Effects of climate on timing of breeding, reproductive output and population growth of song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) in the Southern Gulf Islands, British Columbia ...

• Main Author: Wilson, Scott
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: University of British Columbia 2009
• Subjects: North Atlantic; North Atlantic oscillation
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.14288/1.0075079; https://doi.library.ubc.ca/10.14288/1.0075079

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the effects of global climate changes on avian population dynamics. Several studies have now shown that climatic oscillations such as the El Nino Southern Oscillation and the North Atlantic Oscillation affect a number of avian species through their impacts on local weather and ocean temperatures. In this thesis, I first reviewed the effects of these climatic oscillations on birds with a focus on identifying the underlying mechanisms by which they influence population change. I then examined the effects of climate on reproduction and population dynamics of song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) in the Southern Gulf Islands of British Columbia, Canada. Here, I first considered the influence of the El Nino Southern Oscillation on timing of breeding, fledgling production and population growth on Mandarte Island. I found that over the past 28 years, annual timing of breeding has not advanced in response to global warming, but has varied considerably among years in ...