avian community characteristics of constructed treatment wetlands of South Florida

This study compared the avian communities of treatment wetlands in South Florida called Stormwater Treatment Wetlands (STAs) to those in natural marshes and crop lands, and examined factors that influenced the size and structure of the avian communities within the STAs. The STAs contained a more abundant, rich and distinct avian community compared to reference land types. The STAs were dominated by wintering waterfowl, and therefore community patterns fluctuated more seasonally other land types. Within the STAs, density and richness in the fall and winter were much greater in the submerged aquatic vegetation than in the mixed emergent vegetation when waterfowl were present. The STAs maintain two vegetation treatments which enhanced their biodiversity value by supporting distinct avian communities with different migratory strategies This suggests the increase in treatment wetlands could partially offset the loss of natural wetlands, but avian communities in treatment wetlands are not surrogates for natural wetlands.