| Abstract: | During nine years of study, we detected a mechanism corresponding to site dependence operating in a population of the sedge warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus inhabiting a natural wetland of high within-habitat heterogeneity. Sites with a larger share of cover by tall wetland vegetation were preempted during spring settlement; they were occupied in more breeding seasons and by more experienced males. The fitness of males occupying these sites was higher in terms of local recruit production. The total area occupied by the population expanded or contracted depending on its population size. This mechanism increased or decreased the mean site quality, influencing local recruitment of young, although mainly by changing the share of unproductive sites in the total pool of occupied sites. The results indicate that population demographic rates may depend on the spatial heterogeneity of resources at the level of individuals. |
