Resource selection and wintering phenology of White-winged Scoters in southern New England: Implications for offshore wind energy development
Resource selection and wintering phenology of White-winged Scoters in southern New England: Implications for offshore wind energy development
复制标题
DOI：
10.1093/condor/duy014
复制
发表时间：
2019-02
期刊：
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
Dustin E. Meattey;S. McWilliams;P. Paton;Christine Lepage;S. Gilliland;Lucas J. Savoy;G. Olsen;J. Osenkowski
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Dustin E. Meattey;S. McWilliams;P. Paton;Christine Lepage;S. Gilliland;Lucas J. Savoy;G. Olsen;J. Osenkowski
摘要新英格兰南部是白翅Scoters（Melanitta fusca）越冬的主要栖息地。该地区也是北美海上风能开发的先驱。美国海洋能源管理局（BOEM）已经在大西洋外大陆架沿着建立了9个风能区（WEA）租赁区块，这些区域可能为scoters和其他种类的海鸭提供重要的中转和越冬栖息地。对海上风能对海鸭种群的潜在影响的担忧导致了开发模型以了解其分布，栖息地使用和场地保真度的努力。我们用卫星遥测记录冬季物候和网站保真度，以及细尺度的资源选择和栖息地的使用，40白翅苏格兰沿着南部新英格兰大陆架。Scoters花了一半以上的年度周期的越冬理由，并表现出高度的年际网站保真度复合核心使用领域。个体50%核心利用家域的大小是可变的（= 868平方公里;范围：32- 4，220平方公里），个体95%利用分布范围很广（= 4，388平方公里;范围：272- 18，235平方公里）。超过一半的标记鸟类占据2个或更多的离散核心使用区，相距达400公里。在整个研究区域中，scoters选择了盐度较低、海面温度较低、叶绿素a浓度较高和硬底质概率较高的区域。资源选择函数模型将18，649平方公里（23%）的研究区域归类为高使用概率，其中包括或直接毗邻约420平方公里的拟议WEA租赁区块。该地区未来的海上风能开发应避免本研究强调的主要栖息地，并在规划和选址未来WEAs时仔细考虑海鸭选择的环境特征。
ABSTRACT Southern New England provides key wintering habitat for White-winged Scoters (Melanitta fusca). This area has also pioneered the development of offshore wind energy in North America. The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has established 9 Wind Energy Area (WEA) lease blocks along the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf in areas that may provide important staging and wintering habitat for scoters and other species of sea ducks. Concern over the potential impact of offshore wind energy on sea duck populations has led to efforts to develop models to understand their distribution, habitat use, and site fidelity. We used satellite telemetry to document winter phenology and site fidelity, as well as fine-scale resource selection and habitat use, of 40 White-winged Scoters along the southern New England continental shelf. Scoters spent over half of the annual cycle on the wintering grounds and demonstrated a high degree of interannual site fidelity to composite core-use areas. Sizes of individual 50% core-use home ranges were variable ( = 868 km2; range: 32–4,220 km2) and individual 95% utilization distributions ranged widely ( = 4,388 km2; range: 272–18,235 km2). More than half of all tagged birds occupied 2 or more discrete core-use areas that were up to 400 km apart. Throughout the study area, scoters selected areas with lower salinity, lower sea surface temperature, higher chlorophyll-a concentrations, and higher hard-bottom substrate probability. Resource selection function models classified 18,649 km2 (23%) of the study area as high probability of use, which included or immediately bordered ∼420 km2 of proposed WEA lease blocks. Future offshore wind energy developments in the region should avoid key habitats highlighted by this study and carefully consider the environmental characteristics selected by sea ducks when planning and siting future WEAs.