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waders and their estuarine food supplies - Vlaams Instituut voor de ...

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PREDICTING SEASONAL AND ANNUAL FLUCTUATIONS IN THE LOCAL EXPLOITION OF DIFFERENT PREY<br />

picts how the intake rate was <strong>de</strong>termined by both variables,<br />

according to the multiple regression equation<br />

given in 'Methods'. It also shows for five important cohorts<br />

the relationship between the increase of the flesh<br />

weight of the average Cockle <strong>and</strong> the concurrent <strong>de</strong>cline<br />

in the <strong>de</strong>nsity. After <strong>their</strong> settlement in summer.<br />

Cockles occurred at <strong>de</strong>nsities of many thous<strong>and</strong>s per<br />

m 2 . There was a high mortality among these spat during<br />

<strong>their</strong> first summer, as a result of which the <strong>de</strong>nsity<br />

was usually reduced to some hundreds per nr by<br />

September.<br />

The change in the <strong>de</strong>nsity <strong>and</strong> the average body<br />

w eight in the fi* e cohtxts was based on monthly •<br />

pies, <strong>and</strong> shown from August in the first year onwards<br />

I fig. 7). The <strong>de</strong>crease ol weight in winter was caused<br />

by the <strong>de</strong>clining bcxly condilion. Obviously first year<br />

Cockles could never provi<strong>de</strong> Oystercatchers with an<br />

iniake rale exceeding ihe acceptance level of | mg g-'.<br />

Fig. 8. Cerasto<strong>de</strong>rma. A. Biomass ig m -"', B. <strong>de</strong>nsity in m : ). Coverage weight (mg AFDW) <strong>and</strong> D. predicted Inches! intake rate (mg s ' feeding<br />

I of Oysiercalchers feeding on Cockles during 10 years. The intake rate increased to 3 mg s ' when the birds could feed on dying Cockles<br />

with gaping valves.<br />

245

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