Date of Award:

8-2024

Document Type:

Dissertation

Degree Name:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department:

Wildland Resources

Committee Chair(s)

Erica F. Stuber

Committee

Erica F. Stuber

Committee

Clark S. Rushing

Committee

Karen H. Beard

Committee

Mary M. Connor

Committee

Kyle G. Horton

Committee

Frank P. Howe

Abstract

Advancements in wildlife data collection technology and analysis are helping us understand how human-caused environmental change is impacting bird species. Yet data collection for many species remains challenging, and often the data are difficult to analyze. Improved methods for collecting and analyzing avian data are needed to understand how species respond to environmental change. However, before applying new methods to poorly understood species, it is crucial to test methods on well-studied species to ensure their effectiveness. The American White Pelican is a well-studied species that is ideal for testing new analysis methods. Pelicans have been studied extensively due to conservation concerns and conflicts with humans. However, gaps still exist in our understanding of pelican survival and migratory destinations, threats, and reactions to environmental change.

My dissertation used pelican data to improve methods that estimate avian survival, identify environments bird species use, and measure how likely individuals are to migrate between regions. In Chapter 2, I developed a mathematical model to estimate how many pelicans migrate between North American regions and their resulting survival probabilities. I found that pelicans often remain in the same region year-long, with substantial variation in survival depending on location. In Chapter 3, I measured environmental conditions favored by pelicans and how this varied between individuals. I found that pelicans do not rely on specific conditions as a population, and that individual use varies substantially, suggesting population resilience to environmental change. Chapter 4 investigated the feasibility of extracting radar signatures of flying birds from weather radar using location data from GPS-tagged pelicans. Using this radar signature, I predicted locations of untagged pelicans across my study area and developed a pelican-airplane collision risk index for a local airport. In Chapter 5, I used a mathematical model to estimate how environmental conditions affected pelican colony abundance, then estimated future abundance under various management scenarios. I found that land bridge formation between the colony and mainland is a likely cause of abundance declines. My research offers improved analytical methods for avian populations, and highlights that birds may respond to environmental change differently depending on the landscape and population scales examined.

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