Relationship of hydrological conditions and populations of breeding piping plovers
Licht DS. 2001. Relationship of hydrological conditions and populations of breeding piping plovers. The Prairie Naturalist. 33(4):209-219
I used 1988-1997 breeding piping plover (Charadrius melodus) surveys and hydrological data to assess the effects of water levels on plover breeding distribution, abundance, and habitat use in North Dakota. Piping plover abundance at wetlands surveyed in all years (n = 48) increased significantly as wetness increased (r = 0.93, P < 0.001). However, individual wetland sites often differed in their response to hydrological conditions with some sites showing significant decreases in plover abundance during wet periods. The abundance of birds using the Missouri River system (Oahe and Sakakawea Reservoirs and the free-flowing reaches of the river) correlated strongly with upland populations during periods of below-average water levels in the riverine system; however, once water levels within the Missouri River system reach a certain point the relationship turned negative with river populations decreasing and upland populations increasing.