Program Type
Undergraduate
Faculty Advisor
Dr. Tom Nupp
Document Type
Poster
Location
Face-to-face
Start Date
18-4-2024 4:00 PM
Abstract
The previously endangered Interior Least Terns (or LETEs) are currently being monitored to ensure their populations are increasing. The purpose of this study was to provide current data to inform management decisions that must be made during their migration season. Sandbars where LETEs colonized were assigned a number corresponding to river mile. Fledglings per Breeding pair Rate (FBR) was calculated by dividing peak fledgling count by half of the adult count. A total of 798 adult LETEs and 228 fledglings were observed on sandbars. A colony was considered ‘failed’ if it had an FBR of 0, and ‘successful’ for anything higher. A linear regression was used to compare FBR with river mile to determine if there was a relationship between the two factors. Of the 22 sandbars observed, 4 were failed and 18 were successful. Results of this study show there is no observed significant relationship between FBR and river mile (R² = .08, F1,22 = 2.89, p = 0.22).
Recommended Citation
Turner, Coley; Mansor, Nathan; and Hunter, Shelby, "Evaluation of Interior Least Tern (Sterna antillarum anthalassos) colony success rate and distance upstream on the Arkansas River" (2024). ATU Research Symposium. 55.
https://orc.library.atu.edu/atu_rs/2024/2024/55
Included in
Evaluation of Interior Least Tern (Sterna antillarum anthalassos) colony success rate and distance upstream on the Arkansas River
Face-to-face
The previously endangered Interior Least Terns (or LETEs) are currently being monitored to ensure their populations are increasing. The purpose of this study was to provide current data to inform management decisions that must be made during their migration season. Sandbars where LETEs colonized were assigned a number corresponding to river mile. Fledglings per Breeding pair Rate (FBR) was calculated by dividing peak fledgling count by half of the adult count. A total of 798 adult LETEs and 228 fledglings were observed on sandbars. A colony was considered ‘failed’ if it had an FBR of 0, and ‘successful’ for anything higher. A linear regression was used to compare FBR with river mile to determine if there was a relationship between the two factors. Of the 22 sandbars observed, 4 were failed and 18 were successful. Results of this study show there is no observed significant relationship between FBR and river mile (R² = .08, F1,22 = 2.89, p = 0.22).