Coastal wetlands along the gulf of america (hereafter gulf) provide vital habitat for early life stages of commercially important shrimp fisheries, absorb storm surge during tropical storms and…

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded a Cooperative Agreement of $1,029,209 to the University of Illinois on April 1, 2026, under the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Science, Observation, Monitoring, and Technology program (CFDA 11.451) to identify prescribed fire practices that support breeding mottled duck and black rail populations in coastal high marshes and determine how microtopography affects vegetation and bird occupancy in response to fire management. The research addresses management uncertainty arising from concerns that mottled ducks and Eastern black rails may require different fire regimes in the Gulf's high marsh habitats, which are threatened and fire-dependent ecosystems that provide critical refugia for wildlife and commercially important shrimp fisheries. The project uses an adaptive resource management process informed by end-user concerns and will examine the timing of non-growing-season fire as the primary driver of management outcomes and the role of small topographic variations in creating heterogeneous burns and post-fire vegetation diversity. Work is performed in Champaign, Illinois, with a period of performance extending through March 31, 2031. The University of Illinois passes funding through sub-awards to Texas A&M University, the Houston Audubon Society, the National Audubon Society, Tall Timbers Research, Inc., and Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, all of which deliver field-level research, bird monitoring, habitat assessment, and prescribed fire management support across Gulf coastal wetlands under the FIREBIRD project framework.

Coastal wetlands along the gulf of america (hereafter gulf) provide vital habitat for early life stages of commercially important shrimp fisheries, absorb storm surge during tropical storms and hurricanesreducing property damage and harm to humansand provide habitat to a wide suite of wildlife, including many hunted species. To ensure coastal wetlands remain robust and healthy, we must deliver science-based management to decision makers. Gulf wetlands include multiple classes, including high marsh, which is less frequently tidally inundated. High marsh is under threat, caught in the pinch between low marsh and upland habitats. Prescribed fire is one tool used to manage high marsh habitats, though the literature is mixed on how frequently fire should be applied (1-2 years to 12+). The firebird team has, under previous restore science funding, increased understanding of prescribed fire to benefit wetlanddependent birds of conservation concern. The firebird project originated from end users' concerns about possible management conflict when creating suitable habitat for mottled duck (anas fulvigula) and eastern black rail (laterallus jamaicensis jamaicensis), which might require different fire practices. The firebird team addressed this management uncertainty through CO-production and adaptive management, identifying time since last non-growing season fire as most impactful to decision making. The second-highest priority was understanding the role of small changes in wetland topography in creating more heterogeneous burns. These variations could create refugia for birds present during fire and promote greater post-fire vegetation diversity. The proposed work has two objectives, (1) identify prescribed fire practices that support breeding mottled duck and black rail populations through an adaptive resource management process. (2) determine the impact of microtopography on high marsh vegetation and black rail and mottled duck occupancy and the interactions of fire and marsh microtopography. Bird and vegetation surveys will continue across existing study sites in texas, louisiana, and florida from 2026 to 2029. High-resolution lidar will be used at selected sites to measure pre- and post-burn microtopography and test its influence on fire outcomes and species responses. Results will be integrated into an updated bayesian decision network to support scenario-based decision-making for fire practitioners. Together, this work will reduce key uncertainties and improve prescribed fire guidance for high marsh systems, supporting conservation and resilience of coastal wetlands and their dependent wildlife.