Module 7

Question 1

Egg size increases…

Answer 1

with female size at about 2/3 the power of body mass from 43 g in dabbling ducks to 283 g in swans

Question 2

What are the average constituents of laid eggs in waterfowl?

Answer 2

• 14.9% yolk lipids
• 6.3% yolk proteins
• 9.2% albumen
• 70% water-like fluids

Question 3

What takes up most of the cost of egg production?

Answer 3

yolk production

Question 4

How do waterfowl cope with the demand of yolk?

Answer 4

they do not deposit the yolk simultaneously in all the developing follicles

Question 5

What are two potential adaptations that ground nesting ducks have due to RFG period?

Answer 5

1. adaptation to exploit seasonal wetlands where prey are available spatio temporally
2. avoid predation risk during egg laying

Question 6

what are the 5 nesting sites of waterfowl?

Answer 6

1. tree cavities, crotches of trees, artificial structures
2. uplands (grasslands, islands)
3. vegetation over water (cattails)
4. abandoned burrows of fossorial aniams
5. islands and peninsulas

Question 7

What minimum rate of nest success is necessary to sustain mid-continent breeding mallard populations

Answer 7

15%

Question 8

what are the 3 vital rates that account for most duck population growth annually?

Answer 8

1. duckling survival
2. nesting success
3. hen breeding survival

Question 9

what is the name of an important landscape for breeding ducks in the Dakotas

Answer 9

the missouri coteau

Question 10

why do waterfowl reproduce in spring-summer?

Answer 10

• invertebrate and plant foods flourish
• ambient temps are moderate
• wetland availability exists and is most abundant during this period
• day length is long

Question 11

Nests success begins to exceed 15% when ___ of 4 square mile landscapes are in ____ in North Dakota

Answer 11

> 70% and in perennial grass cover