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Blog: Creature of Habitat
Creature of Habitat is a blog dedicated to the discussion of habitat planning as a growing field of research and practice. We'd love to receive contributions and commentary from all of our readers. Please send us your ideas, insights, examples, case studies, photos or graphics that can help describe particular wildlife planning, design and/or BMPs used in your community. To subscribe to our blog feed use the Syndication links on the right.
Whooping Cranes Endangered By Wind Turbines
The popular alternative, renewable energy may pose a risk for the endangered species.
The past few months have seen increased discussion of alternative
energy sources including wind energy here in the United States. Private
investors including oil-man T. Boone Pickens have touted exploitation
of the Midwest’s wind potential through high-profile television ads in
this time of four-a-gallon gas prices. With 40,000 new
turbines expected to be erected, the Fish and Wildlife Service remains
wary, but understands the importance of developing renewable energy,
and remains
committed to cooperation to increase the vitality of both interests. The U.S. Department of the Interior
established a Wind Turbine Advisory Committee (WTAC) for the purpose of making
recommendations to the Secretary on maintaining wildlife habitat. Whooping
cranes typically fly at altitudes of at least 500 feet: So far no
whooping cranes have been killed by wind turbines, which are usually
about 300 feet high.
The danger comes, however, upon their nightly landing. According
to Tom Stehn, of the FWS, the placement of wind farms could result in
huge losses of natural habitat if birds avoid their usual migration
routes. Note how the migration route overlaps the wind power map. whooping crane migration map Another article notes that other species, such as the Prairie Chicken, avoid nesting near tall structures such as turbines. The corridor reaching from North
Dakota down into Texas is recognized as some of the greatest wind potential. Industry officials from organizations such as
the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) are aware of the potential impact
on
wildlife and aim to minimize it, but emphasize the role in all areas of
development of protecting wildlife and not singling wind power, since,
according to Nature, one bird is killed for every thirty turbines--a number much less than many other man-made features. Most environmental groups, the FWS, and
the Secretary of the Interior support renewable energy sources such as
wind, but wish to work together to protect the interests of both sides.
Articles on this topic: http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/03/04/wind-farms-cranes.html
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23389384/
Fact Sheets on Wildlife Impact from the American Wind Energy
Association
http://www.awea.org/pubs/factsheets.html
WTAC site—they are meeting this week, so this site may have
updates soon
http://www.fws.gov/habitatconservation/windpower/wind_turbine_advisory_committee.html
FWS on Wind Energy
Loggerhead Sea Turtle joins Old Folks at Home
Loggerhead sea turtle becomes official Florida state symbol at a time of great need for the species
The Florida Legislature decided to designate the Loggerhead sea turtle as the official Florida Saltwater Reptile recently. It joins a list including an official saltwater fish (Atlantic sailfish), freshwater fish (Largemouth bass), reptile (American Alligator), flower (Orange blossom), and of course, song (Old Folks at Home). The designation is meant to help recognize the threats faced by this important species. Ninety percent of all nesting of Loggerheads within the United States occurs in Florida. According to the Fish and Wildlife Commission, nest counts of Loggerhead sea turtles, the most common kind in Florida, have declined thirty-seven percent over the last 19 years. The species, alongside several other sea turtle species, continues to be threatened by habitat encroachment, illegal harvesting, pollution, including light pollution, and many other man-created obstacles.
Read more about designation and protection at the FWC site:
http://myfwc.com/whatsnew/08/statewide/News_08_X_SeaTurtleSymbol.htm
The List of Official Florida Symbols:
http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/fl_symb.htm
The FWC has even more information on threats, prevention, and more:http://research.myfwc.com/features/category_main.asp?id=1289
Wildlife Transportation Corridors: Floridians Planning to Protect Despite Development Pressures
A recent article in the Orlando Sentinel by journalist Robert Perez highlights some successes and shortcomings facing planning for effective wildlife habitat corridors in Florida as development pressures persist.
Florida's interstate land bridge over I-75 just south of Ocala, served as the Nation's first land bridge to serve both wildlife and people by connecting protected land areas across a major highway. The bridge provides safe passage for a number of species, (humans included), as part of the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway. Florida houses yet another similar wildlife channeling greenway over I-95 near Palm Coast. A third bridge has recently been envisioned over I-4 in Volusia County to connect portions of the Tiger Bay State Forest.
Although development pressures in the state have experienced some degree of stagnation recently, the overall trend of residential and transportation development in the state, and its expanding encroachment upon vital wildlife territories, continues to rise. Proponents of wildlife transportation crossings in the form of under and overpasses across hazardous roadways have a good foundation for hope, as more and more ideas of habitat protection and connection are considered in the course of new highway and neighborhood development projects. Biodiversity planning and the connection of protected spaces through projects such as these have much to offer in the way of effective habitat conservation in Florida's future.
Undertakings of the wildlife overpass magnitude can be very expensive indeed, limiting the number of protective crossing infrastructure projects that may be accomplished in the near future as the costs of materials, labor, etc. increase. It also becomes increasingly expensive and difficult to retrofit old roadways in desperate need of help for wildlife crossing safety. Furthermore, with Florida Forever's demise on the horizon, and uncertain plans as to a successor program, the acquisition of important preservation areas to connect faces similar limitations in coming years. It becomes increasingly clear that the continued advocacy of wildlife habitat planning in the realm of transportation development will be of paramount importance for the future of endemic Floridian species in the face of development pressures.
Check out the article online at:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/politics/state/orl-corridorslid08jan07,0,1996352.story?page=1
For more information on wildlife bridges and other crossing structures, check out: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.americantrails.org/i/resourceimages/landbridge2600.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.americantrails.org/resources/structures/CreativeCrossings.html&h=305&w=600&sz=67&hl=en&start=35&um=1&tbnid=rI8nXSn-tqkVhM:&tbnh=69&tbnw=135&prev=/images%3Fq%3DFlorida%2Bwildlife%2Boverpass%2Bi%2B75%2Bphotos%26start%3D20%26ndsp%3D20%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN
For more information on wildlife habitat planning and transportation, check out info on our site: Transportation Planning, Design and Management to Support Wildlife
Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership: Florida Reintroduction
Whooping cranes from Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin were led by ultralight aircraft to achieve another successful wintering on Florida's Gulf Coast.
The endangered whooping crane, near extinction in the 1940's, has received a boost in recent years from the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership and ultralight aircraft guidance technology. The group and their reintroduction strategy made manifest effectively guided 17 of the 76 wild migrating whooping cranes in North America to wintering habitat in Marion County this year in January, later moving to the Chassahowitzka Wildlife Refuge in Citrus County. Aside from the 76 Wisconsin-Florida birds, the only other migrating population of whooping cranes nests at the Wood Buffalo National Park in the Northwest Territories of Canada and winters at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge on the Texas Gulf Coast.
Whooping cranes are named for the nature of their loud unison calls. They live and breed in wetland areas, where they feed on crabs, clams, frogs and number of aquatic plants. They are rather distinctive, often reaching a height of 5 feet by adulthood, with white bodies, black wing tips and red crowns on their heads.
The Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP), an international coalition of public and private organizations, is administering the reintroduction project in an effort to return this endangered species to its historic range in eastern North America.
Check out the article online at: http://www.bringbackthecranes.org/media/2008/NR27Jan08.htm
More information on the migration can be found online at: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/10/061005-whooping-cranes.html
Crucial Florida Black Bear Habitat in Danger
Dr. David Maher, Professor of Conservation Biology at the University of Kentucky, speaks for the dwindling population of Florida black bears in the Greater Chassahowitzka Ecosystem. Maher draws attention to potentially devastating consequences for bears in the area, as the already small population faces even further habitat degradation in the wake of Sunwest Harbourtowne DRI.
Professor Maehr of the University of Kentucky recently authored a guest column to the St. Petersburg Times and Pasco Times regarding habitat devastation facing the Florida black bear population residing in the Greater Chassahowitzka Ecosystem (GCE) in light of development plans associated with the Sunwest Harbourtowne Development of Regional Impact. Maehr reacts to findings presented by Sunwest consultants, who failed to find signs of bear activity within the area affected by the proposed Harbourtowne DRI. Having spent years studying bear populations in the area, Maehr contends that Sunwest researchers, having found no bears, were far behind in data collection with only 29 days spent surveying a variety of species in one area.
The presence of bears in the area necessitates special consideration and completely different actions and location choices than those proposed by Sunwest's DRI. Harbourtowne is positioned to eliminate and isolate 500 acres of crucial bear habitat in the GCE, which according to Maehr help support a tiny population that has already been pushed much too far toward extinction by human encroachment. Action is necessary to promote more reliance on university-sponsored data collection and scientific evidence in the evaluation of potential DRI effects on wildlife habitat in the GCE.
Check out the article online at: http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/columns/article474391.ece
More information on the Sunwest Harbourtowne DRI can be found online at:
More information on Florida black bears can be found online at: http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/education/interactive/springscoast/blackbear.shtml
Tape Grass Habitat Restoration Along the Caloosahatchee River
Near Fort Myers, the South Florida Water Management District launched an experimental project in the Caloosahatchee River above Franklin Lock and Dam in efforts to re-seed upstream estuary habitat. The project seeks to make the area hospitable once again to juvenile blue crab, fish, and many other species dependent upon vegetative cover in early stages of development.
Tape grass, (Vallisneria americana), provides excellent habitat for many Florida species such as blue crab. It is particularly important to the reproductive process, as it serves as spawning area and protective nursery for crab in the early stages of development. The long strands of grass emerging from root clusters, often arising in fairly dense underwater meadows provide cover and protection from predators for young, vulnerable crab and other species native to the Caloosahatchee.
While tape grass and other sheltering grass species such as turtle grass are fairly common often growing plentifully in both still and fast moving waters throughout Florida and other states, its presence is key in the developmental stages of many estuarine wildlife species. Areas upstream of Franklin Lock and Dam have suffered the loss of a large amount of tape grass meadows over the years. A number of factors, including effects of human development and an extended drought period have impacted salinity levels and thus the success of tape grass growth and sustenance. For these reasons, the SFWMD is initiating a project to re-seed tape grass areas upstream, where plants may grow less effected by salinity fluctuations. The project serves to increase habitat upstream in addition to continuing to seed the downstream environment.
For more information, go check out the news story online at: https://my.sfwmd.gov/portal/page?_pageid=3034,19800838,3034_19800997:3034_19801083&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL
Another tape grass and other sea grasses habitat area that has experienced some degree of degradation is the 14-mile stretch of seagrasses, constituting a vital bay estuary just off shore of Pensacola Bay. As a result of chemical plant releases, among other factors, the greatest degree of loss in the way of tape grass and other sea grasses, (tape and widgeon grasses still survive there, while others do not), sheltering a wide variety of fish and scallops in the area has taken place in the Escambia Bay section of the area. A number of efforts to restore vital gulf estuary seagrass habitat has been undertaken over the years with varying degrees of success.
For more information online, check out: ftp://ftp.dep.state.fl.us/pub/water/basin411/pensacola/status/Fig2-2.pdf
Florida Public Bird Monitoring Program: Wildlife Habitat Planning in Your Own Backyard
Sharing information about bird wildlife sitings and behavior can be informative in tracking wildlife habitat population densities, patterns, changes, etc. You can help. The Florida Public Bird Monitoring Program can provide you the tools.
The Florida Bird Monitoring Program serves to provide a website forum for people from throughout the state to share data collected in regards to bird sightings on their properties and in their neighborhoods. The program was developed by the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation's Wildlife Extension office.
Participants collect information on the types of birds seen in their yards and neighborhoods, then share and compare survey results through the monitoring program's website. Participants landscaping for wildlife habitat friendly design also employ the forum to exchange information regarding which strategies were effective, and which attracted various species as opposed to others, etc.
You name the area, from rural, to forested, to agricultural, to densely urban city environments, if there are bird there, the area is an excellent place to conduct a survey and share results.
For more information on the Florida Public Bird Monitoring Program, please visit the website at:
http://bird.ifas.ufl.edu/index.html
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