Matthew C. Perry, Ph.D. (Former Employee)

The wetlands of Chesapeake Bay have provided the vital habitats that have sustained the impressive wildlife populations that have brought international fame to the Bay. As these wetland habitats decrease in quantity and quality we will continue to see the decline in the wildlife populations that started when European settlers first came to this continent. These declines have accelerated

Intensive research on six constructed forested wetlands in Central Maryland was conducted in 1993-1996 to determine success of these habitats as functional forested wetlands for wildlife. Areas studied ranged in size from 2 to 35 acres and were constructed by private companies under contract with three mitigation agencies. Adjacent natural forested wetlands were used as reference sites...

From 19391966, approximately 450 acres of impoundments were created for recreational and wildlife conservation purposes at Patuxent Research Refuge. Impoundments were of three major designs: impounded ravines, excavated basins, and impounded swamps. Over 50 species of wetland plants were transplanted to impoundments of Patuxent to determine best species for relatively infertile waters...

Management techniques used to control vegetation along a new 8.5 km- (5.3 mile) long powerline right-of-way located at Patuxent Research Refuge are being evaluated to identify changes in habitat that affect wildlife. Techniques include: complete mow, strip mow, low volume foliar spray, selective basal spray, and tree topping. One hundred and one bird species were recorded during line...

During 1993-94 and 1994-95, the amount of watershield (Brasenia schreberi) in selected Maryland wetlands was determined to see if a relationship existed between the amount of watershield on a wetland and the number of ring-necked ducks (Aythya collaris) observed on that wetland. Data were collected for two years from eight different wetlands on the Patuxent Research Refuge in Laurel...

Changes in vegetation were studied on 15 acres of a 35 acre forested wetland created as a mitigation site in Anne Arundel County, Maryland during 1994-96. Meter-square sampling on four different hydrologic elevations determined that grasses initially dominated the area, but decreased from 59 percent in 1994 to 51 percent in 1995 and 30 percent in 1996. Herbaceous non-grass plants (forbs)