Influence of Selenium on Incubation Patterns and Nesting Success of Waterbirds at Ouray National Wildlife Refuge, Utah.

摘要

Egg temperatures and hen attentiveness were studied from 1989-91 on nests near sites known to have high selenium concentrations in an effort to document causes for nesting failures. Temperature and light sensitive radio transmitters were used to monitor incubation patterns in American coots, mallards, gadwalls, northern shovelers, and redheads nests. We found no nesting failures among nests with low levels of selenium, attentive hens, and no predation or abandonment. However, nesting success of attentive hens experiencing no predation but incubating embryos containing high levels (greater than 10 micrograms/gram dry weight) of selenium was poor (29%). Interrelationships of selenium concentrations and incubation patterns are discussed.