Body mass and gastrointestinal parasites of lesser scaup (Aythya affinis) in the Mississippi flyway. Josh Lee Vest
Material type:
TextPublication details: Mississippi State, MS : Mississippi State University, 2002.Description: x, 85 leaves : ill. ; 28 cmOnline resources: Abstract: Populations of greater scaup (Aythya marila) and lesser scaup (A.affinis) ducks have declined steadily in North America since 1978. To identify possible links to the decline, I conducted a continental-scale study of body-mass dynamics and gastrointestinal parasites (i.e.,helminth) in lesser scaup during falls and winters 1999-2001. I examined scaup from Manitoba and Ontario, Canada; Minnesota; Wisconsin; Michigan;Illinois; Mississippi; and Louisiana. Body mass of scaup generally declined from north to south during fall and winter. My estimates of scaup mass generally were greater than previous estimates (1981-1991)for scaup collected at similar locations. Relative abundance of helminths in scaup also generally declined with latitude and seasonally,but was positively correlated with an index of body condition. Thus, I hypothesized that habitat and food resources and helminth abundance were not primary limiting factors of scaup condition during fall and winter and may not be contri
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Electronic Report
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Electronic Library | Non-fiction | VES (Browse shelf(Opens below)) | Available | 5139 |
Thesis(M.S.)--Mississippi State University, 2002.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 65-72).
Populations of greater scaup (Aythya marila) and lesser scaup (A.affinis) ducks have declined steadily in North America since 1978. To identify possible links to the decline, I conducted a continental-scale study of body-mass dynamics and gastrointestinal parasites (i.e.,helminth) in lesser scaup during falls and winters 1999-2001. I examined scaup from Manitoba and Ontario, Canada; Minnesota; Wisconsin; Michigan;Illinois; Mississippi; and Louisiana. Body mass of scaup generally declined from north to south during fall and winter. My estimates of scaup mass generally were greater than previous estimates (1981-1991)for scaup collected at similar locations. Relative abundance of helminths in scaup also generally declined with latitude and seasonally,but was positively correlated with an index of body condition. Thus, I hypothesized that habitat and food resources and helminth abundance were not primary limiting factors of scaup condition during fall and winter and may not be contri