Consumers 



Consumers in palustrine systems of coastal Maine include invertebrate 

 (appendix B) and vertebrate species (appendix C). The diversity of inverte- 

 brates inhabiting palustrine areas is considerable and varies greatly between 

 different palustrine classes. Reinecke (1977) characterized the invertebrates 

 of beaver ponds in central (noncoastal) Maine (appendix B) . Similar inverte- 

 brate composition is expected in palustrine open water habitats in coastal 

 Maine. In peat bogs the abundance and diversity of invertebrate organisms are 

 much less than in a marsh wetland habitat. 



Invertebrates in palustrine systems are especially important links in fish and 

 wildlife food chains. The larvae of insects are a highly nutritious food 

 source necessary for the successful reproduction and growth of vertebrates, 

 including fish and waterfowl. The migrational behavior of certain bird spe- 

 cies (e.g., swallows) can be viewed as a response to the seasonal availability 

 of invertebrates. 



Palustrine wetlands support a diversity of vertebrate species including 

 reptiles, amphibians, fish, mammals, and birds. Appendix C summarizes the 

 requirements of wetland vertebrates. 



Palustrine wetlands support a greater number and diversity of reptile and am- 

 phibian species than any other wetland system in coastal Maine (see chapter 

 18, "Reptiles and Amphibians"). These species support food chains necessary 

 for the survival of other vertebrate species. Snapping turtles are present in 

 certain wetlands in coastal Maine where they may feed upon young waterfowl and 

 other waterbirds. 



Most of the fish inhabiting areas of palustrine open water (ponds) are warm- 

 water species such as pickerel, bass, sunfish, perch, and minnows (see chapter 

 11, "Fishes"). Brook trout inhabit cold, spring-fed palustrine open water 

 systems as well as some palustrine systems created by beaver. 



Palustrine wetlands are among the most important habitat types for mammals 

 (see chapter 17, "Terrestrial Mammals"). Several species utilize palustrine 

 wetland for feeding areas, breeding areas, and/or shelter (i.e., muskrats, 

 raccoon, deer, moose, red fox, mink, otter, black bear, and beaver). Wetlands 

 supply all the requirements of muskrats. Forested wetlands provide important 

 winter habitat for deer. Beavers impound streams, thereby creating palustrine 

 habitats. An estimated 1000 active beaver flowages exist in the wildlife 

 management units that enclose the characterization area (Hunt and Boettger 

 1975). 



A wide diversity of birds frequent wetlands for breeding and/or feeding during 

 nesting and migratory periods. Palustrine wetlands support waterbirds and 

 waterfowl as well as terrestrial birds (see chapters 14, 15 and 16). 

 Approximately 100 species of birds breed in palustrine wetlands, many of them 

 exclusively (e.g., ring-necked duck, common snipe, marsh wrens, and marsh 

 hawks; appendix C). The black duck, the most important waterfowl species in 

 Maine in terms of sport, breeds in palustrine wetlands. Densities of one pair 

 of black duck per 20 acres (8 ha) are common in scrub/shrub emergent wetlands 

 of Maine (Coulter and Miller 1968). Densities of other species have not been 

 investigated. The palustrine avifauna is migratory. Peak densities of birds 



8-25 



10-80 



