Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 1 of 1
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Sink Or Ecological Trap For Tree Swallows In Central Minnesota?, James T. Pathoulas, Nicole E. Noyes
Sink Or Ecological Trap For Tree Swallows In Central Minnesota?, James T. Pathoulas, Nicole E. Noyes
Celebrating Scholarship & Creativity Day (2011-2017)
Background: An ecological trap is typically defined as a low-quality habitat, incapable of sustaining a population, which is preferred over a high quality habitat. Ecological traps may lead to species extinction in populations with 1) strict habitat requirements 2) minimal information about the habitat, and 3) low population size. Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) meet the former two of these criteria.
Methods: We monitored Tree Swallow (TS) nest boxes (n=90) at two ecologically similar sites A and B with similar occupancy rates. Site B has lower reproductive fitness —suggestive of an ecological trap. Binary logistic regression was used to …