Late winter dabbling duck use of experimentally manipulated saltmarsh bulrush (Scirpus robustus) was evaluated in managed brackish wetlands in the Santee River Delta, South Carolina, during 3-21 February 1989. Three 1-ha plots were established in each of 3 treatments: saltmarsh bulrush that was dewatered, burned, and reflooded (burned, flooded bulrush [BFB]); saltmarsh bulrush that was dewatered and then reflooded (unburned, flooded bulrush [UFB]); and low stemdensity saltmarsh bulrush that was flooded throughout winter (winter-flooded bulrush [WFB]). Species and numbers of dabbling ducks using treatments were identified and counted. Densities of dabbling ducks using BFB (x¯ = 100 ± 25.60 [SE], N = 12) and WFB (x¯ = 65 ± 8.28, N = 12) were similar (P > 0.05); densities of dabbling ducks using UFB (x¯ = 5 ± 1.82, N = 12) were significantly lower (P < 0.05) than for the other treatments. Dabbling ducks species richness (N = 8) in BFB and WFB was equal, whereas UFB attracted only 3 species. Northern pintails (Anas acuta) were most abundant and dominated counts of WFB and BFB on most days, comprising 64% and 75% of the ducks counted, respectively. Mallards (A. platyrhynchos) and black ducks (A. rubripes) were the most numerous species using UFB and constituted 96% of the ducks counted. Burning created openings in dense saltmarsh bulrush that typically received low use by waterfowl. Thus, a previously little-used habitat was converted into 1 used readily by dabbling ducks.
