Jim Fraser

Synopsis:

Jim Fraser conducts research on imperiled species, especially shorebirds and raptors. He teaches a graduate class in Endangered Species Management.

Description:

Wildlife populations are declining worldwide due to a growing human population. For example, the number of birds in North America has declined by an astonishing 3 billion birds since 1970, (Cornell University Laboratory of Ornithology).

Jim Fraser’s lab studies imperiled species. The goal is to learn enough about the ecology of these species to design effective conservation interventions. Wild populations change when births and immigration do not equal deaths and emigration. These demographic parameters are changed by people, either directly such as by car or building strikes, or indirectly through habitat changes or disturbance. It follows that we use a blend of population, behavioral, and habitat ecological studies to underpin conservation recommendations.

An example is our research on the piping plover, a shorebird that nests on barrier islands from Maritime Canada to North Carolina. Our research showed that that bay side intertidal flats on these islands had more food for developing chicks than the open beach, and that adults nested in places where flightless chicks could walk to such habitats. Chicks that foraged in these habitats grew faster and had higher survival than chicks that had to make a living on the ocean beach. Additional studies showed that chicks that were disturbed foraged less, grew more slowly and had a higher mortality rate than undisturbed chicks.

More information can be found at DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21552 , DOI: 10.1650/CONDOR-17-148.1. DOI:10.1002/ecs2.2771, DOI:10.5751/ACE-01373-140119 and at https://www.vtshorebirds.org/publications.