Territory Quality and Habitat Use in an Avian Species

这个为期3年的项目的目的是了解更多关于 领土，使用鸟类的人口，其中合作 家族单位全年保卫大片领土。 这项研究发表在 a部分继续进行长期的种群生物学研究， 一种非常有启发性的鸟类， 是佛罗里达种族的特征，但在整个 物种分布于北美洲西部。 17年来， 调查人员已经监测了出生，移动， 交配，领土的习惯，和数百个灌木丛的死亡 松鸦。 这笔赠款将用于继续监测 人口增加三年。 更重要的是， 允许对造成一些问题的因素进行重大调查， 集团保卫大片领土和其他平等 在小的成功。 土地质量的作用，因为它 影响繁殖成功也将进行调查。 这些目标将通过仔细衡量 每个地区的生境特征和食物资源（或 代表性的）在三年的所有季节。 的 结果将使研究人员能够估计相对 在过去17年中已经绘制的领土质量 多年的研究，因为栖息地基本上仍然是 在这段时间内保持不变。 最终结果将提供独特的 深入了解永久领土权的动态和作用 在一个非迁徙的、社会合作的动物物种中。 的 这项研究的影响将普遍扩大到一个广泛的群体 进化出合作行为的动物物种 应付长期挤迫环境的方法 条件

The purpose of this 3-year project is to learn more about territoriality, using a population of birds in which cooperative family units defend large territories all year. The study is in part a continuation of a long-term study of population biology in a very illuminating species of bird, in which social cooperation characterizes the Florida race but is absent throughout the species' distribution in Western North America. For 17 years the investigators have monitored the details of births, movements, matings, territorial habits, and deaths of hundreds of scrub jays. This grant will permit continued monitoring of the population for three additional years. More important, it will allow a major investigation into the factors that cause some groups to defend large territories and others to be equally successful in small ones. The role of territory quality as it affects reproductive success will also be investigated. These objectives will be met by carefully measuring the habitat features and food resources of each territory (or representative ones) over all seasons for three years. The results will allow the investigators to estimate the relative quality of territories already mapped during the preceding 17 years of the study, because the habitat has remained essentially constant over that period. The final results will provide unique insight into the dynamics and roles of permanent territoriality within a non-migratory, socially cooperative animal species. The implications of this study will extend generally to a wide group of animal species that have evolved cooperative behavior as a means of coping with chronically crowded environmental conditions.