LTREB Renewal: Collaborative Research: Density-Dependent and Density-Independent Effects on the Non-Breeding Season Dynamics of a Migratory Bird

该项目继续对牙买加非繁殖期的长途候鸟进行了长达25年的研究。在接下来的五年里，研究人员将测量鸟类的身体状况和生存如何受到种群规模和气候的影响。随着种群规模的增加，存活率预计会下降，这种现象被称为调节。然而，生存也会对诸如天气等独立于种群规模的因素做出反应，这一过程被称为限制。了解种群调节和限制如何影响候鸟的生存和丰度，对于预测未来环境变化对候鸟的影响是必要的。由于气候学家预测加勒比海地区的干旱会加剧，这项研究的结果将为气候变化对这些物种的行为、数量和最终进化的影响提供关键的见解。该项目将为美国两名研究生和20多名本科生以及牙买加学生和科学家提供专业培训。调查人员将继续他们与牙买加野生动物机构和当地保护组织的现有合作，并将把他们的研究成果传达给美国和加勒比地区的科学家、决策者和公民。该项目的数据以电子方式提供。

This project continues a 25-year study of long-distance migratory birds during the non-breeding season in Jamaica. Over the next five years, the researchers will measure how birds' physical condition and survival are influenced by population size and climate. Survival is expected to decrease as population size increases, a phenomenon known as regulation. However, survival also responds to factors such as weather that act independently of population size, a process known as limitation. Understanding how population regulation and limitation influence survival and abundance is necessary to predict how future environmental change will affect migratory birds. Since climatologists forecast increasing drought in the Caribbean, results from this research will provide critical insights into the consequences of climate change on the behavior, abundance, and ultimately the evolution of these species.This project will facilitate the professional training of two graduate and over 20 undergraduate students in the US, as well as Jamaican students and scientists. The investigators will continue their existing collaborations with Jamaican wildlife agencies and local conservation groups, and will communicate their research results to scientists, policy makers, and citizens in the U.S. and the Caribbean. Data from the project are available electronically.