Browsing by Author "Paugh, Justin Isaac"

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Common Loon nesting ecology in Northwest Montana
(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Letters & Science, 2006) Paugh, Justin Isaac; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Jay J. Rotella
Common Loons (Gavia immer) are found across the northern continental United States and in Canada and Alaska. The common loon is long lived, with delayed breeding maturity and low fecundity. Surveys indicate Montana's Common Loon population remains stable, but lakeshore development and watercraft recreation are increasing. While the effects of these changes are unclear, research investigating reproductive success over a gradient of habitat conditions, at multiple spatial scales is lacking. The objectives of this research were to investigate vital rates and the relationships between daily nest survival, chick survival and environmental covariates across multiple spatial scales. I monitored seventy-nine Common Loon nesting attempts and the fates of sixty-five Common Loon chicks during two field seasons in Montana. The strongest predictor of nest survival was the type of breeding territory occupied by loons. Loon nests on small lakes (<60 acres) showed the highest nest survival, followed by nests established on large lakes (>60 acres) occupied by a single breeding pair. The lowest nest survival occurred on large lakes (>60 acres) occupied by two or more breeding pairs.