Status of the Great Lakes Piping Plover & the Emerging Threat of Type-E E Botulism By Jack Dingledine Region 3 Piping Plover Coordinator US Fish and Wildlife Service East Lansing Field Office
Status of the Great Lakes Piping Plover & the Emerging Threat of Type-E E Botulism Species Life History & Ecology Past & Current Distribution in the Basin Disease Threat of Type-E E Botulism Recommendations
Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) Sidney Maddock
North American Range of the Piping Plover
Observations of GL-PIPLs Breeding and Wintering locations confirmed sightings possible sightings JHS, 1/02
Historic distribution Piping Plovers in the Great Lakes Ontario Breeding locations Minnesota Wisconsin Michigan New York Illinois Indiana Ohio Pennsylvania (Cottrille 1956, Russell 1983)
Current distribution Piping Plovers in the Great Lakes 1998-2007 Ontario Breeding locations Non-breeding observations Minnesota Wisconsin Michigan New York Illinois Indiana Ohio Pennsylvania
Nesting Behavior and Chronology 3-4 month breeding period Arrive in April, initiate nesting in May and may extend to July Incubate for 25-31 days Sparsely vegetated beaches with cobble/debris 3-4 eggs Photo:Van Zoeren Sexes share incubation duty Photo:Van Zoeren May re-nest, once
Nesting Behavior and Chronology Young Piping Plover Chick
Multi-partner Recovery Program National Park Service US Forest Service Michigan and Wisconsin Departments of Natural Resources University of Minnesota Canadian Wildlife Service American Zoo and Aquarium Association Great Lakes Tribes Non-governmental Organizations (Nature Conservancy)
Recovery Plan Piping Plover Recovery Plan Published September 2003 Five criteria Recovery action outline Implementation schedule
Multi-partner Recovery Program Survey, Nest Protection and Monitoring Salvage Captive Rearing Banding
Nest Protection and Monitoring
Salvage Captive Rearing
Banding Program 2007 Season Summary 82% of adults uniquely banded (n = 95 of 120) 95% of fledged chicks banded (n = 126 of 135) 151 chicks banded in 2007
70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Population Status 81 83 85 87 89 91 93 95 97 99 '01 '03 '05 '07 Year Breeding Pairs Listing Exclosures Captive rearing
Breeding Success Estimates 4.00 3.00 3 2007 2006 2005 Fledging Rate 2.00 1.00 1.94 2.06 1.77 1.80 1.86 1.70 1.68 1.60 1.29 2.2 1.25 1.00 0.00 Total Lower Michigan Upper Michigan Wisconsin Canada
Current distribution Great Lakes Piping Plovers Ontario 63 pairs in 2007 Wisconsin Michigan New York Illinois Indiana Ohio Pennsylvania Nesting Locations
Breeding Pair Distribution 32% 8% 60% Lake Michigan Lake Huron Lake Superior 1997
Breeding Pair Distribution 1% 14% Lake Michigan Lake Huron Lake Superior 85% 2007
Land Ownership 28% Great Lakes Region Federal State Township Private 4% 55% 13%
Land Ownership 0% 14% Lower Penins ula, MI Federal State Towns hip Private 19% 67%
Breeding Pair Distribution 70 Number of Piping Plover breeding pairs at SLBE relative to the Great Lakes population Number of pairs 60 50 40 30 Glen Haven & Sleeping Bear Point Tiesma (includes Railroad) Platte Point (includes Old Indian) NMI (Dimmick's & Donner's) Other pairs in the Great Lakes Region 20 10 0 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Year Source: NPS at SLBE
Outbreak of Disease, Type E Botulism Photo:Van Zoeren
Photos:Van Zoeren
June, 2007 Photo:Van Zoeren
Type E botulism cycle in Great Lakes Eagles Hawks Dabbling Ducks Coots, Shorebirds Piscivorous Birds Loons, Cormorants, Herons, Mergansers, Gulls Piscivorous Fish Freshwater Drum, Smallmouth Bass, Sturgeon? Diving Ducks Long-tailed Ducks Scaup, Redhead Mudpuppies? Turtles: Map, Softshell, Mud? Round Goby??? Carp, other fish? Non-mussel Invertebrates? Sediment Mussels? Algae? Image courtesy of USGS
Type C (E?) Botulism Maggot Cycle
Type E botulism Exposure in Shorebirds Photo:Van Zoeren
Type E botulism Exposure in Shorebirds Photo:Van Zoeren
Piping Plover Vital Rate Estimation Parameter Value Mean Chicks Fledged per Female (SD) 1.53 (+ /-.4) % Likelihood an Egg Survives to Fledge 36.15 (+ /- 8.77) Mean 1st year Survivorship % (+ /- SD) 26.10 (+ /- 2.15) Mean > 1st year Survivorship % (+ /- SD) 77.01 (+ /- 1.91)
Vital Rate Sensitivity Analysis Sensitvity 1.2 1 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 0 Reproductive Rate > 1st Year Survival 1st Year Survival Vital Rates VORTEX GLPP Sensitivity ~ Slope of mean growth rate regressed against 80 to 120% of baseline values for reproductive and survivorship rates Source: Univ. of Minn.
Population Projections 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 No 12 Immigration Losses per year 66 Immigrants/Year Losses per year 12 Modeled Immigrants/Year population Great Lakes Population population
Conclusions 1) GL PIPL population shift towards Lake Michigan shoreline 2) Public lands increasing important 3) Restricted distribution increases threat potential 4) Population recovery sensitive to adult survival rates 5) Early season outbreaks of disease impacts reproductively active adults and chicks 6) Continual loses from disease threaten recovery gains
Recommendations 1) Continue to manage GL PIPL habitat at a variety of federal, state and local sites across the GL basin 2) Conduct daily patrols of GL PIPL nesting areas, inclusive of all species potentially at risk 3) Remove/bury any dead birds or fish from beaches as soon as possible 4) Investigate the feasibility of grooming beaches when cladophora mats present
Recommendations (cont.) 5) Evaluate the feasibility of administration of an anti-toxin toxin to affected birds 6) Conduct additional research to confirm pathways of exposure