This study that I’m working on will primarily focus on avian species richness and abundance as a response to anthropogenic disturbance (sound pollution from the nearby shooting range). This touches on the concepts of fundamental niche versus the species’ realized niches of the avian species present in these areas. However it does not seem to be the other species that limit the other species’ realized niches so I am exploring the connection between distance from the overt noise pollution and the areas the birds choice to occupy.
The ideas that underpin my project are that most of the birds that frequent the spawning channels will favour areas which are further away from human disturbance (cite). I do realize that the concentration of salmon or fish in each area will influence the bird population that occupy the surrounding area as well. Although it seems as though there is little difference between the species present in at the last two ponds and the biggest difference is the number of individuals present, but I haven’t run the ANOVA on it yet.
I would use the key words “anthropogenic disturbance” “disturbance gradient” and “species richness” because the three key elements of my study are the effects of the human noise influence on the dispersion of birds over the Mamquam spawning channels.