Effects of Predator Exclusion on the Reproductive Success of the Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus).The Piping PloverPredation!!!The QuestionMethodsTypes of Predator Exclusion DevicesResultsDiscussionConclusionAcknowledgmentsQuestions?Effects of Predator Exclusion on the Reproductive Success of the Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus).By Krista SchmidtThe Piping PloverBreeds in summer along the Atlantic Coast, in the Great Lakes, and in the northern Mid-WestListed as endangered in 1985Main threats to continued survival include: loss and degradation of breeding and wintering habitat, disturbance by beach goers and their pets, motorized vehicles, beach cleaners, pollution, and...Predation!!!Human introduced predators such as dogs, and cats and human practices that increase predator populations, blackbirds and gulls for instance, are a major problem.Nests and young are particularly vulnerable to predationTo combat this, different types of predator control, mainly by predator exclusion, are used in piping plover recovery plans.The Question•Are predator exclusion devices effective for increasing the reproductive rate of piping plovers?MethodsCollected findings from predator exclusion studies on piping plover nesting successCompared nesting success, fledge, daily survival rate of different predator exclusion methods:No protectionExclosure onlyElectric fence onlyExclosure and electric fenceUsed a fledge rate of at least 1.5 chicks/pair for predator exclusion method to be successfulTypes of Predator Exclusion DevicesExclosures (with electric fence as well in this case)Electric fencingChick sheltersResults•From 11 different studies analyzed, there were 20 different mean nest success values, 22 fledge rates and 9 mean daily survival rates were reported•No protection: 6 failures•Exclosure only: 3 successes, 4 failures•Electric fence only: 4 failures•Exclosure and electric fence: 6 successes•Chick shelters were not used by chicksDiscussionUsing predator exclusion devices has both pros and consPro: better nesting success and fledge ratesCon:cost of materials and labor to create, time and labor to set up, maintain and take down, higher risk of predation of adults at exclosures, small predators can still get inThe use of electric fences and exclosures has mixed resultsIt is important to know the predator community of the area to make predator management decisionsConclusionUsing electric fences along with exclosures is the best option for protecting piping plover nests and chicksSome caution that using exclosures and electric fences is only a temporary solutionOthers say that with increases in conservation efforts, it is possible to reverse the downward population growth trend of the piping plover Knowing the predator community is