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Waterbird
Productivity at Great Salt Lake
The Great Salt Lake is one of the most important breeding and
migratory sites for waterbirds (e.g. waterfowl, shorebirds and
wading birds) within the western hemisphere. Recent reports of
heavy metal contamination, habitat loss and fragmentation have many
residents, sports enthusiasts, and wildlife managers concerned about
the population health of these species. The conservation of
bird populations depends on acquiring breeding biology information
to estimate population health and predict the vulnerability of
species to habitat change and contamination.
The Avian Ecology Lab initiated a large-scale research program to
monitor and assess the current breeding productivity of waterbirds
at nine sites within the Great Salt
Lake Ecosystem. This project is monitoring breeding
productivity and habitat conditions using a standardized sampling
protocol. This will allow:
- Identification of species' breeding requirements
- Assessment of current population health
- Projection of species vulnerability to habitat change
Breeding Productivity of Shorebirds at Bear
River Migratory Bird Refuge
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