Across Trophic Level System Simulation (ATLSS) - Wading Birds

Proposal, Project Summaries and Work Plan Metadata Publications Related Link

Through the 1960's, the Everglades served as a major breeding center for wading birds in the eastern United States. Over the past several decades, wading bird reproduction has declined dramatically, although the area is still an important feeding ground (Robertson and Frederick 1994). Numerous theories have been offered to explain the decline, including reduction in extent of habitat, reduced prey availability, alteration of drying rates, loss of peripheral short-hydroperiod wetlands, increase in frequency of drydowns, mercury toxicity, effects of eutrophication, shifts in migratory patterns, and changes in storm frequency (summarized in Fleming, Wolff, and DeAngelis 1994).

The ATLSS Wading Bird Foraging Conditions Index Model uses knowledge of how hydrologic factors affect the concentration and availability of food resources during the breeding season to compute a Foraging Conditions Index (FCI) for wading birds. The FCI is a composite index of spatial and temporal patterns. We express the effects of proposed hydrologic scenarios as changes in the spatial pattern of foraging potential over the model area for the 31-year simulation period.

Proposal

• 2001 (Effects of Hydrology on Wading Bird Foraging Parameters)

Project Summaries

• 2001, 2002, 2003 (Effects of Hydrology on Wading Bird Foraging Parameters)

Work Plan

• 2003 (Effects of Hydrology on Wading Bird Foraging Parameters)

Metadata

• Effects of Hydrology on Wading Bird Foraging Parameters

Publications

Abstracts:

• Computer Simulation Modeling of Intermediate Trophic Levels for Across Trophic Level Systems Simulation of the Everglades/Big Cypress Region (from the GEER Conference, December 2000)
• Effects of Hydrology on Wading Bird Foraging Parameters (from the GEER Conference, December 2000)
• Functional Response of Three Wading Bird Species to Prey Density (from the GEER Conference, April 2003)
• Wading Bird Simulation Modeling and Integration into ATLSS Landscape and Fish Models (from the South Florida Restoration Science Forum, May 1999)

  Posters:

• Aquatic Animal Ecology Research Program (from the South Florida Restoration Science Forum, May 1999)
• Using Surface Water to Predict the Numbers and Distribution of Wading Birds in Everglades National Park (from the South Florida Restoration Science Forum, May 1999)

Related Link

• Wading Bird Foraging Conditions Index (Basic Model Description)

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