NEAFWA 2018

AUTHORS: John A. Litvaitis, Bellamy Wildlife Investigations; Catherine Callahan, New Hampshire Fish and Game Department; Randy Shoe, University of New Hampshire; Donald Keirstead, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service; Michael N. Marchand, New Hampshire Fish and Game Department

ABSTRACT: Although sand and gravel mines (SGMs) occupy a small area in the northeastern United States, they are characterized by features (e.g., exposed sandy soils, high ground temperatures, rugged topography, slow-growing shrubs and trees, and rock piles) that are important to a number of at-risk species that are affiliated with shrublands and young forests. To evaluate the potential of SGMs as habitat, we examined the association of snakes, turtles, shrubland birds, and pollinators with SGMs in New Hampshire where these sites represent only 0.35% of the land area. Among snakes (Coluber constrictor and Heterodon platirhinos) and turtles (Emydoidea blandingii and Glyptemys insculpta), 11% of the independent observations recorded by the New Hampshire Natural Heritage Bureau occurred within 500 m of a SGM. During the nesting season, the presence of 8 shrubland birds was determined in a large sample of clearcuts, old fields, and SGMs. Four species (Toxostoma rufum, Spizella pusilla, Passerina cyanea, and Setophaga discolor) were most frequently detected in SGMs. Bee abundance and richness (based on captures in soapy water-filled bowls) also were greater in sampled SGMs than in clearcuts or old fields. Using innovative techniques to reclaim a SMG in southeastern New Hampshire, we found extensive use of the site by a variety of species. Based on our findings, we recommend that efforts to manage depleted SMGs in the Northeast consider the potential that these sites offer in addressing habitat needs for regional at-risk taxa.