Preliminary effects of Marcellus shale drilling on Louisiana Waterthrush in West Virginia Page 1 of 1 Doug Becker and James Sheehan, WV Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, West Virginia Univ., Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
Petra Bohall Wood, U.S. Geological Survey, WV Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, West Virginia Univ., Morgantown, WV 26506, USA
Harry Edenborn, National Energy Technology Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Pittsburgh, PA 15236, USA. Spurred by technological advances and high energy prices, extraction of natural gas from Marcellus shale is increasing in the Appalachian Region. Because little is known about effects on wildlife populations, we studied immediate impacts of oil and gas CO&G) extraction on demographics and relative abundance of Louisiana Waterthrush'CLOWA), a riparian obligate species, to establish a baseline for potential future changes. Annually in 2008-2010, we conducted point counts, monitored Mayfield nesting success, spotted-mapped territories, and measured habitat quality using the EPA Rapid Bioassessment protocol for high gradient streams and a LOWA Habitat Suitability Index CHSI) on a 4,100 ha study area in northern West Virginia. On 11 streams, the stream length affected by O&G activities was 0-58%. Relative abundance, territory denSity, and nest success varied annually but were not significantly different across years. Success did not differ between impacted and unimpacted nests, but territory density had minimal correlation with percent of stream impacted by O&G activities. Impacted nests had lower HSI values in 2010 and lower EPA indices in 2009. High site fidelity could mask the immediate impacts of habitat disturbance from drilling as we measured return rates of 57%. All returning individuals were on the same stream they were banded and 88% were within 250 m of their territory from the previous year. We also observed a spatial shift in LOWA territories, perhaps in response to drilling activities. Preliminary results identified few differences at low habitat disturbance levels but highlight the need for continued monitoring with increasing disturbance. file :