Swift Rose J, Anteau Michael J, Ellis Kristen S, Ring Megan M, Sherfy Mark H, Toy Dustin L
U.S. Geological Survey - Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, 8711 37th St SE, Jamestown, ND, 58401, USA.
Mov Ecol. 2021 Dec 11;9(1):59. doi: 10.1186/s40462-021-00293-3.
Dispersal is a critical life history strategy that has important conservation implications, particularly for at-risk species with active recovery efforts and migratory species. Both natal and breeding dispersal are driven by numerous selection pressures, including conspecific competition, individual characteristics, reproductive success, and spatiotemporal variation in habitat. Most studies focus on dispersal probabilities, but the distance traveled can affect survival, fitness, and even metapopulation dynamics.
We examined sources of variation in dispersal distances with 275 natal dispersal and 1335 interannual breeding events for piping plovers (Charadrius melodus) breeding in the Northern Great Plains between 2014 and 2019.
Natal dispersal was on average longer (mean: 81.0 km, median: 53 km) than adult breeding movements (mean: 23.7 km, median: 1 km). Individuals moved the shortest distances when hatched, previously nested, or settling on river habitats. When more habitat was available on their natal area than in the year prior, hatch-year birds moved shorter distances to their first breeding location. Similarly, adults also moved shorter distances when more habitat was available at the settling site and when in closer proximity to other known nesting areas. Additionally, adult movement distance was shorter when successfully hatching a nest the year prior, retaining a mate, or initiating a current nest earlier.
Habitat availability appears to be associated with dispersal distance for both hatch-year and adult piping plovers. Conservation efforts that integrate dispersal distances may benefit from maintaining nesting habitat within close proximity to other areas for adults and a network of clustered sites spread out across a larger landscape for natal dispersal.
扩散是一种关键的生活史策略，具有重要的保护意义，特别是对于那些正在积极开展恢复工作的濒危物种和迁徙物种而言。出生扩散和繁殖扩散均受到众多选择压力的驱动，这些压力包括种内竞争、个体特征、繁殖成功率以及栖息地的时空变化。大多数研究聚焦于扩散概率，但扩散的距离会影响生存、适合度，甚至集合种群动态。
我们研究了2014年至2019年在大平原北部繁殖的笛鸻（Charadrius melodus）的275次出生扩散和1335次年度间繁殖事件的扩散距离变化来源。
出生扩散的平均距离（均值：81.0千米，中位数：53千米）长于成年个体的繁殖移动距离（均值：23.7千米，中位数：1千米）。个体在孵化时、之前筑巢时或在河流栖息地定居时移动的距离最短。当出生区域的栖息地比上一年更多时，当年幼鸟会移动较短的距离到达它们的第一个繁殖地点。同样，当定居地有更多栖息地以及距离其他已知筑巢区域更近时，成年个体也会移动较短的距离。此外，成年个体在前一年成功孵化一窝、留住配偶或更早开始当前筑巢时，移动距离会更短。
栖息地的可利用性似乎与当年幼鸟和成年笛鸻的扩散距离有关。整合扩散距离的保护措施可能会受益于在靠近成年个体其他区域的地方维持筑巢栖息地，并在更大的景观范围内分布一个集群化地点网络用于出生扩散。
