2008 Federal Duck Stamp Contest Phone: 573-222-3589 |
The Mingo Basin has been identified as a critical migration and wintering habitat for waterfowl by the Lower Mississippi Valley Habitat Joint Venture of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, critical habitat for many neotropical migrant birds of concern by Partners in Flight and the North American Bird Conservation Initiative, an imperiled ecosystem land type by the Missouri Natural Areas Committee, and critical remnant habitat for many federal, and state-listed endangered, threatened, and declining plant and animal species.
The Mingo Basin falls at a cross roads of the Ozark Plateau Ecosystem and Lower Mississippi River Ecosystem. The forested wetlands found across the Mingo Basin are characteristic of the Lower Mississippi River Ecosystem while the upland forests found along the bluffs are characteristic of the Ozark Plateau Ecosystem. The extent and duration of seasonal flooding fluctuates annually recharging aquatic systems and creating diversity of dynamic habitats the support a vast array of fish and wildlife adapted to the swamp and upland bluff conditions.
The vegetative communities expand from deep cypress and tupelo swamps to xeric ridges of the driest and most exposed forest communities of the bluff tops and upper slopes such as black oak, post oak, white oak, and black hickory.
A total of 279 resident and migratory bird species use the Refuge habitats each year. Hooded Mergansers and Wood Ducks are resident breeders on the Refuge. Bald Eagles, Least Bitterns, and Mourning Doves are among the 108 bird species that regularly breed on the Refuge.
A total of 38 mammal species are found within the Refuge. White-tailed deer are abundant at population density of up to 35 per square mile. There is a wide diversity of small mammals. The Refuge is one of the few places in Missouri where swamp rabbit is known to occur.
Amphibians and reptiles are abundant on the Refuge with more than 30 species of frogs, toads, salamanders, and snakes including the venomous western cottonmouth, southern copperhead, and timber rattlesnake. Many of these species hibernate within the cracks and crevices of the bluffs along the perimeter of the Refuge. In addition, rare species such as the amphiuma and lesser siren are locally abundant in the Mingo Basin.
At least 46 species including channel catfish, white crappie, spotted bass, green sunfish are known to occur in the ponds and ditches. The Mingo Basin contains fish species particularly adapted to low oxygen conditions of the swamp including various gar species, bowfin, fliers, dollar sunfish, bantam sunfish, banded pygmy sunfish, willow cat, and cypress darters.
Fisheries management on the Refuge includes conducting aquatic resource surveys, monitoring and tracking recently reintroduced alligator gar, creel surveys, stocking, placement of fisheries enhancement structures, providing deep water habitat, and improving fish passage by removing fish barriers to migration. All activities assist in maintaining a balanced, self-sustaining aquatic fisheries.
Wildlife management on the Refuge includes a wide variety of activities. Mortality to reptile and amphibian populations are mitigated through road closures as appropriate. Contaminants, water quality, and air quality is monitored on the Refuge to determine wildlife population health and vitality.
Vernal pool habitat for the breeding of amphibians is enhanced whenever possible. Exotic and invasive species such as nutria and feral hogs are controlled and removed.
Hunting programs are managed to maintain healthy populations. Wood duck production is monitored and individuals are banded to ensure healthy and self-sustaining populations. Flooded impoundments are regularly maintained to provide habitat for all migratory bird species and many resident species of wildlife. Rockhouse and Monopoly Marshes are periodically drawn down to expose edges for the production of emergent and submergent vegetation and solidify sediments within the basins. Grasslands are prescribed burned to promote grass and forb production and controlling invasive species. Flooding regimes in the bottomland forests are properly implemented to keep the forest healthy and productive. Silt is removed from 34 miles of ditches to ensure deep water habitat and water control throughout the Mingo Basin .
Fish and wildlife management throughout the Refuge focuses on keeping habitat healthy. Healthy habitat with functioning processes meets a wide suite of species needs.
