An individual-based, spatial foraging model for cadmium accumulation in diving ducks
- Univ. of Wyoming, Laramie, WY (United States). Dept. of Zoology and Physiology
Contaminant studies of migratory birds include two main approaches: (1) collecting wild birds and analyzing their tissues, and (2) toxicity assays with captive birds. The first approach has shortcomings for these highly mobile animals--one seldom knows their length of stay in the area, and sites are often in urban environments where shooting is problematic. The second approach with captive birds ignores changes in food intake with varying activity and weather experienced by wild birds, and greater toxic consequences under multiple environmental stresses. Neither of these approaches alone can predict maximum allowable contaminant levels in foods that preclude toxic effects under different field conditions, or what body burdens accumulate during varying lengths of stay and affect the birds` biology at other places and times. To allow such predictions, the authors developed an individual-based model for intake of benthic foods by diving ducks for varying weather, water depth, food dispersion, and nutrient content of food. Food-intake estimates are combined with laboratory data on contaminant uptake as a function of food consumption and contaminant content. As an example, the authors estimate cadmium uptake by canvas back ducks foraging on below ground tubers of the submerged plant Vallisneria americans. They then show how their model can be used to include avian benthiovores in aquatic food web models for ecological risk assessment.
- OSTI ID:
- 33572
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9410273-; TRN: IM9518%%392
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 15. annual meeting of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC), Denver, CO (United States), 30 Oct - 3 Nov 1994; Other Information: PBD: 1994; Related Information: Is Part Of Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 15th annual meeting: Abstract book. Ecological risk: Science, policy, law, and perception; PB: 286 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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