Erica Nol - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Erica Nol
The Journal of Caribbean Ornithology, 2020
Human colonization on oceanic islands typically has disastrous consequences for indigenous flora ... more Human colonization on oceanic islands typically has disastrous consequences for indigenous flora and fauna. Since settlement in 1612, the native evergreen forest on the island of Bermuda has been fragmented by development and largely replaced by exotic trees, with unclear consequences for woodland birds. We quantified the number of woodland birds using modified point counts in 28 woodlands on Bermuda, from 24 March to 9 April 2014. We examined the impact of woodland size and vegetation features on total species richness and abundance of resident and non-resident woodland birds, and on abundance of the Bermuda population of White-eyed Vireos (Vireo griseus bermudianus). Woodland area had significant positive relationships with total species richness, total woodland bird abundance, and abundance of White-eyed Vireos. Similarly, species richness and abundance of non-resident woodland birds significantly increased with woodland area. None of the vegetation characteristics explained any ...
Using a variety of survey techniques we attempted to estimate the size of the wintering populatio... more Using a variety of survey techniques we attempted to estimate the size of the wintering population of American Oystercatchers Haematopus palliatus palliatus along the Atlantic coast of eastern United States. Highest counts were from South Carolina with over 3,000 wintering birds; numbers approached 2,000 birds in coastal Virginia. Counts of less than 600 were from Georgia and North Carolina. Ninety percent of oystercatchers were roosting on wind produced shell mounds along salt marsh channels. The remaining birds occurred in singles or pairs along barrier island beach fronts. Average roost size was 106 birds (range 18-390). Surveys were most efficient two hours from high tide when all birds were roosting. Wintering flocks in all states south of South Carolina probably consist primarily of breeding birds from those states, whereas Virginia and North Carolina have both breeding and wintering birds. All roosting birds used edges of tidal creeks and (primarily) commercial oyster beds fo...
J. ent. Soc Ont. 141: 6983 Weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) are the largest family in the anim... more J. ent. Soc Ont. 141: 6983 Weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) are the largest family in the animal kingdom and can be found in any habitat where plants grow. Many species not native to North America have invaded both anthropogenic and natural habitats, and the aim of this paper is to determine whether forest landscape continuity has discouraged introduced species. We compared the grounddwelling weevil communities of hardwood forest fragments to those in hardwood stands in a continuously forested landscape, with the prediction that the fragments would have more introduced species. Pitfall traps caught 5090 individuals from 26 species. Both landscapes were dominated by introduced weevils (96% of all individuals), but forest fragments were dominated by Barypeithes pellucidus (Boheman), while Sciaphilus asperatus (Bonsdorff) represented 74% of all weevils caught in the continuous forest. Sixty-four percent of the introduced species were parthenogenetic, and all parthenogenetic species ...
Avian Conservation and Ecology, 2020
Journal of Field Ornithology, 2020
The Condor, 2020
Conservation status and management priorities are often informed by population trends. Trend esti... more Conservation status and management priorities are often informed by population trends. Trend estimates can be derived from population surveys or models, but both methods are associated with sources of uncertainty. Many Arctic-breeding shorebirds are thought to be declining based on migration and/or overwintering population surveys, but data are lacking to estimate the trends of some shorebird species. In addition, for most species, little is known about the stage(s) at which population bottlenecks occur, such as breeding vs. nonbreeding periods. We used previously published and unpublished estimates of vital rates to develop the first large-scale population models for 6 species of Arctic-breeding shorebirds in North America, including separate estimates for 3 subspecies of Dunlin. We used the models to estimate population trends and identify life stages at which population growth may be limited. Our model for the arcticola subspecies of Dunlin agreed with previously published inform...
The Condor, 2019
Bank Swallows (Riparia riparia) are designated as Threatened in Canada, in part due to loss of na... more Bank Swallows (Riparia riparia) are designated as Threatened in Canada, in part due to loss of natural breeding habitat along lakeshores and rivers. Excavation in sand and gravel pits (aka aggregate pits) has increased availability of potential nesting habitat away from lakes and rivers, and these substitute habitats may be important to stabilize the decline experienced by some Bank Swallow populations. Over 2 yr, we collected data on Bank Swallow reproductive success from 2 natural lakeshore habitat sites along bluffs of the north shore of Lake Ontario and 7 aggregate pits in southern Ontario, within 100 km of the lakeshore. Nests at the lakeshore habitat were initiated earlier than in aggregate pits, 8 days earlier in 2014 and 13 days earlier in 2015. Neither clutch size nor number of nestlings were different between the 2 habitat types. There were differences in the number of fledglings produced between the habitat types, with Bank Swallows nesting in aggregate pits raising more ...
Canadian Journal of Zoology, 2019
Animal populations are often limited by food availability, particularly during the breeding seaso... more Animal populations are often limited by food availability, particularly during the breeding season. In birds, food limitation can impact several components of the reproductive cycle, including the timing of reproduction and reproductive output. Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica Linnaeus, 1758) have experienced a population decline over the past 40 years in North America that is thought to be related to changes in prey availability. We monitored Barn Swallow reproductive behaviour and prey availability throughout two breeding seasons at 10 sites in Ontario, Canada, to test the hypothesis that limited prey availability during the breeding season affected reproductive behaviour. We found no relationship between food availability and number of eggs laid or number of young fledged. Neither did we observe higher rates of second brooding or more pairs nesting at breeding sites with higher food availability. Barn Swallows did not time their reproductive effort to maximize prey availability dur...
Journal of Avian Biology, 2018
The Canadian Field-Naturalist, 2006
The species composition of hoverflies (Syrphidae), click beetles (Elateridae), and bees (Apoidea)... more The species composition of hoverflies (Syrphidae), click beetles (Elateridae), and bees (Apoidea) was studied to determine whether there was a positive response in these flower-seeking insect groups to gaps in the canopy created through single-tree selection harvesting of Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) and Yellow Birch (Betula alleghaniensis) in hardwood forests of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence forest region of Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario. There were significantly more hoverflies and bees collected in forest stands harvested within the previous five years than in wilderness zone (unharvested at least for 40 years) stands or stands harvested 15-20 years previously (old logged stands). Click beetles, especially Selatosomus pulcher (LeConte), were collected most often in old logged stands. Bees and click beetles were collected significantly later in the season in logged than in wilderness zone stands. Malaise traps resulted in higher capture rates for syrphids than pan traps, and o...
The behavioural rhythms of organisms are thought to be under strong selection, influenced by the ... more The behavioural rhythms of organisms are thought to be under strong selection, influenced by the rhythmicity of the environment1-4. Such behavioural rhythms are well studied in isolated individuals under laboratory conditions1,5, but free-living individuals have to temporally synchronize their activities with those of others, including potential mates, competitors, prey and predators6-10. Individuals can temporally segregate their daily activities (e.g. prey avoiding predators, subordinates avoiding dominants) or synchronize their activities (e.g. group foraging, communal defence, pairs reproducing or caring for offspring)6,9-11. The behavioural rhythms that emerge from such social synchronization and the underlying evolutionary and ecological drivers that shape them remain poorly understood5-7,9. Here, we address this in the context of biparental care, a particularly sensitive phase of social synchronization12where pair members potentially compromise their individual rhythms. Using...
Canadian Journal of Zoology, 2016
We examined diet of nonbreeding Semipalmated Plovers (Charadrius semipalmatus Bonaparte, 1825) in... more We examined diet of nonbreeding Semipalmated Plovers (Charadrius semipalmatus Bonaparte, 1825) in the Cumberland Island estuary, Georgia, USA, through fecal sample analysis. We also examined prey size selectivity by Semipalmated Plovers for the most common prey item found in the fecal samples, which are polychaetes in the family Nereidae (= Nereididae). We compared the size distribution of polychaetes in Semipalmated Plover fecal samples from salt marshes and mudflats with the size distribution of polychaetes sampled from the two habitats. Semipalmated Plovers foraging on mudflats had less variable diets than those foraging on salt marshes, although the mean number of prey per Semipalmated Plover fecal sample was similar between the two habitats. Size selectivity by Semipalmated Plovers of nereid (= nereidid) polychaetes varied as a function of habitat, with Semipalmated Plovers eating larger polychaetes in salt marshes than in mudflats, although in both habitats Semipalmated Plover...
Environmental Reviews, 2016
Arctic-breeding geese are at record high population levels and are causing significant changes to... more Arctic-breeding geese are at record high population levels and are causing significant changes to some of their breeding and staging habitats. These changes could influence sympatric wildlife, but the nature and strength of these effects are unknown. Here, we review the interactions between geese and sympatric species and propose future research that could help to fill important knowledge gaps. We suggest that geese may be indirectly affecting other species through changes to nesting habitat, prey availability, and predator–prey interactions. Many ground-nesting Arctic birds prefer vegetated wet tundra habitats that offer concealed nest sites; areas also heavily used by breeding and staging geese. Where goose foraging exceeds the capacity of the plants to regenerate, habitats have shorter graminoids and more exposed substrate, potentially reducing the availability of concealed nest sites for other birds. Studies have documented local reductions in the abundance of these concealed-ne...
Wader Study Group Bulletin, Nov 3, 2014
Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 2016
The Brown Creeper (Certhia americana Bonaparte, 1838) has been identified as one of the most sens... more The Brown Creeper (Certhia americana Bonaparte, 1838) has been identified as one of the most sensitive passerines to partial forest harvest in North America. The effect of selection logging on Brown Creeper density, nest timing, nest survival, and nest and foraging site selection was examined in five silviculture treatments (intensive group selection, typical group selection, old single-tree selection, recent single-tree selection, and control forests) of Algonquin Provincial Park, Canada. As Brown Creeper nests under the bark of large, decaying trees, we hypothesized that Brown Creeper density, timing of breeding, nest survival, and nest and foraging site selection would be negatively affected by silviculture through the removal of large, decaying trees as part of providing safe conditions for loggers. We monitored 101 nests of Brown Creeper during the 2010 and 2011 breeding seasons, mapped territories to estimate density, and conducted foraging surveys. Brown Creeper density was r...
Movement ecology, 2016
Geolocators are useful for tracking movements of long-distance migrants, but potential negative e... more Geolocators are useful for tracking movements of long-distance migrants, but potential negative effects on birds have not been well studied. We tested for effects of geolocators (0.8-2.0 g total, representing 0.1-3.9 % of mean body mass) on 16 species of migratory shorebirds, including five species with 2-4 subspecies each for a total of 23 study taxa. Study species spanned a range of body sizes (26-1091 g) and eight genera, and were tagged at 23 breeding and eight nonbreeding sites. We compared breeding performance and return rates of birds with geolocators to control groups while controlling for potential confounding variables. We detected negative effects of tags for three small-bodied species. Geolocators reduced annual return rates for two of 23 taxa: by 63 % for semipalmated sandpipers and by 43 % for the arcticola subspecies of dunlin. High resighting effort for geolocator birds could have masked additional negative effects. Geolocators were more likely to negatively affect r...
The Journal of Caribbean Ornithology, 2020
Human colonization on oceanic islands typically has disastrous consequences for indigenous flora ... more Human colonization on oceanic islands typically has disastrous consequences for indigenous flora and fauna. Since settlement in 1612, the native evergreen forest on the island of Bermuda has been fragmented by development and largely replaced by exotic trees, with unclear consequences for woodland birds. We quantified the number of woodland birds using modified point counts in 28 woodlands on Bermuda, from 24 March to 9 April 2014. We examined the impact of woodland size and vegetation features on total species richness and abundance of resident and non-resident woodland birds, and on abundance of the Bermuda population of White-eyed Vireos (Vireo griseus bermudianus). Woodland area had significant positive relationships with total species richness, total woodland bird abundance, and abundance of White-eyed Vireos. Similarly, species richness and abundance of non-resident woodland birds significantly increased with woodland area. None of the vegetation characteristics explained any ...
Using a variety of survey techniques we attempted to estimate the size of the wintering populatio... more Using a variety of survey techniques we attempted to estimate the size of the wintering population of American Oystercatchers Haematopus palliatus palliatus along the Atlantic coast of eastern United States. Highest counts were from South Carolina with over 3,000 wintering birds; numbers approached 2,000 birds in coastal Virginia. Counts of less than 600 were from Georgia and North Carolina. Ninety percent of oystercatchers were roosting on wind produced shell mounds along salt marsh channels. The remaining birds occurred in singles or pairs along barrier island beach fronts. Average roost size was 106 birds (range 18-390). Surveys were most efficient two hours from high tide when all birds were roosting. Wintering flocks in all states south of South Carolina probably consist primarily of breeding birds from those states, whereas Virginia and North Carolina have both breeding and wintering birds. All roosting birds used edges of tidal creeks and (primarily) commercial oyster beds fo...
J. ent. Soc Ont. 141: 6983 Weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) are the largest family in the anim... more J. ent. Soc Ont. 141: 6983 Weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) are the largest family in the animal kingdom and can be found in any habitat where plants grow. Many species not native to North America have invaded both anthropogenic and natural habitats, and the aim of this paper is to determine whether forest landscape continuity has discouraged introduced species. We compared the grounddwelling weevil communities of hardwood forest fragments to those in hardwood stands in a continuously forested landscape, with the prediction that the fragments would have more introduced species. Pitfall traps caught 5090 individuals from 26 species. Both landscapes were dominated by introduced weevils (96% of all individuals), but forest fragments were dominated by Barypeithes pellucidus (Boheman), while Sciaphilus asperatus (Bonsdorff) represented 74% of all weevils caught in the continuous forest. Sixty-four percent of the introduced species were parthenogenetic, and all parthenogenetic species ...
Avian Conservation and Ecology, 2020
Journal of Field Ornithology, 2020
The Condor, 2020
Conservation status and management priorities are often informed by population trends. Trend esti... more Conservation status and management priorities are often informed by population trends. Trend estimates can be derived from population surveys or models, but both methods are associated with sources of uncertainty. Many Arctic-breeding shorebirds are thought to be declining based on migration and/or overwintering population surveys, but data are lacking to estimate the trends of some shorebird species. In addition, for most species, little is known about the stage(s) at which population bottlenecks occur, such as breeding vs. nonbreeding periods. We used previously published and unpublished estimates of vital rates to develop the first large-scale population models for 6 species of Arctic-breeding shorebirds in North America, including separate estimates for 3 subspecies of Dunlin. We used the models to estimate population trends and identify life stages at which population growth may be limited. Our model for the arcticola subspecies of Dunlin agreed with previously published inform...
The Condor, 2019
Bank Swallows (Riparia riparia) are designated as Threatened in Canada, in part due to loss of na... more Bank Swallows (Riparia riparia) are designated as Threatened in Canada, in part due to loss of natural breeding habitat along lakeshores and rivers. Excavation in sand and gravel pits (aka aggregate pits) has increased availability of potential nesting habitat away from lakes and rivers, and these substitute habitats may be important to stabilize the decline experienced by some Bank Swallow populations. Over 2 yr, we collected data on Bank Swallow reproductive success from 2 natural lakeshore habitat sites along bluffs of the north shore of Lake Ontario and 7 aggregate pits in southern Ontario, within 100 km of the lakeshore. Nests at the lakeshore habitat were initiated earlier than in aggregate pits, 8 days earlier in 2014 and 13 days earlier in 2015. Neither clutch size nor number of nestlings were different between the 2 habitat types. There were differences in the number of fledglings produced between the habitat types, with Bank Swallows nesting in aggregate pits raising more ...
Canadian Journal of Zoology, 2019
Animal populations are often limited by food availability, particularly during the breeding seaso... more Animal populations are often limited by food availability, particularly during the breeding season. In birds, food limitation can impact several components of the reproductive cycle, including the timing of reproduction and reproductive output. Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica Linnaeus, 1758) have experienced a population decline over the past 40 years in North America that is thought to be related to changes in prey availability. We monitored Barn Swallow reproductive behaviour and prey availability throughout two breeding seasons at 10 sites in Ontario, Canada, to test the hypothesis that limited prey availability during the breeding season affected reproductive behaviour. We found no relationship between food availability and number of eggs laid or number of young fledged. Neither did we observe higher rates of second brooding or more pairs nesting at breeding sites with higher food availability. Barn Swallows did not time their reproductive effort to maximize prey availability dur...
Journal of Avian Biology, 2018
The Canadian Field-Naturalist, 2006
The species composition of hoverflies (Syrphidae), click beetles (Elateridae), and bees (Apoidea)... more The species composition of hoverflies (Syrphidae), click beetles (Elateridae), and bees (Apoidea) was studied to determine whether there was a positive response in these flower-seeking insect groups to gaps in the canopy created through single-tree selection harvesting of Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) and Yellow Birch (Betula alleghaniensis) in hardwood forests of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence forest region of Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario. There were significantly more hoverflies and bees collected in forest stands harvested within the previous five years than in wilderness zone (unharvested at least for 40 years) stands or stands harvested 15-20 years previously (old logged stands). Click beetles, especially Selatosomus pulcher (LeConte), were collected most often in old logged stands. Bees and click beetles were collected significantly later in the season in logged than in wilderness zone stands. Malaise traps resulted in higher capture rates for syrphids than pan traps, and o...
The behavioural rhythms of organisms are thought to be under strong selection, influenced by the ... more The behavioural rhythms of organisms are thought to be under strong selection, influenced by the rhythmicity of the environment1-4. Such behavioural rhythms are well studied in isolated individuals under laboratory conditions1,5, but free-living individuals have to temporally synchronize their activities with those of others, including potential mates, competitors, prey and predators6-10. Individuals can temporally segregate their daily activities (e.g. prey avoiding predators, subordinates avoiding dominants) or synchronize their activities (e.g. group foraging, communal defence, pairs reproducing or caring for offspring)6,9-11. The behavioural rhythms that emerge from such social synchronization and the underlying evolutionary and ecological drivers that shape them remain poorly understood5-7,9. Here, we address this in the context of biparental care, a particularly sensitive phase of social synchronization12where pair members potentially compromise their individual rhythms. Using...
Canadian Journal of Zoology, 2016
We examined diet of nonbreeding Semipalmated Plovers (Charadrius semipalmatus Bonaparte, 1825) in... more We examined diet of nonbreeding Semipalmated Plovers (Charadrius semipalmatus Bonaparte, 1825) in the Cumberland Island estuary, Georgia, USA, through fecal sample analysis. We also examined prey size selectivity by Semipalmated Plovers for the most common prey item found in the fecal samples, which are polychaetes in the family Nereidae (= Nereididae). We compared the size distribution of polychaetes in Semipalmated Plover fecal samples from salt marshes and mudflats with the size distribution of polychaetes sampled from the two habitats. Semipalmated Plovers foraging on mudflats had less variable diets than those foraging on salt marshes, although the mean number of prey per Semipalmated Plover fecal sample was similar between the two habitats. Size selectivity by Semipalmated Plovers of nereid (= nereidid) polychaetes varied as a function of habitat, with Semipalmated Plovers eating larger polychaetes in salt marshes than in mudflats, although in both habitats Semipalmated Plover...
Environmental Reviews, 2016
Arctic-breeding geese are at record high population levels and are causing significant changes to... more Arctic-breeding geese are at record high population levels and are causing significant changes to some of their breeding and staging habitats. These changes could influence sympatric wildlife, but the nature and strength of these effects are unknown. Here, we review the interactions between geese and sympatric species and propose future research that could help to fill important knowledge gaps. We suggest that geese may be indirectly affecting other species through changes to nesting habitat, prey availability, and predator–prey interactions. Many ground-nesting Arctic birds prefer vegetated wet tundra habitats that offer concealed nest sites; areas also heavily used by breeding and staging geese. Where goose foraging exceeds the capacity of the plants to regenerate, habitats have shorter graminoids and more exposed substrate, potentially reducing the availability of concealed nest sites for other birds. Studies have documented local reductions in the abundance of these concealed-ne...
Wader Study Group Bulletin, Nov 3, 2014
Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 2016
The Brown Creeper (Certhia americana Bonaparte, 1838) has been identified as one of the most sens... more The Brown Creeper (Certhia americana Bonaparte, 1838) has been identified as one of the most sensitive passerines to partial forest harvest in North America. The effect of selection logging on Brown Creeper density, nest timing, nest survival, and nest and foraging site selection was examined in five silviculture treatments (intensive group selection, typical group selection, old single-tree selection, recent single-tree selection, and control forests) of Algonquin Provincial Park, Canada. As Brown Creeper nests under the bark of large, decaying trees, we hypothesized that Brown Creeper density, timing of breeding, nest survival, and nest and foraging site selection would be negatively affected by silviculture through the removal of large, decaying trees as part of providing safe conditions for loggers. We monitored 101 nests of Brown Creeper during the 2010 and 2011 breeding seasons, mapped territories to estimate density, and conducted foraging surveys. Brown Creeper density was r...
Movement ecology, 2016
Geolocators are useful for tracking movements of long-distance migrants, but potential negative e... more Geolocators are useful for tracking movements of long-distance migrants, but potential negative effects on birds have not been well studied. We tested for effects of geolocators (0.8-2.0 g total, representing 0.1-3.9 % of mean body mass) on 16 species of migratory shorebirds, including five species with 2-4 subspecies each for a total of 23 study taxa. Study species spanned a range of body sizes (26-1091 g) and eight genera, and were tagged at 23 breeding and eight nonbreeding sites. We compared breeding performance and return rates of birds with geolocators to control groups while controlling for potential confounding variables. We detected negative effects of tags for three small-bodied species. Geolocators reduced annual return rates for two of 23 taxa: by 63 % for semipalmated sandpipers and by 43 % for the arcticola subspecies of dunlin. High resighting effort for geolocator birds could have masked additional negative effects. Geolocators were more likely to negatively affect r...