Effect of mammalian predator management on snowy plover breeding success

Published source details Neuman K.K., Page G.W., Stenzel L.E., Warriner J.C. & Warriner J.S. (2004) Effect of mammalian predator management on snowy plover breeding success. Waterbirds, 27, 257-263.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Can nest protection increase nest abandonment? Action Link
	Can nest protection increase predation of adults and chicks? Action Link
	Control predators not on islands for waders Action Link
	Physically protect nests with individual exclosures/barriers or provide shelters for chicks of waders Action Link

Can nest protection increase nest abandonment?

A replicated before-and-after study from 1984-90 and 1991-99 on beaches in California, USA (Neuman et al. 2004) found that nest abandonment by adult snowy plovers Charadrius alexandrinus increased in 1991-99 following the protection of 49% of nests (n = 682) with predator exclosures (1.5 m high triangular wire fences), compared to 1984-90 when none of the 728 monitored nests were protected (4% for 1984-90 vs. 8% for 1991-99). This study is also discussed in ‘Predator control not on islands’, ‘Physically protect nests with individual exclosures/barriers’ and ‘Can nest protection increase predation of adult and chick waders?’.
Can nest protection increase predation of adults and chicks?

A replicated before-and-after study on beaches in California, USA (Neuman et al. 2004) found that nest abandonment rates of snowy plovers Charadrius alexandrinus combined with adult mortality increased between 1984-90 and 1991-99 (1% of 728 nests in 1984-90 vs. 4% of 682 in 1991-99) following the protection of 49% of nests with predator exclosures (1.5 m high triangular wire fences) after 1991. In addition, although only 49% of nests were protected, 75% of adult disappearances (assumed to be due to predation) were from protected nests (significantly more than expected by chance). This study is also discussed in ‘Predator control not on islands’, ‘Physically protect nests with individual exclosures/barriers’ and ‘Can nest protection increase nest abandonment?’.
Control predators not on islands for waders

A replicated before-and-after study on beaches in Monterey Bay, California, USA (Neuman et al. 2004), found that the proportion of snowy plover Charadrius alexandrinus nests lost to predation each year fell from an average of 28% of 833 during 1984–1992 to 9% of 577 during 1993–1999 following the initiation in 1993 of predator removal targeting red foxes Vulpes vulpes and feral cats Felis catus. This study also used predator exclosures and is discussed in more detail in ‘Physically protect nests with individual exclosures/barriers’, ‘Can nest protection increase nest abandonment?’ and ‘Can nest protection increase predation of adult and chick waders?’.
Physically protect nests with individual exclosures/barriers or provide shelters for chicks of waders

A replicated before-and-after study from 1984-90 and 1991-99 on beaches in California, USA (Neuman et al. 2004) found that the mean hatching rate and hatching rate/male of snowy plover Charadrius alexandrinus nests increased following the protection of nests with 1.5 m high wire exclosures (hatching rate in 1984-90: 43% of 728 nests vs. 68% of 682 nests in 1991-99; hatching rate/male: 2 chicks/male vs. 2.7 chicks/male). However, the mean number of chicks fledged per male did not change (0.86 and 0.81 chicks fledged/male for 1984-90 and 1991-99 respectively). Between 1993 and 1999, there was also the targeted removal of red foxes Vulpes vulpes and feral cats Felis catus, described in ‘Control predators not on islands’. The study also discusses nest abandonment and adult mortality, see ‘Can nest protection increase nest abandonment?’ and ‘Can nest protection increase predation of adults and chicks?’.