Predation on Waterfowl in Arctic Tundra
and Prairie Breeding Areas: A Review
Marsha A. Sovada, R. Michael Anthony, and Bruce D.J. Batt
Abstract: Predation is a natural component of waterfowl population biology, but environmental alterations have changed the magnitude and importance of predation on waterfowl breeding areas. We reviewed the status of waterfowl populations, adaptations of waterfowl that minimize impacts of predation, and the impacts of predation on waterfowl populations in 2 major North American breeding areas, the Arctic and Prairie Regions. We identified the underlying factors contributing to most waterfowl predation problems to be changes in essential breeding habitats and changes in predator community composition and abundance. In the Arctic, high predation rates on waterfowl eggs and young are usually associated with predators gaining access to populations that were previously isolated. In the prairie, predation problems are often related to large-scale habitat degradation coupled with changes in predator communities. Predation problems are often symptomatic of inadequate habitat management, but we recognize that habitat management alone is not always sufficient to effectively manage predation problems. Predation management efforts should be integrated with strategies of long-term management of habitats critical to breeding waterfowl, strategies embraced by the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. Predation management must be tailored to different situations and include an element of flexibility that allows appropriate response to the dynamic nature of factors influencing survival and recruitment.
Key Words: Arctic, breeding waterfowl, Prairie Region, predation
This resource is based on the following source (Northern Prairie Publication 1127):
Sovada, Marsha A., R. Michael Anthony, and Bruce D.J. Batt. 2001.
Predation on waterfowl in arctic tundra and prairie breeding
areas: a review. Wildlife Society Bulletin 29(1):6-15.
This resource should be cited as:
Sovada, Marsha A., R. Michael Anthony, and Bruce D.J. Batt. 2001.
Predation on waterfowl in arctic tundra and prairie breeding
areas: a review. Wildlife Society Bulletin 29(1):6-15.
Jamestown, ND: Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Online.
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/wfpred/wfpred.htm
(Version 07JAN2002).
Table of Contents
Marsha A. Sovada, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, United States Geological Survey, Jamestown, ND, 58401 USA; e-mail: Marsha_Sovada@usgs.gov
R. Michael Anthony, Alaska Biological Science Center, United States Geological Survey, Anchorage, AK, 99503 USA
Bruce D.J. Batt, Ducks Unlimited, Inc., One Waterfowl Way, Memphis, TN, 38133 USA
Downloading Instructions -- Instructions on downloading and extracting files from this site.
wfpred.zip ( 28K bytes) -- Predation on Waterfowl in Arctic Tundra and Prairie Breeding Areas: A Review
Installation: Extract all files and open wfpred.htm in a web browser.
