Abiotic stressors can be major sources of selection, resulting in diverse demographic responses operating via multiple direct and indirect mechanisms. However, unusual weather events are notoriously difficult to study due to their spatial and temporal unpredictability. A severe drought affected the Flint Hills of Kansas in 2018, occurring during the ongoing population‐level studies of three species of declining grassland songbirds: Eastern Meadowlarks (
Many exogenous factors may influence demographic rates (i.e., births, deaths, immigration, emigration), particularly for migratory birds that must cope with variable weather and habitat throughout their range and annual cycle. In midcontinental grasslands, disturbance (e.g., fire and grazing) and precipitation influence variation in grassland structure and function, but we know little about when and why precipitation is associated with grassland species' vital rates. We related estimates of detection, survival, and emigration to
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10400943
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- The Journal of Wildlife Management
- Volume:
- 87
- Issue:
- 3
- ISSN:
- 0022-541X
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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