Landscape context mediates influence of local food abundance on wetland use by wintering shorebirds in an agricultural valley

摘要: Abstract While it is widely understood that local abundance of benthic invertebrates can greatly influence the distribution and wetland birds, no studies have examined if landscape context mediate this relationship. We studied food on use agricultural wetlands by wintering dunlin ( Calidris alpina) killdeer Charadrius vociferus) in Willamette Valley Oregon, USA, over two winters (1999–2000, 2000–2001) differing rainfall subsequent habitat distribution. monitored bird (frequency occurrence abundance) at a sample (density biomass) [adjacent shorebird (defined as ha wet with less than 50% vegetative cover within 2-km radius) nearest neighbor distance]. evaluated predictive models for using linear regression Cp criterion to select most parsimonious model. During dry winter (2000–2001), exhibited greater sites higher invertebrate density biomass but also more adjacent closest neighbor. However, neither nor were important predictors during (1999–2000). Use was unrelated either or measures both winters. Our findings contribute growing recognition importance structure birds highlight number implications spatial planning enhancement approach.