Contaminant loads and productivity of Wisconsin Bald Eagles

Conference · Sat Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:37375

Dykstra, C R; Karasov, W H ^[1]; Warnke, D K; Andersen, D E ^[2]; Meyer, M W ^[3]

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1. Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States). Dept. of Wildlife Ecology
2. Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN (United States)
3. Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources, Monona, WI (United States)

Since the ban on DDT in the early 1970`s, the number of Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) nesting in Wisconsin has increased from 108 to 464 pairs. This increase was accompanied by an increase in productivity (from 0.9 to 1.3 young/active territory). However, eagles in some regions of Wisconsin, such as the Lake Superior shore, continue to have low reproductive rates (1.0 young/active territory). It has been hypothesized that the reduced productivity is a result of continued exposure to toxicants such as PCBs and DDE. The authors quantified contaminant levels in eaglet blood samples from three regions in Wisconsin, and compared them to productivity. Productivity was slightly related to p,p{prime}-DDE levels (r{sup 2} = 0. 17, p = 0.002), but not to total PCB levels (r{sup 2} = 0.00). Chick plasma p,p{prime}-DDE levels were highest along the Lake Superior shore (geometric mean concentration was 19 {mu}g/L) and lower at remote interior sites (5 {mu}g/L) and Wisconsin River sites (4 {mu}g/L), but total PCB levels were nearly equal in chicks from the Wisconsin River (116 {mu}g/L) and Lake Superior (118 {mu}g/L), and lower at remote interior sites (41 {mu}g/L).

• OSTI ID: 37375
• Report Number(s): CONF-9410273--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
APPLIED STUDIES
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
BIRDS
CHLORINATED ALIPHATIC HYDROCARBONS
LAKE SUPERIOR
POLYCHLORINATED BIPHENYLS
REPRODUCTION
RIVERS
SENSITIVITY
WATER POLLUTION
WISCONSIN