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Historical and Contemporary Characteristics of Illinois River Valley Wetlands The Illinois River Valley (IRV) provides critical habitat for migrating waterbirds and other wetland dependent wildlife. Unfortunately, this river system has suffered significant alterations during the 20th century. In recent years, numerous reclamation and restoration projects have been initiated to return structure and function of the Illinois River floodplain to some former state. However a return to previous conditions is difficult without detailed historical data. Recently, staff of the INHS Forbes Biological Station discovered over 120 detailed maps of IRV wetlands, drawn by hand by Dr. Frank C. Bellrose and others during 1938-1959. We will create a spatial database of these maps that will be used to assess and quantify vegetational and hydrologic changes in wetland conditions over the mapping period and re-visit many of these wetlands and map current conditions using modern techniques. Analyses of this historical database will provide significant guidance in evaluating restoration success of floodplain wetlands in the IRV and other large river systems in the upper Midwest. |
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Estimation of Moist-soil Plant Seed Abundance for Waterfowl on Public Lands in Illinois Moist-soil management is employed throughout the U.S. to provide managed habitats for waterfowl and other waterbirds that are rich in food resources. Because much of Illinois contains critical habitat for migrating waterfowl, it is not surprising that moist-soil management is a common waterfowl management practice in the state. Many Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) sites practice moist-soil management, yet their combined contribution to foraging carrying capacity for waterfowl is not known. This study was designed to estimate moist-soil plant seed abundance and generally evaluate quality of moist-soil habitats on public lands in Illinois. Using the seed abundance estimates, we will estimate foraging carrying capacity for waterfowl in duck-use days, defined as the number of days an area of land could support a mallard-sized duck. Results of these analyses will be used to guide resource management at local and regional scales.
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