Barred Owl
Barred owls have a range covering almost all of New England, however they are scattered and uncommon. They prefer habitats with heavily wooded swamps, using the open area to hunt for food, and the trees to provide cover. Major foods include small mammals, frogs, birds, insects, and crayfish. Barred owls like to nest and roost in mixed or coniferous forests, requiring large trees with cavities for nesting. The habitat present on Plot 9 would be good habitat for these owls. The forest is fairly open, with plenty of dead wood available for nesting. The wetland area would provide food sources such as frogs and crayfish as well as insects and birds.
Fisher
Fishers are present in most of Northern New England, extending into parts of Western Massachusetts. They require extensive forests of mixed hardwoods and conifers and are found less frequently in more open areas, although they do favor wetlands. Fishers do not dig their own holes, but instead use vacant dens or hollow trees as temporary shelters. Home ranges may be between 8 to 15 miles, but hunting areas can be as vast as 60 miles. Fishers eat mostly mammals such as shrews, mice, squirrels, and porcupines as well as berries, nuts and toads. Plot 9 would make good hunting ground for Fishers, providing them with prey and variable habitat, although they might have a hard time finding a good spot for a den, considering the lack of exposed rocks. However, Niquette Bay State Park by itself is probably too small of a range to support a Fisher population.
Pileated woodpecker
Pileated woodpeckers are year-round residents of most of nearly all of New England. They prefer lowland areas with high basal area and high stem density, and require dead or dying trees for nesting and feeding. Major food sources include Larvae and a variety of mature insects, especially ants. They also eat wild fruits, acorns and beechnuts. Plot 9 fits all of the Pileated woodpecker's requirements in terms of habitat and food, and evidence of them was present in almost all of the snags throughout the site.
Red-backed Salamander
Red-backed Salamanders are terrestrial salamanders that range from the Northeast United States to Southeast Canada. They are usually found in environments that are damp and reside under leaf litter, rocks or woody rotting debris of deciduous or mixed hardwood forests. They do not like areas with acidic or saturated soils. During the winter season these salamanders overwinter underground. Plot 9 provides a decent habitat for these amphibians although the soils are relatively acidic. There are damp soils and lots of woody debris for the salamanders to inhabit. While conduction our field work, we found several Red-backed Salamanders in the plot under woody debris.
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| A Red-backed Salamander found on plot 9. Photo Credit: Kaity Ripple |
Emerald Ash Borer
The Emerald Ash Borer is a small (~.33" long, ~1/16" wide) green beetle which originally came from Asia, and is now an invasive species whose range extends throughout eastern North America. The Ash Borer has been confirmed in fifteen states in the U.S, and has also been sighted in southern Quebec and Ontario. The Ash Borer is a serious threat to the entire Fraxinus (Ash) genus in North America. The Ash Borer essentially girdles ash trees by laying eggs in the tree's bark. The larva proceed to burrow into the bark and feed on the xylem and phloem. It has killed between 50 and 100 million Ash trees in North America since it first arrived on the continent in the 1990s, and threatens to kill all of the 7.5 billion ash trees that growing in North America. The Ash Borer has not yet been confirmed in the state of Vermont, however the beetle has been been found in both New York and southern Quebec, and is rapidly expanding it's presence in North America . The Ash Borer prefers green ash and black ash when laying eggs, but will target white ash as well.
Click here for a map of confirmed Emerald Ash Borer sightings.
The Emerald Ash Borer is a small (~.33" long, ~1/16" wide) green beetle which originally came from Asia, and is now an invasive species whose range extends throughout eastern North America. The Ash Borer has been confirmed in fifteen states in the U.S, and has also been sighted in southern Quebec and Ontario. The Ash Borer is a serious threat to the entire Fraxinus (Ash) genus in North America. The Ash Borer essentially girdles ash trees by laying eggs in the tree's bark. The larva proceed to burrow into the bark and feed on the xylem and phloem. It has killed between 50 and 100 million Ash trees in North America since it first arrived on the continent in the 1990s, and threatens to kill all of the 7.5 billion ash trees that growing in North America. The Ash Borer has not yet been confirmed in the state of Vermont, however the beetle has been been found in both New York and southern Quebec, and is rapidly expanding it's presence in North America . The Ash Borer prefers green ash and black ash when laying eggs, but will target white ash as well.
Click here for a map of confirmed Emerald Ash Borer sightings.
Brown Snake
The Brown Snake (Northern Brown Snake or Dekay's Brown Snake) is a small snake (<12" long) native to Southern Ontario and Quebec. The brown snake's range extends throughout most of the eastern United States. This snake prefers moist upland woods and swamps, which are present on plot nine. It feeds on earthworms, slugs, and snails, all of which are likely present in the site.
The Brown Snake (Northern Brown Snake or Dekay's Brown Snake) is a small snake (<12" long) native to Southern Ontario and Quebec. The brown snake's range extends throughout most of the eastern United States. This snake prefers moist upland woods and swamps, which are present on plot nine. It feeds on earthworms, slugs, and snails, all of which are likely present in the site.
Scarlet Tanager
The Scarlet Tanager uses most of the eastern United States as a summer breeding ground, and migrates through the south-eastern U.S and southern Central America in October to get to their wintering grounds in north-western South America. They prefer deciduous and mixed deciduous-conifer forests as a breeding habitat in the summer. In this sense, it is very likely that our site would provide suitable breeding habitat for them in the summer. It is very unlikely that they would be found in Niquette Bay in the months outside of the summer.
The Scarlet Tanager uses most of the eastern United States as a summer breeding ground, and migrates through the south-eastern U.S and southern Central America in October to get to their wintering grounds in north-western South America. They prefer deciduous and mixed deciduous-conifer forests as a breeding habitat in the summer. In this sense, it is very likely that our site would provide suitable breeding habitat for them in the summer. It is very unlikely that they would be found in Niquette Bay in the months outside of the summer.
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler use states in the north-eastern United States and provinces in eastern Canada as a summer breeding ground, and migrate through the eastern United States to reach their wintering grounds in southern Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean islands. The warbler is found in Vermont throughout the summer, preferring early successional deciduous woods and shrubs as habitat for it's nests. Plot nine, a two-aged forest, would not be a good nesting ground for these birds, although the warblers might be found flying through to better habitat elsewhere in the park.
Chestnut-sided Warbler use states in the north-eastern United States and provinces in eastern Canada as a summer breeding ground, and migrate through the eastern United States to reach their wintering grounds in southern Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean islands. The warbler is found in Vermont throughout the summer, preferring early successional deciduous woods and shrubs as habitat for it's nests. Plot nine, a two-aged forest, would not be a good nesting ground for these birds, although the warblers might be found flying through to better habitat elsewhere in the park.
Porcupine
The North American Porcupine is found throughout most of Canada and the western United
States (including Alaska), and is also found throughout New England. They prefer coniferous and mixed deciduous-conifer forests as habitat. Porcupines are herbivores. In the summer, they eat
twigs, stems, roots and berries. In the winter, they eat tree bark, twigs, and conifer needles. Porcupines make dens in dead trees, cliff caves, and fallen snags, although they move from den to den frequently. The high presence of hemlock on the site would provide ample food throughout all seasons. Although there was little habitat for a porcupine den on plot nine, it is likely that a porcupine would spend ample time in the area grazing.
The North American Porcupine is found throughout most of Canada and the western United
States (including Alaska), and is also found throughout New England. They prefer coniferous and mixed deciduous-conifer forests as habitat. Porcupines are herbivores. In the summer, they eat
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| North American Porcupine Photo Credit: http://www.wildlifenorthamerica.com |
Wild Turkey
Wild Turkey are present in a wide range of habitats throughout the eastern United States and much of the western United States. Turkey prefer a mixture of open-land and forest as habitat. They prefer plant matter as food, but also eat insects in the summer. The majority of a Turkey's diet consists of fruit, seeds, mast, grass, and agricultural crops. Mast producing shrubs such as grape, dogwood, wild cherry, and hackberry are important food sources for the Turkey. Wild Turkey would be unlikely to spend extended amounts of time in plot nine, considering the lack of open space and good sources of food in the area.
White-tailed Deer
White-tailed deer are present and common throughout New England. They prefer forest edges, swamp boarders and areas with interspersed fields and woodlands. Their diet consists mostly of twigs and young bark from woody deciduous plants and some conifers. White-tailed deer are adaptable, and known to grub for roots or eat mushrooms and grasses. They are a gregarious species, forming small family groups consisting of a doe, fauns and yearlings. During the winter white-tailed deer require dense covers from conifers such as hemlock for shelter and browse. Habitat on plot 9 appears to be adequate for white-tailed deer, especially in the summer, providing them with low growing woody plants to nibble on, however no sign of such nibbling was seen on the plot site.
European Earthworm
The European Earthworm is an invasive species in the Unites States, introduced from Europe likely through soil on ships in the colonial period, it has continued to spread throughout the country ever since. These worms were not present in the soil where we dug our soil pit, and no signs of digested soil were seen, but it is likely that they are present on Niquette State Park, even if not in plot 9. European Earthworms cause changes to the soil structure, mixing the soil horizons, creating large holes that increase drainage, and eating the organic layer. These changes affect the plants and animals that can exist on the landscape.
*This information is adapted from New England Wildlife: habitat, natural history, and distribution, by Richard Degraaf.
What management recommendations do you have for the park managers?
Try to preserve the stream and wetlands running through the site, as there seems to be more abundant biodiversity as a result of the water availability.
The European Earthworm is an invasive species in the Unites States, introduced from Europe likely through soil on ships in the colonial period, it has continued to spread throughout the country ever since. These worms were not present in the soil where we dug our soil pit, and no signs of digested soil were seen, but it is likely that they are present on Niquette State Park, even if not in plot 9. European Earthworms cause changes to the soil structure, mixing the soil horizons, creating large holes that increase drainage, and eating the organic layer. These changes affect the plants and animals that can exist on the landscape.
*This information is adapted from New England Wildlife: habitat, natural history, and distribution, by Richard Degraaf.
What management recommendations do you have for the park managers?
Try to preserve the stream and wetlands running through the site, as there seems to be more abundant biodiversity as a result of the water availability.
Habitat feature | Rating |
High Perches | Minimal |
Low Perches | Very Apparent |
Percent Canopy Cover | 31-70% |
Tree Cavities DBH | 6-12” |
Midstory | Deciduous |
Shrub Layer | Mixed |
Percent Ground Vegetation | 30-75% |
Vernal Pools or Wetland | Very Apparent |
Dead and Downed Wood | Very Apparent |
Overstory Inclusions | N/A |
Water Bodies Present | Stream |
Based on the evaluation above, the following species are expected to be found on plot 9*
***!!NEWILD LIST IS MISSING!!***
* This list was configured through NEWILD, a program that selects species whose habitat requirements match up with the habitat described in our plot.
* This list was configured through NEWILD, a program that selects species whose habitat requirements match up with the habitat described in our plot.
