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Herbst DB. Developmental and reproductive costs of osmoregulation to an aquatic insect that is a key food resource to shorebirds at salt lakes threatened by rising salinity and desiccation. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1136966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Saline lakes worldwide are undergoing drying, and as lake levels fall and areas contract, salinities increase. There is a critical need for data on salinity impacts to guide conservation for recovery of the aquatic productivity that supports migratory and breeding birds that depend on these habitats. Brine flies are key sources of food to these birds and are adapted for life in saline waters owing to their capacity for osmotic regulation. The sublethal effects on growth, development and reproduction were determined in experiments and field observations with the alkali fly Cirrula hians from alkaline lakes of differing salinity. The cost of osmoregulation to fitness from rising salinity was exhibited in slower growth rates of larvae, smaller size at maturity of pupae, reduced adult emergence success, and lower fecundity. The results identify a salinity management range of 25 to 100 g L−1 that would optimize life history traits and productivity of this insect as a food source for birds.
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Gutiérrez JS, Moore JN, Donnelly JP, Dorador C, Navedo JG, Senner NR. Climate change and lithium mining influence flamingo abundance in the Lithium Triangle. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212388. [PMID: 35259988 PMCID: PMC8905151 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of technologies to slow climate change has been identified as a global imperative. Nonetheless, such 'green' technologies can potentially have negative impacts on biodiversity. We explored how climate change and the mining of lithium for green technologies influence surface water availability, primary productivity and the abundance of three threatened and economically important flamingo species in the 'Lithium Triangle' of the Chilean Andes. We combined climate and primary productivity data with remotely sensed measures of surface water levels and a 30-year dataset on flamingo abundance using structural equation modelling. We found that, regionally, flamingo abundance fluctuated dramatically from year-to-year in response to variation in surface water levels and primary productivity but did not exhibit any temporal trends. Locally, in the Salar de Atacama-where lithium mining is focused-we found that mining was negatively correlated with the abundance of two of the three flamingo species. These results suggest continued increases in lithium mining and declines in surface water could soon have dramatic effects on flamingo abundance across their range. Efforts to slow the expansion of mining and the impacts of climate change are, therefore, urgently needed to benefit local biodiversity and the local human economy that depends on it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge S Gutiérrez
- Conservation Biology Research Group, Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Zoology, University of Extremadura, Badajoz 06006, Spain.,Ecology in the Anthropocene, Associated Unit CSIC-UEx, Faculty of Sciences, University of Extremadura, Badajoz 06006, Spain
| | - Johnnie N Moore
- Group For Quantitative Study of Snow and Ice, Department of Geosciences, University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - J Patrick Donnelly
- Intermountain West Joint Venture, US Fish and Wildlife Service, 1001 S. Higgins Avenue, Missoula, MT 59801, USA
| | - Cristina Dorador
- Departamento de Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Recursos Biológicos, Universidad de Antofagasta, Angamos 601, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Juan G Navedo
- Ecology in the Anthropocene, Associated Unit CSIC-UEx, Faculty of Sciences, University of Extremadura, Badajoz 06006, Spain.,Bird Ecology Lab, Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas, Universidad Austral de Chile, Campus Isla Teja, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Nathan R Senner
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, 715 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
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Donnelly JP, King SL, Silverman NL, Collins DP, Carrera‐Gonzalez EM, Lafón‐Terrazas A, Moore JN. Climate and human water use diminish wetland networks supporting continental waterbird migration. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:2042-2059. [PMID: 31967369 PMCID: PMC7155039 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/26/2019] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Migrating waterbirds moving between upper and lower latitudinal breeding and wintering grounds rely on a limited network of endorheic lakes and wetlands when crossing arid continental interiors. Recent drying of global endorheic water stores raises concerns over deteriorating migratory pathways, yet few studies have considered these effects at the scale of continental flyways. Here, we investigate the resiliency of waterbird migration networks across western North America by reconstructing long-term patterns (1984-2018) of terminal lake and wetland surface water area in 26 endorheic watersheds. Findings were partitioned regionally by snowmelt- and monsoon-driven hydrologies and combined with climate and human water-use data to determine their importance in predicting surface water trends. Nonlinear patterns of lake and wetland drying were apparent along latitudinal flyway gradients. Pervasive surface water declines were prevalent in northern snowmelt watersheds (lakes -27%, wetlands -47%) while largely stable in monsoonal watersheds to the south (lakes -13%, wetlands +8%). Monsoonal watersheds represented a smaller proportion of total lake and wetland area, but their distribution and frequency of change within highly arid regions of the continental flyway increased their value to migratory waterbirds. Irrigated agriculture and increasing evaporative demands were the most important drivers of surface water declines. Underlying agricultural and wetland relationships however were more complex. Approximately 7% of irrigated lands linked to flood irrigation and water storage practices supported 61% of all wetland inundation in snowmelt watersheds. In monsoonal watersheds, small earthen dams, meant to capture surface runoff for livestock watering, were a major component of wetland resources (67%) that supported networks of isolated wetlands surrounding endorheic lakes. Ecological trends and human impacts identified herein underscore the importance of assessing flyway-scale change as our model depictions likely reflect new and emerging bottlenecks to continental migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Patrick Donnelly
- Intermountain West Joint Venture – U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceMissoulaMTUSA
| | - Sammy L. King
- U.S. Geological SurveyLouisiana Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit124 School of Renewable Natural ResourcesLouisiana State UniversityBaton RougeLAUSA
| | | | - Daniel P. Collins
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceRegion 2 Migratory Bird OfficeAlbuquerqueNMUSA
| | | | | | - Johnnie N. Moore
- Group For Quantitative Study of Snow and IceDepartment of GeosciencesUniversity of MontanaMissoulaMTUSA
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Haig SM, Murphy SP, Matthews JH, Arismendi I, Safeeq M. Climate-Altered Wetlands Challenge Waterbird Use and Migratory Connectivity in Arid Landscapes. Sci Rep 2019; 9:4666. [PMID: 30874622 PMCID: PMC6420639 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41135-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Wetlands in arid landscapes provide critical habitat for millions of migratory waterbirds across the world and throughout their annual cycle. The scope and scale of understanding avian use of these wetlands in conjunction with changes in climate are daunting yet critical to address lest we lose continent-wide migratory pathways. Here, we assess changes in waterbird use of North America's Pacific Flyway in the Great Basin by examining water availability and climate trends over the past 100 years. We found recent (1980-2015) climate warming has significantly reduced the amount and shifted seasonality of water flowing into wetlands. Further, we found remarkable changes in waterbird species composition over time. We propose that a reduced hydroperiod and lower water quality from reduction in water level and flow limits sites used by waterbirds. These factors reduce chick survivorship as they cannot metabolize saline water, which makes suitable freshwater conditions a limiting resource. Collectively, climate-induced changes in Great Basin wetlands suggest a major shift in freshwater ecosystems, resulting in degradation of a continental migratory route. This work illustrates the importance of examining multi-scale changes in critical regional resources to understand their impact across a hemispheric flyway and provides a model to examine other flyways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan M Haig
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, Oregon, USA.
| | - Sean P Murphy
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
- Pennsylvania Game Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - John H Matthews
- Alliance for Global Water Adaptation, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Ivan Arismendi
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Mohammad Safeeq
- Sierra Nevada Research Institute, University of California, Merced, California, USA
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