Predator Exclusion for Piping PloverNOTES from Dr. D: -----The running head should be italicized, which it is not in this paper.-----Your final paper will NOT have double-spacing, nor numbered lines – that was ONLY for the rough draft. -----NOTICE how, in the Methods section, Krista clumped the different papers that she read into the types of exclosures used in each paper. She did an excellent job on this section.-----The Results section might be a bit short, although she then summarizes the results from ALL the papers in Table 1 – an EXCELLENT thing to do!!!-----In the Discussion section she groups the papers into those that used method “A” and those that used method “B” and… so on, and then discusses the effectiveness of each method. This is exactly what we are looking for – your ability to categorize, summarize, and synthesize information into a new, coherent whole. At the end she emphasizes some of the issues involved in the studies (predators, time, distance, etc.-----She has done the Table exactly right: the list of Tables and Figures on one page, then the actual Table, or Figure, on a separate page -----The paper is not completely perfect, but it is a good example of where you should be. Thank you, Krista, for sharing it with the class.Schmidt 11123456789101112131415161718Predator Exclusion for Piping PloverEFFECTS OF PREDATOR EXCLUSION ON THE REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS OF THE PIPING PLOVER (CHARADRIUS MELODUS).Krista K. Schmidt, Wildlife Conservation and Management student, School of Natural Resources, 325 Biological Sciences East, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA11 [email protected] 2219202122232425262728293031323334353637383940Predator Exclusion for Piping PloverAbstract The main threat to piping plover (Charadrius melodus) survival and reproductive success is nest depredation. Different methods exist to try to reduce piping plover nest predation including the use of predator exclusion techniques such as using predator exclosures, electric fences and chick shelters. A literature search analysis of 11 different predator exclusion studies revealed that using both electric fencing and predator exclosures at the same time is the most effective method for increasing mean piping plover fledge rate above 1.5 chicks/breeding pair, the minimum reproductive rate described to be necessary for a successful breeding season as outlined in different piping plover recovery plans. I recommend the continued practice of using both exclsoures and electric fences to protect piping plover nests as well as trying to develop new techniques to improve piping plover reproductive success.Key Words Charadrius melodus, electric fence, predator exclosure, predator management, piping plover—―—―—―—―—The piping plover (Charadrius melodus) is a small, compact sandy-colored shorebird with thin, orange legs, a black chest band that can be complete or broken, and a black beak with an orange base (Kaufman 2000). In the summer it nests on beaches along the Atlantic coast and on salt flats and other open areas near lakes and rivers in the northern Great Plains. In the winter the piping plover migrates to the beaches and mudflats on the southeast coast (Haig et al. 2005). Piping plovers typically tend to nest closer to vegetation and dunes, farther away from water, closer to tern nests and farther from other piping plover nests (Burger 1987). After incubating for about 25 days, the baby piping plovers hatch with a downy coat, ready to run and feed themselves. The parents lead their young down to the water's Schmidt 33414243444546474849505152535455565758596061626364Predator Exclusion for Piping Ploveredge to feed on small invertebrates in the sand (Atlantic Coast Piping Plover Recovery Team 1996). Since the start of the 20th century, uncontrolled hunting and egg collecting had lowered the piping plover population drastically. Some populations on the Atlantic Coast were almost extirpated due to these uncontrolled practices. With the passage of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in 1918 and a decline in the popularity of feathers in the fashion industry, the plover numbers was able to recover somewhat (Haig and Oring 1985). During the late 1940s to early1950s the piping plover numbers began to decline again due to various natural and anthropogenic causes (Atlantic Coast Piping Plover Recovery Team 1996). In 1985 the pipingplover was listed as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service). Since then critical habitat has been set aside for the piping plover and recovery plans and conservation programs in many of the states that make up the plover's summer and winter ranges have been put into action (Atlantic Coast Piping Plover Recovery Team 1996, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service). Current threats to the continued survival of the piping plover include: loss and degradation of breeding and wintering habitat, a shrinking gene pool, disturbance by human visitors and their pets, motorized vehicles, human introduced predators such as cats, dogs, rats, beach cleaners, oil spills and other types of contaminants, and predation (Atlantic Coast Piping Plover Recovery Team 1996). Out of all of those, predation, especially of the plover's nests and young, is considered to be the biggest threat next to loss and degradation of breeding and wintering habitat (Lauro and Tanacredi 2002, Patterson et al. 1991, U. S. Fish and Wildlife 2003). Predator control methods have been used in piping plover recovery and conservation Schmidt 446566676869707172737475767778798081828384858687Predator Exclusion for Piping Ploverplans since the 1980s in an effort to slow the decline of their numbers and to promote their recovery (Atlantic Coast Piping Plover Recovery Team 1996, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service 2003) . Types of predator control in general include predator barriers, deterrents, removal andrecruitment reduction. Of these categories, predator barriers, particularly predator exclosures and electric fences, are the most commonly used types of predator control for protecting piping plover nests and young (Mabee and Estelle 2000, Mayer and Ryan 1991). Given the use of predator exclusion devices to protect piping plover nests, the obvious question arises: what sort of effect do predator exclusion techniques have on the reproductivesuccess of the piping plover? I answered this question by conducting a literature search looking