Wednesday, June 6, 2007 - 1:30 PM
274

Invertebrate availability for waterfowl consumption during the spring migratory period

Richard D. Schultheis1, Michael W. Eichhholz, PhD1, Matt R. Whiles, PhD2, and Tina Yerkes, PhD3. (1) Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Cooperative Wildlife Research Lab, Mail Code 6504, 251 Life Sciences II, Carbondale, IL 62901, (2) Zoology, Southern Illinois University, Southern Illinois University, 326 Life Science II, Carbondale, IL 62901, (3) Great Lakes / Atlantic Regional Office, Ducks Unlimited, Inc, 331 Metty Dr., Suite 4, Ann Arbor, MI 48103

During the spring migratory period, waterfowl rely heavily on stopover sites for energy and nutrient acquisition necessary for continued migration and future nesting activities.  The objectives of our study are to determine the availability of aquatic invertebrates, a crucial protein source for waterfowl, in the wetlands of six typical stopover sites in the Upper Mississippi River / Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest.  We are surveying the invertebrate communities in the Cache River region of southern Illinois, the Scioto River region of southern Ohio, the Illinois River region of central Illinois, the coastal Lake Erie region of northern Ohio, the Saginaw Bay region of Michigan, and the glaciated region of south-central Wisconsin.  Spatial and temporal patterns in invertebrate availability are being analyzed across wetland habitat types at all locations. Furthermore, we are estimating depletion rates of aquatic macroinvertebrates in areas where waterfowl feed at high densities to determine if macroinvertebrate availability is limited during the spring migratory period.  Findings of this study will contribute to basic knowledge about landscape patterns in invertebrate distribution, especially in relation to the prioritization of wetland conservation efforts for migratory waterfowl habitat requirements.