Exploring the Population Dynamics of Wintering Bald Eagles Through Long-Term Data

By Julie Beckstead1, Alexandra Lagasse2, Scott Robinson3

1. Gonzaga University 2. Wildlife Biologist, Retired, Bureau of Land Management Coeur d'Alene Field Office Coeur d'Alene 3. Corresponding Author: Julie Beckstead

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Abstract

This resource has been updated - find the current version here: https://qubeshub.org/publications/265

The Ecological Question

How does a bald eagle population change over time at a winter migratory stopover and which factors influence its abundance?

This activity has two different aspects to the learning style:

  • Guided Approach: Students will generate questions abut bald eagle numbers influenced by weather and food availability.  Students will then use graphing software (JMP of Excel) to compile the data in a graphical form to answer their questions.
  • Open-Ended Approach: Students will generate their own hypothesis of interest from the larger bald eagle data set.  This approach is encouraged for upper division ecology students in conservation biology, wildlife management, or population ecology classes.

Cite this work

Researchers should cite this work as follows:

  • Julie Beckstead, Alexandra N. Lagasse, and Scott R. Robinson. February 2011, posting date. Exploring the population dynamics of wintering bald eagles through long-term dataTeaching Issues and Experiments in Ecology, Vol. 7: Practice #1 [online]. http://tiee.esa.org/vol/v7/issues/data_sets/beckstead/abstract.html

  • Julie Beckstead; Alexandra Lagasse; Scott Robinson (2015), "Exploring the Population Dynamics of Wintering Bald Eagles Through Long-Term Data," https://qubeshub.org/resources/628.

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Submitter

Wendy Jo Levenson

University of Pittsburgh

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