Drought and Cooler Temperatures Are Associated with Higher Nest Survival in Mountain Plovers

Avian Conservation and Ecology

Reesa Yale Conrey,¹  Victoria J Dreitz,²  Susan K Skagen,⁴ 

[1] Wildlife Biology Program, College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana;Colorado Division of Wildlife;U.S. Geological Survey Fort Collins Science Center;under contract with the U.S. Geological Survey Fort Collins Science Center

关键词: Charadrius montanus;    climate change;    Mountain Plover;    nest survival;    weather;   

DOI  :  10.5751/ACE-00519-070106

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Resilience Alliance Publications

【 摘 要 】

Native grasslands have been altered to a greater extent than any other biome in North America. The habitats and resources needed to support breeding performance of grassland birds endemic to prairie ecosystems are currently threatened by land management practices and impending climate change. Climate models for the Great Plains prairie region predict a future of hotter and drier summers with strong multiyear droughts and more frequent and severe precipitation events. We examined how fluctuations in weather conditions in eastern Colorado influenced nest survival of an avian species that has experienced recent population declines, the Mountain Plover (Charadrius montanus).Nest survival averaged 27.2% over a 7-yr period (n = 936 nests) and declined as the breeding season progressed.Nest survival was favored by dry conditions and cooler temperatures.Projected changes in regional precipitation patterns will likely influence nest survival, with positive influences of predicted declines in summer rainfall yet negative effects ofmore intense rain events.The interplay of climate change and land use practices within prairie ecosystems may result in Mountain Plovers shifting their distribution, changing local abundance, and adjusting fecundity to adapt to their changing environment.

【 授权许可】

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