom open marsh to hemimarsh to predominately emergent cover. Emergent marsh succession2should be manipulated when invading woody plant stems are 2-3 inches in diameter. Disturbanceis best accomplished by bushhogging and heavy disking. This will set succession back to thegrass stage.

8 This area can then be managed for moist-soil while another area is allowed to becomeemergent marsh. Water levels of emergent marshes can be drawn down in late summer and earlyfall to provide mudflats and shallow water for migrating shorebirds and SwampsShrub/scrub swamps usually contain 6 to 24 of water during the growing season. They aretypified by willows, buttonbush, other woody species, and perennial herbaceous vegetation. In theLMAV, shrub/scrub swamps are often transitional between emergent wetlands and forestedwetlands. Decaying leaves provide substrate for invertebrates which in turn provides food forwaterbirds, fish, amphibians , and other Wetland wildlife. Studies have found over 25 pounds ofinvertebrates in an acre of flooded willows.

9 Buttonbush seeds are often fed upon by wood ducksand mallards. However, the primary value of shrub/scrub is not food, it is thermal roosting coverfor Waterfowl . On cold nights the low, thick vegetation helps retain , flooding in the LMAV resulted in shallow ridge/swale topography and isolateddepressional areas. This is often referred to as microtopography. Microtopography is importantbecause it can provide valuable habitat for amphibians and feeding waterbirds. When creatingmicrotopography, the goal is to create as much variation in depth, duration, and timing of floodingas possible. This can be accomplished by digging isolated depressions, digging depressions withinother Wetland types, creative borrowing when constructing dikes, and by diking small suitableareas.

10 Depressional wetlands found at high enough elevations to escape seasonal flooding areoften called fishless ponds. These areas are valuable for amphibians since no fish or bullfrogtadpoles are present to feed on eggs or young. Water budgets for the Mississippi Delta haveshown 3 depressions will maintain some water 9 out of 10 Open WaterDeep, open water is generally 3 or more deep and is usually a river, slough, brake, bayou, oroxbow lake. These wetlands are valuable as fisheries and also provide resting and roosting coverfor waterbirds. Deep, open water is generally not limiting but can provide valuable habitat in ComplexesA variety of Wetland types located in close proximity will ensure that each Wetland species canmeet its physiological requirements at each stage of its life.