Graduate Exit Seminar - Andrea Spurck

Plan to join Andrea Spurck's graduate exit seminar on April 7, 2025, at 9:00 am in Kottman Hall, Room 370 or via Zoom. Andrea will present, "Climate Change and Wintering Ducks: Distribution Shifts in the Upper Mississippi River and Great Lakes Joint Venture Region"

Abstract: Warming winter temperatures are altering duck distributions across the United States, with previous studies showing delayed autumn migration and northward shifts in wintering ranges. My research was conducted on a regional scale focusing on the Upper Mississippi River and Great Lakes Joint Venture (UMGLJV) region, which is an important area given the climatic influence of the Great Lakes and its role as a mid-latitude migration stopover site. Increased abundance of wintering ducks could place greater demand on food and habitat, potentially limiting the availability of resources during late winter and spring migration. My study focused on three duck groups: mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) and American black ducks (Anas rubripes); five wetland obligate dabbling ducks; and eight diving ducks. I used Christmas Bird Count (CBC) data from 1966–2021 to model trends in duck distribution and abundance in the UMGLJV region with winter Weather Severity Index (WSI) variables. I then predicted changes in winter duck distributions for 2050 and 2100 based on future WSI values under two emissions scenarios: B1 (moderate warming) and A2 (more extreme warming). Milder winter weather conditions could shift ducks into areas they have not historically occupied. This emphasizes the need for proactive wetland conservation to support overwintering and migratory habitats, especially with the increases in different duck species at northern latitudes.

Advisor: Dr. Robert Gates