trends in breeding propensity of common loons (gavia immer) in relation to lake water clarity in and around algonquin provincial park
abstract
productivity of common loons has been in decline across most of canada for several
decades. many environmental factors and human impacts on the breeding grounds may
be causing the decline, and these factors are known to vary regionally. common loons
are visual predators and rely on the clarity of lake water to forage. the canadian lakes
loon survey and the algonquin park loon survey are used here to analyze trends in
breeding propensity in algonquin provincial park and surrounding area. the ontario
lakes partner program was used to relate lake water clarity measured by secchi depth to
observed occurrence of common loon chicks on four lakes with long-term data. no
decline occurs from 1982-2018 in the percent of lakes in algonquin park or its
surrounding area with evidence of breeding observed. there is no correlation between
water clarity and breeding propensity on the four chosen lakes. where declines are
occurring, the potential relationship between water clarity and common loon
productivity should be investigated.
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- undergraduate theses [325]