Professor of Wildlife Ecology
Utah State University
Bio:
Michael Conover is a professor of wildlife ecology at Utah State University. His research is aimed at ensuring that Great Salt Lake (GSL) can continue to support the many avian species and populations that are dependent on the lake for their survival.
Title: Climate Extremes in Consecutive Years Impacted the Number and Fate of Duck Nests on Great Salt Lake Marshes
Abstract: The number of ground-nesting ducks in the marshes of Great Salt Lake (GSL), Utah has drastically decreased in the past few decades. One potential cause for this decline is the increase of climate extremes caused by global warning. From 2019 through 2023, GSL marshes experienced 1 year of historic spring rainfall (2019); 1 year where precipitation was normal (2020); 2 years of unprecedented droughts (2021 and 2022), which dropped the water level of GSL to a historic low; and 1 year of record snowfall (2023). I used this period to test the hypothesis that climate extremes impact both the number of ducks nesting in GSL marshes and the fate of their nests. I located 706 duck nests (425 nests of cinnamon teal, 122 mallards, and 159 gadwalls. The number of duck nests and their density increased from 56 and 51 during the 2 drought years (2021 and 2022) to 352 and 113 during the 2 wet years (2019 and 2023). Nest numbers varied among years and were correlated with the amount of spring rainfall (April and May) of that same year. The proportion of duck nests that were depredated varied among years and increased from 40% and 45% during the 2 wet years to 75% and 90% during the 2 drought years. Percentages of nests that were depredated were negatively correlated with the amount of snowfall during the prior winter and with raccoon abundance.