scholarly journals Nesting Activity of Kittlitz’s Murrelet in the Kakagrak Hills, Northwestern Alaska

ARCTIC ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle L. Kissling ◽  
Stephen B. Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Value ◽  
Nest Density ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Active Nest ◽  
Seabird Species ◽  
National Monument ◽  
Line Transects ◽  
Northern Alaska ◽  
Nesting Activity ◽  
Cape Krusenstern

The Kittlitz’s Murrelet (Brachyramphus brevirostris) is a broadly distributed but uncommon seabird species endemic to coastal Alaska and eastern Russia. Although northern Alaska constitutes a large portion of this species’ range, little is known about Kittlitz’s Murrelets in this vast region. We studied nesting activity of Kittlitz’s Murrelets in the Kakagrak Hills, Cape Krusenstern National Monument, in northern Alaska during summer 2014. Between 15 and 26 June, we located two active Kittlitz’s Murrelet nests by walking line transects in 28 sampling blocks (250 × 250 m) that were stratified by two habitat types (Alpine Alkaline Barrens and Alpine Dryas Dwarf Shrub) and selected randomly. We found one additional active nest opportunistically while walking between blocks. All three nests were located in Alpine Alkaline Barrens habitat, and all failed during the egg stage. Causes of failure were nest abandonment (n = 1), depredation (n = 1), and unknown (n = 1). Overall mean nest density was 0.80 nests/km2 (SE = 0.52). Although our sample of nests was small, our results demonstrate that Kittlitz’s Murrelets nest regularly in northern Alaska. However, the apparently low productivity raises questions about the reproductive value of this region to this cryptic and secretive species.

scholarly journals Sea Ice Crossing by Migrating Caribou, Rangifer tarandus, in Northwestern Alaska

2013 ◽  
Vol 126 (3) ◽  
pp. 217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle Joly
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Lake Ice ◽  
Spring Break ◽  
Long Span ◽  
National Monument ◽  
Single Crossing ◽  
Global Positioning ◽  
Cape Krusenstern ◽  
Oceanic Currents

Long movements across sea ice by Caribou (Rangifer tarandus) in Alaska are relatively uncommon and are not well documented. With rapidly diminishing sea ice cover in arctic waters, these movements may cease altogether. On 26 May 2012, a Caribou crossed a long span (57 km) of sea ice off the coast of Alaska. The cow successfully crossed after traveling 66 km on the sea ice and eventually reached the calving grounds. The highly dynamic nature of sea ice, which is driven by oceanic currents and wind during spring break-up, presents inherent hazards different from lake ice. Based on three years of Global Positioning System (GPS) radio-collar data, Caribou routinely crossed long expanses (30 km) of ice covering the brackish Selawik Lake and shorter stretches (<13 km) on Inland Lake during their spring migration north. There was also a single crossing on the ice covering Selawik Lake during the fall migration south to the wintering grounds that took place in early November 2010. Five GPS-collared Caribou crossed the short frozen span (14 km) of Kotzebue Sound between Cape Krusenstern National Monument and the Baldwin Peninsula in the fall of 2011.

Metal exposure and effects in voles and small birds near a mining haul road in Cape Krusenstern National Monument, Alaska

2009 ◽  
Vol 170 (1-4) ◽  
pp. 73-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
William G. Brumbaugh ◽  
Miguel A. Mora ◽  
Thomas W. May ◽  
David N. Phalen
Keyword(s):  
Metal Exposure ◽  
National Monument ◽  
Haul Road ◽  
Cape Krusenstern

scholarly journals Plant Community Dynamics and Rare or Exotic Species Distributions and Dynamics in Cedar Breaks National Monument

1988 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 63-64
Author(s):  
Catherine Roberts ◽  
David Roberts
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Community Dynamics ◽  
Exotic Plant ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Predictive Tool ◽  
Exotic Plant Species ◽  
National Monument ◽  
Potential Habitat ◽  
Community Types ◽  
Succession Model

The overall objective of this research is to develop a comprehensive vegetation classification and management system for Cedar Breaks National Monument. Specific Objectives are: 1. To complete an inventory of current community types, habitat types, distribution of rare of endangered plant species and the potential habitat for these same species, and the distribution and dynamics of exotic plant species found inside the Monunent; and 2. To develop an ecologically-based landscape succession model to serve as a comprehensive predictive tool for use in managing the vegetation resources in Cedar Breaks National Monument.

scholarly journals Nesting habitat of the Tucuman Parrot Amazona tucumana in an old-growth cloud-forest of Argentina

2012 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 398-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
LUIS RIVERA ◽  
NATALIA POLITI ◽  
ENRIQUE H. BUCHER
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
National Park ◽  
Cloud Forest ◽  
Breeding Pair ◽  
Nest Density ◽  
Territorial Behaviour ◽  
Active Nest ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Canopy Trees ◽  
North Western

SummaryTucuman Parrot Amazona tucumana breeds in the cloud-forest of south-eastern Bolivia and north-western Argentina (or Southern Yungas forest). We studied the nesting requirements of the Tucuman Parrot and assessed cavity availability, reuse, and spatial pattern of nests in El Rey National Park – one of the last mature, undisturbed areas of the Southern Yungas forest. We recorded 44 nesting attempts in seven tree species, with most nests (95%) being located in live canopy trees > 60 cm DBH. Most parrot nest-cavities occurred in Blepharocalix salicifolius (60%) and cavities in this species were selected significantly more than expected based on availability. Nests were shallower and higher than nests of other Amazona species. For all years combined, mean nest density of Tucuman Parrot was 0.24 ± 0.04 nest ha-1 and the distance to the nearest active nest was significantly greater than the distance between all trees used as nests. Nesting pairs of Tucuman Parrot were separated by 144.1 ± 152.8 m, while potential nest-trees were 66.0 ± 55.4 m apart. Density of suitable cavities for nesting was 4.6 cavities ha-1. Approximately 16 suitable cavities were available for each breeding pair (0.24 breeding pair ha-1 and four suitable cavities ha-1) and 5% of the suitable cavities available were occupied, suggesting that suitable cavities are not a limiting resource. However, due to the territorial behaviour of breeding pairs, some of these cavities are unavailable to other breeding pairs. The spatial requirements of Tucuman Parrot for nesting could limit management actions intended to increase the density of nesting pairs.

scholarly journals Habitat features and colony characteristics influencing ant personality and its fitness consequences

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
István Maák ◽  
Gema Trigos-Peral ◽  
Piotr Ślipiński ◽  
Irena M Grześ ◽  
Gergely Horváth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Type ◽  
Behavioral Activity ◽  
Nest Density ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Behavioral Variation ◽  
Behavioral Traits ◽  
Fitness Consequences ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Colony Productivity ◽  
Colony Level

Abstract Several factors can influence individual and group behavioral variation that can have important fitness consequences. In this study, we tested how two habitat types (seminatural meadows and meadows invaded by Solidago plants) and factors like colony and worker size and nest density influence behavioral (activity, meanderness, exploration, aggression, and nest displacement) variation on different levels of the social organization of Myrmica rubra ants and how these might affect the colony productivity. We assumed that the factors within the two habitat types exert different selective pressures on individual and colony behavioral variation that affects colony productivity. Our results showed individual-/colony-specific expression of both mean and residual behavioral variation of the studied behavioral traits. Although habitat type did not have any direct effect, habitat-dependent factors, like colony size and nest density influenced the individual mean and residual variation of several traits. We also found personality at the individual-level and at the colony level. Exploration positively influenced the total- and worker production in both habitats. Worker aggression influenced all the productivity parameters in seminatural meadows, whereas activity had a positive effect on the worker and total production in invaded meadows. Our results suggest that habitat type, through its environmental characteristics, can affect different behavioral traits both at the individual and colony level and that those with the strongest effect on colony productivity primarily shape the personality of individuals. Our results highlight the need for complex environmental manipulations to fully understand the effects shaping behavior and reproduction in colony-living species.

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