Shorebird and Passerine Abundance and Habitat Use at a High Arctic Breeding Site: Creswell Bay, Nunavut

Latour, Paul B.; Machtans, Craig S.; Beyersbergen, Gerard W.

doi:10.14430/arctic389

Cited by 12 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…As well as providing concealment from predators, dense graminoids presumably act as wind blocks, decreasing heat loss through convection. These results are consistent with those of Rodrigues (1994) and in the closely related Red Phalarope (Phalaropus fulicarius (L., 1758)) in which nests were associated with graminoid cover in sedge meadow and marsh habitat (Latour et al 2005;Smith et al 2007aSmith et al , 2007b. Similarly, Colwell and Oring (1990) found that Wilson's Phalaropes (Phalaropus tricolor (Vieillot, 1819)) typically nested in homogeneous, graminoid habitat that was taller and denser than random sites.…”

Section: Notesupporting

confidence: 78%

Breeding habitat preference and nest success of Red-necked Phalaropes on Niglintgak Island, Northwest Territories

2008

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Red-necked Phalaropes (Phalaropus lobatus (L., 1758)) breed throughout arctic and subarctic wetlands. These wetlands provide Red-necked Phalaropes dense graminoid habitat that shelters and conceals nests, and freshwater ponds where phalaropes engage in social interactions and feed on small aquatic invertebrates. We studied breeding habitat preference of Red-necked Phalaropes at multiple scales and determined which, if any, nest-site characteristics influenced hatching success. Red-necked Phalaropes avoided habitat at the meso (home range) scale containing large areas of mud and shrub cover, and selected sites with greater cover of graminoids, aquatic emergents, and open water than that available in the environment. At the micro (nest) scale, phalaropes chose sites dominated by graminoids and water. In 2005, concealed nests experienced higher daily nest survival than exposed nests. In 2006, 40% of nests were destroyed during a summer storm surge and we detected no differences in habitat characteristics between the remaining successful and unsuccessful nests. We suggest that annual differences in the adaptive value of nest-site selection depend on the relative abundance of mammalian and avian predators. A habitat model using data at the meso scale correctly identified phalarope habitat and has the potential to be used broadly across the western Arctic.Résumé : Les phalaropes à bec étroit (Phalaropus lobatus (L., 1758)) se reproduisent dans l'ensemble des terres humides des régions arctique et subarctique. Ces terres humides procurent aux phalaropes à bec étroit un habitat de graminoïdes denses qui protège et dissimule les nids et des étangs d'eau douce dans lesquels les phalaropes mènent leurs interactions sociales et se nourrissent de petits invertébrés aquatiques. Nous étudions les préférences d'habitat de reproduction des phalaropes à bec étroit à plusieurs échelles et déterminons, lorsqu'il y a lieu, les caractéristiques des sites de nidification qui influencent le succès de l'éclosion. À l'échelle moyenne (du domaine vital), les phalaropes à bec étroit évitent les habitats contenant de grandes étendues de boue et une couverture de buissons et choisissent des sites avec une couverture plus importante de graminoïdes, de plantes aquatiques émergentes et d'eau libre que les sites généralement disponibles dans le milieu. À l'échelle fine (du nid), les phalaropes sélectionnent les sites dominés par les graminoïdes et l'eau. En 2005, les nids cachés ont connu une survie journalière des petits au nid plus élevée que les nids exposés. En 2006, 40 % des nids ont été détruits durant une vague de tempêtes estivales et nous ne détectons aucune différence de caractéristiques entre les nids restants qu'ils aient eu ou non du succès. Nous croyons que les différences annuelles de valeur adaptative du choix du site de nidification dépendent de l'abondance des mammifères et des oiseaux prédateurs. Un modèle d'habitat basé sur des données à l'échelle moyenne identifie correctement l'habitat des phalaropes et peut potentiellement ...

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Section: Notesupporting

confidence: 78%

Breeding habitat preference and nest success of Red-necked Phalaropes on Niglintgak Island, Northwest Territories

2008

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“…Additionally, efforts to describe shorev www.esajournals.org bird distributions using habitat associations come from small-scale studies based on only a few sites within the ACP of Alaska (Connors et al 1979, Jones 1980, Myers and Pitelka 1980, Derksen et al 1981, Martin 1983, Garner and Reynolds 1986, Cotter and Andres 2000. Few studies have attempted to use habitat classifications derived from satellite imagery to predict current shorebird habitat suitability across a large portion of their Arctic breeding range, although habitat associations have been used to estimate shorebird abundance within Canada (Gratto-Trevor 1996, Morrison 1997, Latour et al 2005) and the ACP of Alaska (Bart et al 2012). An understanding of contemporary distributions based on detailed, large-scale habitat associations will allow the identification of important areas as indicated by greater species richness and/or presence of imperiled or at risk shorebird species.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predicting breeding shorebird distributions on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska

et al. 2013

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Abstract. The Arctic Coastal Plain (ACP) of Alaska is an important region for millions of migrating and nesting shorebirds. However, this region is threatened by climate change and increased human development (e.g., oil and gas production) that have the potential to greatly impact shorebird populations and breeding habitat in the near future. Because historic data on shorebird distributions in the ACP are very coarse and incomplete, we sought to develop detailed, contemporary distribution maps so that the potential impacts of climate-mediated changes and development could be ascertained. that commonly breed within the ACP of Alaska. These habitat suitability models were based on 767 plots surveyed during nine years between 1998 and 2008 (surveys were not conducted in 2003 and 2005), using single-visit rapid area searches during territory establishment and incubation (8 June-1 July). Speciesspecific habitat suitability indices were developed and mapped using presence-only modeling techniques (partitioned Mahalanobis distance) and landscape environmental variables. For most species, habitat suitability increased at lower elevations (i.e., near the coast and river deltas) and decreased within upland habitats. Accuracy of models was high for all species, ranging from 65-98%. Our models predicted that the largest fraction of suitable habitat for the majority of species occurred within the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, with highly suitable habitat also occurring within coastal areas of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge west to Prudhoe Bay.

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“…Ponds and lakes generally make up the largest terrain types here and serve as important resting and feeding grounds for migratory birds (Latour et al, 2005;. their position in these low-gradient wetland basins, as a series of depressions, allows water to be stored, evaporated, and transmitted during periods of snowmelt and heavy rainfall events (e.g., Bowling et al, 2003;.…”

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confidence: 99%

Sustainability of High Arctic Ponds in a Polar Desert Environment

Abnizova¹,

Young²

2010

ARCTIC

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AbStRACt. Arctic wetland environments are sensitive to ongoing climate change as seen by the recent loss of lakes and ponds in southern Alaska, Siberia, and northern Ellesmere island, Canada. A clearer picture of the mechanisms accounting for these losses or the persistence of ponds is presently required. to better understand and quantify the hydrologic processes that are leading to the sustainability or demise of High Arctic ponds, a detailed study was conducted during the summer seasons of 2006 at Somerset Island, Nunavut (72˚43' N, 94˚15' W). A water balance framework that quantifies water inputs, losses, and storage was employed on four ponds situated in three broad geomorphic areas (coastal, bedrock, and glacial terrain, which includes plateau and moraine). The initial snow cover amount influenced the water level pattern for the summer season. Large end-of-winter snow accumulations in the deep bedrock pond ensured large initial water storage and seasonal sustainability despite variable climatic conditions and a coarse substrate, which encouraged subsurface outflow. Connectivity to a stream draining an upland area and a melting late-lying snowbed nearby allowed the small Moraine pond to maintain stable water levels throughout both years. Sandy soils typical of the Coastal and Plateau ponds favored seepage and subsurface water losses, leading to desiccation of these ponds during dry periods. Lateral water losses from the Coastal pond were enhanced by the presence of a downslope frost crack that formed a steep hydraulic gradient with the pond. High initial snowfall and substantial rain maintain pond water levels, but in years with low snowfall and dry conditions, ponds are vulnerable to disappearance unless a range of dependable hydrological linkages exists.Key words: Arctic hydrology, climate change, connectivity, low-gradient wetland, sustainability RÉSuMÉ. Les milieux humides de l'Arctique sont sensibles aux changements climatiques continus, tel que l'atteste la perte récente de lacs et d'étangs du sud de l'Alaska, de la Sibérie et du nord de l'île d'Ellesmere, au Canada. À l'heure actuelle, il faut obtenir une meilleure idée des mécanismes à la source de ces pertes ou à la source de la persistance des étangs. Afin de mieux comprendre et de quantifier les processus hydrologiques qui entraînent la durabilité ou la disparition des étangs de l'Extrême arctique, une étude détaillée a été réalisée au cours des étés 2005 et 2006 à l'île Somerset, au Nunavut (72˚43' N, 94˚15' O). À quatre étangs situés dans trois grandes zones géomorphologiques (côtière, roche de fond et terrain glaciaire, ce qui comprend plateaux et moraines), on a utilisé un cadre de référence de bilan hydrique quantifiant les gains, les pertes et le stockage d'eau. La quantité de couverture de neige initiale exerçait une influence sur le modèle de niveau d'eau pendant la saison d'été. Les fortes accumulations de neige en fin d'hiver dans la profonde roche de fond des étangs donnaient lieu à un important stockage initial de l'eau et à la durabi...

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Shorebird and Passerine Abundance and Habitat Use at a High Arctic Breeding Site: Creswell Bay, Nunavut

Cited by 12 publications

References 13 publications

Breeding habitat preference and nest success of Red-necked Phalaropes on Niglintgak Island, Northwest Territories

Breeding habitat preference and nest success of Red-necked Phalaropes on Niglintgak Island, Northwest Territories

Predicting breeding shorebird distributions on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska

Sustainability of High Arctic Ponds in a Polar Desert Environment

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