Poster Session II
Project Type
Poster
Project Funding and Affiliations
University of Montana; NSF REU
Faculty Mentor’s Full Name
Thomas Riecke
Faculty Mentor’s Department
James K. Ringelman Chair in Waterfowl Conservation
Abstract / Artist's Statement
Trade-offs between offspring quantity and quality are fundamental to life-history variation among species and may lead to fitness variation within populations of organisms. The purpose of this research is to explore the relationship between clutch size and egg volume in black brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) geese while controlling for age and quality of the parents to accurately gauge this relationship. Research on a brant population breeding at the Tutakoke River, Alaska, began in 1984, resulting in a dataset spanning >40 years. In 2025, I spent three months in Alaska contributing to the data collection for this long-term study. I assisted with nest monitoring, egg measurements, web tagging goslings, and banding of adult and juvenile Brant. In collaboration with Professor Thomas Riecke, I am analyzing patterns in this dataset over the last 30 years to determine whether there is a relationship between clutch size and egg volume. Given the potential for fluctuations in environmental conditions and the increasing competition for resources in the breeding grounds, I hypothesize that there will be a negative relationship between clutch size and egg volume. By expanding our understanding of the factors that influence reproductive success in this species, this study will contribute to broader efforts to conserve Black Brant populations and improve our understanding of trade-offs between offspring quantity and quality.
Category
Life Sciences
Quantity vs Quality Tradeoffs in Black Brant Geese: What is the Relationship Between Clutch Size and Egg Volume?
UC South Ballroom
Trade-offs between offspring quantity and quality are fundamental to life-history variation among species and may lead to fitness variation within populations of organisms. The purpose of this research is to explore the relationship between clutch size and egg volume in black brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) geese while controlling for age and quality of the parents to accurately gauge this relationship. Research on a brant population breeding at the Tutakoke River, Alaska, began in 1984, resulting in a dataset spanning >40 years. In 2025, I spent three months in Alaska contributing to the data collection for this long-term study. I assisted with nest monitoring, egg measurements, web tagging goslings, and banding of adult and juvenile Brant. In collaboration with Professor Thomas Riecke, I am analyzing patterns in this dataset over the last 30 years to determine whether there is a relationship between clutch size and egg volume. Given the potential for fluctuations in environmental conditions and the increasing competition for resources in the breeding grounds, I hypothesize that there will be a negative relationship between clutch size and egg volume. By expanding our understanding of the factors that influence reproductive success in this species, this study will contribute to broader efforts to conserve Black Brant populations and improve our understanding of trade-offs between offspring quantity and quality.