Factors Regulating Population Size and Colony Distribution of Adelie Penguins in the Ross Sea

摘要 该合作项目调查了现有阿德利企鹅Pygoscelis adeliae殖民地急剧增长的人口机制，以及罗斯海新殖民地的建立。研究还将调查增长与该区域有记录的气候变化有关的可能性，方法是：1）区分限制殖民地增长的关键资源的相对重要性-筑巢栖息地的可用性与获得食物-以及2）检查行为机制（philopatry-移民/移民平衡，和/或繁殖努力/成功），影响殖民地的增长作为初始大小和分布的函数。这将是第一个经验性的皮奥里研究，考虑到海鸟种群的地理结构。 研究结果将增加对以下问题的理解：1）种群调节和扩散模式，2）通过海冰覆盖变化介导的气候变化对企鹅种群的影响。 此外，研究结果将提供一个背景，解释现有项目中关于企鹅种群趋势的相互矛盾的数据，这些项目使用阿德利企鹅作为南极资源点源人为影响的指示物种（例如，渔业捕捞、旅游业干扰）。 为期7年的研究（由NSF资助的4个完整和1个部分年份）包括在罗斯岛三个企鹅殖民地进行的密集实地研究。该研究将量化生殖努力和成功，食物供应（获得食物），饮食质量，栖息地使用和移民/移民相对于殖民地大小和环境条件（即，浮冰覆盖）。 这些方法将把南极生物研究中已成功但不常使用的几种行之有效的技术结合在一起：航空摄影以评估筑巢生境的可用性，海冰密集度的微波图像以评估觅食生境的可用性，稳定同位素分析以评估食物质量，无线电遥测以评估蜂群觅食区的重叠，和自动化系统来记录生殖努力的各个方面。 该研究建立在新西兰土地保护研究所（LCRNZ）的努力之上，并与之合作，该研究所将进行两个初步的实地调查季节，包括测试新设备，并将在工作期间继续进行，并得到独立资助。 来自加州圣克鲁斯大学、威斯康星州大学和Avid公司的研究人员将与来自H. T. Harvey Associates和LCRNZ共同完成项目目标。&

Abstract The collaborative project investigates the demographic mechanisms responsible for dramatic growth in existing Adelie Penguins Pygoscelis adeliae colonies, and the founding of new ones, in the Ross Sea. Research will also investigate the possibility that growth is related to documented climate change in the region by: 1) distinguishing the relative importance of the key resources that constrain growth of colonies--availability of nesting habitat vs. access to food -- and 2) examining behavioral mechanisms (philopatry -- the immigration/emigration balance, and/or breeding effort/success) that influence colony growth as a function of initial size and distribution. This will be the first empirical a piori study to consider the geographic structuring of a seabird population. Results will increase understanding of 1) population regulation and patterns of dispersion, and 2) effects of climate change, mediated through changes in sea-ice cover, on penguin populations. In addition, results will provide a context in which to interpret conflicting data on penguin population trends from existing programs that use Adelie penguins as an indicator species for point source anthropogenic impacts on Antarctic resources (e.g., fishery catches, disturbance by tourism). The 7 years of research (4 full and 1 partial years funded by NSF) includes intensive field study conducted at three Ross Island penguin colonies. The study will quantify reproductive effort and success, food availability (access to food), diet quality, habitat use and immigration/emigration relative to colony size and environmental conditions (i.e., pack-ice cover). Methods will bring together several well-established techniques that have been successfully but infrequently used in Antarctic biological research: aerial photography to evaluate availability of nesting habitat, microwave images of sea-ice concentration to assess availability of feeding habitat, analysis of stable isotopes to evaluate food quality, radio telemetry to assess overlap in colony feeding areas, and automatic systems to log aspects of reproductive effort. The research builds on, and collaborates with the efforts of Landcare Research New Zealand (LCRNZ), which will have conducted two preliminary field seasons, including testing of new equipment, will continue through the period of effort, and which is independently funded. Researchers from the University of California Santa Cruz, University of Wisconsin, and Avid Inc will collaborate with those from H.T. Harvey & Associates and LCRNZ to accomplish project goals.