Lundi 6 avril à 11h00, Paul DOHERTY (Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA) présentera à la Tour du Valat un séminaire intitulé : « Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) Response to Experimental Human Disturbance and Non-breeding Survival Along the South Platte River, Colorado »
Waterfowl managers attempt to increase both hunter success and waterfowl usage of an area by regulating anthropogenic disturbance with prohibition of activities, including various spatial and temporal closures. However, empirical evidence is lacking to support the efficacy of such controls, specifically with regard to individual waterfowl response. We experimentally introduced walk-in and shooting disturbances (i.e., treatments) on radio-marked mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) along the South Platte River corridor in northeastern Colorado to test the effects of such disturbances on individual movement and return-time as well as overall waterfowl return time. We also estimate the effect of split hunting season structures on mallard daily survival probabilities during the non-breeding season. I will present the results of these experiments as wel as managment recomendations concerning temporal and spatial closures.