Doctoral Dissertation Research: Migratory Shorebird Response to Habitat Availability Dynamics

对物种-栖息地关系的了解是采取平衡方法管理和保护自然资源的基础。这项博士论文研究项目将调查过去20年来地表水资源和栖息地的变化，以了解候鸟栖息地资源的可用性。该项目将评估广泛和精细的栖息地可获得性，并将分析潮湿和干旱年份栖息地类型之间的差异。这项研究将有助于更好地了解作为潜在栖息地的自然湿地和农业用地，以及在紧张条件下管理这些富含水资源的资源所面临的挑战。它将提供关于时空动态如何影响栖息地质量以及如何以最佳方式管理公共和私人土地以满足社会经济和环境需要的新信息。这位博士生将与几个当地组织和非政府组织(NGO)密切合作，这些发现可能会指导决策者选择和保护脆弱的环境。由于滨鸟是全球迁徙最频繁的物种之一，这项研究将在广泛的范围内为栖息地管理和保护经理提供信息。作为博士论文研究改进奖，该奖项还将提供支持，使有前途的学生能够建立强大的独立研究生涯。滨鸟偏好的栖息地可用性的变化尚不清楚，特别是对于内陆湿地和洪水灌溉的农业区。由于很大一部分栖息地存在于农田上，稻田淹水与滨鸟迁徙的同步在为滨鸟提供栖息地利益方面发挥了重要作用。该项目将解决两个核心问题：(1)影响滨鸟栖息地长期可获得性的外部驱动因素是什么？(2)栖息地可获得性的这些变化如何在空间尺度上变化？该项目将使用加州萨克拉门托河谷的多时相卫星图像、调查数据和现场信息来量化该地区的栖息地可用性。这些分析将评估候鸟对栖息地可获得性、水深和土地利用变化的反应。作为一个关键组成部分，多雨年和少雨年的比较差异将有助于改善对滨鸟及其湿地栖息地的监测和管理。

An understanding of species-habitat relationship is fundamental for adopting a balanced approach for managing and conserving natural resources. This doctoral dissertation research project will investigate surface water resources and habitat changes over the past two decades to understand habitat resource availability for migratory shore birds. The project will assess broad and fine-scale habitat availability and will analyze differences between habitat types across wet and dry years. The research will contribute to a better understanding of natural wetlands and agriculture lands as potential habitats and the challenges of managing these water-rich resources under stressed conditions. It will provide new information regarding how spatio-temporal dynamics influence habitat quality and how public and private lands can be optimally managed to serve socio-economic and environmental needs. The doctoral student will work closely with several local organizations and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) with the findings likely to guide policy makers in selecting and protecting fragile environments. Because shorebirds are among the most migratory species on a global level, the research will inform habitat management and conservation managers on a broad scale. As a Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement award, this award also will provide support to enable a promising student to establish a strong independent research career.Changes in habitat availability preferred by shorebirds are not well understood, particularly for inland wetlands and flood-irrigated agricultural areas. Because large portions of the habitat exist on agricultural lands, the synchronization of rice-field inundations with shorebird migration plays an important role in providing habitat benefits to the birds. This project will address two core questions: (1) What are the external drivers impacting long-term shorebird habitat availability? (2) How do these changes in habitat availability vary across spatial scales? The project will use multi-temporal satellite imagery, survey data, and in situ information for the Sacramento River Valley in California to quantify habitat availability in the area. The analyses will provide an assessment of the response of migratory shorebirds to changes in habitat availability, water depth and land use. As a key component, the comparative differences across wet and dry years will help improve monitoring and management of shorebirds and their wetland habitats.