Offshore refuges support higher densities and show slower population declines of wintering Ruddy Turnstones Arenaria interpres: a response |
| |
Authors: | Mark J Whittingham Ailsa J McKenzie David Feige Tom Cadwallender Matthew Grainger |
| |
Institution: | 1. School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK;2. Planning Service, Northumberland County Council, Morpeth, UK;3. Independent Researcher, Lesbury, UK |
| |
Abstract: | ABSTRACT In this reply, we confirm that the results of the original paper are robust and that our conclusions were correct: densities of Ruddy Turnstones Arenaria interpres were lower on sites located further from undisturbed refuges. There are two points of learning here: (i) taking the findings of a paper based purely on what is published is normal but there is an unpublished iterative process for analysis that is often hidden from a reader (described here), so we refute that our results were caused by chance; (ii) we published a result based on an incorrect method in the revision process. We hope that other researchers involved in long-term projects involving large and complex datasets can learn from our mistake, as we will endeavour to do. |
| |
Keywords: | |
|
|