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Piping Plovers and Least Terns of
the Great Plains and Nearby

A draft protocol for assessing piping plover reproductive success
on Great Plains alkali lakes

Robert K. Murphy¹, Brian G. Root², Paul M. Mayer³,
J. Paul Goossen⁴, and Karen A. Smith⁵

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South Dakota State University
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
U.S. Geological Survey/Biological Resources Division
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
1999

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Abstract: Monitoring reproductive success of piping plovers on alkali lakes in the northern Great Plains presents unique challenges. This draft protocol serves chiefly as a guideline to help foster learning. Contents include terminology, nestfinding and marking, nesting chronology, determining nest success in the field, monitoring chick survival and fledging, monitoring frequency, database management, reporting reproductive success, and equipment. It ends with a protocol outline. The draft should provide a forum for discussing and improving standardization of methods and communication of data.

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This resource is based on the following source:

Murphy, Robert K., Brian G. Root, Paul M. Mayer, J. Paul Goossen, and 
     Karen A. Smith.  1999.  A draft protocol for assessing piping 
     plover reproductive success on Great Plains alkali lakes. Pages 
     90-107 in K.F. Higgins, M.R. Brashier, and C.D. Kruse (eds.), 
     Proceedings, piping plovers and least terns of the Great Plains 
     and nearby. South Dakota State University, Brookings.

This resource should be cited as:

Murphy, Robert K., Brian G. Root, Paul M. Mayer, J. Paul Goossen, and 
     Karen A. Smith.  1999.  A draft protocol for assessing piping 
     plover reproductive success on Great Plains alkali lakes. Pages 
     90-107 in K.F. Higgins, M.R. Brashier, and C.D. Kruse (eds.), 
     Proceedings, piping plovers and least terns of the Great Plains 
     and nearby. South Dakota State University, Brookings.  Jamestown, 
     ND: Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Online. 
     http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/birds/pplover/index.htm 
     (Version 08OCT99).

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Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Scope
• Legal concerns
• Terminology
• Methodology
• Section A -- Censuses of breeding plovers
• Section B -- Nest finding
• Section C -- Marking nests
• Section D -- Nesting chronology: initiation, hatching, and fledging dates
• Section E -- Determining nest success in the field
• Section F -- Monitoring chick survival and fledging
• Section G -- Monitoring frequency
• Section H -- Database management
• Section I -- Reporting measures of reproductive success
• Section J -- Equipment
• Protocol outline
• Acknowledgments
• Literature cited
• Appendices
• Appendix A -- Nesting chronology for Great Plains alkali lakes
• Appendix B -- Examples: breeding site map and chronological data record
• Appendix C -- Examples: calculating nest, fledging rate and pair success
• Table 1 -- Piping Plover Productivity

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pplover.zip 139K) -- A draft protocol for assessing piping plover reproductive success on Great Plains alkali lakes

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