Progress 04/01/14 to 03/31/19
Outputs
Target Audience: Natural resource professionals, forest landowners, natural gas industry personnel Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The students involved in this project have presented their work to landowners, land managers and to other professionals in the field. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been disseminated to the professional community through presentations at The Wildlife Society meeting and other meetings. The results have been disseminated to the public through presentations, field days, and webinars. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
This is a broad summary of the entire project. For goal one, we have looked at the effects of shale gas development on forest habitat and birds.The extraction of natural gas tightly held within shale layers has become technically and financially feasible through a process that includes high-volume hydraulic fracturing and associated horizontal drilling. High demand for fossil fuels in combination with these new technologies has led to an increase in the exploration and exploitation of shale oil and gas.This process including the construction of pads, extensive pipeline and road networks, impoundments, and compressor stations as well as all of the associated structures and landscape alterations has raised concerns about environmental effects to both land and water resources. Habitat fragmentation is a result of gas exploration and development and is a primary concern. Pipelines, seismic lines, pads and roads all cause habitat fragmentation and are associated with shifts in wildlife communities with a general pattern of increases in human-associated (synanthropic) species and declines in habitat specialists. These shifts occur at relatively low levels of habitat loss (often < 5%) yet result in changes in community dynamics including in some cases predator-prey dynamics. Noise pollution from compressor stations reduces habitat quality for species that rely on acoustic signals for communication and has been associated with avoidance, shifts in community structure, and reduced fitness. In goal 2 we have focused on compositional and structural features influencing the abundance and distribution of birds. Features that are particulalry important include a conifer component as well as a well developed understory and midstory. Canopy gaps that facilitate the growth of understory species are also important. For goal 3, we determined that the abundance and distribution of grassland birds and pheasants was enhanced by CREP habitat, but the amount on the ground was too small to reverse population declines or sustain populations of grassland birds. For goal 4, we determined that northern bobwhite have been extirpated from Pennsylvania as a native species and that all individuals currently present are a result of ongoing releases.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Zawatski, E. J., Gross, D. A., and Brittingham, M. C. 2019. Habitat of Breeding Blackpoll Warblers at a Persistent Extralimital Breeding Site in Pennsylvania. Northeastern Naturalist, 26:31-42.
|
Progress 10/01/17 to 09/30/18
Outputs
Target Audience:Natural resource professionals, natural gas producers, forest landowners Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Students working on this project attend a weekly lab meeting where they discuss ongoing analysis and present preliminary results. Students will shared their results with natural resource professionals and discussed managment options. Student on this project have met with private landowners to discuss research results and have given presntations and webinars. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Workshops, webinars, professional meetings, meetings with natural resource professionals What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We will work on analysis of data collected and writing manuscripts. We will conduct experimental forest managment on wood thrush sites this winter and monitor response over the next 2 years.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
During this time period, we focused on goals 1 and 2. For goal 1, we completed two studies. In the first, we conducted an experimental study looking at the effects of noise from compressor stations on bird behavior and reproductive success. Natural gas extraction requires large compressor stations to transport gas through pipelines. These stations emit loud, low-frequency noise that can travel hundreds of meters into otherwise undisturbed habitat. Previous studies have demonstrated that anthropogenic noise can cause birds to change their distribution and experience reduced reproductive success. However, the mechanisms underlying reduced reproductive success are largely unknown. In this study, we established eighty new nest boxes to attract eastern bluebirds (Sialia sialis) and tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). We experimentally introduced shale gas compressor noise to half the boxes before birds had returned to breed to determine how noise influenced settlement decisions and reproductive output. Neither species demonstrated a preference for treatment type when choosing a nesting site. Eastern bluebirds in noise-exposed nest boxes had reduced incubation time (P < 0.001), reduced hatching success (P = 0.040), and smaller brood sizes in nests that did not fail at the egg stage (P = 0.027) but showed no differences in feeding rates, nestling body condition, or fledging rates. Tree swallows in noise-exposed boxes had reduced hatching success (P = 0.054), smaller broods (P = 0.030), increased feeding of young chicks (P < 0.001), and increased flight initiation distance (P = 0.025). This study demonstrates that anthropogenic noise causes behavioral changes, especially during the egg stage of the nesting cycle, that have the potential to lead to reduced reproductive success even in a relatively human-associated species. In the second study, we assessed changes in the bird community associated with natural gas pipelines. We quantified bird use of pipeline right-of-way (ROW) corridors and the effect pipelines have on the bird community within the ROW and adjacent forest. We surveyed recently constructed gathering pipelines (with and without a collocated road) and pre-existing transport pipelines. We found that synanthropic species had the highest abundance in the ROW, early successional species had the highest abundance in edge forest, while forest interior birds had the highest abundance in core forest. The five most common species in the pipeline ROW (chipping sparrow [Spizella passerine], eastern towhee [Pipilo erythrophthalmus], American robin [Turdus migratorius], dark-eyed junco [Junco hyemalis], and cedar waxwing [Bombycilla cedrorum]) comprised the majority (58%) of detections. Use of pipeline corridors by synanthropic species was not affected by ROW or landscape characteristics, while forest interior species were negatively related to width and non-forest land, and early successional species were negatively related to width yet positively associated with vegetation height, vegetation diversity, and shale gas intensity, which is related to new edge habitat. Pipelines as currently managed with regular mowing results in open herbaceous cover of limited use to forest interior and early successional species yet attracts synanthropic species tolerant of disturbance. I recommend limited mowing of pipelines in favor of spot-application of herbicide to provide early successional habitat similar to power line corridors. For goal 2, we completed a study looking at the effects of roads on forest birds, completed a study on habitat use by blackpoll warblers, continued a study on northern goshawk and initiated a study on wood thrush. We provide a brief summary of each study below Roads- Roadways are a prominent feature on the landscape and a major factor in determining the impact of human development on wildlife populations. This is especially true in areas characterized by low development, such as north-central PA where roads act as the major source of land modification and fragmentation. We conducted point counts at 1255 locations, 511 roadside and 755 forest interior points, within 7 State Games Lands and 6 State Forests in Northcentral Pennsylvania. We analyzed data using multi-species occupancy models.. As expected, road-effects are most strongly negative for forest interior species with a mean estimated effect size of -0.304 (95% CI: -0.597 to -0.006) for paved roads and positive for human-associated species with a mean effect of 0.371 (95% CI: 0.075 to 0.693) for gravel roads. Increasing canopy width had a positive mean effect of 0.065 (95% CI: 0.021 to 0.110) for the early successional and edge associated species group. Blackpoll Warblers - Setophaga striata (Blackpoll Warbler) is a boreal forest breeder that inhabits an expansive breeding range with its southern limit in the Northeastern US. The Pennsylvania breeding population is small and isolated but has persisted since its discovery in 1993, with the nearest breeding population about 150 km northeast in the Catskill Mountains of New York. Little information is available on the structure and composition of the vegetation where Blackpoll Warblers establish territories and how these vegetative parameters compare with the core of their range. We quantified the understory and canopy structure and composition, as well as the ground cover of active Blackpoll Warbler breeding territories (n=15). Blackpoll Warblers occupied areas that were dominated by spruce (75 % canopy coverage, Picea rubens and P. mariana) with a relatively low mean canopy height (6 m) and a mean diameter at breast height of 13 cm. Overall, the structure and composition of the vegetation within territories of Blackpoll Warblers in the Pennsylvania population are similar to core portions of their breeding range. While the Pennsylvania population has bred exclusively within one small, confined area, similar red and black spruce communities can be found to the east in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, suggesting there may be an opportunity for range expansion. However, there are increasing concerns that populations of boreal species at the southern edge of their range are especially vulnerable to climate change as warming and weather extremes decrease the suitability of isolated locations. Northern Goshawk - We surveyed 170 locations in the Allegheny National Forest and located 10 territories, 4 of which contained active nests. 64 sites were surveyed with autonomous recording devices. The units recorded from 3-10 days in each site before being moved to the next survey location. Two territories were detected with this method. 11 units were surveyed using directed searches where 2 or more individuals walked transects through the forest looking for stick nests. The only goshawks found during this phase were in the same 2 units that recorded goshawks during courtship. We surveyed 69 sites by broadcasting the adult alarm call at 19 pre-selected locations throughout the site. We located 6 additional territories during this phase, one of them contained a nest with one chick. From June 11-July 20 we surveyed 103 sites by broadcasting the juvenile begging call at 19 pre-selected broadcast locations spaced throughout the site. We located an additional 2 territories using this technique, one contained a nest with 3 fledglings. Wood Thrush - We initiated a study on the abundance and reproductive success of wood thrush I core forests in Central Pennsylvania. We established 6 study sites and set up clusters of point counts for bird surveys. In addition, we collected vegetation data at point counts and nests. Wood thrush were detected across all study sites). The four most common host species for nests included witch hazel, black birch, beech and hemlock with each representing more than 10% of the monitored nests. Summary and analysis of data are ongoing.
Publications
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Serno K. M. 2017. The Effects of Roads on Forest Bird Communities in Pennsylvaniaâ¿¿s Core Forested Landscape M.S. Thesis in Wildlife and Fisheries Science. Penn State University. 133 pp.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Langlois, L. A. 2017. Effects of Marcellus shale gas infrastructure on forest fragmentation and bird communities in northcentral Pennsylvania. Dissertation in Wildlife and Fisheries Science. The Pennsylvania State University. 148 pp.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Williams, D. P. 2018. Effects of shale gas compressor noise on songbird reproduction and behavior. M.S. thesis in Wildllife and Fisheries Science. The Pennsylvania State University. 101 pp.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Brittingham, M. C. 2017. Migrants on the Move. Pennsylvania Wildlife. Fall:6-7
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Stauffer, G. E., D. A. Miller, A. M. Wilson, M. Brittingham, and D. W. Brauning 2017. Stewardship responsibility of Pennsylvania public and private lands for songbird conservation. Biological Conservation 213:185-193.
|
Progress 10/01/16 to 09/30/17
Outputs
Target Audience:Natural resource professionals, forest landowners, natural gas industry personnel Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Students working on this project attend a weekly lab meeting where they discuss ongoing analysis and present preliminary results. Students will shared their results with natural resource professionals and discussed managment options. Student on this project have met with private landowners to discuss research results and have given presntations and webinars. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Field days, small meetings with natural professionals. dissemination of results at scientific meetings, webinars What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We plan to initiate a study focused on forest structure and abundance and nest success of wood thrush; continue our study of northern goshawks and analyze and publish data associated with shale gas development and forest birds.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
During this time period we focused on goals 1 and 2. For goal 1, We completed our analysis of the effects of pipeline infastructure on forest fragmentation. We used high-resolution aerial imagery, land cover data, and well point data to quantify shale gas development across four time periods (2010, 2012, 2014, 2016), including: the number of wells permitted, drilled, and producing gas (a measure of pipeline development); land use change; and forest fragmentation on both private and public land. As of April 2016, the majority of shale gas development was located on private land (74 % of constructed well pads); however, the number of wells drilled per pad was lower on private compared to public land (3.5 and 5.4, respectively). Loss of core forest was more than double on private than public land (4.3 and 2.0 %, respectively), which likely results from best management practices implemented on public land. Forecasting future development suggests a loss of core forest due to pads constructed farthest from pre-existing pipelines (new pipelines must be built to connect pads) and in areas with greater amounts of core forest. To reduce future fragmentation, our results suggest new pads should be placed near pre-existing pipelines and methods to consolidate pipelines with other infrastructure should be used. The alternative scenario will likely continue to result in rapid loss of core forest in the region, especially on private land, and due to pipeline features. We initiated an experiemental study examining the effects of noise from compressor stations on bluebirds and tree swallows nesting boxes. Birds were offered pairs of noisy or quiet boxes. We examined settlement rates as well as feeding rates and nestling growth, stress and survival between noisy and quiet boxes. For goal 2- We have been analying occupancy models describing forest bird habitat associations.Our results provide evidence that the abundance of tall ericaceous shrubs, hemlock in the canopy, and woody debris, as well as the standard deviation of DBH positively correlated with the predicted occupancy of understory, conifer, dead wood, and midstory associates respectively. We also initiated a study to determine the status of northern goshawks in Pennsylvania
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Langlois, L.A., P.J. Drohan, and M. C. Brittingham. 2017. Linear infrastructure drives habitat conversion and forest fragmentation associated with Marcellus shale gas development in a forested landscape. Journal of Environmental Management 197:167-176.
|
Progress 10/01/15 to 09/30/16
Outputs
Target Audience:Natural resource professionals, forest landowners, shale gas industry Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Students working on this project attend a weekly lab meeting to discuss results. All personnel working on the project underwent extensive training on field techniques prior to the field season. The post doc working on the project conducted a workshop on occupancy models for all personnell working on the project. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We gave 4 presentations on forest habitat characteristics at professional meetings ; a number of talks were given to the general public on shale gas development. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period we plan to focus on data analysis and submitting manuscripts for publication. We also plan to initiate a study looking at the effects of noise from compressor stations on birds and a new project on goshawks.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
During this past year, we focused on goals 1 and 2 Goal 1 - We completed one manuscript on the effects of shale gas development on forest birds and published it in the Journal of Wildlife Managment. We conducted a GIS analysis of habitat change and fragmentation resulting from gas development using Lycoming county PA as a case study. We used high-resolution aerial imagery, land cover data, and well point data to quantify shale gas development across four time periods (2010, 2012, 2014, 2016), including: the number of wells permitted, drilled, and producing gas (a measure of pipeline development); land use change; and forest fragmentation on both private and public land. As of April 2016, the majority of shale gas development was located on private land (74 % of constructed well pads); however, the number of wells drilled per pad was lower on private compared to public land (3.5 and 5.4, respectively). Loss of core forest was more than double on private than public land (4.3 and 2.0 %, respectively), which likely results from best management practices implemented on public land. Forecasting future development suggests a loss of core forest due to pads constructed farthest from pre-existing pipelines (new pipelines must be built to connect pads) and in areas with greater amounts of core forest. Goal 2 - This summer, we continued our field work and conducted avian point count surveys in the Ridge and Valley region of Pennsylvania. We sampled 280 additional point count locations and collected data on the vegetation at each point. We also collected data at interior points and points along roads. We currently have two manuscripts in preparation. The first describes stewardship responsibility of publicly-owned land in Pennsylvania for conservation of songbirds. We are evaluating differences in occupancy between public and private lands both at the state level and within specific ecoregions.The second manuscript evaluates occupancy probability as a function of Forest Community Classifications (cover types) based on the definitions in Fike (1999). Initially we focused on the about forest-associated species, but have expanded this analysis to include 61 species that reasonable could be expected to occurred on forested State Game Lands and State Forests in Pennsylvania.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2016
Citation:
Barton, E. P., S. E. Pabian, and M. C. Brittingham. 2016. Bird community response to Marcellus shale gas development. Journal of Wildlife Management 80:1301-1313.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Barenblitt, A. C., K. M. Serno, Brittingham, M. C. 2015. A birds eye view of the forest. Pennsylvania Forests. 106 (4):11-13.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Brittingham, M. C. 2015. The wisdom of age- Why older forests matter. Pennsylvania Forests. 106 (4):20-22.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Brittingham, M. C. 2015. Research from around the state. Pennsylvania Forests. 106 (4):23-27.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Serno, K. M., Barenblitt, A. C., Brittingham, M. C. 2015. 20 birds every forest landowner should know. Pennsylvania Forests. 106 (4):14-17.
|
Progress 10/01/14 to 09/30/15
Outputs
Target Audience:Natural resource professionals, shale gas employees, forest landowners Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Students working on this project attend a weekly lab meeting where they discuss ongoing analysis and present preliminary results. A meeting with natural resource professionals responsible for managing public land is scheduled for this winter. Students will share their results and discuss managment options. Student on this project have met with private landowners to discuss research results. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Two webinars, 1 meeting to 150 natural resource professionals, 2 presentations to landowners in the forest stewardship program who are training to be volunteers for the program, 5 presenations to students and general public. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?1) For our shale gas research, we plan to write up current data and submit for publication. We also plan to initiate a pilot study to examine the effects of noise form compressor stations on birds. 2) We plan to expand our forest bird project into the central region of the state and continue data analysis.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
1. We are continuing to analyze our data on the effects of shale gas develpment on forest birds and habitat. We determined that avian communities differed between forest habitat close to well pads and forest habitat at least 150 m away from any shale pads or infrastructure. The forest interior guild was less abundant near pads including bloack-throated green warbler, black-throated blue warbler, ovenbird and scarlet tanager. Synanthropic or human associated species were more common near pads including American robins, chipping sparrows, song sparrows, and brown-headed cowbirds. We used game cameras to determine which species were using pipeline corridors either for travel corridors or feeding. Species that were more abundnat along corridors included white-tailed deer; mesopredators like raccoons, skunks and foxes; and wild turkey. Our results suggest that the corridors are bringing species into areas where they were previously not present or present at lower abundance. 2. We initiated a large scale project examining factors influencing the abundnce and distribution of birds in core forest habitat. We conducted over 1,000 point counts with birds recorded every two minutes over a 6 minute time period within two distance bands. We had points along roads and within the forest interior so that we can determine the effects of roads on bird distribution. We are developing individual species models to determine how micro-habitat and structural features within the forest influence species abundance. 3. We determined that pheasants responded positively to the amount of CREP cover, with a 36 fold increase in the proportional change in abundance in areas where 100% of the farmland area within 500 m was in CREP. The effect of CREP was greatest when the surrounding landscape had both greater CREP enrollment and more farmland habitat; indicating greater benefits of new CREP habitat when clustered on landscapes with little forest cover. Although pheasants appear to benefit from CREP, they declined in abundance more than any other farmland species in the area. In addition, the amount of additional CREP coverage needed to reverse population declines is impractical (over 500,000 ha of new CREP agreements) and will need to be used in combination with other management techniques to be successful. 4. No new work on this objective
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2015
Citation:
Pabian, S. E., A. M. Wilson, S. R. Klinger, and M. C. Brittingham. 2015. Pennsylvania's Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program benefits ring-necked pheasants but not enough to reverse declines. The Journal of Wildlife Management 79:641-646.
|
Progress 04/01/14 to 09/30/14
Outputs
Target Audience: Natural resource professionals, members of the gas industry, private forest landonwers Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Students working on this project received additional training in GIS. All students attended a national conference and presented their work. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? We have given multiple presentations to landowners, natural resource professionals and mmebers of the industry and how the landscape and birds are affected and on recommendations for placement of pads and infrastructure and resotration. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? We plan to continue data analysese and writing for all projects. We plan to initiate field work to address goal 2 "determine intrinsic and extrinsic factors affecting the broad-scale distribtion of forest birds.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
1. We continued our research on the effects of shale gas development on forest birds and habitat. We estimate a loss of 2-4 % core forest in NC PA as a result fo shale gas development. At a local scale (near well pads), generalist species and species that coexisit well with people are becoming more abundnat while area sensitive species are declining in number. Declines were not evident at the scale of the breeding bird atlas block (2560 ha). In addition, roadside surveys were less sensitive to detecting change than off road surveys. 2. We have hired two graduate students and a post doc to work on this project. We are currently conducting a literature review and obtaining available data sets. 3. We submitted a draft of a paper on the effects of CREP on pheasants. CREP has a p[ositive effect on pheasants but it is not abundant enough across the landscape to make a difference in terms of population size and reversing decling trends. 4. We reviewed a number of data sets such as BBS, ebird, BBA and CBC to determine the status of the Northern bobwhite in Pennsylvania. In addition, we surveyed landmanagers and field crews who work with natural resource agencies in PA concetrning their observations of bobwhite in PA. We conclude that there are no viable and self-sustaining populations of northern bobwhite remaining in Pennsylvania. There is no evidence that native quail breed or exist in numbers that would indicate a breeding population. The predominance of single individual sightings, influence of permit locations upon contemporary detections, failure for historical breeding locations to hold contemporary quail, and steep drop off in contemporary sightings points unequivocally to an absence of native quail. We find it likely that all contemporary sightings are recently released birds that were raised in captivity.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Brittingham, M. C., K. O. Maloney, A. M. Farag, D. D. Harper, and Z. H. Bowen. 2014. Ecological risks of shale oil and gas development to wildlife, aquatic resources and their habitats. Environmental Science & Technology 48:11034-11047.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Brittingham, M. C., L.A. Langlois. and P.J. Drohan. 2014. Shale gas development- Bringing change to Pennsylvania forests and wildlife. The Wildlife Professional 8(3):22-27.
- Type:
Theses/Dissertations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Barton, E.P. 2014.Effects of Marcellus Shale development on songbird abundance and habitat use in North central Pennsylvania forests. MS thesis. The Pennsylvania State University.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2014
Citation:
Avery, J., M.Brittingham, S. Klinger. 2014.Final Report for the northern bobwhite quail in Pennsylvania: current distribution, status, and trends. A report submitted to the Pennsylvania Game Commission as part of Goal 1 of the Northern Bobwhite Quail Management Plan for Pennsylvania 2011-2020
|
|