1
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Weegman MD, Devries JH, Clark RG, Howerter DW, Gibson D, Donnelly JP, Arnold TW. Ecological and anthropogenic drivers of waterfowl productivity are synchronous across species, space, and time. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2024; 34:e2979. [PMID: 38710618 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Knowledge of interspecific and spatiotemporal variation in demography-environment relationships is key for understanding the population dynamics of sympatric species and developing multispecies conservation strategies. We used hierarchical random-effects models to examine interspecific and spatial variation in annual productivity in six migratory ducks (i.e., American wigeon [Mareca americana], blue-winged teal [Spatula discors], gadwall [Mareca strepera], green-winged teal [Anas crecca], mallard [Anas platyrhynchos] and northern pintail [Anas acuta]) across six distinct ecostrata in the Prairie Pothole Region of North America. We tested whether breeding habitat conditions (seasonal pond counts, agricultural intensification, and grassland acreage) or cross-seasonal effects (indexed by flooded rice acreage in primary wintering areas) better explained variation in the proportion of juveniles captured during late summer banding. The proportion of juveniles (i.e., productivity) was highly variable within species and ecostrata throughout 1961-2019 and generally declined through time in blue-winged teal, gadwall, mallard, pintail, and wigeon, but there was no support for a trend in green-winged teal. Productivity in Canadian ecostrata declined with increasing agricultural intensification and increased with increasing pond counts. We also found a strong cross-seasonal effect, whereby more flooded rice hectares during winter resulted in higher subsequent productivity. Our results suggest highly consistent environmental and anthropogenic effects on waterfowl productivity across species and space. Our study advances our understanding of current year and cross-seasonal effects on duck productivity across a suite of species and at finer spatial scales, which could help managers better target working-lands conservation programs on both breeding and wintering areas. We encourage other researchers to evaluate environmental drivers of population dynamics among species in a single modeling framework for a deeper understanding of whether conservation plans should be generalized or customized given limited financial resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitch D Weegman
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - James H Devries
- Institute for Wetland and Waterfowl Research, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Stonewall, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Robert G Clark
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Prairie and Northern Wildlife Research Centre, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - David W Howerter
- Institute for Wetland and Waterfowl Research, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Stonewall, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Daniel Gibson
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - J Patrick Donnelly
- W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, USA
| | - Todd W Arnold
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
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2
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Maresh Nelson SB, Ribic CA, Niemuth ND, Bernath-Plaisted J, Zuckerberg B. Sensitivity of North American grassland birds to weather and climate variability. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024; 38:e14143. [PMID: 37424364 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Grassland birds in North America have declined sharply over the last 60 years, driven by the widespread loss and degradation of grassland habitats. Climate change is occurring more rapidly in grasslands relative to some other ecosystems, and exposure to extreme and novel climate conditions may affect grassland bird ecology and demographics. To determine the potential effects of weather and climate variability on grassland birds, we conducted a systematic review of relationships between temperature and precipitation and demographic responses in grassland bird species of North America. Based on 124 independent studies, we used a vote-counting approach to quantify the frequency and direction of significant effects of weather and climate variability on grassland birds. Grassland birds tended to experience positive and negative effects of higher temperatures and altered precipitation. Moderate, sustained increases in mean temperature and precipitation benefitted some species, but extreme heat, drought, and heavy rainfall often reduced abundance and nest success. These patterns varied among climate regions, temporal scales of temperature and precipitation (<1 or ≥1 month), and taxa. The sensitivity of grassland bird populations to extreme weather and altered climate variability will likely be mediated by regional climates, interaction with other stressors, life-history strategies of various species, and species' tolerances for novel climate conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott B Maresh Nelson
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Christine A Ribic
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wisconsin Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Neal D Niemuth
- Habitat and Population Evaluation Team, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bismarck, North Dakota, USA
| | - Jacy Bernath-Plaisted
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Benjamin Zuckerberg
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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3
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Layton‐Matthews K, Reiertsen TK, Erikstad K, Anker‐Nilssen T, Daunt F, Wanless S, Barrett RT, Newell MA, Harris MP. Consequences of cross-season demographic correlations for population viability. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10312. [PMID: 37456077 PMCID: PMC10338798 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Demographic correlations are pervasive in wildlife populations and can represent important secondary drivers of population growth. Empirical evidence suggests that correlations are in general positive for long-lived species, but little is known about the degree of variation among spatially segregated populations of the same species in relation to environmental conditions. We assessed the relative importance of two cross-season correlations in survival and productivity, for three Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica) populations with contrasting population trajectories and non-overlapping year-round distributions. The two correlations reflected either a relationship between adult survival prior to breeding on productivity, or a relationship between productivity and adult survival the subsequent year. Demographic rates and their correlations were estimated with an integrated population model, and their respective contributions to variation in population growth were calculated using a transient-life table response experiment. For all three populations, demographic correlations were positive at both time lags, although their strength differed. Given the different year-round distributions of these populations, this variation in the strength population-level demographic correlations points to environmental conditions as an important driver of demographic variation through life-history constraints. Consequently, the contributions of variances and correlations in demographic rates to population growth rates differed among puffin populations, which has implications for-particularly small-populations' viability under environmental change as positive correlations tend to reduce the stochastic population growth rate.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kjell‐Einar Erikstad
- Norwegian Institute for Nature ResearchFRAM CentreTromsøNorway
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics CBDNorwegian University of Science and TechnologyTrondheimNorway
| | | | - Francis Daunt
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush EstatePenicuikUK
| | - Sarah Wanless
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush EstatePenicuikUK
| | | | - Mark A. Newell
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush EstatePenicuikUK
| | - Mike P. Harris
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush EstatePenicuikUK
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4
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Gao X, Liang Y, Zhu Y, Zhang K, Ding L, Zhang P, Zhu J. Habitat selection of wintering cranes in typical wetlands in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River over the past 20 years, China. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:58466-58479. [PMID: 36988809 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-26504-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The wetlands in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River are the main overwintering and perching places for cranes. To examine the habitat selection mechanism of cranes in this area, two natural wetland reserves, Shengjin Lake and Poyang Lake, which are the main habitats of typical cranes, were selected as the study area. Using 20 years of Landsat satellite image data (between 1999 and 2019), the vegetation cover index was calculated from a pixel dichotomy model, and the landscape pattern index was obtained through Fragstats. The entropy method was adopted to determine the weight of the landscape index, and then, the habitat suitability index was calculated. Combined with the number of typical crane populations in the reserve, the selection mechanism of overwintering habitat of cranes was revealed. On the change of land-use type, the crane habitat of Shengjin Lake transferred more to non-crane habitat, and other land types increased, resulting in the decrease of crane habitat area. However, the change of crane habitat in Poyang Lake Reserve was small, so it can accommodate more cranes to overwintering here. In terms of vegetation coverage, most of the vegetation cover areas of Shengjin Lake were woodland near or far from the lake, but the woodland was not the habitat of cranes. Most of the vegetation-covered areas of Poyang Lake are grassland near the lake, which provide rest and foraging places for cranes. In the landscape pattern, the number of landscape patches in Shengjin Lake was large, the degree of landscape fragmentation was higher than that in Poyang Lake, the landscape complexity was higher, and the landscape diversity was simpler. This is not conducive to the maintenance of crane habitat, but also reduces the attractiveness of overwintering cranes, while the landscape suitability of crane habitat in Poyang Lake was higher than that in Shengjin Lake, and cranes were more likely to choose Poyang Lake as their overwintering habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Gao
- School of Science, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China.
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Sensors, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China.
- Key Laboratory of JiangHuai Arable Land Resources Protection and Eco-restoration, Ministry of Natural Resources, Hefei, 230088, Anhui, China.
| | - Yiyin Liang
- School of Science, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Sensors, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China
| | - Yutian Zhu
- School of Science, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Sensors, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China
| | - Ke Zhang
- School of Science, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Sensors, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China
| | - Li Ding
- School of Science, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Sensors, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- School of Science, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Sensors, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China
| | - Jianqiao Zhu
- School of Science, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Sensors, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of China, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China
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5
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Zhao Q, Devries JH, Clark RG, Weegman MD. Causes and consequences of demography in continent-scale, full-annual-cycle population dynamics under global change. Glob Ecol Conserv 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2023.e02461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
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6
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Boros E, Inelova Z, Lánczos Z, Végvári Z. Waterbird guilds predict environmental attributes of inland saline aquatic ecosystems on multi-spatial scales. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 855:158845. [PMID: 36122722 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Inland saline waters in Central Asia constitute an important part of steppe ecosystems, providing considerable ecological functions and ecosystem services. Here we aim to present a multi-spatial scale analysis of nutrient cycling and transport waterbird guilds, and the environmental attributes of saline-soda aquatic ecosystems in Kazakhstan. The density, biomass, and diversity of waterbird guilds was determined in the case of three nutrient cycling and transport guilds: a) net-importer (IM), b) importer-exporter (IMEX), c) net-exporter (EX), according to the Boros's guild classification method, and for several traditional feeding guilds: carnivorous, herbivorous, invertebrate eater, omnivorous and piscivorous. Our results revealed that waterbird guilds, as predictors represented by the complete waterbird community, are in close relationship with several (N = 12) environmental attributes of inland saline waters through complex trophic linkages of waterbird populations on multi-spatial scales. The density and the biomass of the EX and IMEX guilds are strongly and positively correlated (i) with the productivity metrics of habitats (e.g., CHL, GPP), indicating their trophic position, and (ii) with water depth. We found significant correlations among guild density, biomass, diversity and environmental attributes on multi-spatial scales for IMEX and EX. Our results revealed that IMEX predicts the surrounding environment of aquatic habitats, whereas EX species are substantial environmental predictors of aquatic ecosystems. However, the diversity metric had valid models only with EX. The herbivorous and omnivorous guilds, that feed chiefly on plant materials consist mainly of IMEX and EX duck species, which were positively related to grassland coverage and the shoreline development index. As a methodological result, here we present a novel approach, the guild transport index, which has more robust relationships with environmental attributes than individual guilds, thus it provides a complex evaluation of the nutrient cycling by birds between aquatic and terrestrial environments on multi-spatial scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emil Boros
- Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Karolina str. 29, H-1113 Budapest, Hungary; Department of Biodiversity and Bioresources, al-Farabi Kazakh National University, 71 al-Farabi Ave., Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan.
| | - Zarina Inelova
- Department of Biodiversity and Bioresources, al-Farabi Kazakh National University, 71 al-Farabi Ave., Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan
| | - Zsuzsanna Lánczos
- Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Karolina str. 29, H-1113 Budapest, Hungary; Doctoral School of Biology, Institute of Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest 1117, Hungary
| | - Zsolt Végvári
- Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Centre for Ecological Research, Karolina str. 29, H-1113 Budapest, Hungary; Senckenberg Deutsches Entomologisches Institut, Eberswalder Straße 90, 15374 Müncheberg, Germany
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7
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Sinnott EA, Thompson FR, Weegman MD, Thompson TR, Mosloff AR, Hedges RK, Loncarich FL. Evaluation of seasonal site-level demography and management for northern bobwhite using integrated population models. Ecol Modell 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2022.110211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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8
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Goodridge Gaines LA, Henderson CJ, Mosman JD, Olds AD, Borland HP, Gilby BL. Seascape context matters more than habitat condition for fish assemblages in coastal ecosystems. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jesse D. Mosman
- School of Science, Technology and Engineering, Univ. of the Sunshine Coast Queensland Australia
| | - Andrew D. Olds
- School of Science, Technology and Engineering, Univ. of the Sunshine Coast Queensland Australia
| | - Hayden P. Borland
- School of Science, Technology and Engineering, Univ. of the Sunshine Coast Queensland Australia
| | - Ben L. Gilby
- School of Science, Technology and Engineering, Univ. of the Sunshine Coast Queensland Australia
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9
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Clements SJ, Zhao Q, Silk MJ, Hodgson DJ, Weegman MD. Modelling associations between animal social structure and demography. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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10
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Berzins L, Morrissey C, Howerter D, Clark RG. CONSERVING WETLANDS IN AGROECOSYSTEMS CAN SUSTAIN AERIAL INSECTIVORE PRODUCTIVITY AND SURVIVAL. CAN J ZOOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2021-0204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Agricultural intensification simplifies natural landscapes and frequently results in the loss of biodiversity. Wetlands are highly productive and may offset these losses, but the amount of wetland area needed to support declining avian species on farmland is unknown. Using an avian aerial insectivore, the Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor (Vieillot, 1808), we tested whether a gradient of pond area (visible surface water in wetland basins within 500 m of nest boxes; range: 0.2 - 30% pond area) at cropland and grassland sites was related to aquatic insect biomass, reproductive success, and adult female or nestling body condition. Aquatic insect biomass was ~2-8 times higher at the cropland site with intermediate (5.2%) pond area than at sites with the highest (15.6%) and lowest (0.2%) pond area. Swallow clutch initiation date was ~3-4 days earlier and nestling body condition and model-predicted first-year survival were ~10% higher among cropland sites with more pond area and were comparable to birds hatched at grassland sites. Loss of ponds due to agricultural drainage can reduce aquatic insect prey during the breeding season with apparent individual and demographic consequences for insectivorous birds. Overall, results suggest that where wetlands are conserved, intensive croplands may sustain Tree Swallow populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisha Berzins
- University of Saskatchewan, 7235, Biology, 115 Science Place, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, S7N 5E2
| | - Christy Morrissey
- University of Saskatchewan, Biology, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada,
| | - D.W. Howerter
- Institute for Wetland and Waterfowl Research, Stonewall, Manitoba, Canada,
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11
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Bortolotti LE, Emery RB, Armstrong LM, Howerter DW. Landscape composition, climate variability, and their interaction drive waterfowl nest survival in the Canadian Prairies. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lauren E. Bortolotti
- Institute for Wetland and Waterfowl Research Ducks Unlimited Canada Stonewall Manitoba Canada
| | - Robert B. Emery
- Institute for Wetland and Waterfowl Research Ducks Unlimited Canada Stonewall Manitoba Canada
| | - Llwellyn M. Armstrong
- Institute for Wetland and Waterfowl Research Ducks Unlimited Canada Stonewall Manitoba Canada
| | - David W. Howerter
- Institute for Wetland and Waterfowl Research Ducks Unlimited Canada Stonewall Manitoba Canada
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12
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Koons DN, Riecke TV, Boomer GS, Sedinger BS, Sedinger JS, Williams PJ, Arnold TW. A niche for null models in adaptive resource management. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8541. [PMID: 35127044 PMCID: PMC8794763 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
As global systems rapidly change, our collective ability to predict future ecological dynamics will become increasingly important for successful natural resource management. By merging stakeholder objectives with system uncertainty, and by adapting actions to changing systems and knowledge, adaptive resource management (ARM) provides a rigorous platform for making sound decisions in a changing world. Critically, however, applications of ARM could be improved by employing benchmarks (i.e., points of reference) for determining when learning is occurring through the cycle of monitoring, modeling, and decision-making steps in ARM. Many applications of ARM use multiple model-based hypotheses to identify and reduce systematic uncertainty over time, but generally lack benchmarks for gauging discovery of scientific evidence and learning. This creates the danger of thinking that directional changes in model weights or rankings are indicative of evidence for hypotheses, when possibly all competing models are inadequate. There is thus a somewhat obvious, but yet to be filled niche for including benchmarks for learning in ARM. We contend that carefully designed "ecological null models," which are structured to produce an expected ecological pattern in the absence of a hypothesized mechanism, can serve as suitable benchmarks. Using a classic case study of mallard harvest management that is often used to demonstrate the successes of ARM for learning about ecological mechanisms, we show that simple ecological null models, such as population persistence (Nt +1 = Nt ), provide more robust near-term forecasts of population abundance than the currently used mechanistic models. More broadly, ecological null models can be used as benchmarks for learning in ARM that trigger the need for discarding model parameterizations and developing new ones when prevailing models underperform the ecological null model. Identifying mechanistic models that surpass these benchmarks will improve learning through ARM and help decision-makers keep pace with a rapidly changing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- David N. Koons
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation BiologyGraduate Degree Program in EcologyColorado State UniversityFort CollinsColoradoUSA
| | - Thomas V. Riecke
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental ScienceUniversity of NevadaRenoNevadaUSA
- Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation BiologyUniversity of NevadaRenoNevadaUSA
| | - G. Scott Boomer
- Division of Migratory Bird ManagementU.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceLaurelMarylandUSA
| | - Benjamin S. Sedinger
- College of Natural ResourcesUniversity of Wisconsin – Stevens PointStevens PointWisconsinUSA
| | - James S. Sedinger
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental ScienceUniversity of NevadaRenoNevadaUSA
| | - Perry J. Williams
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental ScienceUniversity of NevadaRenoNevadaUSA
| | - Todd W. Arnold
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation BiologyUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulMinnesotaUSA
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13
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Zhao Q, Heath-Acre K, Collins D, Conway W, Weegman MD. Integrated population modelling reveals potential drivers of demography from partially aligned data: a case study of snowy plover declines under human stressors. PeerJ 2021; 9:e12475. [PMID: 34820197 PMCID: PMC8601057 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Knowledge of demography is essential for understanding wildlife population dynamics and developing appropriate conservation plans. However, population survey and demographic data (e.g., capture-recapture) are not always aligned in space and time, hindering our ability to robustly estimate population size and demographic processes. Integrated population models (IPMs) can provide inference for population dynamics with poorly aligned but jointly analysed population and demographic data. In this study, we used an IPM to analyse partially aligned population and demographic data of a migratory shorebird species, the snowy plover (Charadrius nivosus). Snowy plover populations have declined dramatically during the last two decades, yet the demographic mechanisms and environmental drivers of these declines remain poorly understood, hindering development of appropriate conservation strategies. We analysed 21 years (1998-2018) of partially aligned population survey, nest survey, and capture-recapture-resight data in three snowy plover populations (i.e., Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma) in the Southern Great Plains of the US. By using IPMs we aimed to achieve better precision while evaluating the effects of wetland habitat and climatic factors (minimum temperature, wind speed) on snowy plover demography. Our IPM provided reasonable precision for productivity measures even with missing data, but population and survival estimates had greater uncertainty in years without corresponding data. Our model also uncovered the complex relationships between wetland habitat, climate, and demography with reasonable precision. Wetland habitat had positive effects on snowy plover productivity (i.e., clutch size and clutch fate), indicating the importance of protecting wetland habitat under climate change and other human stressors for the conservation of this species. We also found a positive effect of minimum temperature on snowy plover productivity, indicating potential benefits of warmth during night on their population. Based on our results, we suggest prioritizing population and capture-recapture surveys for understanding population dynamics and underlying demographic processes when data collection is limited by time and/or financial resources. Our modelling approach can be used to allocate limited conservation resources for evidence-based decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Zhao
- University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States
| | - Kristen Heath-Acre
- University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States.,Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, United States
| | - Daniel Collins
- US Fish & Wildlife Service, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
| | - Warren Conway
- Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, United States
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14
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Tucker AM, Runge MC. Optimal Strategies for Managing Wildlife Harvest Under System Change. J Wildl Manage 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anna M. Tucker
- U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center at the Patuxent Research Refuge 12100 Beech Forest Road Laurel MD 20708 USA
| | - Michael C. Runge
- U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center at the Patuxent Research Refuge 12100 Beech Forest Road Laurel MD 20708 USA
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15
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Impact of land cover and landfills on the breeding effect and nest occupancy of the white stork in Poland. Sci Rep 2021; 11:7279. [PMID: 33790344 PMCID: PMC8012577 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-86529-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Food wastes are among the factors with the greatest effects on animal populations. The white stork is among bird species that clearly profit from feeding at landfills, at least in Western Europe and North Africa. However, the rate and the consequences of this feeding are still unknown in the Central-Eastern European population, which differs from the western population not only in terms of migration routes but also in the greater availability of suitable natural breeding habitats due to less intensified agriculture. The aim of the study was to describe the use of landfills and its consequences in terms of probability of nest occupation and breeding effects in different regions of Poland. Although the most important factors influencing nest-site selection and breeding effect are still habitat quality and weather conditions, distance to landfills is important in selection of nest sites. White storks use landfills most intensively late in the breeding season, independently of the density of breeding pairs. The results suggest that the use of landfills is not currently essential in the Central-Eastern European population of the white stork, does not affect breeding effect, and may be more frequent in non-breeders. However, this phenomenon is still developing and requires continuous monitoring.
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16
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Saunders SP, Piper W, Farr MT, Bateman BL, Michel NL, Westerkam H, Wilsey CB. Interrelated impacts of climate and land-use change on a widespread waterbird. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:1165-1176. [PMID: 33754380 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Together climate and land-use change play a crucial role in determining species distribution and abundance, but measuring the simultaneous impacts of these processes on current and future population trajectories is challenging due to time lags, interactive effects and data limitations. Most approaches that relate multiple global change drivers to population changes have been based on occurrence or count data alone. We leveraged three long-term (1995-2019) datasets to develop a coupled integrated population model-Bayesian population viability analysis (IPM-BPVA) to project future survival and reproductive success for common loons Gavia immer in northern Wisconsin, USA, by explicitly linking vital rates to changes in climate and land use. The winter North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), a broad-scale climate index, immediately preceding the breeding season and annual changes in developed land cover within breeding areas both had strongly negative influences on adult survival. Local summer rainfall was negatively related to fecundity, though this relationship was mediated by a lagged interaction with the winter NAO, suggesting a compensatory population-level response to climate variability. We compared population viability under 12 future scenarios of annual land-use change, precipitation and NAO conditions. Under all scenarios, the loon population was expected to decline, yet the steepest declines were projected under positive NAO trends, as anticipated with ongoing climate change. Thus, loons breeding in the northern United States are likely to remain affected by climatic processes occurring thousands of miles away in the North Atlantic during the non-breeding period of the annual cycle. Our results reveal that climate and land-use changes are differentially contributing to loon population declines along the southern edge of their breeding range and will continue to do so despite natural compensatory responses. We also demonstrate that concurrent analysis of multiple data types facilitates deeper understanding of the ecological implications of anthropogenic-induced change occurring at multiple spatial scales. Our modelling approach can be used to project demographic responses of populations to varying environmental conditions while accounting for multiple sources of uncertainty, an increasingly pressing need in the face of unprecedented global change.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Walter Piper
- Schmid College of Science & Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, USA
| | - Matthew T Farr
- Department of Integrative Biology, Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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17
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Sawada A, Iwasaki T, Inoue C, Nakaoka K, Nakanishi T, Sawada J, Aso N, Nagai S, Ono H, Takagi M. Missing piece of top predator‐based conservation: Demographic analysis of an owl population on a remote subtropical island. POPUL ECOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/1438-390x.12080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Akira Sawada
- Department of Natural History Science, Graduate School of Science Hokkaido University Sapporo Japan
| | - Tetsuya Iwasaki
- Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of Science Osaka City University Osaka Japan
| | - Chitose Inoue
- Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of Science Osaka City University Osaka Japan
| | - Kana Nakaoka
- Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of Science Osaka City University Osaka Japan
| | - Takumi Nakanishi
- Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of Science Osaka City University Osaka Japan
| | - Junpei Sawada
- Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of Science Osaka City University Osaka Japan
| | - Narumi Aso
- Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of Science Osaka City University Osaka Japan
| | - Syuya Nagai
- Department of Natural History Science, Graduate School of Science Hokkaido University Sapporo Japan
| | - Haruka Ono
- Department of Natural History Science, Graduate School of Science Hokkaido University Sapporo Japan
| | - Masaoki Takagi
- Department of Natural History Science, Graduate School of Science Hokkaido University Sapporo Japan
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18
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Zhao
- School of Natural Resources University of Missouri Columbia MO USA
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19
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Folliot B, Souchay G, Champagnon J, Guillemain M, Durham M, Hearn R, Hofer J, Laesser J, Sorin C, Caizergues A. When survival matters: is decreasing survival underlying the decline of common pochard in western Europe? WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Folliot
- B. Folliot and A. Caizergues ✉ , Office Français de la Biodiversité, Unité Avifaune Migratrice, Parc d'Affaires La Rivière, 8 Boulevard Albert Einstein, Bâtiment B, FR-44300 Nantes, France
| | - Guillaume Souchay
- G. Souchay (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0214-9362), Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage - DRE - unité Petite Faune Sédentaire, Nantes, France
| | - Jocelyn Champagnon
- BF and J. Champagnon, Tour du Valat, Research Inst. for the Conservation of Mediterranean Wetlands, Le Sambuc, Arles, France. BF also at: Ifremer, Centre de Bretagne, DYNECO-Laboratoire d'écologie benthique, Plouzané, France
| | - Matthieu Guillemain
- M. Guillemain, Office Français de la Biodiversité, Unité Avifaune Migratrice, La Tour du Valat, Le Sambuc, Arles, France
| | - Maurice Durham
- M. Durham and R. Hearn, Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, UK
| | - Richard Hearn
- M. Durham and R. Hearn, Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, Slimbridge, Gloucestershire, UK
| | - Josef Hofer
- J. Hofer, Seehäusern, Oberkirch, Switzerland
| | - Jacques Laesser
- J. Laesser, Swiss Ornithological Inst., Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Christophe Sorin
- C. Sorin, Fédération Départementale des Chasseurs de Loire-Atlantique, Blancho, Nantes, France
| | - Alain Caizergues
- B. Folliot and A. Caizergues ✉ , Office Français de la Biodiversité, Unité Avifaune Migratrice, Parc d'Affaires La Rivière, 8 Boulevard Albert Einstein, Bâtiment B, FR-44300 Nantes, France
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20
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Bateman BL, Taylor L, Wilsey C, Wu J, LeBaron GS, Langham G. Risk to North American birds from climate change‐related threats. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Lotem Taylor
- Science DivisionNational Audubon Society New York New York USA
| | - Chad Wilsey
- Science DivisionNational Audubon Society New York New York USA
| | - Joanna Wu
- Science DivisionNational Audubon Society New York New York USA
| | | | - Gary Langham
- American Association of Geographers Washington District of Columbia USA
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21
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Buderman FE, Devries JH, Koons DN. Changes in climate and land use interact to create an ecological trap in a migratory species. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:1961-1977. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Frances E. Buderman
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management Pennsylvania State University University Park PA USA
| | - Jim H. Devries
- Institute for Wetland and Waterfowl ResearchDucks Unlimited Canada Stonewall Manitoba Canada
| | - David N. Koons
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Graduate Degree Program in Ecology Colorado State University Fort Collins CO USA
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22
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Mattsson BJ, Devries JH, Dubovsky JA, Semmens D, Thogmartin WE, Derbridge JJ, Lopez-Hoffman L. Linking landscape-scale conservation to regional and continental outcomes for a migratory species. Sci Rep 2020; 10:4968. [PMID: 32188890 PMCID: PMC7080806 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61058-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Land-use intensification on arable land is expanding and posing a threat to biodiversity and ecosystem services worldwide. We develop methods to link funding for avian breeding habitat conservation and management at landscape scales to equilibrium abundance of a migratory species at the continental scale. We apply this novel approach to a harvested bird valued by birders and hunters in North America, the northern pintail duck (Anas acuta), a species well below its population goal. Based on empirical observations from 2007–2016, habitat conservation investments for waterfowl cost $313 M and affected <2% of the pintail’s primary breeding area in the Prairie Pothole Region of Canada. Realistic scenarios for harvest and habitat conservation costing an estimated $588 M (2016 USD) led to predicted pintail population sizes <3 M when assuming average parameter values. Accounting for parameter uncertainty, converting 70–100% of these croplands to idle grassland (cost: $35.7B–50B) is required to achieve the continental population goal of 4 M individuals under the current harvest policy. Using our work as a starting point, we propose continued development of modeling approaches that link conservation funding, habitat delivery, and population response to better integrate conservation efforts and harvest management of economically important migratory species.
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Affiliation(s)
- B J Mattsson
- Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, 1180, Austria.
| | - J H Devries
- Ducks Unlimited Canada, Stonewall, MB, R0C2Z0, Canada
| | - J A Dubovsky
- Division of Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Lakewood, CO, 80215, USA
| | - D Semmens
- Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, CO, 80225, USA
| | - W E Thogmartin
- Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, U.S. Geological Survey, La Crosse, WI, 54603, USA
| | - J J Derbridge
- School of Natural Resources and Environment, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA
| | - L Lopez-Hoffman
- School of Natural Resources and Environment, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA.,Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA
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