1. The Great Lakes Binational Marsh Monitoring Program: The Role of Volunteer Participants Steve Timmermans Joel Ingram

2. MMP Partnerships

3. Protocol booklet Training tape -birds: songs, calls -amphibians: calls, calling index Broadcast tape Data forms (field and summary) Annual cover letter Standard Training Kit

4. Species habitat associations Critical for effective wetland management and conservation Habitat – Why? Habitat assessments major habitat types floating plants dominant emergent taxa permanency, size

5. MMP Routes 1995 - 2005

6. Monitor Marshbird and Amphibian Annual Indices and Trends

9. Marshbird Habitat Associations  Compare habitat use by different species  Identify specific habitat associations  Determine species-specific optimums for various marsh habitat components  Model to guide wetland management prescriptions for marsh bird species

14. High Eastern Kingbird Alder Flycatcher Common Yellowthroat Moderate Song Sparrow Yellow Warbler Low Marsh Wren American Bittern Black Tern Least Bittern Swamp Sparrow High Song Sparrow Common Yellowthroat Yellow Warbler Swamp Sparrow Moderate Eastern Kingbird Willow Flycatcher Sora Virginia Rail Low Pied-Billed Grebe Least Bittern Marsh Wren Common Moorhen Woody VegetationWet Meadow Marshbird Habitat Associations

15. Figure 4. Example of a coastal wetland shapefile (Big Island Marsh) overlaid with Ontario landcover data. Outline of 500 m, 1 km and 20 km buffers (black consecutive circles around wetland), and watershed boundary are shown.

16. Suitable Marsh Bird Metrics © Ron Ridout High water IBIs significantly correlated with disturbance (p < 0.0001) Low water IBI not significantly correlated with disturbance (p = 0.20), therefore no further analysis completed. High Water (500m/1km) Low Water (20km) RichnessAbundanceRichnessAbundance Water Foragers Obligate Sens. Water Foragers Obligate Sens. Bitterns Terns Water ForagersAerial Foragers Obligate Sens. Terns

17. Wetland Scores – Marsh Birds High Water Levels © Steve Timmermans Power analysis: minimum detectible difference between IBI means = 18.5