Resource variability, competition and the structure of waterfowl communities / Thomas D. Nudds
Material type:
TextPublication details: London, ON : University of Western Ontario, 1980.Description: xiii, 117 leaves : ill. ; 29 cmOnline resources: Abstract: Factors influencing the diversity of coexisting ducks on both macrotemporal, macrospatial, and microspatial scales in the prairie-pothole region of western Canada were investigated. Thirty-five years of census and breeding-habitat data were used to investigate by which of three means -- increased or decreased niche separation, or increased total niche space - species were accommodated in diverse assemblages.Data for the breeding- pairs of each of two guilds (diving and puddle ducks) from aspen- parkland and mixed-prairie habitats were analyzed.There was a regular increase in the temporal variablity of breeding habitats of each assemblage in this order: parkland divers < parkland puddle ducks < grassland divers < grassland puddle ducks. A positive relationship between a multivariate measure of niche separation and species diversity, suggesting competitively-induced adjustments to niche parameters, was found only for parkland diving ducks (p<0.007). Species diversity was better corre
| Item type | Current library | Collection | Call number | Status | Date due | Barcode |
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Electronic Report
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Electronic Library | Non-fiction | NUD (Browse shelf(Opens below)) | Available | 1549 |
Thesis(Ph.D.)--University of Western Ontario, 1980.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 100-114).
Factors influencing the diversity of coexisting ducks on both macrotemporal, macrospatial, and microspatial scales in the prairie-pothole region of western Canada were investigated. Thirty-five years of census and breeding-habitat data were used to investigate by which of three means -- increased or decreased niche separation, or increased total niche space - species were accommodated in diverse assemblages.Data for the breeding- pairs of each of two guilds (diving and puddle ducks) from aspen- parkland and mixed-prairie habitats were analyzed.There was a regular increase in the temporal variablity of breeding habitats of each assemblage in this order: parkland divers < parkland puddle ducks < grassland divers < grassland puddle ducks. A positive relationship between a multivariate measure of niche separation and species diversity, suggesting competitively-induced adjustments to niche parameters, was found only for parkland diving ducks (p<0.007). Species diversity was better corre