Reproductive ecology of interior least tern and piping plover in relation to Platte river hydrology and sandbar dynamics: Response to the letter to the editor

This is a response to the Alexander, Jorgensen, and Bomberger‐Brown (Ecology and Evolution, XX, 2018, XX; hereafter, AJB) Letter to the Editor critiquing Farnsworth et al. (Ecology and Evolution, 7, 2017, 3579; hereafter, our study), which investigates the reproductive ecology of interior least terns and piping plover in relation to Platte River hydrology and sandbar dynamics. Herein, we address each of AJBs’ technical arguments, demonstrating that our technical approach and model assumptions were reasonable and provide a conservatively high estimate of the potential for reproductive success when compared to observed nest inundation events. We conclude with a description of the realities faced by the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program (PRRIP) as we integrate learning to adjust management actions. [Image: see text] Linked Article: https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4109