Michigan is located at the center of the Great Lakes Region that supports more than 3 million autumn waterfowl migrants annually. Beginning in the 1940s and 1950s, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS, hereafter) began consolidating large wetland complexes in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. Since the 1970s, Michigan DNR and USFWS staff have maintained records on autumn waterfowl use, as well as harvest associated with managed hunting programs. I analyzed archived count data in conjunction with various measures of climate, weather, hydrology, and stock. I determined that the total number of ducks that these areas support in a given year have largely been in decline since the early 1990s. I analyzed timings of species-specific waterfowl abundance on areas and observed trends in seasonal timings. Finally, I measured changes in relative abundance of mallards as a function of weather variable. In my second chapter, I determined the influence of time of day, season progression, habitat type, and disturbance levels on a measure of habitat selection, using a novel method for surveying waterfowl. In my third chapter, I used archived data dating back to the 1970s to evaluate annual and seasonal measures of hunting program success. These results provide insights on multiple levels of waterfowl use and associated recreation and will help inform future management on the study sites.
Read
