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Wetlands and Waterbirds ResearchOur approach to waterbird and wetland research includes a multi-temporal and spatial scale assessment of species status and needs throughout the annual cycle with a focus on wetland connectivity. In the past, this approach has been taken for forest patches and passerines, however,this is quite novel for wetlands and waterbirds. During the past 15 years, this research has involved major efforts in the Great Basin, Willamette Valley, and Mariana Islands. In the Great Basin, in collaboration with Dr. Lewis Oring at the University of Nevada-Reno, we examined wetland viability and connectivity using shorebirds as vectors of wetland connectivity. By choosing focal species that had varying within- and between-season dispersal patterns, we discovered that very different conservation strategies would have to be adopted to accomodate all of their needs. These baseline studies are now complete and we are now testing the use of stable isotopes to track more species on a wider scale. Results will provide a test of the applicability of various metapopulation and ecoregion-level models for multi-scale wetland conservation planning.As an off-shoot of the Great Basin work, Susan Haig, Cheri Gratto-Trevor (Canadian Wildlife Service) and Lewis Oring are investigating population genetic structure in Willets across North America. Mitochondrial markers will elicit the relationship between the two traditional subspecies as well as a possible third subspecies discovered via their field work throughout the annual cycle on this species. An approach similar to the Great Basin work has been taken for the extensive but ephemeral wetlands present in the Willamette Valley of Oregon in winter. Here, Ph.D. student Oriane Taft tested RADARSAT technology in an agricultural landscape and used it to create the first wetland map for the region. This map will help model shorebird use in relation to wetland spatial structure. M.S. student Peter Sanzenbacher tracked shorebirds across the Valley as a means of quantifying this connectivity. Currently, M.S. student Britt Cline is studying migrant and resident Common Snipe in the Valley. This work will provide an additional component to our emerging wetland conservation model. This model will allow us to evaluate where new wetlands should be placed (spatially) in the Valley and how new and restored wetlands should be structured. Movement throughout the annual cycle was also investigated in the endangered Mariana Common Moorhen (N <300 birds). This species occurs on multiple wetlands on four islands in the Marianas: Guam, Rota, Saipan, and Tinian. M.S. student Leilani Takano's analyses have been helpful for species recovery efforts as well as providing guidance on protection of the few freshwater sources in the Marianas. In an effort to further understand shorebird species throughout their range and throughout the annual cycle, we have begun several Black Oystercatcher studies from Alaska to California. M.S. student Caleb Spiegel is working on home range, annual dispersal, and nest success of BLOY in Prince William Sound. Elise Elliott-Smith is coordinating BLOY surveys throughout their range and is assessing reproduction success on the Oregon Coast. We are working on various aspects of Snowy Plover population viability. In 2007, we are conducting the first-ever breeding and winter census for the species throughout its North American and Caribbean range. Further, Elise Elliott-Smith has developed models to evaluate nest site selection on the Oregon Coastand has used LIDAR data to model habitat on the Oregon coast. The Conservation Genetics Lab continues Snowy Plover molecular work begun by former M.S. student Leah Gorman, documenting the genetic structure of Snowy Plovers in North America. We have also investigated the winter distribution of Snowy Plovers through a joint effort with collaborators Elise Elliott-Smith, Leah Gorman, and Cheron Ferland. Our ongoing work on Piping Plovers is described on another page on this site. In the early 1990's, three of Susan Haig's Clemson University graduate students examined shorebird use of a fragmented wetland habitat on a coastal South Carolina island. In this work, Ph.D. student Louise Weber investigated changes in invertebrate use by shorebirds in winter and on spring migration while M.S. students Jim Lyons and Ruth Boettcher investigated specific species use of different wetlands and responses to various water management regimes. Management recommendations that resulted included ideas on how to manage a wetland mosaic for multiple waterbird species, including waterfowl. Isotope Database Websites Publications Shorebirds in Agricultural Fields |
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