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Effects of urbanization on the distribution and reproductive performance of the American oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus palliatus) in coastal New Jersey

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TypeOfResource
Text
TitleInfo
Title
Effects of urbanization on the distribution and reproductive performance of the American oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus palliatus) in coastal New Jersey
Identifier
ETD_1277
Identifier (type = hdl)
http://hdl.rutgers.edu/1782.2/rucore10001600001.ETD.000050456
Identifier (type = doi)
doi:10.7282/T3DN45BF
Language
LanguageTerm (authority = ISO 639-3:2007); (type = text)
English
Genre (authority = marcgt)
theses
Subject (authority = RUETD)
Topic
Ecology and Evolution
Subject (authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
American oystercatcher--Effects of human beings on--New Jersey
Subject (authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
American oystercatcher--Nests--New Jersey
Subject (authority = ETD-LCSH)
Topic
Shore birds--New Jersey
Subject
HierarchicalGeographic
Country
UNITED STATES
State
New Jersey
Abstract
Urbanization and associated human disturbance can affect American oystercatcher reproductive performance in direct and indirect ways. Nest success rates could be directly affected if human disturbance disrupts normal breeding behavior or leads to increased predation rates. Indirectly, reproductive performance could be reduced if distributional patterns are altered due to coastal development or disturbance on breeding grounds. This dissertation examines the influences that urbanization and human disturbance have on American oystercatcher reproductive rates and distribution in highly urbanized coastal ecosystems in New Jersey.
Human-induced effects on oystercatcher daily nest survival rates and overall reproductive performance were analyzed across a mosaic of habitats (Chapter 1). My results showed that the principal factor negatively influencing daily survival rates of both clutches and broods was the presence of mammalian predators, not human disturbance. The nest success rate on predator-free islands (21%) was an order of magnitude greater than the rate reported on barrier islands (2%), which have high densities of predatory mammals. Thus, the direct effect of human disturbance on reproductive performance was trumped by the effect of mammalian predators.
The effect of urbanization and human disturbance on the local distribution of American oystercatchers was analyzed using species distribution modeling techniques including maximum entropy (MAXENT) modeling and classification and regression tree (CART) modeling. First, the distribution of oystercatchers in response to urbanization was analyzed using MAXENT (Chapter 2). This modeling technique provided a map of predicted habitat suitability that was used to locate oystercatcher populations. The results of validation surveys showed that the New Jersey oystercatcher population utilized alternative breeding habitats in very high concentrations. Next, the habitat suitability model was used as the starting point to develop CART models analyzing the effect of human disturbance on the local distribution on barrier beaches (Chapter 3). These models showed that high levels of human disturbance further influenced local oystercatcher distribution in New Jersey.
My dissertation shows that urbanization and associated human disturbance affect the distributional patterns of the American oystercatcher. Thus, these factors indirectly affected reproductive performance by leading to the exclusion of oystercatchers from the most highly suitable breeding habitat.
PhysicalDescription
Extent
xvii, 134 p. : ill.
InternetMediaType
application/pdf
InternetMediaType
text/xml
Note (type = degree)
Ph.D.
Note (type = bibliography)
Includes bibliographical references.
Note (type = statement of responsibility)
by Thomas Virzi
Name (type = personal)
NamePart (type = family)
Virzi
NamePart (type = given)
Thomas
Role
RoleTerm (authority = RULIB)
author
DisplayForm
Thomas Virzi
Name (type = personal)
NamePart (type = family)
Lockwood
NamePart (type = given)
Julie
Role
RoleTerm (authority = RULIB)
chair
Affiliation
Advisory Committee
DisplayForm
Julie L Lockwood
Name (type = personal)
NamePart (type = family)
Lathrop, Jr.
NamePart (type = given)
Richard
Role
RoleTerm (authority = RULIB)
internal member
Affiliation
Advisory Committee
DisplayForm
Richard G Lathrop, Jr.
Name (type = personal)
NamePart (type = family)
Ehrenfeld
NamePart (type = given)
David
Role
RoleTerm (authority = RULIB)
internal member
Affiliation
Advisory Committee
DisplayForm
David W Ehrenfeld
Name (type = personal)
NamePart (type = family)
Drake
NamePart (type = given)
David
Role
RoleTerm (authority = RULIB)
outside member
Affiliation
Advisory Committee
DisplayForm
David Drake
Name (type = corporate)
NamePart
Rutgers University
Role
RoleTerm (authority = RULIB)
degree grantor
Name (type = corporate)
NamePart
Graduate School - New Brunswick
Role
RoleTerm (authority = RULIB)
school
OriginInfo
DateCreated (qualifier = exact)
2008
DateOther (qualifier = exact); (type = degree)
2008-10
Place
PlaceTerm (type = code)
xx
Location
PhysicalLocation (authority = marcorg)
NjNbRU
RelatedItem (type = host)
TitleInfo
Title
Rutgers University Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Identifier (type = RULIB)
ETD
RelatedItem (type = host)
TitleInfo
Title
Graduate School - New Brunswick Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Identifier (type = local)
rucore19991600001
Subject (authority = lcsh/lcnaf)
Geographic
New Jersey
Genre (authority = ExL-Esploro)
ETD doctoral
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The author owns the copyright to this work.
Copyright
Status
Copyright protected
Availability
Status
Open
RightsEvent (AUTHORITY = rulib); (ID = 1)
Type
Permission or license
Detail
Non-exclusive ETD license
AssociatedObject (AUTHORITY = rulib); (ID = 1)
Type
License
Name
Author Agreement License
Detail
I hereby grant to the Rutgers University Libraries and to my school the non-exclusive right to archive, reproduce and distribute my thesis or dissertation, in whole or in part, and/or my abstract, in whole or in part, in and from an electronic format, subject to the release date subsequently stipulated in this submittal form and approved by my school. I represent and stipulate that the thesis or dissertation and its abstract are my original work, that they do not infringe or violate any rights of others, and that I make these grants as the sole owner of the rights to my thesis or dissertation and its abstract. I represent that I have obtained written permissions, when necessary, from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis or dissertation and will supply copies of such upon request by my school. I acknowledge that RU ETD and my school will not distribute my thesis or dissertation or its abstract if, in their reasonable judgment, they believe all such rights have not been secured. I acknowledge that I retain ownership rights to the copyright of my work. I also retain the right to use all or part of this thesis or dissertation in future works, such as articles or books.
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ETD
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application/pdf
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application/x-tar
FileSize (UNIT = bytes)
1628160
Checksum (METHOD = SHA1)
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