Ecological and environmental correlates of territory occupancy and breeding performance of migratory Golden Eagles Aquila chrysaetos in interior Alaska

摘要: Understanding relationships between environmental conditions and reproductive parameters is important when interpreting variation in animal population size. The northwestern North American of Golden Eagles Aquila chrysaetos canadensis initiates courtship nesting early spring prey diversity low weather are severe. Snowshoe Hare Lepus americanus Willow Ptarmigan Lagopus lagopus, the primary their season interior Alaska, both exhibit cyclical fluctuations abundance, providing opportunity to investigate such relationships. We used Bayesian hierarchical models explore territory occupancy, rates, success productivity from 1988 2010 Denali National Park Preserve, relation annual sitespecific including conditions, elevation human activity. also investigated long-term breeding performance over course study. abundance Hares influenced number that laid eggs produced fledglings. on ground did not explain observed declines rates fledgling production, suggesting other factors as change age structure population, increased intraspecific competition or deterioration migration wintering habitat driving trends these parameters.