Freshwater wetlands are unified primarily by the fact that they are all nontidal freshwater systems dominated by grasses, sedges, and other freshwater plants. However, they differ in their geologic origins and their driving hydrologic forces, and they vary in size from small pothole marshes less than a hectare in size to the immense saw grass [...]
The term “forested swamp” usually refers to a wetlands system dominated by trees or other woody vegetation. A wide variety of such systems are found throughout the world. In temperate regions forested swamps can be dominated by trees that tolerate permanent to semipermanent flooding such as the bald cypress or swamp tupelo in the southern [...]
Grasslands are areas that are dominated by grasses and other herbaceous vegetation. Trees and large shrubs are largely absent. Seasonal drought, occasional fires and grazing by large mammals all prevent woody shrubs and trees from becoming established. A few trees such as cottonwoods, oaks and willows grow in river valleys, and a few hundred species [...]
Mangroves are an assemblage of tropical trees and shrubs that inhabit the coastal intertidal zone. A mangrove community is composed of plant species whose special adaptations allow them to survive the variable flooding and salinity stress conditions imposed by the coastal environment. Birds that live here: Reddish Egret, Mangrove Cuckoo, Black-whiskered Vireo, Yellow Warbler, Florida [...]
Mudflats and sand flats are important feeding grounds for wading birds such as sandpipers, oystercatchers, and plovers. In temperate climates such birds may remain year-round, but many hundreds of thousands of birds make seasonal migrations between high-latitude summer habitats and low-latitude wintering grounds. Large flocks rely on intertidal flats for feeding along the way. For [...]
Atlantic Flyway shorebird species have experienced declines of between 50 percent and 90 percent within the last three decades, an alarming trend that requires the continuation of current conservation actions and an immediate response for additional efforts. The Atlantic Flyway Shorebird Conservation Business Strategy is an unprecedented endeavor to implement conservation for shorebirds across the [...]
American Oystercatcher is a noticeable shorebird if you are lucky enough to see one along the Atlantic Coast. It’s a boldly colored bird that uses it’s bright orange beak to feed on oysters. Many can be found year-round in the mid and south Atlantic but when they migrate they travel to the Caribbean. ACJV staff [...]
Black Duck were once the most abundant species in eastern North America. Often mistaken for a female Mallard, their once hearty populations declined steeply between the 1950’s and mid-1980’s. Habitat loss and degradation along the Atlantic Coast, acid rain, and competition with introduced Mallards have been major concerns, though restrictions on hunting in the 1980s [...]
The Painted Bunting is like a flying rainbow. A fairly common finch in coastal and south-central U.S., their bright colors make them attractive for illegal trade in their wintering grounds of south Florida, the Caribbean and, Mexico. This illegal activity puts tremendous pressure on their population. A recent rangewide survey of this bunting indicates that [...]
The Prothonotary Warbler is a beautiful sight with it’s yellow-orange head and breast and gray wings. It’s found in southern-wooded swamps and winters in Central and South America. ACJV staff and partners work to protect large tracts of forested wetlands in the Southeastern US, e.g., through the North American Wetland Conservation Act (NAWCA) Grants Program. [...]