Demography, Nest Site Selection, and Physiological and Behavioral Responses to Overflights and other Human Activities, of Wilson's Plover (Charadrius wilsonia) at Cape Lookout National Seashore, North Carolina

There is little information on demographic trends of, or threats to the Wilson's Plover (Charadrius wilsonia), despite concerns that habitat degradation may be causing the species to decline. I studied Wilson's Plover demography, nest site selection, and physiological and behavioral responses to overflights at Cape Lookout National Seashore, North Carolina, where the National Park Service and U.S. Marine Corps recently lowered the altitude for overflights at tactical speeds. I monitored the responses of incubating Wilson's Plovers to overflights and other human activities and compared heart rate, incubation rate, and vigilance behaviors during time periods with and without these stimuli. I compared habitat use vs. availability at the island-scale, and nest placement relative to geomorphic features and vegetative cover, both on a local and island-wide scale. Wilson's Plovers increased vigilance during military rotary-wing and civilian fixed-wing overflights, but not during military fixed-wing overflights. Plovers were vigilant more and incubated less when researchers were present. Wilson's Plovers selected for interdune areas, flats and isolated dunelets on flats, and against beach and dunes. At the local scale, nests were more likely to be near dense vegetation than random points. Mayfield nest survival was 25%, and predation caused most of the nest failure. Daily nest survival was negatively correlated with nest age and initiation date. Nests with cameras and heart rate monitors had lower survival, and nests with predator exclosures had higher survival. The mean number of chicks fledged per pair was 0.78.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences

Department dc:contributor.department

Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2012

Author dc:creator

• DeRose-Wilson, Audrey Laura

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Fraser, James D.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Karpanty, Sarah M.
• Walters, Jeffrey R.

• Wilson's Plover
• Reproduction
• overflights
• heart rate
• habitat selection
• disturbance
• Charadrius wilsonia
• behavior

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

etd-09252012-105229

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/44899