Population age structure as an indicator for assessing the quality of breeding areas of Common quail (Coturnix coturnix)

Nadal, Jesús; Ponz, Carolina; Margalida, Antoni

doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2018.06.010

Cited by 6 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…During period 2, the NCWRC estimated approximately 2,400 otters were harvested annually, and based on the age distributions, the population appears to be healthy (Sanders et al 2020 a ) with high reproduction and recruitment. The long‐term stable age distribution of harvested otters indicates that habitat and water quality are good (Sanders et al 2020 b ) and that reproduction is stable or increasing (Sulkava et al 2007, Barrett and Leslie 2012, Graser et al 2012, Marvá and San Segundo 2018, Nadal et al 2018). Further, an abundance of young otters in the harvest is indicative of high recruitment and population stability (Rolley 1985, Koons et al 2006, Flynn and Schumacher 2009, Rughetti 2016).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variations in reproduction and age structure in the North American river otter in North Carolina, USA

et al. 2023

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Historically, the North American river otter (Lontra canadensis; otter) was distributed across North Carolina, USA, but populations were decimated by the early 1900s. Otter trapping was prohibited in 1938, reopened in 1947, and gradually expanded until it was opened statewide in 2005. Between 1986 and 1992, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and Great Smoky Mountains National Park released 404 otters to restore populations in western North Carolina. Our objective was to determine if the age structure and reproductive rates of otters throughout North Carolina shifted from 1978 to 2018 between remnant and reintroduced populations. During the 1978–1980 (period 1; Coastal Plain) and the 2009–2013 and 2014–2016 (period 2; statewide) trapping seasons, we collected 1,439 otter carcasses from licensed trappers, fur buyers, and wildlife damage control agents throughout the 3 Furbearer Management Units (FMUs) and 14 river basins in North Carolina. We conducted necropsies, used cementum annuli of the lower canine for age analysis, and counted corpora lutea and fetuses for fecundity estimates. Age distributions for all otters were skewed toward the younger age classes and did not differ between collection periods. During period 1, adults in the Coastal Plain had higher corpora lutea counts than during period 2, whereas Coastal Plain yearlings and juveniles had higher numbers of corpora lutea during period 2. During period 2, corpora lutea counts differed among FMUs; counts in the Mountain FMU (x̄ = 2.56) were higher than in the Coastal Plain FMU (x̄ = 1.62) or the Piedmont FMU (x̄ = 1.91). Within the Coastal Plain FMU and pooling all age classes, fecundity increased by 45% from period 1 to period 2. Adult fecundity in the Coastal Plain FMU declined 16% from period 1 to period 2, while juveniles and yearlings began reproducing between the periods, indicating that reproduction has shifted to younger age classes between 1978 and 2018.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variations in reproduction and age structure in the North American river otter in North Carolina, USA

et al. 2023

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“…For example, an old age structure with little recruitment would indicate a population that is not thriving (Browne & Hecnar, 2007), whereas an age structure showing much recruitment would indicate demographic health (Kiss, Hamer, & Voros, 2021). By examining both age structure and environmental or management variation, it may be possible to identify those environments or management strategies that are most optimal for the population (Browne & Hecnar, 2007; Gillespie, 2010; Fisher et al., 2018; Jones et al., 2018; Nadal, Ponz, & Margalida, 2018). Despite the importance of age structure as a predictor and monitor of conservation programs, a review of 148 studies revealed that there is a significant gap in age structure studies (Mehring et al., 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Age structure dynamics in an eastern collared lizard population from founding to demographic stability

Templeton

Neuwald

Conley

2022

Animal Conservation

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The global decline of reptile species has raised much concern, and many translocation programs have been implemented in response to this decline. Most of these programs have not been successful, but one exception is the translocation program for eastern collared lizards (Crotophytus collaris collaris) that had experienced massive local extinction on glades in the Ozarks in central North America. Translocation coupled with glade restoration was initiated in the 1980s, including reintroductions starting in 1984 on Stegall Mountain in southern Missouri. The translocated populations underwent three distinct demographic phases: (1) an isolate phase with no net growth in population size, no colonization of nearby glades and almost no dispersal among populations, (2) a colonizing phase of high dispersal, colonization of new glades and population growth that started with the onset of prescribed woodland burning and (3) a stable metapopulation phase established by 2000 on Stegall Mountain in which the number of occupied glades, total population size and measures of genetic variation were roughly constant. This study uses distinct color phases to infer the age of 1162 marked individuals. Age probabilities were assigned to 391 individuals based on time‐of‐capture within the field season and snout‐vent length, as calibrated from following 529 individuals first captured as hatchlings. Age structure differed significantly between phases. The isolate phase was characterized by an old age structure. The colonization phase had a younger age structure and much more recruitment. The stable metapopulation phase had an intermediate age structure. These dynamic age structure attributes show that species cannot be regarded as static units, and ignoring this dynamism can result in poor conservation practice. These results also validate age‐structure as a monitoring device for a conservation program and a tool to identify significant shifts in the environment or management that have a conservation impact, in this case prescribed woodland burning.

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Ecological markers to monitor migratory bird populations: Integrating citizen science and transboundary management for conservation purposes

Nadal

Ponz

Margalida

et al. 2020

Journal of Environmental Management

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Population age structure as an indicator for assessing the quality of breeding areas of Common quail (Coturnix coturnix)

Cited by 6 publications

References 56 publications

Variations in reproduction and age structure in the North American river otter in North Carolina, USA

Variations in reproduction and age structure in the North American river otter in North Carolina, USA

Age structure dynamics in an eastern collared lizard population from founding to demographic stability

Ecological markers to monitor migratory bird populations: Integrating citizen science and transboundary management for conservation purposes

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