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Reid R, Capilla-Lasheras P, Haddou Y, Boonekamp J, Dominoni DM. The impact of urbanization on health depends on the health metric, life stage and level of urbanization: a global meta-analysis on avian species. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20240617. [PMID: 39016598 PMCID: PMC11253839 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.0617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Stressors associated with urban habitats have been linked to poor wildlife health but whether a general negative relationship between urbanization and animal health can be affirmed is unclear. We conducted a meta-analysis of avian literature to test whether health biomarkers differed on average between urban and non-urban environments, and whether there are systematic differences across species, biomarkers, life stages and species traits. Our dataset included 644 effect sizes derived from 112 articles published between 1989 and 2022, on 51 bird species. First, we showed that there was no clear impact of urbanization on health when we categorized the sampling locations as urban or non-urban. However, we did find a small negative effect of urbanization on health when this dichotomous variable was replaced by a quantitative variable representing the degree of urbanization at each location. Second, we showed that the effect of urbanization on avian health was dependent on the type of health biomarker measured as well as the individual life stage, with young individuals being more negatively affected. Our comprehensive analysis calls for future studies to disentangle specific urban-related drivers of health that might be obscured in categorical urban versus non-urban comparisons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Reid
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, 82 Hillhead Street, GlasgowG12 8QQ, UK
| | - Pablo Capilla-Lasheras
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, 82 Hillhead Street, GlasgowG12 8QQ, UK
| | - Yacob Haddou
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, 82 Hillhead Street, GlasgowG12 8QQ, UK
| | - Jelle Boonekamp
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, 82 Hillhead Street, GlasgowG12 8QQ, UK
| | - Davide M. Dominoni
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, 82 Hillhead Street, GlasgowG12 8QQ, UK
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2
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Sheng Y, Lu M, Bai J, Xie X, Ma L, Li W, Zhang Z, Ming F, Zhang X, Zhang Z, Xu Z, Han Y, Guan B, Ruan L. Ecological drivers of nesting behavior in a subtropical city: An observational study on spotted doves. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11655. [PMID: 38966243 PMCID: PMC11222170 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Due to rapid homogenization in habitat types as a result of urbanization, some urban birds adapt their nesting strategies to changes in local habitat characteristics. Bird nesting decisions might have been mainly linked to resource constraints and ensuring reproductive success. In this study, we examined patterns of nesting behavior by spotted doves (Spilopelia chinensis) in a rapidly urbanizing area of Nanchang, China using ArcGIS 10.8, satellite tracking, camera traps, and field survey. To explore the mechanisms underlying nesting behavior in urban habitats, we assessed the correlations between nest reuse and reproductive success, and between nest reuse and nest predation. From December 2018 to December 2021, a total of 302 breeding nests were surveyed. The results revealed that the nest reuse rate was 38.08% (n = 115). Nests closer to trunk, with lower nest position and higher large-scale urbanization score tended to have higher reuse rate. In addition, nests with the higher the nest height and percent of canopy cover, and the lower small-scale urbanization score were more likely to reproduce successfully, and the reused nests also reproduce more successfully. The reproductive success associated with nest reuse was significantly higher than that associated with new nests (χ 2 = 8.461, p = .004). High degree of urbanization promoted nest reuse of spotted doves (large-scale urbanization score, z = 2.094, p = .036), which apparently enhanced their reproductive success (nest reuse, z = 2.737, p = .006). In conclusion, a nest structure with good permeability is the material basis for the nest reuse in spotted dove, while the relatively low risk of predation in urban habitat and the scarcity of nest site resources due to urbanization increase the tendency of birds to reuse old nests, which is associated with their reproductive success and evolutionary fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Sheng
- School of Life Sciences, State Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource UtilizationNanchang UniversityNanchangChina
| | - Mengjie Lu
- School of Life Sciences, State Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource UtilizationNanchang UniversityNanchangChina
| | - Junpeng Bai
- School of Life Sciences, State Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource UtilizationNanchang UniversityNanchangChina
- Qingdao Jiaodong International AirportQingdaoChina
| | - Xiaobin Xie
- School of Life Sciences, State Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource UtilizationNanchang UniversityNanchangChina
| | - Long Ma
- School of Life Sciences, State Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource UtilizationNanchang UniversityNanchangChina
- Jinhui Liquor Company LimitedLongnanChina
| | - Wanyou Li
- School of Life Sciences, State Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource UtilizationNanchang UniversityNanchangChina
| | - Zhen Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, State Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource UtilizationNanchang UniversityNanchangChina
| | - Fang Ming
- School of Life Sciences, State Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource UtilizationNanchang UniversityNanchangChina
| | - Xueli Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, State Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource UtilizationNanchang UniversityNanchangChina
- Guangdong Maoming Health Vocational CollegeMaomingChina
| | - Ziwei Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, State Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource UtilizationNanchang UniversityNanchangChina
| | - Zhifeng Xu
- School of Life Sciences, State Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource UtilizationNanchang UniversityNanchangChina
| | - Yuqing Han
- School of Life Sciences, State Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource UtilizationNanchang UniversityNanchangChina
| | - Bicai Guan
- School of Life Sciences, State Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource UtilizationNanchang UniversityNanchangChina
| | - Luzhang Ruan
- School of Life Sciences, State Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource UtilizationNanchang UniversityNanchangChina
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Hopkins KE, McKinney MA, Saini A, Letcher RJ, Karouna-Renier NK, Fernie KJ. Characterizing the Movement of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in an Avian Aquatic-Terrestrial Food Web. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:20249-20260. [PMID: 37999683 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c06944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
The movement of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) through linked aquatic-terrestrial food webs is not well understood. Tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) in such systems may be exposed to PFAS from multiple abiotic and/or biotic compartments. We show from fatty acid signatures and carbon stable isotopes that tree swallow nestlings in southwestern Ontario fed on both terrestrial and aquatic macroinvertebrates. The PFAS profiles of air, terrestrial invertebrates, and swallows were dominated by perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS). Short-chain perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) were largely restricted to air, surface water, and sediment, and long-chain PFAAs were mainly found in aquatic invertebrates and tree swallows. PFOS, multiple long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids [perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), perfluorotridecanoic acid (PFTrDA)] and perfluorooctane sulfonamide precursors were estimated to bioaccumulate from air to tree swallows. PFOS bioaccumulated from air to terrestrial invertebrates, and PFOS, PFDA, and perfluorooctane sulfonamidoacetic acids (FOSAAs) bioaccumulated from water to aquatic invertebrates. PFOS showed biomagnification from both terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates to tree swallows, and PFDA and FOSAAs were also biomagnified from aquatic invertebrates to tree swallows. The movement of PFAS through aquatic-terrestrial food webs appears congener- and compartment-specific, challenging the understanding of PFAS exposure routes for multiple species involved in these food webs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kailee E Hopkins
- Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, ON L7R 4A6, Canada
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Road, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Melissa A McKinney
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Road, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Amandeep Saini
- Air Quality Processes Research Section, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 4905 Dufferin Street, North York, ON M3H 5T4, Canada
| | - Robert J Letcher
- Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - Natalie K Karouna-Renier
- U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center, Patuxent Research Refuge, 12302 Beech Forest Road, Laurel, Maryland 20708, United States
| | - Kim J Fernie
- Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, ON L7R 4A6, Canada
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, 21111 Lakeshore Road, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada
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Sumasgutner P, Cunningham SJ, Hegemann A, Amar A, Watson H, Nilsson JF, Andersson MN, Isaksson C. Interactive effects of rising temperatures and urbanisation on birds across different climate zones: A mechanistic perspective. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:2399-2420. [PMID: 36911976 PMCID: PMC10947105 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Climate change and urbanisation are among the most pervasive and rapidly growing threats to biodiversity worldwide. However, their impacts are usually considered in isolation, and interactions are rarely examined. Predicting species' responses to the combined effects of climate change and urbanisation, therefore, represents a pressing challenge in global change biology. Birds are important model taxa for exploring the impacts of both climate change and urbanisation, and their behaviour and physiology have been well studied in urban and non-urban systems. This understanding should allow interactive effects of rising temperatures and urbanisation to be inferred, yet considerations of these interactions are almost entirely lacking from empirical research. Here, we synthesise our current understanding of the potential mechanisms that could affect how species respond to the combined effects of rising temperatures and urbanisation, with a focus on avian taxa. We discuss potential interactive effects to motivate future in-depth research on this critically important, yet overlooked, aspect of global change biology. Increased temperatures are a pronounced consequence of both urbanisation (through the urban heat island effect) and climate change. The biological impact of this warming in urban and non-urban systems will likely differ in magnitude and direction when interacting with other factors that typically vary between these habitats, such as resource availability (e.g. water, food and microsites) and pollution levels. Furthermore, the nature of such interactions may differ for cities situated in different climate types, for example, tropical, arid, temperate, continental and polar. Within this article, we highlight the potential for interactive effects of climate and urban drivers on the mechanistic responses of birds, identify knowledge gaps and propose promising future research avenues. A deeper understanding of the behavioural and physiological mechanisms mediating species' responses to urbanisation and rising temperatures will provide novel insights into ecology and evolution under global change and may help better predict future population responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Sumasgutner
- Konrad Lorenz Research Centre, Core Facility for Behavior and Cognition, Department of Behavioral & Cognitive BiologyUniversity of ViennaViennaAustria
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DSI‐NRF Centre of ExcellenceUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Susan J. Cunningham
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DSI‐NRF Centre of ExcellenceUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | | | - Arjun Amar
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DSI‐NRF Centre of ExcellenceUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
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Rieck LO, Sulliván SMP. Ecological Impacts of Altered Stream Hydrogeomorphic Characteristics Extend Beyond the Channel Boundary: Evidence From Urban Streams of Columbus, OH, United States. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.817289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Urbanization in stream catchments can have strong effects on stream channel hydrogeomorphic features including channel dimensions, channel-floodplain connectivity, and flood regime. However, the consequences of hydrogeomorphic alterations on aquatic-terrestrial subsidy dynamics are largely unexplored. We examined the associations among hydrogeomorphic characteristics, emergent aquatic insect assemblages, and the density and trophic dynamics of riparian spiders of the family Tetragnathidae at 23 small urban stream reaches in the Columbus, OH (United States) Metropolitan Area. Naturally abundant stable isotopes of 13C and 15N were used to quantify the relative contribution of aquatically derived energy (i.e., nutritional pathways deriving from algae) to tetragnathid spiders and their trophic position. Bankfull discharge was negatively related to both emergence rate and family richness. On average, tetragnathid spiders relied on aquatically derived energy for 36% of their nutrition, with the greatest reliance found for spiders next to channels with wider flood-prone widths and proportionally fewer emergent insects of the family Chironomidae. Mean emergent aquatic insect reliance on aquatically derived energy was 32% and explained 44% of the variation in tetragnathid aquatically derived energy. A positive relationship between δ13C of tetragnathid spiders and emergent insects provides additional evidence of tetragnathid reliance on emergent insects. Mean tetragnathid trophic position was 2.85 and was positively associated with channel sinuosity and negatively associated with aquatic insect emergence rate. Sinuosity was also positively related to aquatically derived energy of emergent aquatic insects; as well as emergent insect family richness; % Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT); and aquatic insect emergence rate; implicating instream habitat-mediated shifts in emergent aquatic insect communities as an indirect mechanistic link between hydrogeomorphic processes and spiders. Our findings underscore that the impacts of stream hydrogeomorphic alterations can cascade into terrestrial food webs. These results suggest that monitoring and restoration of fluvial geomorphic form and function (e.g., sinuosity, slope, and hydrology) confer benefits to both aquatic and terrestrial riparian ecosystems in urban catchments.
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Corra J, Sullivan SMP. Temperature and land use influence tree swallow individual health. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coab084. [PMID: 34712488 PMCID: PMC8546433 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coab084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Aerial insectivorous bird populations have declined precipitously in both North America and Europe. We assessed the effects of insect prey availability, climate and shifts in water quality associated with urbanization on haematocrit, haemoglobin concentration and heterophil-lymphocyte (H/L) ratios among ~13-day-old tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) nestlings in the Columbus, Ohio area. Higher mean temperature and increased frequency of extreme heat days during the early breeding period (May-June) were linked to reduced nestling physiological condition as evidenced by lower concentrations of haemoglobin and haematocrit, potentially due to increased heat stress, shifts in insect prey availability or altered parental provisioning efforts. Urbanization and the size and density of emergent aquatic insects were associated with elevated physiological stress, whereas higher mean temperatures and terrestrial insect size were related to lower stress as measured by H/L ratios. Overall, these findings highlight the complex environmental conditions driving nestling health, which may be indicative of post-fledging survival and, consequently, population growth. Our results underscore the need for conservation approaches that adequately address the interrelated effects of changes in climate, land use and food resources on aerial insectivorous birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Corra
- Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 26 Martin Luther King Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45268, USA
| | - S Mažeika P Sullivan
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, 125 Heffner Bldg 352 W. Dodridge St., Columbus, OH 43202, USA
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Twining CW, Razavi NR, Brenna JT, Dzielski SA, Gonzalez ST, Lawrence P, Cleckner LB, Flecker AS. Emergent Freshwater Insects Serve as Subsidies of Methylmercury and Beneficial Fatty Acids for Riparian Predators Across an Agricultural Gradient. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:5868-5877. [PMID: 33878866 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c07683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Aquatic-to-terrestrial subsidies have the potential to provide riparian consumers with benefits in terms of physiologically important organic compounds like omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LCPUFAs). However, they also have a "dark side" in the form of exposure to toxicants such as mercury. Human land use intensity may also determine whether subsidies provide benefits or come at a cost for riparian predators. We sampled insects as well as Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) chicks in 2015-2016 within the southern Finger Lakes region to understand how food quality, in terms of n-3 LCPUFAs and methylmercury (MeHg), of emergent freshwater insects compared with that of terrestrial insects and how land use affected the quality of prey, predator diet composition, and MeHg exposure. Across the landscape, freshwater insects had a significantly higher percentage of the n-3 LCPUFA eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) compared to terrestrial insects and contained significantly more MeHg than terrestrial insects did. In spite of differences in MeHg concentrations between aquatic and terrestrial insects, chick MeHg concentrations were not related to diet composition. Instead, chick MeHg concentrations increased with several metrics of human land use intensity, including percent agriculture. Our findings suggest that freshwater subsidies provide predators with both risks and benefits, but that predator MeHg exposure can vary with human land use intensity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cornelia W Twining
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
- Limnological Institute, University of Konstanz 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - N Roxanna Razavi
- Department of Environmental Biology, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse, New York 13210, United States
| | - J Thomas Brenna
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University Ithaca, New York 14850, United States
- University of Texas, Austin, Dell Pediatric Research Center Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Sarah A Dzielski
- Department of Environmental Biology, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse, New York 13210, United States
| | - Sara T Gonzalez
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, California 95064, United States
| | - Peter Lawrence
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University Ithaca, New York 14850, United States
| | - Lisa B Cleckner
- Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Finger Lakes Institute Geneva, New York 14456, United States
| | - Alexander S Flecker
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University Ithaca, New York 14850, United States
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Manning DWP, Sullivan SMP. Conservation Across Aquatic-Terrestrial Boundaries: Linking Continental-Scale Water Quality to Emergent Aquatic Insects and Declining Aerial Insectivorous Birds. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.633160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Larval aquatic insects are used to assess water quality, but less attention is paid to their adult, terrestrial life stage, which is an important food resource for declining aerial insectivorous birds. We used open-access water-quality, aquatic-invertebrate, and bird-survey data to study how impaired water quality can emanate from streams and lakes through changes in aquatic insect communities across the contiguous United States. Emergent insect relative abundance was highest across the West, in northern New England, and the Carolinas in streams, and highest near the Great Lakes, parts of the Southwest, and northern New England for lakes. Emergent insects declined with sedimentation, roads, and elevated ammonium concentrations in streams, but not lakes. The odds that a given taxon would be non-emergent increased by up to 2.0× as a function of pollution tolerance, underscoring the sensitivity of emergent aquatic insects to water-quality impairment. However, relationships between bird populations and emergent insects were generally weak for both streams and lakes. For streams, we observed the strongest positive relationships for a mixture of upland and riparian aerial insectivorous birds such as Western Wood-Pewee, Olive-sided Flycatcher, and Acadian Flycatcher and the strongest negative association for Purple Martin. Different avian insectivores responded to emergent insect abundances in lakes (e.g., Barn Swallow, Chimney Swift, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Common Nighthawk). In both streams and lakes, we observed stronger, but opposing, relationships between several aerial insectivores and the relative abundance of sensitive insect orders (E)phemeroptera, (P)lecoptera, and (T)richoptera (positive), and pollution tolerant individuals (negative). Overall, our findings indicate that emergent insects are negatively correlated with pollution tolerance, suggesting a large-scale loss of this nutritional subsidy to terrestrial environments from impaired aquatic ecosystems. While some bird populations tracked scarcities of emergent aquatic insects, especially EPT taxa, responses varied among species, suggesting that unique habitat and foraging behaviors likely complicated these relationships. Strengthening spatial and temporal concordance between emergent-insect and bird-survey data will improve our ability to interpret species-level responses over time. Thus, our analysis highlights the need for developing conservation and biomonitoring strategies that consider the cross-ecosystem effects of water quality declines for threatened insectivorous avifauna and other terrestrial wildlife.
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