Addressing Structural Uncertainty in a Decision-making Framework to Inform Scaup Conservation Planning

The tasks to be performed under this agreement are as follows: R9 DMBM, R6 I&M, and Red Rock Lakes NWR will collaborate with Dr. Jay J. Rotella, Montana State University, to address a key uncertainty in the existing USFWS scaup population model currently used in the development of a scaup conservation action plan. We will build upon existing NWR banding and USGS recovery data to explore additive vs. compensatory harvest mortality (sensu Servanty et al. 2010) in lesser scaup. Specific deliverables will include an estimate of the correlation between `natural¿ and harvest mortality for inclusion in a current FWS scaup population model.