Effects of Hydrology on Wading Bird Foraging Parameters

The conceptual model for this study is based on the idea that hydroperiod is a long-term process that primarily influences the abundance, body size, and species composition of the prey community whereas water depth has immediate effects on individual birds by influencing their ability to capture prey. This study seeks to determine through field experiments, the proximate effects of water depth, prey density, prey size, and prey species on wading bird foraging parameters. The species of wading birds examined in this study are those in the ATLSS wading bird model: the Wood Stork, White Ibis, Great Egret, and Great Blue Heron.本研究的概念模型基于如下核心观点：水文周期（hydroperiod）作为长期过程，主要调控猎物群落的丰度、个体体型与物种组成；而水深则通过影响涉禽的捕食能力，对个体鸟类产生即时效应。本研究旨在通过野外实验，探明水深、猎物密度、猎物体型及猎物物种对涉禽觅食参数的近因效应。本研究选取的涉禽物种为ATLSS涉禽模型所涵盖的类群：林鹳（Wood Stork）、白鹮（White Ibis）、大白鹭（Great Egret）及大蓝鹭（Great Blue Heron）。