Marsh Ecology Research Program (MERP): Nest Count data (1980-1989)

The Marsh Ecology Research Program (MERP) was a long-term interdisciplinary study on the ecology of prairie wetlands. A scientific team from a variety of disciplines (hydrology, plant ecology, invertebrate ecology, vertebrate ecology, nutrient dynamics, marsh management) was assembled to design and oversee a long-term experiment on the effects of water-level manipulation on northern prairie wetlands. Ten years of fieldwork (1980 -1989), combining a routine long-term monitoring program and a series of short-term studies, generated a wealth of new and diverse information on the ecology and function of prairie wetlands (Murkin, Batt, Caldwell, Kadlec and van der Valk, 2000). This dataset, part of the long-term monitoring of vertebrates, includes nest count data for the MERP cells.
The MERP experiment provided an unprecedented opportunity to examine the effects of a wide range of environmental factors on the avian distribution, abundance and use of the cells during the experimental wet-dry cycle. A wide variety of birds use wetland habitats for all or part of their life cycles (Weller, 1981). The abundant food supplies and the normally heterogeneous nature of the habitats play roles in the high avian use and productivity in these environments. Invertebrate food resources have been shown to be an important factor in determining waterfowl and blackbird use of prairie wetlands, particularly during the breeding season (Murkin, 1979, Murkin et al., 1982, Murkin and Kadlec, 1986, Murkin and Batt, 1987). Habitat structure, especially cover-water ratios, have also been shown to influence avian use of these habitats (Weller and Spatcher, 1963, Weller and Fredrickson, 1974, Kaminski and Prince, 1981, Murkin et al., 1982). The primary objective of the avian monitoring was to relate the avian use of the experimental cells to the changes in emergent vegetation during the various stages of the simulated wet-dry cycle (Murkin et al., 1997). Avian use was determined by a weekly census, as well as nest counts, of the experimental cells.The primary objective of the avian monitoring was to relate the avian use of the experimental cells to the changes in emergent vegetation during the various stages of the simulated wet-dry cycle.

For further information on the Marsh Ecology Research Program (MERP), please visit: http://www.ducks.ca/conserve/research/projects/merp/index.html

References:
Kaminski, R.M. and H.H. Prince. 1981. Dabbling duck and macroinvertebrate responses to manipulated wetland habitats. J. Wildl. Manage. 45: 1-15.
Murkin, H.R. 1979. Responses by waterfowl and blackbirds to an experimentally manipulated cattail marsh. M.S. Thesis, McGill Univ., Montreal, PQ. 97pp.
Murkin, H.R., R.M. Kaminski and R.D. Titman. 1982. Responses by dabbling ducks and aquatic invertebrates to an experimentally manipulated cattail marsh. Can. J. Zool. 60: 2324-2332.
Murkin, H.R. and J.A. Kadlec. 1986. Relationships between waterfowl and macroinvertebrate densities in a northern prairie marsh. J. Wildl. Manage. 50: 212-217.
Murkin, H.R. and B.D.J. Batt. 1987. The interactions of vertebrates and invertebrates in peatlands and marshes. Mem. Entomol. Soc. Can. 140: 15-30.
Murkin, H.R., E.J. Murkin and J.P. Ball. 1997. Avian habitat selection and prairie wetland dynamics: A 10-year experiment. Ecological Applications 7(4): 1144-1159.
Murkin, H.R., B.D.J. Batt, P.J. Caldwell, J.A. Kadlec and A.G. van der Valk. 2000a. Introduction to the Marsh Ecology Research Program. In Prairie Wetland Ecology: The Contribution of the Marsh Ecology Research Program. (Eds) H.R. Murkin, A.G. van der Valk and W.R. Clark. pp. 3-15. Ames: Iowa State University Press.
Weller, M.W. 1981. Freshwater marshes: ecology and wildlife management. Univ. Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, MN. 146 pp.
Weller, M.W. and C.E. Spatcher. 1965. Role of habitat in the distribution and abundance of marsh birds. Spec. Rep. Iowa Agric. Home Econ. Exp. Stn. 43:1-31.
Weller, M.W. and L.H. Fredrickson. 1974. Avian ecology of a manged glacial marsh. The Living Bird 12: 269-291.

Resulting publications on MERP bird data
Murkin, H.R., E.J. Murkin and J.P. Ball. 1997. Avian habitat selection and prairie wetland dynamics: A 10-year experiment. Ecological Applications 7(4): 1144-1159.
Murkin, H.R. and P.J. Caldwell. 2000. Avian use of prairie wetlands. In Prairie Wetland Ecology: The Contribution of the Marsh Ecology Research Program. (Eds.) H.R. Murkin, A.G. van der Valk, and W.R. Clark, pp. 37-54. Iowa: Iowa State University Press.

Supporting literature on MERP bird data
Murkin, H.R., R.M. Kaminski and R.D. Titman. 1982. Responses by dabbling ducks and aquatic invertebrates to an experimentally manipulated cattail marsh. Can. J. Zool. 60: 2324-2332.
Murkin, H.R. and J.A. Kadlec. 1986. Relationships between waterfowl and macroinvertebrate densities in a northern prairie marsh. J. Wildl. Manage. 50: 212-217.
Murkin, H.R. and B.D.J. Batt. 1987. The interactions of vertebrates and invertebrates in peatlands and marshes. Mem. Entomol. Soc. Can. 140: 15-30.
Murkin, H.R., R.M. Kaminski and R.D. Titman. 1989. Responses by nesting red-winged blackbirds to manipulated cattail habitat. In: Freshwater Wetlands and Wildlife. (Eds.) R.R. Sharitz and J.W. Gibbons, pp. 673-680. USDOE Symposium Series 61, Oak Ridge: USDOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information.
Peterson, L.P., H.R. Murkin and D.A. Wrubleski. 1989. Waterfowl predation on benthic macroinvertebrates during fall drawdown of a northern prairie marsh. In: Freshwater Wetlands and Wildlife. (Eds.) R.R. Sharitz and J.W. Gibbons, pp. 681-689. USDOE Symposium Series 61, Oak Ridge: USDOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information.
Wrubleski, D.A. 1989. The effect of waterfowl feeding activity on a chironomid (Diptera: Chironomidae) community. In: Freshwater Wetlands and Wildlife. (Eds.) R.R. Sharitz and J.W. Gibbons, pp. 681-689. USDOE Symposium Series 61, Oak Ridge: USDOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information.