Completed project evaluation in the prairie provinces / Patrick W. Herzog

Waterfowl use of thirty-two Ducks Unlimited (Canada) projects located in the prairie provinces was documented in 1979 by Beak Consultants Limited. The average density of breeding pairs for projects located in the prairie zone, 16 pairs/km of shoreline (26/mi.), was the highest recorded of the three study zones. Density of breeding pairs was 15 pairs/km (24/mi.) in the parkland zone and 12 pairs/km (19/mi.) in the forest zone. Pairs per hectare of wetland were also highest in the prairie zone and lowest in the forest biome. Brood densities followed a similar order of abundance: prairie - 16 broods/km (26/mi.) and 3.1 broods/ha (1.3/A). parkland - 10 broods/km (16/mi.) and 0.8 broods/ha (0.3/A), and forest - 7 broods/km (11/mi.) and 0.3 broods/ha (0.1 broods/A). A comparison between waterfowl densities of 1978 and 1979 at the same projects indicated an overall decrease in use within each biome. Pair densities/km declined 24% in the prairie, 29% in the parkland and 9% in the forest biome