Interacting Effects of Vegetation Structure and Breeding Patterns on the Survival of Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus Nests

[摘要] WestudiedtherateofpredationonartificialandnaturalnestsofGreatReedWarblerAcrocephalusarundinaceusintwocontrastingvegetationtypes,reedPhragmitesaustralisandreedmaceTyphaangustifoliabeds.Reedprovidedthinnerandtallerstemstoattachanesttothanreedmace,andreedmaceprovidedmorecoverinlatespring,butnotinearlyspring.Nestdensity,thedistanceofnestsfromthewateredge,andthetimingofbreedingdifferedconsiderablybetweenvegetationtypes.However,therewerenodifferencesinsurvivalratesofnaturalnestsbetweenbothhabitats.Artificialnests,onthecontrary,weremorefrequentlydepredatedinreedbeds.Basedonpeckmarksleftonplasticineeggs,74%ofidentifiednestpredatorswerelargebirdsinbothreedandreedmacebeds.Therewasnocorrelationbetweenthepredictedpredationrateofnaturalnests(derivedfromalogisticregressionmodelusingartificialnests)andtheobservedpredationrateofnaturalnests,suggestingparentalnestdefencebehaviourorsubtledifferencesbetweenactualnestsitesandartificialnestsitesmightaccountfortheobserveddiscrepancybetweennaturalandartificialpredationrates.Wesuggestthatinteractionsbetweenvegetationstructure,nestsitechoiceandparentalbehaviourmayhaveinfluencednestpredationratesintheGreatReedWarbler.

[学科分类] 动物科学

[关键词] Timing Of Breeding