Source: UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS submitted to
WATERFOWL PRODUCTION AND CONSERVATION IN THE AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPE
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
NEW
Funding Source
HATCH
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1013603
Grant No.
(N/A)
Project No.
CA-D-WFB-6342-H
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Program Code
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Oct 1, 2017
Project End Date
Sep 30, 2022
Grant Year
(N/A)
Project Director
Eadie, J.
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, DAVIS
410 MRAK HALL
DAVIS,CA 95616-8671
Performing Department
Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology
Non Technical Summary
This project supports the mission of the Agricultural Experiment Station by addressing the Hatch Act area(s) of: soil and water conservation and use; plant and animal production, protection, and health; sustainable agriculture.Our research addresses key information needs to guide avian conservation and wetland restoration efforts in California while promoting wildlife-friendly agriculture. Our studies on the agronomic benefits of providing habitat for waterfowl in the rice-growing region of the Sacramento Valley illustrate the compatibility of agricultural practices and wildlife habitat objectives. Our research has provided the necessary information to establish realistic acreage goals for wetland conservation efforts, including key winter and breeding habitats. We are developing new management techniques to maximize the quality and productivity of existing wetland habitats. Our focused studies on several species of breeding and wintering waterfowl have identified key limiting factors for these populations and have facilitated the development of management programs to ensure the long-term sustainability of this key natural resource in the agricultural landscape of California. New and continuing projects focus on (1) evaluating the efficiency of alternative moist-soil management practices on seed production in Central Valley wetlands to provide food for waterfowl and other waterbirds; (2) assessing the effect of land use and agricultural practices on dispersal, recruitment and population dynamics of wood ducks to maximize the success of wood duck breeding programs and to evaluate agricultural impacts on riparian systems; and (3) determining the factors limiting production of mallards in California to develop sustainable harvest objectives for this important game species and to evaluate habitat restoration efforts for breeding waterfowl.
Animal Health Component
20%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
40%
Applied
40%
Developmental
20%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
1360820107025%
1360850107025%
1360899107020%
1110330107020%
1340599107010%
Knowledge Area
136 - Conservation of Biological Diversity; 111 - Conservation and Efficient Use of Water; 134 - Outdoor Recreation;

Subject Of Investigation
0820 - Wild birds; 0850 - Wildlife habitats; 0599 - Recreational resources, general/other; 0899 - Wildlife and natural fisheries, general/other; 0330 - Wetland and riparian systems;

Field Of Science
1070 - Ecology;
Goals / Objectives
1) Evaluate habitat needs for waterfowl and wetland-dependent wildlife in the Central Valley, and evaluate moist soil management practices to maximize food production for waterfowl and other wetland-dependent wildlife;(2) Develop a decision support tool for growers and managers using our new agent-based model (SWAMP) to evaluate the effects of land use and agricultural change, urban growth and diminishing water supplies on wetland habitats and sustainability of wetland-dependent wildlife (esp. waterfowl and waterbirds) in California;(3) Evaluate the breeding ecology and demography (survival, dispersal and reproduction) of wood ducks and mallards in relation to agricultural land use patterns.To accomplish these goals we will:(1) Continue our studies of moist-soil food production for waterfowl in our experimental wetlands to assess impacts of alternative water and wetland management regimes.(2) Initiate a new study of moist-soil seeds and tidal plant food availability for waterfowl in the Suisun Marsh. We will extend our SWAMP model to allow scenario evaluation under alternative restoration and management regimes. This is supported by a 10-yeat grant of $700,000 (part of a $6 million grant) from the Department of Water Resources.(3) Continue development and expansion of our bioenergetics modeling project (SWAMP to evaluate the effects of water policy, agricultural policy, climate change and anthropogenic influences on wetland habitat availability and waterfowl production and conservation in the Central Valley. We received a $330,000 grant from the Department of the Interior to support this work.(4) Continue and expand our on-going studies of the breeding ecology and demography of wood ducks in California In relation to riparian habitat management and conservation, supported by a 4-year $490,000 NSF grant.
Project Methods
(1) Moist-soil food production for waterfowl in experimental wetlands to assess impacts of alternative water and wetland management regimes.We have initiated a long-term study that takes advantage of a unique opportunity at a large private wetland complex near the University of California Davis. We have established an experimental wetland comprised of twenty-one large replicate experimental wetland plots (each 0.50 ha; 1.25 ac), each of which is assigned to a water management treatment (varying in length and frequency of irrigations). In doing so, we are able to accurately enumerate the effect of water management on moist soil seed production and water management costs. The treatments we are evaluating encompass a range of current management practices used throughout the Central Valley (varying duration and frequency of summer irrigations). We are focusing specifically on the influence of: (a) the number of irrigations (1, 2 or 3) and (b) the duration of irrigations (7, 14 or 28 day). We are using a fully crossed (balanced) design for the 1, 2 or 3 frequency and 7 or 14 day duration treatments, with the additional treatment of a single 28-day duration. There are 3 replicates per treatment, yielding a total of 21 plots. In each plot we are measuring seed production focusing on watergrass (Echinochola crusgalli) and swamp timothy (Crypsis schoenoides). Vegetation cover is sampled using 0.25 m2 quadrats (20 allocated randomly per plot). Within each quadrat we also measure and clip representative seed heads and return these to the laboratory for further analysis. At each of the 20 quadrats per plot, we collect a 6 cm core sample. Core samples are bagged and returned to the lab where they are washed, sorted and seeds picked by hand.(2) Moist-soil seeds and tidal plant food availability for waterfowl in the Suisun Marsh.We will collect moist-soil seed samples from 30-50 managed units located throughout the marsh. Sites will be chosen to represent a range of management strategies and to provide estimates of moist-soil seed production in different habitat types and salinity conditions. For each wetland location, we will record (directly or via landowner records): 1) depth and duration of soil submergence, 2) soil salinity, 3) applied water salinity, 4) environmental conditions (weather, seasonal temperatures, hydrography), and 5) degree of soil disturbance (e.g., disking, etc.). At each site we will randomly sample five points from a grid overlay. Core samples will be returned to the lab and either washed through a 250 mesh sieve or frozen within 24 hours to halt seed deterioration.Production of each species will be calculated as the mean kg/ha of seed contained in the 5 cores taken from each wetland unit. We will extend our SWAMP model to allow scenario evaluation under alternative restoration and management regimes. This is supported by a 10-yeat grant of $700,000 (part of a $6 million grant) from the Department of Water Resources.(3) Development of our bioenergetics model (SWAMP) to evaluate the effects of water policy, agricultural policy, climate change and anthropogenic influences on wetland habitat availability and waterfowl production and conservation in the Central Valley.We have developed a new modeling approach to refine the ability of wetland managers to assess the effect of habitat change and water supplies at a fine scale using agent-based modeling. This agent-based decision support model allows managers to simulate the effect of wetland habitat change on energetics and carrying capacity of foraging waterfowl. We will refine, parameterize and validate this model for use as a decision support tool for managers in the Central Valley of California, and we will conduct sensitivity analyses and alternative scenario analyses to summarize the projected outcomes of landscape use and water policy decisions(4) Studies of the breeding ecology and demography of wood ducks in California In relation to riparian habitat management and conservation.Our on-going studies of the breeding ecology of wood ducks are conducted at 11 study sites in the Central Valley. All sites are bounded by agriculture, with different amounts of restored or natural riparian habitat. Nest boxes are used to monitor the nesting biology. Most boxes are attached to trees within 10 meters of a stream, irrigation ditch, pond or slough. Agricultural habitat types adjacent to the nest boxes include orchards, vineyards, pasture and farm crops. All nest boxes are checked weekly or bi-weekly from February to July. At active nests, clutch sizes and hatch success (proportion of eggs hatching) are recorded. Female wood ducks are banded with USFWS aluminum leg-bands under a sub-permit with the California Waterfowl Association. We are using new PIT tag technology with RFID readers on every nest to track survival, movement and breeding success of ALL females in the population. Banding permits from the Bird Banding Lab and a UC Davis approved Animal Protocol have been obtained.Our studies of the breeding ecology of mallards are conducted on the Grizzly Island Wildlife Area in the Suisun Marsh of California, in an 800 ha block of upland nesting fields that are managed by the California Department of Fish and Game as waterfowl nesting habitat. Nest searches are conducted from April 1st through July 7th. Each field is searched at 3-week intervals following standard protocols. Nest locations are recorded with a GPS receiver and are revisited on foot every seven days until nest termination. The incubation stage of the nest is determined by candling, and the date of nest initiation is calculated by subtracting the nest age when found (number of eggs when found plus the incubation stage) from the date the nest was found. We quantify the degree of habitat structure and vegetation density using a Robel pole. These values are related to the structural complexity and overall biomass of vegetation at the nest site, and provide a useful measure of visual and potentially olfactory concealment from terrestrial predators.

Progress 10/01/19 to 09/30/20

Outputs
Target Audience:Our research and extension efforts focus on a broad audience of state agencies, federal agencies, NGO organizations and private landowners. I work with my stakeholders to develop wetland conservation practices on public and private lands, and to find methods to do so while promoting sustainable agriculture. This audiences include: (1) Private landowners and farmers, especially rice growers in the Sacramento Valley; (2) Federal agencies: US Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, UCDA, Natural Resource Conservation Service: Central Valley Joint Venture (CVJV), North American Waterfowl Plan Committee; (3) State Agencies· California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW), California Department of Water Resources (DWR), California Fish & Game Commission; (4) Non-government organizations: California Waterfowl Association (CWA), Ducks Unlimited (DU), Delta Waterfowl Association, Point Blue Conservation Science; Audubon, U.S.A. Rice Foundation, Ricelands Habitat Partnership. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project has resulted in the training of 1 postdoctoral fellow, 6 Ph.D. students and 4 M.S. students, and 1 undergraduate research student. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We have provided extensive consultation and advisory services to a large number organizations (e.g., Ducks Unlimited, California Waterfowl Association, Rice Growers Association of California, governmental agencies and private landowners). I regularly participate on numerous external technical committees dealing with waterfowl and wetlands and have developed collaborative research projects with several agencies & organizations. During 2019-2020 I I worked wextensively ith the USFWS and the managememt team for the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) . This Plan is the single most influential planning document for waterfowl and wetland conservation and drives almost all wetland conservation efforts in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. As part of this effort, I was a founding member of a new committee established to develop a strategic plan for the training and education of future waterfowl biologists and professionals. Over the year we drafted the strategic plan, sent it for review by state and federal agencies and partners, and it is now being finalized by the USFWSN. I continue to serve on several advisory boards with the California Rice Commission and the Central Valley Joint Venture to advise growers and landowners on wetland and conservation and management in the context of sustainable agriculture in the state. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?My focus for the next year is to: (1) Continue development and extension of Phase III of our bioenergetics modeling project (SWAMP)t and apply it to evaluate the effects of water policy, agricultural policy, climate change and anthropogenic influences on wetland habitat availability and waterfowl production and conservation in the Central Valley, the Suisun Marsh, the Klamath Basin, and the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. This will be a major thrust of our work - we anticipate that this model will provide new capacity to plan for wetland conservation in agricultural landscapes and will assist managers and growers to anticipate future needs and changes. (2) Continue on-going studies of the breeding ecology and demography of wood ducks in California in relation to riparian habitat management and conservation. This work addresses core information needs for one of the few resident breeding species of ducks in California and focuses on riparian habitat conservation in the agricultural landscape. (3) Complete analysis of data collected on plant food availability and use (diet) and body condition of waterfowl in the Suisun Marsh. We will extend our SWAMP model to allow scenario planning under alternative restoration and management regimes.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? (1) We are continuing our long-term study on the breeding ecology and demography of wood ducks in California In relation to riparian habitat management and conservation. We were awarded NSF funding for this project (2014-18) and we are building on this foundation of data. This project involves 5 graduate students (3 PhD and 2 MS). In previous years, we have trained up to 40 undergraduate student interns, but this was prevented in 2019-20 due to COVID-19. In 2019-20 one PhD student completed a thesis on this project. One new graduate student started in 2020. (2) We are nearing completion of the third phase of a project to develop a new agent-based bioenergetics model (SWAMP) to examine the response of waterfowl to changes in water availability and landscape conditions in the Central Valley. We participated in one on-line workshop and a CVJV technical presentation on this project. We have completed a project with partners at Oregon State University to extend the SWAMP model to the Klamath Basin and have one postdoctoral fellow working on this. The final report is being prepared. In 2019, we initiated a new collaborative project with Missouri State University to extend our ABM model to the Mississippi Alluvial Valley, and this work is progressing well. (3) We have completed the fourth year of a project to collect data on wetland management and waterfowl use in the Suisun Marsh and we have now adapted our SWAMP model to develop a decision support tool to aid wetland planning. As part of this project, we have completed a two year study of diet and body condition of dabbling and diving ducks in the Suisun Marsh. This project involves 3 PhD students and 2 MS student. Two MS students have completed their theses on this work. Our work is addressing important management and conservation planning needs in the Central Valley and the Suisun Marsh by providing critical data, and by synthesizing these data and using state-of-the-art modeling to provide decision support tools to waterfowl and wetland managers.

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Eadie, JM. the Intersection of Behavioral Ecology and Management: Novel Approaches to the Management of Waterfowl Populations. American Fisheries Society & The Wildlife Society 2019 Joint Annual Conference
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Mackell, Desmond , Michael Casazza, Cory Overton, Dave Olson, Cliff Feldheim, Caroline Brady, Jeff Knetter, Brandon S Reishus, Kyle Sprangens, Christopher Nicolai, Blair Stringham, Casey Stemler, Mike Carpenter, Michael D'Errico, Patrick Donnelly, John Eadie. Identifying Migration Routes and Stopover Sites of Fall Migrating Cinnamon Teal in North America. American Fisheries Society & The Wildlife Society 2019 Joint Annual Conference
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Mott, Andrea L, Michael L Casazza, Cory Overton, Elliott Matchett, Christopher Nicolai, Mark Petrie, Cliff L Feldheim, Caroline Brady, Mark P Herzog, Joshua T Ackerman, Daniel Skalos, Melanie Weaver, Greg Yarris, John Eadie. Effects on Migration Distribution of Lesser Snow Geese Effects on Migration Distribution of Lesser Snow Geese. American Fisheries Society & The Wildlife Society 2019 Joint Annual Conference
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Ringelman, K.M., Collier, B.A., Laborde Jr, L.P., Rohwer, F.C., Reynolds, L.A., Messerli, J., Mclandress, M.R., Oberstadt, G. and Eadie, J.M., 2020. Successes and Challenges of University First Hunt Programs. The Journal of Wildlife Management
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Berg, E.C. and Eadie, J.M., 2020. An experimental test of information use by wood ducks (Aix sponsa): external habitat cues, not social visual cues, influence initial nest site selection. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 74(10), pp.1-16.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Other Year Published: 2020 Citation: Graves, E.E. and Eadie, J.M., 2020. White eye patches of female wood ducks, Aix sponsa, vary markedly in size and may reflect individual status or condition. Animal Behaviour, 167, pp.41-53.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2020 Citation: Eadie, J.M. and Lyon, B.E., 2020. Environmentally driven escalation of host egg rejection decimates success of an avian brood parasite. Behavioral Ecology, 31(6), pp.1316-1325.


Progress 10/01/18 to 09/30/19

Outputs
Target Audience:My research and extension work focuses on a broad audience of state agencies, federal agencies, NGO organizations and private landowners. I work with stakeholders to develop wetland conservation practices on public and private lands, and to find methods to do so while promoting sustainable agriculture. This audience includes: (1) Private landowners and farmers, especially rice growers in the Sacramento Valley; (2) Federal agencies: US Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, UCDA, Natural Resource Conservation Service: Central Valley Joint Venture (CVJV), North American Waterfowl Plan Committee (3) State Agencies: California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW), California Department of Water Resources (DWR), California Fish & Game Commission; (4) Non-government organizations: California Waterfowl Association (CWA), Ducks Unlimited (DU), Delta Waterfowl Association The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Point Blue Conservation Science; Audubon, U.S.A. Rice Foundation, Ricelands Habitat Partnership. Changes/Problems:NIFA funding should have been acknowledged in Bridge et al (overlooked with regrets). I will ensure co-authors add NIFA support to funding acknowledgment where appropriate in future publications. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project has resulted in the training of 1 postdoctoral fellow, 7 Ph.D. students and 3 M.S. students and over 40 undergraduate interns in 2018-19. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We have provided extensive consultation and advisory services to a large number organizations (e.g., Ducks Unlimited, California Waterfowl Association, Rice Growers Association of California, governmental agencies and private landowners). I regularly participate on numerous external technical committees dealing with waterfowl and wetlands and have developed collaborative research projects with several agencies & organizations. During 2018-19, I continued efforts to update the 2012 Revision of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) and the final update was published this year. I served on the Update Steering Committee, charged with facilitating the implementation of the new NAWMP plan and updating the Plan. This Plan is the single most influential planning document for waterfowl and wetland conservation and drives almost all wetland conservation efforts in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. I continue to serve on several advisory boards with the California Rice Commission and the Central Valley Joint Venture to advise growers and landowners on wetland and wildlife conservation and management in the context of sustainable agriculture in the state. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Our focus for the next year is on the following on-going components of my overall project: (1) Continued development and application of our bioenergetics modeling project (SWAMP)to evaluate the effects of water policy, agricultural policy, climate change and anthropogenic influences on wetland habitat availability and waterfowl production and conservation in the Central Valley. (2) Continue on-going studies of the breeding ecology and demography of wood ducks in California in relation to riparian habitat management and conservation. (3) Complete our a study of moist-soil seeds and plant food availability and use (diet) and body condition analysis of waterfowl in the Suisun Marsh. We will extend our SWAMP model to allow scenario planning under alternative restoration and management regimes. This is supported by a 10-year grant of $700,000 (part of a $6 million grant) from the Department of Water Resources.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? (1) We are continuing our long-term study on the breeding ecology and demography of wood ducks in California In relation to riparian habitat management and conservation. We were awarded $495,000 NSF funding for this project (2014-18) and we are building on this foundation of data. This project involves 6 graduate students (4 PhD and 4 MS) and over 200 undergraduate student interns. In 2018-19, one PhD and one MS student completed a thesis on this project and 2 PhD theses are in final stages. One new graduate student started in 2019 and one more will begin 2020. (3) We have completed the first two phases of a project to develop a new agent-based bioenergetics model (SWAMP) to examine the response of waterfowl to changes in water availability and landscape conditions in the Central Valley. Several workshops and CVJV technical presentations have been provided on this project. We are in the final stages of a project with partners at Oregon State University to extend the SWAMP model to the Klamath Basin and have one postdoctoral fellow working on this. We have initiated a new collaborative project with Missouri State University to extend our ABM model to the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. (4) We have completed the third year of a 10 year contract to collect data on wetland management and water use in the Suisun Marsh and we will use our SWAMP model to develop a decision support tool to aid wetland planning. As part of this project, we are completing a two year study of diet and body condition of dabbling and diving ducks in the Suisun Marsh.This project involves 3 PhD students. (5) We are continuing long-term studies evaluating the factors limiting the breeding production of mallards in California, working in partnership with USGS, the California Waterfowl Association and the California Department of Fish & Wildlife. These studies focus on factors influencing nest success and production in the agricultural landscape.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Zink, A.G and J. M. Eadie. When cooperators cheat. Nature 567: 34-35.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Bridge, E.S., J. Wilhelm, M. M. Pandit, A. Moreno, C. M. Curry, T. D. Pearson, D. S. Proppe, C. Holwerda, J. M.Eadie, T. F. Stair, A. C. Olson, B. E. Lyon, C. L. Branch, A. M. Pitera, D. Koslovsky, B. R. Sonnenberg, V. V. Pravosudov, J. E. Ruyle. An Arduino-Based RFID Platform for Animal Research Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 7: 257 doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2019.00257
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Wells, C.M., P. Lavretsky, M. Sorenson, J Peters, J. DaCosta, S. Turnbull, K. Uyehara, C. Malachowski, B. Dugger, J. Eadie, A.Engilis. Persistence of an endangered native duck, feral mallards, and multiple hybrid swarms across the main Hawaiian Islands. Molecular Ecology 28: 5203-5216
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Stair, T. F., M. G. Hinton, C. Wells, C. Thow, A. Olson, M. L. Jones, E. Bridge, B. Lyon, and J. M. Eadie. Uncovering the Nestwork: Intergenerational patterns of social nest-use in Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa), Animal Behavior Society, Chicago, IL.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Smith, D. J., B. W. Olson, and J. M. Eadie. Estimating the impact of delayed drawdown on seed production, 8th North American Duck Symposium, Winnipeg MB.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Smith, D. J., J. T. Ackerman, M.L. Casazza, J.M Eadie. Volume based corrections for soil cores, 8th North American Duck Symposium, Winnipeg MB
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Smith, D. J., J. T. Ackerman, M. L. Casazza, C. T. Overton, C. Feldheim, and J. M. Eadie. Estimating the energy landscape of the Suisun Marsh, 8th North American Duck Symposium, Winnipeg MB .
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Satter, J. M., M. L. Casazza, J. T. Ackerman, C. L. Feldheim, and J. M. Eadie. Evaluating Diet and Body Condition of Dabbling Ducks in the Rapidly Changing Landscape of the Suisun Marsh, California, 8th North American Duck Symposium, Winnipeg MB
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Matthews, L., and J. M. Eadie. Changing Post-Harvest Practices in Rice and Corn fields in California, 8th North American Duck Symposium, Winnipeg MB.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Matthews, L., M. Lubell and J. M. Eadie. Rice Agriculture and Wildlife Conservation in California: A growers perspective, 8th North American Duck Symposium, Winnipeg MB
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Matthews, L., M. Petrie and J. M. Eadie. Waste Grain Availability in Post-harvest Rice and Corn Fields, California, 8th North American Duck Symposium, Winnipeg MB.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2019 Citation: Hinton, M. G., H. C. Coates, T. F. Stair, B. E. Lyon, and J. M. Eadie. Growing pains: developmental growth and behavior in captive-reared Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa), Animal Behavior Society, Chicago, IL.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Blenk, R., D. J. Smith and J. M. Eadie. Species-specific true metabolizable energy of California waterfowl foods, 8th North American Duck Symposium, Winnipeg MB.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2019 Citation: Blenk, R., S. Fogenburg, K. Ringelman, J. M. Eadie, M. Miller, and J. S. Shank. SWAMP: Updates on an agent-based modeling program to evaluate carrying capacity of winter and migrational habitat., 8th North American Duck Symposium, Winnipeg MB.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Eadie, J.M. T. F. Stair, A. C. Olson, B. E. Lyon, and E. S. Bridge. PITtagging and RFID Tracking Provide New (and Surprising) Insights on Nest Site Use, Fidelity, Female Survival and Recruitment of Wood Ducks in California, 8th North American Duck Symposium, Winnipeg MB.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Eadie, J.M. The Intersection of Behavioral Ecology and Waterfowl Management: Novel Approaches to the Management of Waterfowl Populations., Invited Symposium Speaker. The Wildlife Society and American Fisheries Society Joint Conference, Reno, NV
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2019 Citation: Eadie, J.M., R. Kaminski, D. Koons and K. Ringelman. Who will mind the marsh? The future of our future? Participants, professionals and partners in the 21st Century., 8th North American Duck Symposium. Invited Symposium talk. Winnipeg, MB
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Eadie, J.M., M. Miller, K. Ringelman, E. Matchett, J. Fleskes, Blenk, R., and J. S. Shank. Using an agent-based model (SWAMP) to predict the response of waterfowl to drought, urban expansion, and reduced water for agriculture and managed wetlands in California, Pan-Eurpoean Ducks Symposium, Isle of Great Cumbrea, Scotland
  • Type: Book Chapters Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2020 Citation: Ringelman, J. K., K.M. Ringelman and J. M. Eadie.: Future Directions of Migrating and Wintering Waterfowl Management, B.M. Ballard, M.G. Brasher and J.P. Fleskes, (ed), Migrating and Wintering Waterfowl, Texas A & M Press.


Progress 10/01/17 to 09/30/18

Outputs
Target Audience:My research and extension work focuses on a broad audience of state agencies, federal agencies, NGO organizations and private landowners. I work with stakeholders to develop wetland conservation practices on public and private lands, and to find methods to do so while promoting sustainable agriculture. This audience includes: (1) Private landowners and farmers, especially rice growers in the Sacramento Valley; (2) Federal agencies: US Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, UCDA, Natural Resource Conservation Service: Central Valley Joint Venture (CVJV), North American Waterfowl Plan Committee (3) State Agencies: California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW), California Department of Water Resources (DWR), California Fish & Game Commission; (4) Non-government organizations: California Waterfowl Association (CWA), Ducks Unlimited (DU), Delta Waterfowl Association The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Point Blue Conservation Science; Audubon, U.S.A. Rice Foundation, Ricelands Habitat Partnership. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project has resulted in the training of 1 postdoctoral fellow, 5 Ph.D. students and 8 M.S. students and 60 undergraduate interns. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?We have provided extensive consultation and advisory services to a large number organizations (e.g., Ducks Unlimited, California Waterfowl Association, Rice Growers Association of California, governmental agencies and private landowners. I regularly participate on numerous external technical committees dealing with waterfowl and wetlands and have developed collaborative research projects with several agencies & organizations. During 2018, I continued efforts to update the 2012 Revision of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) and the final update is now awaiting publication. I serve on the National Science Support Team (NSST) and the Update Steering Committee, charged with facilitating the implementation of the new NAWMP plan and updating the Plan for 2018. This Plan is the single most influential planning document for waterfowl and wetland conservation and drives almost all wetland conservation efforts in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. I continue to serve on several advisory boards with the California Rice Commission and the Central Valley Joint Venture to advise growers and landowners on wetland and wildlife conservation and management in the context of sustainable agriculture in the state. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Our focus for the next year is on the following on-going components of my overall project: (1) Continued development and expansion of our bioenergetics modeling project (SWAMP to evaluate the effects of water policy, agricultural policy, climate change and anthropogenic influences on wetland habitat availability and waterfowl production and conservation in the Central Valley. We received a $330,000 grant from the Department of the Interior to support this work. (2) Continue and expand our on-going studies of the breeding ecology and demography of wood ducks in California In relation to riparian habitat management and conservation, supported by a 4-year $490,000 NSF grant. (3) Continuation of a study of moist-soil seeds and plant food availability and use (diet) and body condition analysis of waterfowl in the Suisun Marsh. We will extend our SWAMP model to allow scenario planning under alternative restoration and management regimes. This is supported by a 10-year grant of $700,000 (part of a $6 million grant) from the Department of Water Resources.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? (1) We completed all data analyses on our project using our 21 experimental wetlands to examine the impact of water management (delayed drawdowns) on moist soil seed production. This study directly addresses concerns over the impacts of drought and changes in timing of water management on the ability to provide for the needs of fish and waterfowl food production. A Masters thesis is almost completed (Smith 2019) and a manuscript is being prepared. (2) We are in the sixth year of a study on the breeding ecology and demography of wood ducks in California In relation to riparian habitat management and conservation. We were awarded $495,000 NSF funding for this project. This project involves 4 graduate students and 60 undergraduate student interns. Two MS students have completed a thesis on this project and one M.S. and 2 Ph.D. theses are in final stages. A new graduate student will begin in 2019. (3) We have completed the first two phases of a project to develop a new agent-based bioenergetics model (SWAMP) to examine the response of waterfowl to changes in water availability and landscape conditions in the Central Valley. Several workshops and CVJV technical presentations have been provided on this project. We are in the second year of new project with partners at Oregon State University to extend the SWAMP model to the Klamath Basin and have one postdoctoral fellow working on this. (4) We are have completed the second year of a 10 year contract to collect data on wetland management and water use in the Suisun Marsh and we will use our SWAMP model to develop a decision support tool to aid wetland planning. (5) We are continuing long-term studies evaluating the factors limiting the breeding production of mallards in California, working in partnership with USGS, the California Waterfowl Association and the California Department of Fish & Wildlife. These studies focus on factors influencing nest success and production in the agricultural landscape.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Lyon, B. E. D. D. Shizuka AND J. M. Eadie. Conspecific brood parasites can also help us understand the evolution of tolerance: a comment on Avil�s. Behavioral Ecology 29 (3) 522-523.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Feldheim, C. L., J. T. Ackerman, S. L. Oldenburger, J. M. Eadie, J. P. Fleskes, G. S. Yarris. California mallards: a review. California Fish and Game 104 (2) 49-66
  • Type: Book Chapters Status: Accepted Year Published: 2019 Citation: Ringelman, J. K., K.M. Ringelman and J. M. Eadie. Future Directions of Migrating and Wintering Waterfowl Management. IN Migrating and Wintering Waterfowl. B.M. Ballard, M.G. Brasher and J.P. Fleskes, eds. Texas A & M Press.
  • Type: Book Chapters Status: Accepted Year Published: 2019 Citation: Petrie, M., M. Eichholz, J. Vest, M. Brasher and J. M. Eadie. Planning and Delivery of Conservation Programs for Migrating and Wintering Waterfowl. IN Migrating and Wintering Waterfowl. B.M. Ballard, M.G. Brasher and J.P. Fleskes, eds. Texas A & M Press.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Roberts, A., Eadie, J. M., Howerter, D. W., Johnson, F. A., Nichols, J. D., Runge, M. C., Vrtiska, M. P. and Williams, B. K. Strengthening links between waterfowl research and management. Journal of Wildlife Management 82(2):260265. doi:10.1002/jwmg.21333
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2018 Citation: Porzig, E. L. Porzig, N. E. Seavy, J. M. Eadie , T. Gardali, D. L. Humple, and G. R. Geupel. There goes the neighborhood: avian nest site selection and reproductive success as local density declines. The Condor: Ornithological Applications.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Humburg, D. D., M. G. Anderson, M. G. Brasher, J. M. Eadie, D. C. Fulton, F. A. Johnston, M. C. Runge, M. P. Vrtiska. 2018. Implementing the 2012 North American Waterfowl Management Plan Revision: Populations, Habitat, and People..Journal of Wildlife Management 82(2):275286. DOI:10.1002/jwmg.21391