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Experimental evidence for density-dependent survival in mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) ducklings

  • Population Ecology
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Abstract

It is unresolved to what extent waterfowl populations are regulated by density-dependent processes. By doing a 2-year crossover perturbation experiment on ten oligotrophic boreal lakes we addressed the hypothesis that breeding output is density dependent. Wing-clipped mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) hens were introduced with their own brood and then monitored for 24 days. Predicted responses were that per capita duckling and hen survival would be lower in high-density than in low-density treatments. Survival was evaluated by model fitting in program MARK. Density, year, and lake were used as main effects, while day after introduction, a weather harshness index, and presence of hens were covariates. Daily survival in ducklings was lower in the high-density treatment, but this effect was year dependent. The highest-ranking model for duckling survival also included a positive effect of duckling age and presence of hens, and a negative effect of harsh weather. Density did not affect female survival although there was a prominent year effect. The highest-ranking model for female survival also included negative effects of day after introduction and harsh weather. This is the first study to report density-dependent survival in experimentally introduced ducklings in a natural setting. Implications for population dynamics and management of harvested populations are far-reaching if such regulation occurs in some years, but not in others.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Per Wedholm, Thomas Trygg, Eric Andersson, and Åke Nordström for fieldwork assistance. All landowners are gratefully acknowledged for access, and so is Göran Karlsson at the Boda Game Farm for supplying mallards. Paul Flint helped us finding the best way to analyse our data by unselfishly devoting considerable time and effort to guiding us in program MARK. Jim Nichols and an anonymous referee provided useful comments. The study was supported by grants V-124-01 and V-98-04 from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency to Johan Elmberg. All handling of birds was done in accordance with permit A1-02 from the Research Animals Ethics Board at the Court of Appeal for North Sweden, Umeå.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Kristianstad University, 291 88, Kristianstad, Sweden

    Gunnar Gunnarsson & Johan Elmberg

  2. Department of Animal Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 901 83, Umeå, Sweden

    Gunnar Gunnarsson & Kjell Sjöberg

  3. Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute, Joensuu Game and Fisheries Research, Yliopistokatu 6, 80100, Joensuu, Finland

    Hannu Pöysä

  4. Department of Applied Biology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, 00014, Helsinki, Finland

    Petri Nummi

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  1. Gunnar Gunnarsson
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  2. Johan Elmberg
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  4. Hannu Pöysä
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Correspondence to Gunnar Gunnarsson.

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Communicated by Markku Orell

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Gunnarsson, G., Elmberg, J., Sjöberg, K. et al. Experimental evidence for density-dependent survival in mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) ducklings. Oecologia 149, 203–213 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-006-0446-8

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