Progress 07/01/02 to 12/31/06
Outputs My research in avian population biology produced a number of products, most notably 3 M.S. theses. Excerpts from the theses of those graduate projects include: NESTING ECOLOGY OF SNOWY AND WILSON'S PLOVERS IN THE LOWER LAGUNA MADRE REGION OF TEXAS I studied Snowy and Wilson's Plovers in the lower Laguna Madre region of Texas during the 2003 and 2004 breeding seasons. The estimate for Snowy Plovers was 416 adults (95% CI = 394, 438) and for Wilson's Plovers was 279 adults (95% CI = 262, 296). Daily survival of Snowy Plover nests was a function of location, time of season, daily age of the nest, the presence of an object near the nest, and the spatial heterogeneity of vegetation within 25 m of the nest. Nest survival of Wilson's Plovers was best explained by the amount and spatial arrangement of vegetation at the immediate nest site. MOUNTIAN PLOVER ABUNDANCE AND NEST SURVIVAL IN NORTHEASTERN MONTANA I estimated the abundance of Mountain Plovers in three strata in
north-central Montana. Most (N = 768, 95% CI = 668, 960) occurred on active Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) colonies with fewer on a Bureau of Land Management Area of Critical Environmental Concern (N = 160, 95% CI = 100, 285) and in surrounding habitats (N = 85, 95% CI = 60, 119). Incubation period survival ranged from 0.54 to 0.68. Daily nest survival was a function of quadratic temporal variation within years, year, daily precipitation, landscape shrub and bare ground coverage, nest macrohabitat heterogeneity, and microhabitat bare ground patch density. These results provide the first abundance estimates for this region, identify important influences on nest survival, and provide a model for evaluating those effects and predicting nest survival under differing conditions. SURVIVAL, HABITAT USE, AND NEST-SITE CHARACTERISTICS OF WILD TURKEYS IN CENTRAL MISSISSIPPI Wild Turkey survival, habitat use, and nest-site characteristics were studied on Malmaison Wildlife
Management Area, Mississippi, 2003-2004. Survival rates were 0.55, 0.0004, 0.26, and 0.30 for jakes, adult gobblers, juvenile hens, and adult hens, respectively for the entire study. Spring survival for all groups was 0.51 (95% CI 0.36, 0.65) and was least among seasons. Brood hens used bottomland hardwood stands, pine plantations, and old fields more than expected during the post-nesting period. Non-brood hens used bottomland hardwood stands more than expected during the pre- and post-nesting periods. Vegetation height was 0.3-0.6 m for all nest sites. Vertical screening cover for all nests was in the 21-40% obscurity category at 1 m and 41-60% category at 3 and 5 meters. Vine composition differed between successful (2%) and unsuccessful (20%) nests (P = 0.03). Collectively, these projects increased our understanding of aspects of avian population biology, provided tools for managers to make more informed decisions, particularly regarding habitat management, and information that will
ultimately benefit the management of these and other bird species.
Impacts This research provided an understanding of population and community biology and how this relates to contemporary conservation issues. It also provided a basic understanding of avian population processes and linked them to contemporary wildlife management issues.
Publications
- Childers, M. C. 2006. Mountain Plover Abundance and Nest Survival Relationships to Habitat in Northeastern Montana. Thesis, Department of Wildlife & Fisheries, Mississippi State University.
- Dinsmore, S.J. and D.H. Johnson. 2005. Population analysis in wildlife biology. Chapter 6 in Techniques for Wildlife Investigations and Management edited by Clait E. Braun. The Wildlife Society, Bethesda, MD. Pages 154-184.
- Dinsmore, S.J. 2006. Mountain Plover population responses to black-tailed prairie dogs in Montana. Journal of Wildlife Management. In press.
- Holder, B. D., and S. J. Dinsmore. 2005. Wild Turkey Habitat Use in Central Mississippi. Proceedings of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. In review.
- Holder, B. D. 2006. Survival, Habitat Use, and Nest-site Characteristics of Wild Turkeys in Central Mississippi. Thesis, Department of Wildlife & Fisheries, Mississippi State University.
- Hood, S. L., and S. J. Dinsmore. 2006. The Influence of Habitat on Nest Survival of Snowy and Wilson's Plovers in the Lower Laguna Madre Region of Texas. Studies in Avian Biology. To be published.
- Hood, S. L. 2006. Nesting Ecology of Snowy and Wilson's Plovers in the Lower Laguna Madre Region of Texas. Thesis, Department of Wildlife & Fisheries, Mississippi State University.
- Smith, M. D., P.J. Barbour, L.W. Burger, Jr., and S.J. Dinsmore. 2005. Density and diversity of overwintering birds in managed field borders in Mississippi. Wilson Bulletin 117:258-269.
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Progress 01/01/04 to 12/31/04
Outputs During the past year, work has continued on several projects in the area of avian population biology. A Mountain Plover project in Montana continued for the tenth year and recent accomplishments include additional modeling of sex-specific annual survO'Keefe, D. M., G. Berryhill and D. C. Jackson. 2004. Assessment of paddlefish in the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. Annual Report No. 235. Grant No. T-1. Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, Jackson. 52pp. ival rates, modeling occupancy of prairie dog colonies based on a range of colony features, and initial work on the influence of habitat at several scales on reproductive success. A related project on Wilson's and Snowy Plovers in Texas saw the second (and final) field season completed and work on estimating abundance and modeling nest survival of both species is continuing. A project looking at reproductive behavior and survival of wild turkeys in Mississippi also saw fieldwork completed, but
analyses of the data are just beginning. The number of graduate students funded by these projects is 4.
Impacts An understanding of population and community biology is integral to many contemporary conservation issues. My research continues to provide a basic understanding of avian population processes and links them, where appropriate, to contemporary management issues.
Publications
- Iko, W. M., S. J. Dinsmore, and F. L. Knopf. 2004. On determining the sex of Mountain Plovers (Charadrius montanus) from morphometric measurements. Western North American Naturalist 64:492-496.
- Rotella, J. J., S. J. Dinsmore, and T. L. Shaffer. 2004. Modeling nest-survival data: a comparison of recently developed methods that can be implemented in MARK and SAS. Animal Biodiversity and Conservation 7:1-19.
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