Summary

Abstract

This chapter summarizes results in previous chapters by providing estimated densities and population sizes, in the areas we have surveyed, for Alaska, Canada, and both regions combined. A total of 1,554 rapid plots, covering 232 km 2 , and 83 intensive plots were surveyed during the study. The monograph presents >600 density estimates and >200 estimated population sizes. Densities for all shorebirds combined were highest in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta and next highest on the Alaska Peninsula and the NPRA. They were lower in eastern Alaska and most of Canada but were high in the Foxe Basin including Southampton, Coats, Prince Charles, and Air Force Islands. Although densities were highest in wetlands, wetlands only contained about 45% of the shorebirds in our study area, and uplands, in which densities were generally very low, contained an estimated 27% of the total population. Uplands therefore should not be ignored in monitoring shorebird populations. We argue that the field and analytic methods are now well developed and can be relied on to produce rigorous estimates of density, habitat relationships, population size, and trend in population size. Comparison of our results with Morrison et al.’s (2006) estimates of population size indicate general agreement at the rank order level but where we could make detailed evaluations of their estimates, they appeared generally to be low. All of the data, programs, and other results are available, free of charge, at http://greatbasin.wr.usgs.gov/CBM/default.asp?PageID=1.