The Steller’s eider Polysticta stelleri is a sea duck that breeds in Arctic tundra regions of Russia and Alaska (USA). The Alaska-breeding population is listed as ‘threatened’ under the US Endangered Species Act because of a perceived contraction of the breeding range in North America. Understanding demography of the listed population is critical for evaluating measures that can lead to increased abundance and thus, long-term viability. Specifically, estimates of return rates to breeding areas by adult females and natal areas by juvenile females are needed for planning effective recovery actions. We used a suite of polymorphic loci to genotype individuals and generated genetic profiles of nesting females and female offspring from nest materials collected between 1995 and 2016 in a ~170 km2 study area near Utqiaġvik, Alaska. We analyzed capture histories of genetically identified individuals to estimate breeding site fidelity, temporary emigration, and philopatry. From a sample of 365 nests, we found that breeding site fidelity of adult females was high (0.91 ± 0.07 SE), and temporary emigration was also high (0.77 ± 0.06) and annually variable (range 0.34−0.97). From egg shell remains of 124 hatched females, we observed 9 recaptures as nesting adults, suggesting that philopatry was also high (range 0.6−1.0). Given the relatively high rates of adult female breeding site fidelity and female philopatry that we estimated, management actions that reduce mortality of adult females and increase annual productivity are likely to help maintain the population of a few hundred breeding Steller’s eiders on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska.

中文翻译：

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使用遗传标记重新捕获来估计受威胁的海鸭种群的繁殖地点保真度和亲密度，阿拉斯加繁殖的 Steller's eiders

Steller's eider Polysticta stelleri 是一种在俄罗斯和阿拉斯加（美国）北极苔原地区繁殖的海鸭。根据美国濒危物种法案，阿拉斯加繁殖种群被列为“受威胁”，因为北美繁殖范围明显缩小。了解所列人口的人口统计学对于评估可导致增加丰度并因此提高长期生存能力的措施至关重要。具体而言，需要估计成年雌性返回繁殖区的返回率和幼年雌性返回出生区的返回率，以规划有效的恢复行动。我们使用一组多态位点对个体进行基因分型，并从 1995 年至 2016 年间在阿拉斯加 Utqiaġvik 附近约 170 平方公里的研究区收集的巢材料中生成筑巢雌性和雌性后代的遗传谱。我们分析了基因识别个体的捕获历史，以估计繁殖地点的保真度、临时迁徙和慈善。从 365 个巢穴的样本中，我们发现成年雌性的繁殖地保真度很高（0.91 ± 0.07 SE），临时迁徙也很高（0.77 ± 0.06）并且每年都在变化（范围 0.34-0.97）。从 124 只孵化雌性的蛋壳残骸中，我们观察到 9 只作为筑巢成虫重新捕获，这表明 philopatry 也很高（范围 0.6-1.0）。鉴于我们估计的成年雌性繁殖地的保真度和雌性亲和率相对较高，降低成年雌性死亡率和提高年生产力的管理措施可能有助于维持北极沿海平原上数百只繁殖 Steller's eiders 的种群。阿拉斯加州。