Linking Canadian Harvested Juvenile American Black Ducks to Their Natal Areas Using Stable Isotope (δD, δ13C, and δ15N) Methods

Understanding source-sink dynamics of game birds is essential to harvest and habitat management but acquiring this information is often logistically and financially challenging using traditional methods of population surveys and banding studies. This is especially true for species such as the American Black Duck (Anas rubripes), which have low breeding densities and extensive breeding ranges that necessitate extensive surveys and banding programs across eastern North America. Despite this effort, the contribution of birds fledged from various landscapes and habitat types within specific breeding ranges to regional harvest is largely unknown but remains an important consideration in adaptive harvest management and targeted habitat conservation strategies. We investigated if stable isotope (δD, δ13C, δ15N) could augment our present understanding of connectivity between breeding and harvest areas and so provide information relevant to the two main management strategies for black ducks, harvest and habitat management. We obtained specimens from 200 hatch-year Black Duck wings submitted to the Canadian Wildlife Service Species Composition Survey. Samples were obtained from birds harvested in Western, Central, and Eastern breeding/harvest subregions to provide a sample representative of the range and harvest rate of birds harvested in Canada. We sampled only hatch-year birds to provide an unambiguous and direct link between production and harvest areas. Marine origins were assigned to 12%, 7%, and 5% of birds harvested in the Eastern, Central, and Western subregions, respectively. In contrast, 32%, 9%, and 5% of birds were assigned, respectively, to agricultural origins. All remaining birds were assigned to nonagricultural origins. We portrayed probability of origin using a combination of Bayesian statistical and GIS methods. Placement of most eastern birds was western Nova Scotia, eastern New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and southern Newfoundland. Agricultural birds from the Central region were consistent with the Saguenay region of Québec and the eastern claybelt with nonagricultural birds originating in the boreal. Western nonagricultural birds were associated with broad boreal origins from southern James Bay to Lake of the Woods and east to Cochrane, Ontario. Our work shows that the geographic origins, landscape, and habitat associations of hatch-year Black Ducks can be inferred using this technique and we recommend that a broad-scale isotopic study using a large sample of Canadian and US harvested birds be implemented to provide a continental perspective of source-sink population dynamics.

Predator Exclosures Enhance Reproductive Success but Increase Adult Mortality of Piping Plovers (Charadrius melodus)

Piping Plovers (Charadrius melodus) are listed as endangered throughout Canada and the United States Great Lakes region. Most attempts to increase their numbers have focused on enhancing reproductive success. Using 22 years of data collected by Parks Canada in Prince Edward Island National Park of Canada, we examined whether predator exclosures installed around Piping Plover nests increased nest success and hatching and fledging success when compared to nests without exclosures. Nests with exclosures were significantly more likely to hatch at least one egg than nests without exclosures, and they hatched a significantly greater number of young. The greater reproductive success observed in exclosed nests is likely due to the increased protection from predators that the exclosures conferred; significantly fewer exclosed nests were depredated than nonexclosed nests. However, significantly more exclosed than nonexclosed nests were abandoned by adults, and they had significantly greater adult mortality. Whether benefits of increased reproductive success from exclosures outweigh costs of increased abandonment and adult mortality remains unknown, but must be considered.

Ascidiofauna in the Southern Ocean

Three Spanish Antarctic research cruises (Ant-8611, Bentart-94 and Bentart-95) were carried out in the South Shetland Archipelago (Antarctic Peninsula) and Scotia Arc (South Orkney, South Sandwich and South Georgia archipelagos) on the continental shelf and upper slope (10-600 m depth). They have contributed to our knowledge about ascidian distribution and the zoogeographical relationships with the neighbouring areas and the other Subantarctic islands. The distribution of ascidian species suggests that the Scotia Arc is divided into two sectors, the South Orkney Archipelago, related to the Antarctic Province, and the South Georgia Archipelago (probably including the South Sandwich Archipelago), which is intermediate between the Antarctic Province and the Magellan region.

European and North American Railway, New England and Eastern Canada, 1850 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Map of the European and North American Railway : showing its connection with the railways of the United States & Canada, [by] A.C. Morton, engineer. It was published in 1850 by Bowen & Co. Scale [ca. 1:1,625,000]. Covers New England, eastern New York, and the Maritime Provinces. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the USA Contiguous Albers Equal Area Conic projection (Meters). All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as completed, in progress, and proposed railroads, selected towns, drainage, state boundaries, and more. Includes inset: Map showing the plan for shortening the transit between New York & London. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps of New England from the Harvard Map Collection. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

Washington, D.C. and vicinity, 1862 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Topographical map of the original District of Columbia and environs showing the fortifications around the city of Washington, by E.G. Arnold C.E. It was published by G. Woolworth Colton in 1862. Scale [ca. 1:31,680]. Covers also adjacent portions of Virginia and Maryland. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the Maryland State Plane Coordinate System Meters NAD83 (Fipszone 1900). All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as roads, railroads, bridges, canals, drainage, cities and towns, forts, selected public buildings and places of interest, hospitals, schools, Washington, D.C. school districts, selected private residences with names of landowners, and more. Relief is shown by hachures. Includes text and population tables. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

A letter to the Right Honourable the Earl of Carnarvon, principal secretary of state for the colonies ; in reply to a Pamphlet entitled Confederation, considered in relation to the Interests of the Empire /

p. [3]-64: A letter to the Right Honourable the Earl of Carnarvon, principal secretary of state for the colonies; p. 65-78: Report of resolutions adopted at a conference of delegates from the provinces of Canada, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and the colonies of Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island, held at the city of Quebec, 10th October, 1864, as the basis of a proposed confederation of those provinces and colonies

The Scotsman in Canada.

v. 1. Eastern Canada, including Nova Scotia, Prince Edward island, New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario, by Wilfred Campbell.--v. 2. Western Canada, including Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, and portions of old Rupert's land and the Indian territories, by George Bryce.

The British colonial library, comprising a popular and authentic description of all the colonies of the British empire, their history - physical geography - geology - climate - animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms - government - finance - military defence - commerce - shipping -monetary system - religion - population, white and coloured - education and the press - emigration, social state, &c.

Published in 1834-35 under the title: History of the British colonies.

Annual report.

Mode of access: Internet.

Reports of cases determined in the Appeal and Chancery divisions and selected cases in the King's Bench and at Chambers of the Supreme Court of New Brunswick,

Vol. 1, p. 1-158, was first published from Chipman's manuscript by John C. Allen in 1849. Vol. 2 issued originally in parts.

Picturesque Canada; the country as it was and is.

Vol. 1 has added t.-p., engr.

Historial and descriptive sketches of the maritime colonies of British America.

Account of Prince Edward Island--Account of Cape Breton--Sketches of Nova Scotia--New Brunswick--Newfoundland.

Canada: a memorial volume.

Section VI has t.-p.: Ontario as a home for the British tenant farmer ... Issued by authority of the government of Ontario. Hon. Charles Drury, M.P.P., Commissioner of Immigration. David Spence, Secretary Immigration Department. Toronto, Printed by Warwick & Sons, 1888. This section includes Education system for the province of Ontario ... Toronto, 1886.

Annual Report

Title Varies: 18??, Report of the Board of Education of Prince Edward Island; 1877-? Annual Report for the Province of Prince Edward Island; 18??, Annual Report of the Superintendent of Education on the Primary, Advanced and High Schools of More

Annual Report

Mode of access: Internet.