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National
Wildlife Refuges and State Wildlife management Areas play a key
role in shorebird conservation. 50% of the U.S.'s wetlands have
been lost or destroyed since the early 20th century. National Wildlife
Refuges and State Management Areas own and manage many acres of
the remaining wetlands. This is good news for shorebirds, because
the role of National Wildlife Refuges and State Management Areas
is to manage their land for wildlife.
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Many National Wildlife Refuges were established as waterfowl management
areas. Nowadays, Refuges are managed for the benefit of several
species, including shorebirds, waterfowl, wading birds, eagles,
song birds, and fish. Multi-species management of actively managed
wetlands entails properly timed and well-targeted hydrological manipulations
to create suitable habitat conditions for the predominant avian
group. |
Managed
wetlands include impoundment's, and "moist soil units".
These are wetlands that have dikes separating them into manageable
units where water levels can be controlled, that is, lowered or raised
to create the right conditions to grow food producing natural plants
and make them available to wildlife. Some coastal marshes were formerly
made into impoundment's. Today new impoundment's or "moist soil
units" are typically made from wetlands that were drained and
therefore lost their wetland functions. These drained wetlands can
be restored to a managed wetland by building dikes and/or installing
water control structures that allow them to be managed for wildlife.
Impoundment units are sometimes connected to an estuary. Hydrology
is manipulated using water control structures such as culverts and
pumps. Water levels may also be influenced by precipitation, evaporation,
tide cycles, and wind. Shorebird habitat is created by drawing down
water levels and providing mudflats or sparsely vegetated shallow
water areas.
Management of shorebird habitat along coastal beaches focuses on preventing
disturbance and habitat degradation. Shorebirds use up a lot of energy
flying form site to site when they have been flushed by beach-goers,
vehicles on beaches, or domestic pets. Some plovers (Family Charadriidae)
nest along our beaches. Their nesting habitat often needs to be roped
off to prevent trampling. |
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