Wells Reserve Ecology

The basic information below introduces aspects of the Wells Reserve's natural history. While detail will be added over time, the best understanding of ecology comes through on-site study. Come to the Wells Reserve at Laudholm Farm and take advantage of our education programs.

The Wells Reserve has also produced a useful resource guide titled What is Ecology? An Introduction to Ecology through Estuaries.

Overview

Gulf of Maine waters infiltrate the Webhannet and Little rivers, wending behind barrier beaches to form broad estuaries. The salt marshes in these estuaries dominate the Wells Reserve; about 1200 of the Reserve's 1600 acres are salt marsh. The Reserve's uplands, sloping gently from sea level, support maritime forest, brushland, and grassland. A rich flora and fauna dwell in this diverse landscape.

Salt Marsh

Washed by tides, the salt marsh is a demanding and vigorous environment to which few animals and plants have adapted. Spartina grasses are efficient energy users and thrive here. Dominating the low marsh, and bathed twice a day by the tides is the salt extracting cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora). Salt hay (Spartina patens) flourishes in the high marsh where tides reach only twice monthly.

Some grasses are consumed by wildlife and insects, but most decompose and are washed into nearby estuaries where they nourish creatures that live there. Fertilized and cultivated by the tides, the marsh is a highly productive ecosystem producing nearly ten tons of organic matter per acre -- more than the richest agricultural land.

Upland Fields and Forests

Many creatures that feed in the marsh live in the uplands. Old farm fields transforming to woodland provide food and shelter for diverse wildlife. The forest reaches to the edge of the salt marsh where its advance is halted by briny water.

Fields and forests of the Wells Reserve fall into four major categories: mowed fields, old fields, oak-pine forest, and mixed second-growth forest.

Marine Invertebrates

Wells Reserve estuaries are important breeding areas for many intertidal and subtidal invertebrates. Examples include softshell clams, green crabs (introduced invasive), and sandworms. Benthic and intertidal areas support a number of marine invertebrates and the water column supports zooplankton.

Insects

Although poorly documented, a diverse insect assemblage occurs in the Wells Reserve's varied habitats.

Fish and Shellfish

Fifty-five fish species from 30 families have been found during surveys done between 1989 and 2001 in the Little River, Webhannet River, Merriland River, Branch Brook, and Wells Bay. The most common of these have been the American eel, alewife, common mummichog, Atlantic silverside, and three sticklebacks (fourspine, threespine, and ninespine). A complete fish checklist is available at the Reserve or can be downloaded (765kb PDF).

Mammals

Harbor seals are the only marine mammal to have been recorded at the Wells Reserve. Terrestrial mammals observed at the Wells Reserve include bats, squirrels, mice, muskrat, rabbits, porcupine, coyote, fox, raccoon, otter, and deer. Rare species found here include the New England cottontail.

Birds

At least 235 bird species have occurred at the Wells Reserve since record-keeping began in the 1980s. Waders, shorebirds, seabirds, raptors, and songbirds are all well represented. Piping plover and least tern both nest at Laudholm Beach. The Wells Reserve is consistently voted "Best Birdwatching" in the annual York County Coast Star readers' poll.

To learn more about particular species, read on-line Watermark articles: American woodcock, . . . more are on the way. You may also download a complete list of birds that have occurred at the Wells Reserve, last updated in June 2005 (45kb PDF).

Amphibians and Reptiles

Turtles, snakes, salamanders, toads, and frogs all occur, some of them abundantly, on the Wells Reserve.