A Comparison of Avian Communities in Managed Early Successional Edge Habitat and Residential Edge Habitat in the Middle Patuxent Environmental Area

Abstract

The Middle Patuxent Environmental Area (MPEA) is currently managed to maintain a variety of habitat types to support maximum biodiversity. The purpose of this project was to determine if the managed early successional habitat is effective in providing increased biodiversity for the avian community within the MPEA. Audio surveys were conducted in managed edge and residential edge habitats and the species presence/absence data were analyzed using generalized linear models to determine whether the community composition differs between the two edge habitats. Ten of the 18 most common species showed significant differences (p<0.05). Simple vegetation surveys were also conducted to further describe the two edge habitat types; differences in bird community composition may be due to vegetation differences, as managed edges were found to have denser understory (p<0.05). Surveys of other taxonomic groups, as well as a continuation of avian surveys in the future, are recommended.