Interactions between migratory shorebirds and soft-sediment intertidal systems in Atlantic Canada

许多种类的北美滨鸟正在经历人口下降。长距离迁徙的滨鸟在其整个范围内，包括在迁徙中途停留地，都容易受到生境退化的影响。因此，保持中途停留地的完整性是一个重要的保护目标，通过清楚地了解所涉生态系统的结构和功能，有助于适当的生境管理。加拿大大西洋沿岸的沿海地区为大量从北极迁徙到南部越冬地的滨鸟提供了中途停留的地点。芬迪湾是一个关键的中途停留区半棕榈鹬。大量的研究已经完成了对海湾的使用这些鸟类，并在该地区的泥滩相关的生态群落。然而，其他沿海地区，如新玩法东部和新斯科舍省南部，对多种物种也很重要，但受到的关注要少得多。我建议研究如何滨鸟互动和使用这些网站。具体来说，我将使用无线电跟踪技术，以检查运动，栖息地的使用和逗留时间的半棕榈鹬和半棕榈鹬。我还将研究鸟类在现场的行为，并将其与栖息地特征和猎物的可用性联系起来。我将进行一项大规模的抽样研究，以评估整个研究区域的地点特征，并将那些与丰富的滨鸟联系起来。在确定了重要的地点之后，我将进行操纵性实验，以评估在这些地点构建群落的生态相互作用。我还将调查如何使用不同的栖息地影响鹬饮食和育肥率。为了实现这一目标，我将从芬迪湾和其他沿海地区的鸟类中收集血液样本，并分析血浆甘油三酯水平（肥育率的指标）和稳定同位素水平（估计饮食的一种方法）。然后，我将无线电跟踪这两个地区的鸟类，以确定它们在该地区停留多久。最后，在这方面的后续工作，我将进行操作实验，潮间带泥滩，以帮助我们了解的顺序殖民化的泥滩社区的发展的影响，并导致猎物的滨鸟。这里提出的工作将提高我们的理解，滨鸟使用的迁徙中途停留地点在这一地区。它将使我们能够测试关于运动和停留时间相对于饮食和育肥率的假设，并将有助于确定关键滨鸟栖息地的预测模型。加拿大拥有我打算研究的两种滨鸟种群的很大一部分。因此，我们对它们的保护负有重大责任。我的工作将有助于这一努力，提供一些必要的信息，使明智的保护决策。

Many species of North American shorebirds are experiencing population declines. Shorebirds that migrate long distances are vulnerable to habitat degradation throughout their range, including on migratory stopover sites. Preserving integrity of stopover sites is thus an important conservation objective, and appropriate habitat management is facilitated by a clear understanding of the structure and function of the ecosystems involved. Coastal areas of Atlantic Canada provide stopover sites for large populations of shorebirds migrating from the Arctic to southern wintering grounds in late summer and fall. The Bay of Fundy is a critical stopover area for Semipalmated Sandpipers. Considerable research has been done on use of the Bay by these birds, and on the ecological community associated with mudflats in the region. However, other coastal sites, such as in eastern New Brunswick and southern Nova Scotia, are also important to multiple species but have received much less attention. I propose to examine how shorebirds interact with and use these sites. Specifically, I will use radio-tracking technology to examine movements, habitat use and duration of stay of Semipalmated Sandpipers and Semipalmated Plovers. I will also examine behaviour of birds at sites and link that to habitat characteristics and availability of prey. I will conduct a broad-scale sampling study to assess site characteristics across the study area, and link those with abundance of shorebirds. Following identification of important sites, I will conduct manipulative experiments to assess the ecological interactions that structure communities at these sites. I will also investigate how use of different habitats affects sandpiper diets and fattening rates. To achieve this, I will collect blood samples from birds in the Bay of Fundy and at other coastal sites, and analyze plasma triglyceride levels (an indication of fattening rates) and stable isotope levels (a way to estimate diet). I will then radio-track birds in both areas to determine how long they remain in the region. Finally, following up on previous work in this area, I will conduct manipulative experiments on intertidal mudflats to help us to understand the effects of order of colonization on development of the mudflat community, and resulting prey availability for shorebirds. The work proposed here will enhance our understanding of shorebird use of migratory stopover sites in this region. It will allow us to test hypotheses about movement and duration of stay relative to diet and fattening rate, and will contribute to predictive models identifying key shorebird habitat. Canada hosts a large proportion of the population of both shorebird species I propose to study. As such, we have a significant responsibility their conservation. My work will contribute to this effort, providing some of the information necessary to make informed conservation decisions.