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BEHAVIOUR and HABITAT SELECTION of Lmarbled

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BEHAVIOUR and HABITAT SELECTION of Lmarbled BEHAVIOUR AND HABITAT SELECTION OF lMARBLED MURRELETS NESTING ON THE SUNSHINE COAST by Irene A. Manley B.Sc., University of Victoria, 1992 THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL EULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SClENCE in the Department of Biological Sciences O irene A. Manley 1999 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY March 1999 Al1 rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without permission of the author. National Library Bibliothèque nationale 1+1 of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395, me Wellingîon OttawaON KlAOW Ottawa ON K1A ûN4 cana& c2mada The author has granteci a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence aiiowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microfom, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/nlm, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fkom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimes reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. ABSTRACT 1 studied the behaviour and habitat selection of Marbled Murrelets (Brachyrmphusmmmoratus) nesting in late-successional forests on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. Fi-twonest trees were located fiom 19954997. Marbled Murrelets attended inactive nests prior to breeding, after nest failure, or in years following a previous breeding attempt. These visits were most fkequent in July. Nesting success was 33% and evidence of predation was found at 86% of faiied nests. Nest trees were re-used between years (1 1%) and rarely within a breeding season. Nineteen percent of nest trees contained multiple nest sites indicating re-use over several years. Marbled Murrelets selected for structural characteristics of their nesting habitat at three spatial scales, microsite (nest site), element (nest tree), and patch (0.2 ha around nest trees). Murrelets selected large diameter limbs with epiphytes and cover above the branch at a microsite scale. Nest trees used by rnurrelets were larger in diameter and had more potentiai nesting platforms than available trees. Murrelets selected nest trees adjacent to canopy gaps, and they used these gaps to access their nests. Nest patches had higher densities of large diameter trees, lower densities of small diameter trees, hiçher densities of platfonns, and a higher proportion of platfonns with moss pads than available patches. At al1 scales, selectivity was expressed most strongly for the availability of platforms, which are a basic structural requirement of nesting murrelets. On the Sunshine Coast, high densities of platfonns and mossy platforms were associated with occupied habitats and high activity of Marbled Murrelets- Sites occupied by rnurrelets were at higher elevations, had higher densities of platforms, and had Iess gap area than sites where murrelets were not-detected. Use of high elevation forests and iii yeiiow-cedar trees likely occurred because late-successional forests are rare at low- elevations on the Sunshine Coast. Coarse forest classifications, such as biogeoclimatic vanants, were not associated with the stmctural characteristics important to Marbled Murrelets and were not usefil for identifjing their habitat on the Sunshine Coast. Management of nesting habitat for Marbled Murrelets on the Sunshine Coast should include landscape level planning to retain large patches of high quality nesting habitat for murrelets. These patches must be large enough to provide interior forest conditions. Managers should also consider long-term recmitment of fiiture nesting habitat to ensure a supply of nest sites for Mahled Murrelets. This study was initiated by the SRT Marbled Murrelet Research Project and expandeci with the cooperation and resources of the Sunshine Coast Marbled Murrelet Inventory Project run by BC Ministry of Environment Lands and Parks (BCMoELP) lower Maidand region and the BC Conservation Foundation (BCCF). The SFU Mhled Murrelet Research Project received fùnding fiom Forest Renewal B.C. (FRBC), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Canadian Wiidlife SeMce (CWS), Mac-Miilan Bloedel Ltd., Timberwest Forest Products Ltd., International Forest Products Ltd., Western Forest Products Ltd., and Pacific Forest Products Ltd. The B.C. Conservation Foundation, SFU, the BC Ministry of Forests and Theodosia Seafoods provided equipment and logistical support. Bah Sherman of the CWSNSERC Wildlife Ecology Research Chair and Melinda Coleman of the B.C. Conservation Foundation provided administrative assistance. The staff of the BC Ministry of Forests and BC MoELP in Powell River provided radio check ins, assistance with maps, air photos and photocopying. Steve Gordons efforts and assistance with management issues were much appreciated. 1thank Andy Derocher for initiating this project and Andy, Gary Kaiser and Fred Cooke for giving me the opportunity to work on murrelets in Desolation Sound. Wendy Beauchamp and Lynn Lougheed provided logistical support in the field. The Sunshine Coast Marbled Murrelet Inventory Project received tunding from FRBC Inventory grants to the BC MoELP. Ian Blackburn initiated this project, discussed many ideas about murrelets, and reviewed drafts of my thesis. Melinda Coleman, BCCF, and Toby Jones provided administrative assistance and logistical support. 1 thank my cornmittee members Dr. Fred Cooke and Dr. Ken Lertzman for their advice, instruction and insights. Dr. Alton Harestad was always encouraging, kept me on track through several diversions, provided valuable advice and many hours of revisions on my thesis and aiways had a sense of humor. Ioanna Smith, Ian Blackburn and Louise Waterhouse provided vaiuable comments on earlier drafts of my thesis. 1 rexxived support for my studies fiom a Wildlife Habitat Canada Scholarship, a Scholarship from the Anne Vallee Ecological fund, a SNgraduate fellowship and Teaching Assistantship, and fiom contracts tiom the B.C. Ministry of Forests and Canadian Wddlife Service. The data in my thesis were collected by rnany dedicated murrelet researchers; Stephanie Hazlitt, Toby Crocker, Ross Vennessland, Tom Ainsworth, Lori MacWilliam Ainsworth, John Kelson, Bernard Schroeder, Rene Martin, Sandra Webster, Dave Mckeown, Frank Pouw, Trevor Welton, Julie Talbot, Simon Brochu, Lynn Webster, JO hanne Dussereault, Kristin Charleton, Jason Berge, Nice Boyle, Cathy Conroy, Sean Cullen, Dan Klinka, Susie Silverside and Ed Spatt. Thank-you al1 for your fiiendship and enthusiasm in the field, In the lab, Mandy Kellner was always cheery even when discussing statistics. Cathy Conroy, Doug Erickson and Joanna Smith provided much needed stress relief and ski breaks. Many thanks to Stephanie Hazlitt for fnendship and advice through the entire time of this study. My parents Dave and Rosemary have always been supportive and fascinated with murrelets. Lastly, 1 would like to thank the Marbled Murrelets that 1 followed over the years, who have always ïntrigued me with their secretive ways. They have shared some of their mysteries and, better still, have kept many more to themselves. ApprovaI ......................................................................................................................... 11 ... Abstract ......................................................................................................................... 111 Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................... v Table of Contents .......................................................................................................... vii List of Tables ........................ .. ...................................................................................... x List of Figures .............................................................................................................. xiv General Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1 Study Area ...................................................................................................................... 3 Chapter 1. Activity and Behaviour of Marbled Murrelets at Nest Sites ............................. 6 Introduction............................................................................................................... 6 Methods .................................................................................................................... 8 Generd Mand Activity ..................................................................................... 8 Locating Nests ................................................................................................ 10 Nesting Activity .............................................................................................. 11 Nesting Success .............................................................................................. 13 Re-use of Nest Trees ......................................................................................
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