To examine the relationship of environmental conditions and their effect on Whooping crane (Grus americana) nest site selection; wetland soils, plant community structure and surface water quality were analyzed throughout nineteen established nest sites and twenty non-nesting wetland sites. Due to past fire management throughout the refuge, the effects of fire history were also investigated by comparing burned (n=17) and un-burned (n=22) areas.
A multi-dimensional scaling analysis did not detect significant differences in plant community structure between nest and non-nesting sites, but did find a significant difference with respect to time since last burn. Soil parameters were not significant during the course of the study. Soluble reactive phosphorus, and pH of surface water were statistically different between nest and non-nest sites, but only during one year of the study.
Whooping crane nest site selection was apparently not determined by the plant community, surface water quality, or soil composition.
","abstract_html":"<p>To examine the relationship of environmental conditions and their effect on Whooping crane (<em>Grus americana</em>) nest site selection; wetland soils, plant community structure and surface water quality were analyzed throughout nineteen established nest sites and twenty non-nesting wetland sites. Due to past fire management throughout the refuge, the effects of fire history were also investigated by comparing burned (n=17) and un-burned (n=22) areas.</p> <p>A multi-dimensional scaling analysis did not detect significant differences in plant community structure between nest and non-nesting sites, but did find a significant difference with respect to time since last burn. Soil parameters were not significant during the course of the study. Soluble reactive phosphorus, and pH of surface water were statistically different between nest and non-nest sites, but only during one year of the study.</p> <p>Whooping crane nest site selection was apparently not determined by the plant community, surface water quality, or soil composition.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Bahleda, Kristin Marie"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Open Access Thesis","degree_discipline":"Biology","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Steven N. Francoeur, Ph.D., Chair","Kristin E. Judd, Ph.D.","Katherine R. Greenwald, Ph.D."],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2014,"date_issued":"2014-11-14T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2014-11-14T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:16:57Z","subjects":["soils composition","water analysis","whooping crane","Biology"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://commons.emich.edu/theses/608","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Steven N. Francoeur, Ph.D., Chair","Kristin E. Judd, Ph.D.","Katherine R. Greenwald, Ph.D."]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Bahleda, Kristin Marie"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2015-07-22T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Biology"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Open Access Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["soils composition","water analysis","whooping crane","Biology"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://commons.emich.edu/theses/608"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["To examine the relationship of environmental conditions and their effect on Whooping crane (Grus americana) nest site selection; wetland soils, plant community structure and surface water quality were analyzed throughout nineteen established nest sites and twenty non-nesting wetland sites. Due to past fire management throughout the refuge, the effects of fire history were also investigated by comparing burned (n=17) and un-burned (n=22) areas.
A multi-dimensional scaling analysis did not detect significant differences in plant community structure between nest and non-nesting sites, but did find a significant difference with respect to time since last burn. Soil parameters were not significant during the course of the study. Soluble reactive phosphorus, and pH of surface water were statistically different between nest and non-nest sites, but only during one year of the study.
Whooping crane nest site selection was apparently not determined by the plant community, surface water quality, or soil composition.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Do wetland characteristics, specifically plant communities, surface water, and soils play a significant role in whooping crane (grus americana) site selection?"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Steven N. Francoeur, Ph.D., Chair","Kristin E. Judd, Ph.D.","Katherine R. Greenwald, Ph.D."],"dc:creator":["Bahleda, Kristin Marie"],"dc:date.available":["2015-07-22T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["To examine the relationship of environmental conditions and their effect on Whooping crane (Grus americana) nest site selection; wetland soils, plant community structure and surface water quality were analyzed throughout nineteen established nest sites and twenty non-nesting wetland sites. Due to past fire management throughout the refuge, the effects of fire history were also investigated by comparing burned (n=17) and un-burned (n=22) areas.
A multi-dimensional scaling analysis did not detect significant differences in plant community structure between nest and non-nesting sites, but did find a significant difference with respect to time since last burn. Soil parameters were not significant during the course of the study. Soluble reactive phosphorus, and pH of surface water were statistically different between nest and non-nest sites, but only during one year of the study.
Whooping crane nest site selection was apparently not determined by the plant community, surface water quality, or soil composition.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://commons.emich.edu/theses/608"],"dc:subject":["soils composition","water analysis","whooping crane","Biology"],"dc:title":["Do wetland characteristics, specifically plant communities, surface water, and soils play a significant role in whooping crane (grus americana) site selection?"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Biology"],"thesis:degree_level":["Open Access Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:16:57Z"}