Active Management of Piping Plovers at Lake Diefenbaker скачать в хорошем качестве

Active Management of Piping Plovers at Lake Diefenbaker

Katelyn Luff, from the Water Security Agency, presents her talk, "Active Management of Piping Plovers at Lake Diefenbaker" during the WildEcol Winter 2026 Seminar Series. See abstract: In southern Saskatchewan, Lake Diefenbaker does more than just supply water to 60% of our province, it supports one of the largest single-site breeding populations of Piping Plovers in Canada. Monitoring and management of plovers have occurred at this reservoir since 2005 to reduce nest failure and to monitor chick productivity. In this talk, I’ll discuss the multiple risk reduction activities utilized to enhance Piping Plover productivity as part of the reservoir’s operating plan.These activities range from the passive use of predator exclosures to active nest translocation. Our risk assessments incorporate nest location data, nest age, and nest elevation derived from LiDAR to inform flood risk and translocation efforts throughout the breeding season. On average, 101 nests are monitored, and the lake produces 0.89 fledged chicks/pair per year. Lake Diefenbaker remains an important nesting site in prairie Canada, and our continued monitoring and management of Piping Plovers at this location aligns with the population objectives outlined in the federal species recovery strategy.