Factors Influencing Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus) Nest Survival at Great Salt Lake, Utah

摘要: Abstract. Reduced nest survival has been suggested as a primary cause for the decline of Snowy Plover (Charadrius nivosus) populations. The fates nests (n = 589) were determined from five locations at Great Salt Lake in Utah during 2003, 2005–2010 and 2012 breeding seasons. A five-stage hierarchical modeling procedure was used, competing models (ΔAICc < 2) that best described variation identified. These included influences study site year with quadratic time trend covariates quantifying age, temperature, precipitation, distance to water control structures (dikes), nesting substrate (barren mudflat, vegetation patches, or conspicuous objects). Among unsuccessful (45.6%; n 277), most common failure predation (72.9%), followed by weather abandonment (10.5% 10.1%, respectively). Daily rates ranged 0.89 0.97 varied annually across sites. Nests located ...