Massachusetts Audubon Society

About: Massachusetts Audubon Society is a nonprofit organization based out in Lincoln, Massachusetts, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Sterna. The organization has 36 authors who have published 58 publications receiving 2304 citations. The organization is also known as: Mass Audubon.

Courtship-feeding, Egg-size and Breeding Success in Common Terns

Abstract: FEEDING of female birds by their mates is generally known as “courtship-feeding” because it is thought to play a role in establishing and maintaining a pair-bond1–3. Its nutritional importance to the female at the time when she is forming eggs has been pointed out4–8, but no direct evidence for this function has been given.

A monitoring protocol to assess tidal restoration of salt marshes on local and regional scales

Abstract: Assessing the response of salt marshes to tidal restoration relies on comparisons of ecosystem attributes between restored and reference marshes. Although this approach provides an objective basis for judging project success, inferences can be constrained if the high variability of natural marshes masks differences in sampled attributes between restored and reference sites. Furthermore, such assessments are usually focused on a small number of restoration projects in a local area, limiting the ability to address questions regarding the effectiveness of restoration within a broad region. We developed a hierarchical approach to evaluate the performance of tidal restorations at local and regional scales throughout the Gulf of Maine. The cornerstone of the approach is a standard protocol for monitoring restored and reference salt marshes throughout the region. The monitoring protocol was developed by consensus among nearly 50 restoration scientists and practitioners. The protocol is based on a suite of core structural measures that can be applied to any tidal restoration project. The protocol also includes additional functional measures for application to specific projects. Consistent use of the standard protocol to monitor local projects will enable pooling information for regional assessments. Ultimately, it will be possible to establish a range of reference conditions characterizing natural tidal wetlands in the region and to compare performance curves between populations of restored and reference marshes for assessing regional restoration effectiveness.

Recent advances in grassland bird research: where do we go from here?

Abstract: IT'S NO SECRET anymore. Populations of many species of North American grassland birds are declining and have been declining for at least the last 30 years. According to the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS), populations of 13 species of North American grassland birds declined significantly between 1966 and 1996, whereas populations of only 2 species increased during that period (Peterjohn and Sauer 1999). As a group, grassland birds have experienced "steeper, more consistent, and more geographically widespread declines than any other behavioral or ecological guild" (Knopf 1994:251). Those declines appear to be the result primarily of loss and degradation of grassland habitat (e.g. Noss et al. 1995). Not surprisingly, such widespread and consistent declines have stimulated a great deal of recent research attempting to determine the underlying reasons for the declines. Interest in that research has been high, particularly because of the general view that a better understanding of the ecological requirements of grassland birds is needed to help land managers and planners mitigate or reverse some of those declines. Until recently, however, nearly all research has focused on breeding-season events; studies have examined habitat selection and response to management such as prescribed fire and grazing (e.g. Bowen and Kruse 1993, Johnson 1996, Zimmerman 1996, Griebel et al. 1998, Herkert and Glass 1999, Madden et al. 1999, Shriver et al. 1999, Temple et al. 1999, Winter 1999), nest success (e.g. Johnson and Temple 1990, McKee et al. 1998, Hughes et al. 1999, Rohrbaugh et al. 1999), Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) parasitism (e.g. Zimmerman 1983, Robinson et al. 1999, Davis and Sealy 2000, Koford et al. 2000, Peer et al. 2000),