The aim of the thesis was monitoring abundance and distribution of nests of Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus) during the season on the Naděje fishpond system. Further observation included factors that could affect nesting success of the Great Crested Grebe. Attention was concentrated on Wild Duck (Anas platyrhynchos) which is bred by man on the fishpond system and might negatively affect nesting success of Great Crested Grebe. Part of this study was the detailed observation of selected pairs during the nesting season by using camera traps. Temperature measurement in the nests was done by temperature data logger. The investigation was realized on the Naděje fishpond system near the village Frahelž. The research took place from the 14th of April to the 28th of October in 2015. In 2015 were found and investigated 37 nests on the Naděje fishpond system. On the fishpond Skutek were monitored 34 nest, on the fishpond Láska 2 nests and on the fishpond Rod only 1 nest. Majority nests (30) were found on a free surface and 7 nests were situated in the bushy vegetation. Parameters of 111 eggs were obtained altogether. On the fishpond Skutek were found 100 eggs, on fishpond Láska 8 eggs and in the only nest on fishpond Rod 3 eggs. Using the camera traps during the observation proved negative effect of wild duck on Great Crested Grebe nesting. The nest was destroyed group of wild duck. The maximum temperature in the nest reached 33,8 °C.

Submitted by Milena Rubi (milenarubi@ufscar.br) on 2017-03-08T17:34:07Z No. of bitstreams: 1 ZIMA_Paulo Victor Queijo_2015.pdf: 8634156 bytes, checksum: 4f2f88f4f14eb30e6ad14457045ce5d8 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Milena Rubi (milenarubi@ufscar.br) on 2017-03-08T17:34:16Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 ZIMA_Paulo Victor Queijo_2015.pdf: 8634156 bytes, checksum: 4f2f88f4f14eb30e6ad14457045ce5d8 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Milena Rubi (milenarubi@ufscar.br) on 2017-03-08T17:35:00Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 ZIMA_Paulo Victor Queijo_2015.pdf: 8634156 bytes, checksum: 4f2f88f4f14eb30e6ad14457045ce5d8 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-03-08T17:35:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ZIMA_Paulo Victor Queijo_2015.pdf: 8634156 bytes, checksum: 4f2f88f4f14eb30e6ad14457045ce5d8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-02-04 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / The family Pipridae is endemic to the Neotropics, having frugivorous habits. Males of some species make complex sexual displays to attract the females, and they live in the middle stratum of tropical forests. Of 51 species, 29 have their nests described, five have incubation periods descriptions, and six have nestling periods reported. The Blue Manakin, Chiroxiphia caudata, is common in humid and secondary forests of southeastern Brazil, northeastern Argentina and eastern Paraguay and its breeding biology is poorly documented. Here analyzed 36 active nests in two breeding seasons (2013/2014 and 2014/2015) in a well-preserved Brazilian Atlantic Forest continuum. Nests were swallow cups hung by their rims in horizontal forks, built in bushes or saplings, over or near forest streams. Reproductive activities were recorded from October to February and clutch sizes were invariably two eggs. Incubation period was 18 days, and nestling period was 15 - 16 days. Estimated overall nesting success, from egg-laying to fledging, was 40%, being higher than most studies on piprids that have been conducted in disturbed habitats. Our data give support to the theory that in the Pipridae family only females provide parental care. / Não informado pelo autor.

The aim of this work was to realize some regular monitoring of nesting occurrence of Reed-warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus), measure all nesting parameters of each found nest {--} nesting placing in a vegetation, characteristic of vegetation, running of nesting {--} and explain which factors should play a role in a seizing of these localities {--} to explain a measure of nesting predation by way of artificial nests. Statistically analyze these parameters and find some dependence and relations which should influence running or success of nesting.

Artificial beach nourishment, the most common method to mitigate coastal erosion in the United States, is also considered the most ecologically friendly alternative for shoreline stabilization. However, this habitat alteration has the potential to impact nesting marine turtles and developing hatchlings. The first objective of this study was to determine how nourishing beaches with two different design templates affects loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green turtle (Chelonia mydas) nesting success, the ratio of nests to the total number of nests and non-nesting emergences, and reproductive success, the ratio of hatched and emerged hatchlings to the total number of eggs deposited. Two types of restoration designs exist along the southern Brevard County, FL coastline, which supports some of the highest density loggerhead and green turtle nesting worldwide. Since 2005, approximately 35 kilometers of beach have undergone 1) fullscale restoration (typically called nourishment), where sand was added above and below the mean high tide line (2005, 2010) or 2) dune restoration, where sand was placed on the dune (2005, 2006, 2008, 2009). To quantify the effects of these restoration types, we used a Before-After-ControlImpact-Paired Series (BACIPS) model, which tests for significance between the difference in nesting success rates at the impact (engineered) and control sites (natural beach) before and after restoration ( ). For loggerheads, there was a significant difference in after dune restoration during the years of construction (2005, 2006, 2008, and 2009; p

Habitat loss and predation are threatening many shorebird populations worldwide. While habitat preservation often is preferable, sometimes habitat needs to be restored or created in order to stave off immediate declines. The Great Plains population of piping plovers (Charadrius melodus) was listed as threatened in 1986, and habitat loss and predation appear to be limiting the growth of this population. On the Missouri River, piping plovers nest on sandbars, but the damming of the mainstem of the Missouri in the mid-twentieth century reduced the natural capacity of the Missouri River to create sandbar habitat. In 2004, the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) implemented a habitat creation project on the Gavins Point Reach of the Missouri River (stretch of river immediately downriver from the Gavins Point Dam) in an effort to promote recovery of piping plovers and the endangered least tern (Sternula antillarum). The USACE built 3 sandbars in 2004 – 2005 and built another sandbar on Lewis and Clark Lake in 2007. We studied the population dynamics of piping plovers in relationship to this newly engineered habitat. We monitored 623 nests on 16 sandbar complexes, to evaluate habitat selection, determine the factors affecting nesting success, and compare nesting success between natural and engineered habitat. From these 623 nests, we banded 357 adults and 685 chicks to investigate the factors affecting adult and juvenile survival. We used a logistic-exposure model to calculate nest survival. Adult and juvenile survival was calculated using Cormack-Jolly-Seber based models in Program MARK. We used the estimates from these studies to create a matrix population model for piping plovers nesting on the Gavins Point Reach. We used this model to predict the effects of engineered habitat on the population growth rate. Piping plovers selected for engineered sandbars and against natural and natural/modified habitats. Daily survival rate (DSR) on engineered habitats was significantly higher than on natural or natural modified habitats (log odds: 2.71, 95% CI: 1.20 – 6.08). Predator exclosures around nests did not affect DSR after controlling for the effects of date, nest age, and clutch size. Piping plover juvenile survival to recruitment was negatively related to nesting density on the relatively densely populated engineered sandbars. On the less dense natural sandbars, survival to recruitment was positively correlated with density. Adult survival did not appear to be related to density within our study. Movement within the study area was related also to density. Juveniles from densely populated engineered sandbars were more likely to leave engineered habitat to nest on natural sandbars than were juveniles hatched on less densely populated engineered sandbars. Movements among sandbars by breeding adults suggested that adults preferred engineered habitat. It is possible that juveniles moved to natural habitats because they were unable to compete with adults for the more desirable engineered habitats. Adults and juveniles emigrated from the study area at a higher rate after the 2006 breeding season, a year when water discharge was higher, nesting densities were higher, and reproductive success was lower (as a result of predation) than in the other years. Deterministic modeling suggested that engineered habitat significantly increased population growth. Decreased productivity over time and associated predicted negative population growth suggest that the amount of engineered habitat created was inadequate to sustain population growth, and/or that relatively high water discharge and nesting densities coupled with low reproductive rates and high emigration rates could lead to rapid declines in the plover population. Continued research is needed to determine the effects of these factors on long-term population growth. Our results suggest that habitat creation could be a viable short-term solution to population declines in shorebird populations limited by habitat loss, but high densities and increased predation associated with habitat creation indicate that other, long-term solutions may be required. / Ph. D.

The abundance of Rio Grande wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo intermedia) in the southeastern Edwards Plateau of Texas has declined since the late 1970s. Because knowledge of reproductive rates is important to understanding the dynamics of a population, radio-tagged hens were monitored during the 2005–2007 reproductive seasons to evaluate and compare reproductive parameters from areas with both declining and stable population trends. During January–March of 2005–2007, turkey hens were captured and radiotagged on 4 study areas; 2 within a region of stable turkey populations, and 2 within a region of declining populations. Monitoring occurred from January–July each season to determine nest- site locations. Nesting attempts, nest fate, clutch size, initiation date, and nest age were recorded. Nests were monitored ≥3 times weekly in order to estimate production parameters and daily nest survival. Poults were captured by hand and fitted with a 1.2 glue-on transmitter and monitored daily to estimate daily survival. Estimates show production was greater in stable regions than declining regions of the Edwards Plateau. Eighty-four percent of hens attempted to nest in the stable region and 67% attempted in the declining region. Eighteen of 102 nests were successful (≥1 egg hatched), in the stable region and 7 of 60 nests were successful in the declining region. Nest-survival analysis showed an influence of temporal variation within years, yet no differences in nest survival were detected between stable and declining regions. Poult survival also showed no difference between regions. The 2 overall objectives of this study were to determine if nesting parameters and nest survival were limiting factors in Rio Grande wild turkey abundance in the Edwards Plateau. Regional differences in production suggest the cause of the decline in the southeastern portion of the Edwards Plateau could be associated with lower reproductive output and consequently, success. Regional differences in nest survival were not detected, thus not likely to cause differences in turkey abundance between regions.

Sea turtles face many threats to their populations globally. Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) and green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) are listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List as Endangered. In Florida, loggerhead and green sea turtles nest along the coastline during April-September. Mechanical beach cleaning is an aesthetic service performed daily on some beaches in Florida to clean the wrack line and/or the entire beach of debris. Alterations made to beaches by methods such as mechanical beach cleaning have the potential to impact sea turtle nesting, hatching, and emergence success. Generalized linear mixed models were performed to investigate the impacts of mechanical beach cleaning on nesting, hatching and emergence success of loggerhead and green turtles from 1997-2015 in Broward County, Florida. The results showed mechanical beach cleaning had an effect on nesting success, however, hatching and emergence success were not affected by mechanical beach cleaning. These results indicate that mechanical beach cleaning cannot solely be used to determine sea turtle management or conservation guidelines in Broward County.

Short breeding period and harsh climatic conditions are major limiting factors to which birds have to adapt in northern tundra regions. Despite this fact, dozen species of birds annually migrate into these regions to increase their chances to breed successfully. My diploma thesis focuses on incubation behaviour of the Arctic tern (Sterna paradisaea). The research for my thesis took place on the Norwegian archipelago Svalbard, in two particular locations: Adolfbukta and Longyearbyen. By using the method of continuous video recording, I described incubation behaviour of this specie in detail. Human activity is very different on each of Adolfbukta and Longyearbyen. On site Adolfbukta study was conducted during seasons 2012 and 2014, both with different predation pressure. Having known that, I could evaluate the impact of human activity as well as the impact of different predation pressure on incubation behaviour and breeding ecology of Arctic tern. The presence of human close to the colony had significant effect on incubation behaviour. Due to higher disturbances, incubating birds tended to leave their nests more often, attention paid to the nest was smaller and calm incubation (sleeping on the nest) was shorter by a half. Human activity had no effect on other displays such as average clutch size or...

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