MODELLING THE EFFECTS OF RIVER FLOW ON POPULATION DYNAMICS OF PIPING PLOVERS (CHARADRIUS MELODUS) AND LEAST TERNS (STERNULA ANTILLARUM) NESTING ON THE MISSOURI RIVER

摘要: Humans make extensive use of rivers and floodplains for economic benefits including agriculture, hydropower, commerce recreation. Economic development subsequently requires control river levels to avoid flood damage. This process began in the Missouri River basin 1890s with construction a series hydropower dams Montana escalated new approval Pick-Sloan plan 1944 Flood Control Act. Maximizing these human uses led changes losses hydrological ecological processes, ultimately resulting federal listing three fish wildlife species under Endangered Species Act: pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhyncus albus; 1983), piping plover (Charadrius melodus; 1984), interior population least tern (Sternula antillarum; 1985). The terns plovers did not affect management until United States Army Corps Engineers (USACE) proposed modify governing document Mainstem System, Master Manual, which was completed 2003. Although there little disagreement over habitat conditions that used nesting, substantial amount necessary ploversmore » meet recovery goals. Answering this question forecasting species-specific responses dynamic affected by both actions (reservoir restoration) natural variability precipitation. Piping nest along from Fort Peck, just north Sioux City, Iowa (Figure 1). Both prefer on sand fine gravel substrates no or sparse vegetation cover (Prindiville Gaines Ryan, 1988; Sherfy et al., 2012), such as riverine sandbars (emergent sandbar habitat; ESH). also reservoir shorelines lack (Anteau 2012). ESH available nesting given year is strongly water entering system through precipitation flow six reservoirs operated USACE mainstem River. Prior dams, experienced bimodal peak flows spring early summer concordance melting plains mountain snowpack (Galat Lipkin, 2000). Flows decreased during months, stage then dependent upon rainfall. combination consistent high occasional extreme flows, together meandering characteristic river, regularly reshaped scoured ESH.« less