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SENSITIVITY OF NEST SUCCESS, YOUNG FLEDGED, AND PROBABILITY OF RENESTING TO SEASONAL FECUNDITY IN MULTI-BROODED SPECIES
Citation:
NAGY, L. R. AND D. L. PHILLIPS. SENSITIVITY OF NEST SUCCESS, YOUNG FLEDGED, AND PROBABILITY OF RENESTING TO SEASONAL FECUNDITY IN MULTI-BROODED SPECIES. Presented at 4th North American Ornithological Conference "Wings Without Borders", Veracruz, MEXICO, October 03 - 07, 2006.
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Description:
A considerable number of avian species can produce multiple broods within a season. Seasonal fecundity in these species can vary by changes in the number of young fledged per nest, the probability of a successful nest, and the probability of initiating additional nests (e.g., renesting and multiple brooding). Here, we modeled multi-brooded species with different life-history traits to determine how changes in the above parameters alter the distribution, mean, and variance estimates of seasonal fecundity. We found that the distribution of seasonal fecundity never followed a normal distribution because numerous females did not produce a single successful nest and because the remaining distribution often had two or more peaks, roughly representing those individuals that had one, two, or more successful nests. Our sensitivity analysis showed that no one trait (nest survival, young per nest, probability of initiating additional nests) had a dominant effect on seasonal fecundity; rather, all played an important role. However, natural populations often had high annual variability in nest success and renesting rates and therefore these values were important in determining the distribution, mean, and variance of seasonal fecundity.