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Santos CD, Catry T, Dias MP, Granadeiro JP. Global changes in coastal wetlands of importance for non-breeding shorebirds. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 858:159707. [PMID: 36306834 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159707] [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: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Shorebird declines are occurring worldwide but the causes are not fully understood. Recent literature suggests that the deterioration of habitat quality at their non-breeding areas, mostly located in temperate and tropical coastal wetlands, might be a major contributing factor. However, most studies carried out so far tend to be restricted to a few regions. Remote sensing can help correct such geographical bias on knowledge by providing a standardized approach on how shorebird habitats have been changing over the last few decades at a global scale. Here we analyzed time series of remote sensing classifications of tidal flats and land cover to quantify worldwide habitat changes in coastal Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) relevant for non-breeding shorebirds over the last two decades. Globally, supratidal areas (used as roosting habitat) have changed more significantly than tidal flats (used as feeding habitat). Yet, we found striking losses of tidal flats in IBAs distributed in several regions of the East Asian - Australasian Flyway. At supratidal areas, there was a general expansion of marshland, grassland and urban areas, contrasting with a decline of barren land, woodland and cropland. The expansion of marshland occurred in IBAs of most regions of the world. Urban areas also expanded consistently in supratidal areas within the most populated regions of the world. The loss of barren land is particularly concerning as it may translate into a loss of high-quality roosts and it was highly frequent in IBAs of all migratory flyways. Overall, our results confirm the large losses of shorebird habitat in the East Asian - Australasian Flyway reported in the literature, and highlight unreported generalized changes in supratidal habitats, such as the expansion of marshland and the loss of barren land, that may have negative implications for shorebirds, deserving further research and consideration in conservation programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos D Santos
- CESAM Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal; Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany; Núcleo de Teoria e Pesquisa do Comportamento, Universidade Federal do Pará, Rua Augusto Correa 01, Guamá, 66075-110 Belém, Brazil.
| | - Teresa Catry
- CESAM Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Maria P Dias
- cE3c Center for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes & CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Department of Animal Biology, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - José P Granadeiro
- CESAM Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal.
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Remote and local threats are associated with population change in Taiwanese migratory waterbirds. Glob Ecol Conserv 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2023.e02402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
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Choi SH, Choi G, Nam HK. Impact of rice paddy agriculture on habitat usage of migratory shorebirds at the rice paddy scale in Korea. Sci Rep 2022; 12:5762. [PMID: 35388056 PMCID: PMC8987101 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09708-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Approximately 58 shorebird species, including endangered and threatened species, use various habitats while traveling on their long-distance migratory routes in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF). Coastal rice paddies in midwestern Korea, which are located in the EAAF, serve as inland wetlands and provide important stopover sites for long-distance migratory shorebirds. We studied how shorebird population density is affected across periods, time since habitat formation, and field type, at the rice field scale. The shorebirds most frequently observed in rice paddies were, in order, black-tailed godwits (Limosa limosa), common greenshanks (Tringa nebularia), and wood sandpipers (T. glareola). Black-tailed godwits and wood sandpipers were affected by time since formation, field type, and water level, whereas field type affected common greenshanks. We propose that (1) flooding time, (2) shallow water level, (3) harrowed field type, and (4) 5–7 days of management intervals at paddy fields are important factors influencing shorebird species density, although all the factors did not influence common greenshank density. We propose that environmental characteristics derived from field management in rice paddies influence habitat use by migratory shorebirds. These factors need to be considered to systematically protect and manage shorebirds that use rice paddies as stopovers during their migration events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seung-Hye Choi
- Education Support Division, Seoul Science Center, Seoul, 01792, Republic of Korea
| | - Green Choi
- GREEN Together Institute, Seocheon, 33646, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyung-Kyu Nam
- National Institute of Biological Resources, Incheon, 22689, Republic of Korea.
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Cheng C, Liu J, Ma Z. Effects of aquaculture on the maintenance of waterbird populations. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2022; 36. [PMID: 35338517 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The global aquaculture industry has expanded rapidly and is increasingly important for maintaining food security while also providing alternative artificial habitats for many waterbirds. Clarifying how waterbirds use aquafarms and how aquafarm use affects waterbird population maintenance can be useful for improving management of the artificial landscape that can also provide waterbird habitat. Here, we investigated aquafarm use by waterbirds in China, the world's largest producer of aquaculture products, supported by literature review and questionnaire survey. We used Bayesian phylogenetic generalized linear mixed models to analyze the relationship between the degree of aquafarm use and population trends of waterbirds. The results showed that 69% of waterbird species in China have been recorded at aquafarms. Approximately one-quarter of all waterbird species and about the same proportion of threatened species were found to forage at aquafarms, consuming either cultured aquatic products or other food types. In general, species with a high degree of aquafarm use were unlikely to exhibit a population decline over the past two decades, when rapid loss of natural habitats occurred in China. This relationship was not detected in threatened species, despite there being no significant difference in the degree of aquafarm use between threatened and non-threatened species. Our study suggests that the large and expanding aquaculture industry is important for maintaining waterbird populations in China. However, aquafarms are not a replacement for natural habitats, because threatened species benefit less from aquafarm use. Given that aquafarms often come at the expense of natural wetlands, the degree to which aquafarms compensate for natural habitat loss probably depends on the quality of aquafarm habitat. We recommend an integrated ecological and economic analysis for formulating management policies that help conserve wildlife within the constraints and opportunities associated with maintaining human livelihoods. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuyu Cheng
- Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Jiajia Liu
- Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Zhijun Ma
- Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
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Basso E, Drever MC, Fonseca J, Navedo JG. Semi-intensive shrimp farms as experimental arenas for the study of predation risk from falcons to shorebirds. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:13379-13389. [PMID: 34646476 PMCID: PMC8495796 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Varying environmental conditions and energetic demands can affect habitat use by predators and their prey. Anthropogenic habitats provide an opportunity to document both predation events and foraging activity by prey and therefore enable an empirical evaluation of how prey cope with trade-offs between starvation and predation risk in environments of variable foraging opportunities and predation danger. Here, we use seven years of observational data of peregrine falcons Falco peregrinus and shorebirds at a semi-intensive shrimp farm to determine how starvation and predation risk vary for shorebirds under a predictable variation in foraging opportunities. Attack rate (mean 0.1 attacks/hr, equating 1 attack every ten hours) was positively associated with the total foraging area available for shorebirds at the shrimp farm throughout the harvesting period, with tidal amplitude at the adjacent mudflat having a strong nonlinear (quadratic) effect. Hunt success (mean 14%) was higher during low tides and declined as the target flocks became larger. Finally, individual shorebird vigilance behaviors were more frequent when birds foraged in smaller flocks at ponds with poorer conditions. Our results provide empirical evidence of a risk threshold modulated by tidal conditions at the adjacent wetlands, where shorebirds trade-off risk and rewards to decide to avoid or forage at the shrimp farm (a potentially dangerous habitat) depending on their need to meet daily energy requirements. We propose that semi-intensive shrimp farms serve as ideal "arenas" for studying predator-prey dynamics of shorebirds and falcons, because harvest operations and regular tidal cycles create a mosaic of foraging patches with predictable food supply. In addition, the relatively low hunt success suggests that indirect effects associated with enhanced starvation risk are important in shorebird life-history decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enzo Basso
- Bird Ecology LabInstituto de Ciencias Marinas y LimnológicasUniversidad Austral de ChileValdiviaChile
- Programa de Doctorado en Ecología y EvoluciónFacultad de CienciasUniversidad Austral de ChileValdiviaChile
| | - Mark C. Drever
- Environment and Climate Change CanadaPacific Wildlife Research CentreDeltaBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Juanita Fonseca
- Facultad de Ciencias del MarUniversidad Autónoma de SinaloaMazatlánMéxico
- Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network Executive Office, ManometMazatlánMéxico
| | - Juan G. Navedo
- Bird Ecology LabInstituto de Ciencias Marinas y LimnológicasUniversidad Austral de ChileValdiviaChile
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Xu P, Zhang X, Zhang F, Bempah G, Lu C, Lv S, Zhang W, Cui P. Use of aquaculture ponds by globally endangered red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis) during the wintering period in the Yancheng National Nature Reserve, a Ramsar wetland. Glob Ecol Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
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Fonseca J, Navedo JG. Shorebird predation on benthic invertebrates after shrimp-pond harvesting: Implications for semi-intensive aquaculture management. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2020; 262:110290. [PMID: 32090889 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Revised: 02/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
How to improve habitat quality for wildlife is of particular importance in areas dedicated to food production, due to increasing pressures of global demands associated to human population growth. Semi-intensive aquaculture ponds can provide a potentially important foraging habitat for migratory shorebirds throughout the non-breeding season. Therefore, understanding the availability of benthic invertebrates in aquaculture ponds will help to identify proper management decisions for shorebird conservation. We used an exclosure experiment during the first three days after shrimp harvesting at semi-intensive aquaculture ponds in north-west Mexico to assess shorebird predation on benthic invertebrates. We found that shorebird predation did not deplete total benthic invertebrate density (particularly polychaete worms), but significantly affected the prey size distributions and biomass in the ponds during a short-time window of just three days. Shorebirds removed 0.6 g ash-free dry weight m-2, equivalent to 43% of the initial biomass and showed high selectivity for polychaetes larger than >40 mm as prey, potentially explaining the absence of large polychaetes at the end of the experiment. This depletion was the likely cause of the daily decrease observed in overall density of foraging shorebirds at recently harvested ponds. These results can serve to identify management actions that allow an extended use of semi-intensive aquaculture ponds as foraging sites for migratory shorebirds during the non-breeding season, with potential applications to develop standards for a friendlier aquaculture management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juanita Fonseca
- Facultad de Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, Paseo Claussen s/n Colonia Los Pinos, Mazatlán, Sinaloa 82000, Mexico.
| | - Juan G Navedo
- Bird Ecology Lab, Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Campus Isla Teja, 5090000, Valdivia, Chile; Estación Experimental Quempillén, Chiloé, Universidad Austral de Chile, Ancud, Chile
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Jackson MV, Carrasco LR, Choi C, Li J, Ma Z, Melville DS, Mu T, Peng H, Woodworth BK, Yang Z, Zhang L, Fuller RA. Multiple habitat use by declining migratory birds necessitates joined-up conservation. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:2505-2515. [PMID: 30891196 PMCID: PMC6405493 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2018] [Revised: 11/10/2018] [Accepted: 12/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Many species depend on multiple habitats at different points in space and time. Their effective conservation requires an understanding of how and when each habitat is used, coupled with adequate protection. Migratory shorebirds use intertidal and supratidal wetlands, both of which are affected by coastal landscape change. Yet the extent to which shorebirds use artificial supratidal habitats, particularly at highly developed stopover sites, remains poorly understood leading to potential deficiencies in habitat management. We surveyed shorebirds on their southward migration in southern Jiangsu, a critical stopover region in the East Asian Australasian Flyway (EAAF), to measure their use of artificial supratidal habitats and assess linkages between intertidal and supratidal habitat use. To inform management, we examined how biophysical features influenced occupancy of supratidal habitats, and whether these habitats were used for roosting or foraging. We found that shorebirds at four of five sites were limited to artificial supratidal habitats at high tide for ~11-25 days per month because natural intertidal flats were completely covered by seawater. Within the supratidal landscape, at least 37 shorebird species aggregated on artificial wetlands, and shorebirds were more abundant on larger ponds with less water cover, less vegetation, at least one unvegetated bund, and fewer built structures nearby. Artificial supratidal habitats were rarely used for foraging and rarely occupied when intertidal flats were available, underscoring the complementarity between supratidal roosting habitat and intertidal foraging habitat. Joined-up artificial supratidal management and natural intertidal habitat conservation are clearly required at our study site given the simultaneous dependence by over 35,000 migrating shorebirds on both habitats. Guided by observed patterns of habitat use, there is a clear opportunity to improve habitat condition by working with local land custodians to consider shorebird habitat requirements when managing supratidal ponds. This approach is likely applicable to shorebird sites throughout the EAAF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Micha V. Jackson
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of QueenslandSt LuciaQueenslandAustralia
| | - Luis R. Carrasco
- Department of Biological SciencesNational University of SingaporeSingapore
| | - Chi‐Yeung Choi
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of QueenslandSt LuciaQueenslandAustralia
- Present address:
School of Environmental Science and EngineeringSouthern University of Science and TechnologyShenzhenChina
| | - Jing Li
- Spoon‐billed Sandpiper (Shanghai) Environment Protection Technology Co. LtdShanghaiChina
| | - Zhijun Ma
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Coastal Ecosystems Research Station of the Yangtze River Estuary, and Shanghai Institute of Eco‐ChongmingFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | | | - Tong Mu
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyPrinceton UniversityPrincetonNew JerseyUSA
| | - He‐Bo Peng
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea ResearchDepartment of Coastal Systems and Utrecht UniversityDen Burg, TexelThe Netherlands
- Conservation Ecology Group, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life SciencesUniversity of GroningenGroningenThe Netherlands
| | - Bradley K. Woodworth
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of QueenslandSt LuciaQueenslandAustralia
| | - Ziyou Yang
- Spoon‐billed Sandpiper (Shanghai) Environment Protection Technology Co. LtdShanghaiChina
| | - Lin Zhang
- Spoon‐billed Sandpiper (Shanghai) Environment Protection Technology Co. LtdShanghaiChina
| | - Richard A. Fuller
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of QueenslandSt LuciaQueenslandAustralia
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Mapping wader biodiversity along the East Asian-Australasian flyway. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0210552. [PMID: 30682055 PMCID: PMC6347144 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0210552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Accepted: 12/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and goal The study is conducted to facilitate conservation of migratory wader species along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, particularly to 1) Identify hotspots of wader species richness along the flyway and effectively map how these might change between breeding, non-breeding and migratory phases; 2) Determine if the existing network of protected areas (PA) is sufficient to effectively conserve wader biodiversity hotspots along the EAAF; 3) Assess how species distribution models can provide complementary distribution estimates to existing BirdLife range maps. Methods We use a species distribution modelling (SDM) approach (MaxEnt) to develop temporally explicit individual range maps of 57 migratory wader species across their annual cycle, including breeding, non-breeding and migratory phases, which in turn provide the first biodiversity hotspot map of migratory waders along the EAAF for each of these phases. We assess the protected area coverage during each migration period, and analyse the dominant environmental drivers of distributions for each period. Additionally, we compare model hotspots to those existing range maps of the same species obtained from the BirdLife Internationals’ database. Results Our model results indicate an overall higher and a spatially different species richness pattern compared to that derived from a wader biodiversity hotspot map based on BirdLife range maps. Field observation records from the eBird database for our 57 study species confirm many of the hotspots revealed by model outputs (especially within the Yellow Sea coastal region), suggesting that current richness of the EAAF may have been underestimated and certain hotspots overlooked. Less than 10% of the terrestrial zones area (inland and coastal) which support waders are protected and, only 5% of areas with the highest 10% species richness is protected. Main conclusions The study results suggest the need for new areas for migratory wader research and conservation priorities including Yellow Sea region and Russian far-East. It also suggests a need to increase the coverage and percentage of current PA network to achieve Aichi Target 11 for Flyway countries, including giving stronger consideration to the temporal dynamics of wader migration.
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