LTREB Renewal: Long-term Investigation of Territorial Behavior and Population Dynamics in the Common Loon

LTREB 更新：潜鸟领地行为和种群动态的长期调查

• 批准号: 1242643
• 负责人: Walter Piper
• 金额: $ 44.97万
• 依托单位: Chapman University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-08-01 至 2019-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1242643&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: LTREB; Renewal; Long; term; Investigation

This long-term project focuses on common loons, diving birds that breed on lakes in the northern U.S. and are famous for their loud, humanlike vocalizations. Both sexes defend territories from intruders, which often take them by force. About one-third of all male takeovers are fatal for the displaced breeder; females seldom fight to the death. Current theory predicts that lethal battles should be frequent in short lived animals because they have few reproductive opportunities, but organisms such as loons should never fight to the death because they are long-lived and territories are plentiful. Over the course of ten years, the project is testing three hypotheses to account for fatal fighting: 1) fatal battles constitute a 'terminal investment' for old, declining males, 2) males that fight to the death defend chicks well, which offsets their hyper-aggressiveness, and 3) extreme familiarity with a territory causes fatal battles. To test these hypotheses, the researchers follow and observe a large number of marked individuals, measure body mass of captured loons, and analyze territorial fights, usurpations and survival patterns across time. Results from this study will help scientists understand lethal contests in animals, aggressive behavior, and the process of aging. Though loons are common within their range, they are considered of special concern by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and are declining across their range. Long-term data and results from this project will inform conservation and management programs. In addition, the project will train a large number of undergraduate students who, by initiating independent field projects, will learn about experimental design, data collection and statistical analysis. Discoveries about this popular bird will be shared with the broader public via popular articles, T.V. and radio interviews, and a project website.

这个长期项目的重点是常见的潜鸟，潜水鸟繁殖的湖泊在北方美国和著名的响亮，人类的声音。两性都要保卫自己的领土不受入侵者的侵犯，而入侵者往往会用武力夺取它们。大约三分之一的雄性接管对被取代的繁殖者来说是致命的;雌性很少战斗到死。目前的理论预测，致命的战斗应该经常发生在寿命短的动物身上，因为它们几乎没有繁殖机会，但像潜鸟这样的生物应该永远不会战斗到死，因为它们寿命长，领土丰富。在十年的时间里，该项目正在测试三个假设来解释致命的战斗：1）致命的战斗构成了老年人的“终端投资”，衰退的男性，2）战斗到死的男性很好地保护小鸡，这抵消了他们的超级侵略性，3）对一个领域的极度熟悉导致致命的战斗。为了验证这些假设，研究人员跟踪并观察了大量有标记的个体，测量了捕获的潜鸟的体重，并分析了随着时间的推移，领土争夺，篡夺和生存模式。这项研究的结果将有助于科学家了解动物的致命竞争，攻击行为和衰老过程。虽然潜鸟在它们的活动范围内很常见，但威斯康星州自然资源部认为它们是特别关注的对象，并且在它们的活动范围内正在下降。该项目的长期数据和结果将为保护和管理计划提供信息。此外，该项目还将培养大量本科生，通过开展独立的实地项目，他们将学习实验设计、数据收集和统计分析。关于这种受欢迎的鸟的发现将通过流行的文章、电视和电台采访以及一个项目网站与更广泛的公众分享。