REU: Influence of Nest Placement on Ecology of Coexisting Species

这个项目将扩展以前关于巢穴捕食和巢穴安置对栖息地选择、物种共存和生殖投资的影响的工作。巢穴安置和巢穴捕食在这类话题中受到的关注相对较少，因此，可以增加我们对这些话题领域的理解。此外，由于繁殖成功对种群维持的重要性，因此，对筑巢成功的生态制约知识对物种保护至关重要。超过350个鸟巢的筑巢成功率和相关栖息地的数据将在此次续签的额外两年内收集。这些数据将被用来检验关于鸟巢斑块选择和共存物种之间差异的假设和预测。人工蜂巢将被用来对群落作为进化的蜂巢放置特征的函数的入侵性进行实验测试。研究人员将研究隐士画眉在两个不同栖息地的同一基质上筑巢，以考察进化的筑巢位置对局部筑巢成功的影响(例如。“源-汇”效应)。巢穴放置的可变性将在年内和年间进行检查，并与巢穴捕食有关。将监测巢的放置对雌鸟上巢、雄鸟喂食和看护雌鸟以及喂食雏鸟的影响。最后，将比较基于觅食地点和筑巢地点的共存物种之间的差异。研究结果将有助于鸟类群落的基本生态学和鸟类保护生物学的研究。//

This project will expand previous work on nest predation and nest placement as influences on habitat selection, coexistence of species, and reproductive investment. Nest placement and nest predation have received relatively little attention in such topics and, thus, can increase our understanding of these topics areas. Plus, knowledge of ecological constraints on nesting success in critical to conservation of species because of the importance of reproductive success to population maintenance. Data on nesting success and associated habitat for more than 350 nest will be collected during two additional years under this renewal. These data will be used to test hypotheses and predictions on nest patch choice and differences among coexisting species. Artifical nest will be used to conduct experimental tests of invasibility of communities as a function of evolved nest placement traits. Researchers will study Hermit Thrushes nesting in the same substrate in two different habitats to examine effects of evolved nest placement on local nesting success (e.g.. "source - sink" effects). Variability in nest placement will be examined within and among years and relative to nest predation. Effects of nest placement on nest attendance by females, feeding and guarding of females by males, and feeding nestlings will be monitored. Finally, differences among the coexisting species based on their foraging sites versus nesting sites will be compared. Results will contribute to the basic ecology of avian communities and to conservation biology of birds. //