The threatened population of Atlantic Coast piping plovers (Charadrius melodus) has increased under intensive management of predation and disturbance. However, the relative importance of habitat quality, nest predation, and chick predation in population dynamics and reproductive success of this species are poorly understood. We examined effects of breeding‐habitat alterations, predation, and breeding phenology on population size, habitat use, and reproductive output of piping plovers from 1993 to 2004. We studied piping plovers at a newly colonized site (West Hampton Dunes [WHD]) on a New York, USA, barrier island, and an adjacent reference site (REF) with a long‐standing population. We monitored population size and reproductive success; determined chick habitat use and behavior; and monitored changes in habitat availability, prey abundance, and predator presence. Resource agencies managed predation by mammal trapping and by fencing nests with predator exclosures in some years. Following storm‐ and human‐related increases in nesting and foraging habitat, the population at WHD grew from 5 pairs in 1993 to 39 pairs in 2000. The WHD population then declined to 18 pairs by 2004 concurrent with habitat losses to human development. In contrast, the population size at REF was not correlated with nesting habitat area. Population growth rate decreased with density at WHD but not at REF, which was likely close to equilibrium when the study began. Neither reproductive output nor any of its components were correlated with population density, and reproductive output was correlated between the sites despite their different population trajectories, suggesting that the population was primarily regulated by adult survival, emigration, or immigration. The latter 2 factors should be especially sensitive to local habitat quality, and the main differences between our sites was that bayside intertidal flats were available adjacent to nesting habitat at WHD but not at REF, and that a village construction project took place at WHD. Clutch size and renest rate decreased over the breeding season. Predator exclosures improved nest daily survival, and mammal trapping improved chick daily survival. Chick foraging rate was highest in bayside intertidal flats and in ocean‐ and bayside fresh wrack. Chicks used the bay side more than expected from percentage habitat area, and survived better on the bay side before village construction and the initiation of predator trapping, but not after. At both sites, number of chicks fledged per pair was lowest for pairs that nested late and lost a nest late in the season and increased with the annual number of cats (Felis catus) and foxes (Vulpes vulpes) trapped. Restoring nesting habitat adjacent to bayside intertidal flats may increase the carrying capacity (nesting pairs) at piping plover breeding sites. However, without predation management, restored sites may not contribute many recruits to the regional population.

中文翻译：

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应对风暴和人为栖息地变化的管道育雏者的巢穴密度和繁殖成功

受威胁的大西洋沿岸管道Coast（Charadrius melodus）在集约化捕食和干扰管理下有所增加。但是，人们对栖息地质量，巢捕食和雏鸡捕食在该物种种群动态和繁殖成功中的相对重要性了解甚少。我们研究了1993年至2004年间繁殖栖息地的变化，捕食和繁殖物候对种群数量，栖息地使用和管道over的繁殖产量的影响。我们研究了新殖民地（西汉普顿沙丘[WHD]）的管道pl。美国纽约，屏障岛和人口众多的相邻参考站点（REF）。我们监测了人口规模和生殖成功；确定雏鸡栖息地的用途和行为；并监测栖息地可用性，猎物数量和捕食者存在的变化。几年来，资源机构通过捕食哺乳动物和围栏与捕食者的排泄物来管理捕食。随着风暴和人类相关的筑巢和觅食栖息地的增加，WHD的人口从1993年的5对增加到2000年的39对。然后，由于人类发展的栖息地丧失，WHD人口到2004年下降到18对。相反，REF的人口规模与巢式栖息地面积无关。在WHD，人口增长率随着密度的增加而下降，而在REF却没有，这在研究开始时可能接近平衡。生殖产量及其任何组成部分均与人口密度无关，尽管这些地点的人口轨迹不同，但生殖产量在两个地点之间也相关，这表明人口主要受成年生存的调节，移民或移民。后两个因素应该对当地的栖息地质量特别敏感，我们的站点之间的主要区别在于，在WHD而不是REF处，可以在嵌套栖息地附近找到海湾潮间带平地，而在WHD进行了村庄建设项目。在繁殖季节，离合器的大小和繁殖率降低。捕食者的排泄物改善了巢的每日生存，而哺乳动物诱捕则改善了雏鸡的每日生存。海湾沿岸滩涂以及海洋和海湾沿岸的新鲜残骸的雏鸡觅食率最高。小鸡对海湾的使用超出了栖息地百分比的预期，并且在村庄建设和捕食者诱捕开始之前在海湾的生存较好，但之后没有。在两个站点上Felis catus）和狐狸（Vulpes vulpes）被困。恢复与海湾潮间带相邻的筑巢栖息地可能会增加管道pl繁殖地的繁殖能力（巢对）。但是，如果没有捕食管理，恢复的地点可能不会为该地区的人口带来很多新兵。