Reproductive success in arctic and temperate breeding barnacle geese
During the past decades, the barnacle goose population wintering on the European mainland and traditionally breeding in Arctic Russia, has undergone a dramatic change in breeding range. By colonising new breeding areas in the Baltic and along the North Sea coast, notably the Netherlands, they shortened their migration or even stopped migrating altogether. But what are the fitness consequences of such contrasting lifestyles (e.g. migratory or non-migratory)? A major fitness component is reproductive success, which may vary between breeding populations and at different stages throughout ontogeny. In this project we want determine and analyse reproductive success and mortality at/between laying, hatching and fledgling stage in a breeding colony in the Netherlands and compare those findings with data from a study colony in Arctic Russia.
Activities
Student(s) will be offered the opportunity to conduct fieldwork in the Dutch nature reserve Westplaat Buitengronden (at Haringvliet) where a Dutch population of barnacle goose breeds. Potentially there might be the opportunity to join an expedition to Kolokolkova Bay in the Russian Arctic to study similar questions there. Fieldwork concerns mainly monitoring of nests during egg-stage, marking of chicks at hatch, and (re-)capture of chicks and adult geese. The analytical part of the project can be somewhat tailored to the student skills (i.e. from basic calculations of reproductive success to advanced survival analysis, in which mortality between life-stages will be modelled). Own gathered data and existing data from previous years can be combined.
General information
Due to the breeding period of the barnacle goose, the start of the fieldwork would be 2nd half of April/ beginning of May in the Netherlands (or end of May in Russia) and lasts 2-3 months. Depending on the students desires (e.g. wish to produce a thesis or report) this can be extended to a 6-9 months project period. Accommodation close to the breeding colony will be facilitated during the fieldwork period, as well as a desk at the NIOO to work out the data and write a thesis or report. For potential work in Arctic Russia, the student needs to be comfortable with working at a remote location (no internet, phone connection, electricity) with basic field accommodation.
Requirements: Enthusiastic student(s) with an interest in wildlife ecology, desire to learn, and taking responsibility when conducting fieldwork. Ability to converse in Dutch is of advantage for fieldwork in the Dutch breeding colony. Principally students at all levels may apply (MSc, BSc, etc.), but students with prior fieldwork experience and/or good analytical skills will be preferred.
Daily advisors & contact for more information:
Chiel Boom, MSc
