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RESPONDENT
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Deborah Wilson
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SITE NAME
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Walker Bay, Kent Peninsula, NWT, Canada
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| Contact details
(phone/fax//e-mail//address): |
| // // Department of Zoology, Univ. of British Columbia, Canada
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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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WEATHER
CONDITIONS
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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: |
high
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Breeding conditions:
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In 1996 many pomorine jaegers bred at Walker bay - an uncommon occurence even during lemming peaks.
Although predators were most abundant in 1996, they spent relatively little time foraging in the goose nesting area, and the nesting success of the geese was high. Also, pomorine skuas defended their nests aggressively against other predators, and in this way provided protection to the geese.
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Rodent dynamics:
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| In 1994, the lemming density was close to zero - we caught only two all summer. The next year, lemmings increased to a density of approximately two per hectare. In 1996, they were exceedingly abundant. Outside the predator enclosure the density was roughly 15 per hectare, and inside it was at least double that. Most of the predation was due to owls, jaegers, and foxes, and very little to weasels. There was no sign of a decline in lemming numbers by the end of the summer.
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Rodent species recorded:
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Summary
of fauna studies: |
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