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SITE NAME
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Nome area, Alaska, USA
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| Contact details
(phone/fax//e-mail//address): |
| 406-587-7305/4069943190(f) // owjohnson2105@aol.com // Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717 USA
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PROJECT DETAILS |
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Start of survey:
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End
of survey: |
Team
size: |
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3.06
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12.06
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WEATHER
CONDITIONS
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Weather conditions: |
| Spring 2001 was one of the latest ever recorded on the Seward Peninsula, western Alaska. On the flight from Kotzebue to Nome (3 June), I observed almost 100% snow cover over the entire route. The same situation prevailed northward from Kotzebue. I conducted ground searches for Golden Plovers (both Pluvialis dominica and P. fulva marked in previous years ) from 3-12 June along the extensive road system emanating from Nome. Almost everywhere, I found massive accumulations of snow which in many cases covered known plover territories and the birds were absent. Substantial melting occurred during my stay, but extensive areas which in past years contained breeding Golden Plovers remained snow-covered and without birds through 12 June. Since Golden Plovers normally appear in this region around mid-May, the birds must have been confronted with almost no available habitat at arrival. Presumably, they were forced to move elsewhere but we have no knowledge of their behavior under these circumstances. During the study period, I found almost no Golden Plovers (perhaps 10% of normal numbers), and very few other birds of any kind. Only a few Golden Plover display flights were heard. After much searching, I located two nests of P. dominica, but none of P. fulva. Whether birds appeared later and nested after my departure is unknown. It is notable that a knowledgeable observer on Midway Atoll in the Hawaiian Archipelago reported to me that large numbers of P. fulva returned to the atoll during the summer. This early migration suggests breeding failure.
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| Date of ice-break on
rivers: |
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| Date of final loss of
snow: |
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BIOTIC
CONDITIONS
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| Rodents abundance evaluation: |
low
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Rodent dynamics:
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| During my field observations in the Nome region, I saw almost no evidence of lemmings.
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Rodent species recorded:
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Summary
of fauna studies: |
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