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Steibl S, Steiger S, Wegmann AS, Holmes ND, Young HS, Carr P, Russell JC. Atolls are globally important sites for tropical seabirds. Nat Ecol Evol 2024:10.1038/s41559-024-02496-4. [PMID: 39147843 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02496-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
Seabirds play critical roles on islands. By catalysing terrestrial and marine productivity through guano nutrient input, seabirds support natural island functioning. In the Indo-Pacific, atolls comprise one-third of all islands but only ~0.02% of island area. The importance of atolls as seabird nesting grounds has been historically neglected except on a few key atolls. We compiled a global dataset of seabird surveys on atolls and modelled seabird distribution and nutrient deposition on all Indo-Pacific atolls. We found that atolls are breeding sites for 37 species, ranging from a few dozen to more than 3 million individuals per atoll. In total, an estimated 31.2 million seabirds nest on atolls, or ~25% of the tropical seabirds of the world. For 14 species, more than half of their global populations nest on atolls. Seabirds forage more than 10,000-100,000 km² around an atoll and deposit, on average, 65,000 kg N and 11,000 kg P per atoll per year, thus acting as major nutrient pumps within the tropical Indo-Pacific. Our findings reveal the global importance of atolls for tropical seabirds. Given global change, conservation will have to leverage atoll protection and restoration to preserve a relevant fraction of the tropical seabirds of the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Steibl
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
| | - Simon Steiger
- Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | | | - Hillary S Young
- Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Peter Carr
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, UK
| | - James C Russell
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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2
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Cumming GS, James NL, Chua CM, Huertas V. A framework and review of evidence of the importance of coral reefs for marine birds in tropical ecosystems. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e70165. [PMID: 39170051 PMCID: PMC11336204 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70165] [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: 06/18/2024] [Revised: 07/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/21/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024] Open
Abstract
As global heating and other anthropogenic influences alter tropical marine environments, it is unclear how marine bird populations will be impacted and whether their current roles in tropical marine ecosystems will change. Although marine birds roost and breed on tropical islands in large numbers, the direct trophic interactions between these birds and their prey across the tropics are poorly documented. We present a first framework for evaluating the dependence on and contributions of marine birds to tropical coral reef ecosystems and use it to examine the evidence for different kinds of interaction, focusing primarily on avian diets. We found 34 publications between 1967 and 2023 that presented a total of 111 data sets with enough detail for quantitative dietary analysis of tropical marine birds. Only two bird species out of 37 (5.4%) had diets of >50% coral reef fishes and only one, the Pacific Reef Egret, appeared to depend almost entirely on reef-based production. Marine birds are also prey for other marine organisms, but insufficient data are available for quantitative analysis. Evidence for indirect effects of birds in tropical marine environments is stronger than for direct dependence on coral reefs, particularly in relation to nutrient concentration and the fertilisation impacts of guano on corals. Dispersal of propagules (e.g. seeds, spores, invertebrate eggs) by bathing, drinking, resting or foraging birds is under-studied and poorly documented. Although the degradation of coral reefs appears unlikely to have a significant direct impact on food availability for most marine bird populations, indirect effects involving marine birds may be disrupted by global environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graeme S. Cumming
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef StudiesJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
- Marine Biology and Aquaculture, College of Science and EngineeringJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
- Oceans InstituteUniversity of Western AustraliaPerthWestern AustraliaAustralia
| | - Nicholas L. James
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef StudiesJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
- Marine Biology and Aquaculture, College of Science and EngineeringJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
| | - Chia Miin Chua
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef StudiesJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
- O2 MarineSouth TownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
| | - Victor Huertas
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef StudiesJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
- Marine Biology and Aquaculture, College of Science and EngineeringJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
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3
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Grant ML, Bond AL, Reichman SM, Lavers JL. Seabird transported contaminants are dispersed in island ecosystems. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 361:142483. [PMID: 38825246 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Seabirds are long-range transporters of nutrients and contaminants, linking marine feeding areas with terrestrial breeding and roosting sites. By depositing nutrient-rich guano, which acts as a fertiliser, seabirds can substantially influence the terrestrial environment in which they reside. However, increasing pollution of the marine environment has resulted in guano becoming similarly polluted. Here, we determined metal and metalloid concentrations (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb) in Flesh-footed Shearwater (Ardenna carneipes) guano, soil, terrestrial flora, and primary consumers and used an ecological approach to assess whether the trace elements in guano were bioaccumulating and contaminating the surrounding environment. Concentrations in guano were higher than those of other Procellariiformes documented in the literature, which may be influenced by the high amounts of plastics that this species of shearwater ingests. Soil samples from shearwater colonies had significantly higher concentrations of all metals, except for Pb, than soils from control sites and formerly occupied areas. Concentrations in terrestrial primary producers and primary consumers were not as marked, and for many contaminants there was no significant difference observed across levels of ornithogenic input. We conclude that Flesh-footed Shearwaters are transporters of marine derived contaminants to the Lord Howe Island terrestrial environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan L Grant
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, School Road, Newnham, Tasmania, 7248, Australia.
| | - Alexander L Bond
- Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, School Road, Newnham, Tasmania, 7248, Australia; Bird Group, The Natural History Museum, Akeman Street, Tring, Hertfordshire, HP23 6AP, United Kingdom
| | - Suzie M Reichman
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia
| | - Jennifer L Lavers
- Bird Group, The Natural History Museum, Akeman Street, Tring, Hertfordshire, HP23 6AP, United Kingdom; Gulbali Institute, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, 2678, Australia
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Dunn RE, Benkwitt CE, Maury O, Barrier N, Carr P, Graham NAJ. Island restoration to rebuild seabird populations and amplify coral reef functioning. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2024:e14313. [PMID: 38887868 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Mobile organisms like seabirds can provide important nutrient flows between ecosystems, but this connectivity has been interrupted by the degradation of island ecosystems. Island restoration (via invasive species eradications and the restoration of native vegetation) can reestablish seabird populations and their nutrient transfers between their foraging areas, breeding colonies, and adjacent nearshore habitats. Its diverse benefits are making island restoration increasingly common and scalable to larger islands and whole archipelagos. We identified the factors that influence breeding seabird abundances throughout the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean and conducted predictive modeling to estimate the abundances of seabirds that the archipelago could support under invasive predator eradication and native vegetation restoration scenarios. We explored whether the prey base exists to support restored seabird populations across the archipelago, calculated the nitrogen that restored populations of seabirds might produce via their guano, and modeled the cascading conservation gains that island restoration could provide. Restoration was predicted to increase breeding pairs of seabirds to over 280,000, and prey was predicted to be ample to support the revived seabird populations. Restored nutrient fluxes were predicted to result in increases in coral growth rates, reef fish biomasses, and parrotfish grazing and bioerosion rates. Given these potential cross-ecosystem benefits, our results support island restoration as a conservation priority that could enhance resilience to climatic change effects, such as sea-level rise and coral bleaching. We encourage the incorporation of our estimates of cross-ecosystem benefits in prioritization exercises for island restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth E Dunn
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
- The Lyell Centre, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Olivier Maury
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Université de Montpellier, Sète, France
| | - Nicolas Barrier
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Université de Montpellier, Sète, France
| | - Peter Carr
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, UK
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Sanders NJ, Salguero-Gómez R, Evans DM, Gaillard JM, Lancaster LT. Journal of Animal Ecology in 2023: Looking back and looking forward. J Anim Ecol 2024; 93:370-372. [PMID: 38566325 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Nathan J Sanders
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | | | - Darren M Evans
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK
| | - Jean-Michel Gaillard
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Villeurbanne, France
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Hoffbeck C, Middleton DMRL, Lamar SK, Keall SN, Nelson NJ, Taylor MW. Gut microbiome of the sole surviving member of reptile order Rhynchocephalia reveals biogeographic variation, influence of host body condition and a substantial core microbiota in tuatara across New Zealand. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11073. [PMID: 38405409 PMCID: PMC10884523 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Tuatara are the sole extant species in the reptile order Rhynchocephalia. They are ecologically and evolutionarily unique, having been isolated geographically for ~84 million years and evolutionarily from their closest living relatives for ~250 million years. Here we report the tuatara gut bacterial community for the first time. We sampled the gut microbiota of translocated tuatara at five sanctuaries spanning a latitudinal range of ~1000 km within Aotearoa New Zealand, as well as individuals from the source population on Takapourewa (Stephens Island). This represents a first look at the bacterial community of the order Rhynchocephalia and provides the opportunity to address several key hypotheses, namely that the tuatara gut microbiota: (1) differs from those of other reptile orders; (2) varies among geographic locations but is more similar at sites with more similar temperatures and (3) is shaped by tuatara body condition, parasitism and ambient temperature. We found significant drivers of the microbiota in sampling site, tuatara body condition, parasitism and ambient temperature, suggesting the importance of these factors when considering tuatara conservation. We also derived a 'core' community of shared bacteria across tuatara at many sites, despite their geographic range and isolation. Remarkably, >70% of amplicon sequence variants could not be assigned to known genera, suggesting a largely undescribed gut bacterial community for this ancient host species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Hoffbeck
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
| | | | - Sarah K. Lamar
- School of Biological SciencesVictoria University of WellingtonWellingtonNew Zealand
| | - Susan N. Keall
- School of Biological SciencesVictoria University of WellingtonWellingtonNew Zealand
| | - Nicola J. Nelson
- School of Biological SciencesVictoria University of WellingtonWellingtonNew Zealand
| | - Michael W. Taylor
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
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Vandvik V, Halbritter AH, Althuizen IHJ, Christiansen CT, Henn JJ, Jónsdóttir IS, Klanderud K, Macias-Fauria M, Malhi Y, Maitner BS, Michaletz S, Roos RE, Telford RJ, Bass P, Björnsdóttir K, Bustamante LLV, Chmurzynski A, Chen S, Haugum SV, Kemppinen J, Lepley K, Li Y, Linabury M, Matos IS, Neto-Bradley BM, Ng M, Niittynen P, Östman S, Pánková K, Roth N, Castorena M, Spiegel M, Thomson E, Vågenes AS, Enquist BJ. Plant traits and associated data from a warming experiment, a seabird colony, and along elevation in Svalbard. Sci Data 2023; 10:578. [PMID: 37666874 PMCID: PMC10477187 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-023-02467-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The Arctic is warming at a rate four times the global average, while also being exposed to other global environmental changes, resulting in widespread vegetation and ecosystem change. Integrating functional trait-based approaches with multi-level vegetation, ecosystem, and landscape data enables a holistic understanding of the drivers and consequences of these changes. In two High Arctic study systems near Longyearbyen, Svalbard, a 20-year ITEX warming experiment and elevational gradients with and without nutrient input from nesting seabirds, we collected data on vegetation composition and structure, plant functional traits, ecosystem fluxes, multispectral remote sensing, and microclimate. The dataset contains 1,962 plant records and 16,160 trait measurements from 34 vascular plant taxa, for 9 of which these are the first published trait data. By integrating these comprehensive data, we bridge knowledge gaps and expand trait data coverage, including on intraspecific trait variation. These data can offer insights into ecosystem functioning and provide baselines to assess climate and environmental change impacts. Such knowledge is crucial for effective conservation and management in these vulnerable regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vigdis Vandvik
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
- Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
| | - Aud H Halbritter
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Inge H J Althuizen
- Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- NORCE, Norwegian Research Centre AS, Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, Bergen, Norway
| | | | - Jonathan J Henn
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, USA
| | | | - Kari Klanderud
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Marc Macias-Fauria
- School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Yadvinder Malhi
- School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Brian Salvin Maitner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA
| | - Sean Michaletz
- Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Ruben E Roos
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Richard J Telford
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Polly Bass
- Department of Ethnobotany, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Canada
| | | | | | - Adam Chmurzynski
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA
| | - Shuli Chen
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA
| | - Siri Vatsø Haugum
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | | | - Kai Lepley
- School of Geography, Development and Environment, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA
| | - Yaoqi Li
- Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
| | - Mary Linabury
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, USA
| | - Ilaíne Silveira Matos
- Department of Environmental Science Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, USA
| | | | - Molly Ng
- Section of Botany, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, USA
| | | | - Silje Östman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Karolína Pánková
- Department of Botany, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Nina Roth
- Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Matiss Castorena
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA
| | - Marcus Spiegel
- School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Eleanor Thomson
- School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Brian J Enquist
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA.
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Mutillod C, Baumberger T, Prudent P, Saatkamp A, Vidal E, Le-Mire-Pecheux L, Affre L. Yellow-legged gull populations (Larus michahellis) link the history of landfills to soil eutrophication and time-related vegetation changes on small Mediterranean islands. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 878:162948. [PMID: 36948306 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Seabird colonies have a strong influence on both the physical and chemical soil parameters and plant communities of the islands where they settle to nest. Scientists have studied the effects of the demographic explosion of seabird populations, but few have explored the long-term effects when the colonies were in decline. The aim of this study was to investigate diachronic changes over a 24 year period of soil parameters, floristic composition and plant functionnal types (Raunkiaer growth forms and Grime life strategies) up to the decrease of the number of nesting yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis Naumann, 1840) on Mediterranean islands. We used 78 permanent plots to survey the vegetation and the soil parameters on 9 islands and one mainland area within the Calanques National Park (south east of France), for three periods (i.e., 1997, 2008, 2021). Since 1997, the increase of nesting gulls has caused a nitrogen and pH increase and organic carbon and C/N ratio decrease, although the values were still higher than mainland plots without nesting gulls. This has led to changes in plant species composition e.g., higher values of N favouring the development of ruderal plant species, still present in high frequency in 2021. Furthermore, plant species highly tolerant to disturbances (i.e., R Grime strategy) in harsh environments were still favoured even after the decline of gull abundance. However, both the frequency of the chamaephytes and the vegetation cover has increased with the decline of gull colony. In 2021, measures of trace elements' concentrations and calculation of pollution load index (Cu, Pb and Zn) reveals relatively low multi-contamination levels on the mainland and the archipelagos. On naturally oligotrophic and semi-arid Mediterranean islands, gull colonies induce a persistent alteration in soil characteristics that still influences plant communities (composition and functional types), 11 years after the decline in bird abundance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clémentine Mutillod
- Aix Marseille Univ, Avignon Université, CNRS, IRD, IMBE Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Écologie marine et continentale, Marseille, France.
| | | | - Pascale Prudent
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, LCE Laboratoire de Chimie de l'Environnement, Marseille, France
| | - Arne Saatkamp
- Aix Marseille Univ, Avignon Université, CNRS, IRD, IMBE Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Écologie marine et continentale, Marseille, France
| | - Eric Vidal
- Aix Marseille Univ, Avignon Université, CNRS, IRD, IMBE Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Écologie marine et continentale, Marseille, France; UMR ENTROPIE (IRD, Université de la Réunion, IFREMER, Université de la Nouvelle-Calédonie, CNRS), BP A5, Nouméa CEDEX 98848, New Caledonia
| | | | - Laurence Affre
- Aix Marseille Univ, Avignon Université, CNRS, IRD, IMBE Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Écologie marine et continentale, Marseille, France
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