Article
Environmental Sciences
Houlang Duan, Xiubo Yu, Shaoxia Xia, Guangshuai Zhang
Summary: Natural wetlands along the coasts of the Yellow and Bohai Seas provide key stopover sites for migratory waterbirds, but between 2000 and 2015, 1794.8 km(2) (29.27%) of coastal wetland was lost to development, leading to a decrease in habitat for 73 of 80 waterbird species analyzed. The proportional loss of tidal flats formerly representing suitable habitat was significantly higher for shorebirds, herons and gulls than for ducks, highlighting the need for conservation efforts to prevent further reclamation of tidal flats and manage artificial wetlands.
LAND DEGRADATION & DEVELOPMENT
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Xiaodan Wang, Ying Chen, David S. Melville, Chi-Yeung Choi, Kun Tan, Jiajia Liu, Jing Li, Shoudong Zhang, Lei Cao, Zhijun Ma
Summary: Habitat loss at stopover sites has led to population declines for migratory birds, particularly shorebirds. This study compared shorebird surveys during migration between an earlier and a later period at 14 stopover sites on the Yellow Sea coast in China. Results show that while there was a decrease in tidal flat area and shorebird abundance, the changes in bird abundance were not significantly related to tidal flat area changes. However, the composition of bird communities varied among sites, indicating consistent differences in habitat conditions between study periods. These findings highlight the importance of protecting existing key stopover sites for the conservation of migratory birds.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Houlang Duan, Xiubo Yu, Kai Shan, Chenghui Zhang, Haifang Liu
Summary: Coastal wetland loss in China poses a threat to shorebird populations, particularly at the Yellow River Delta, an important breeding site. The study found that habitat loss resulted in a decrease in shorebird populations, with larger-bodied species being more sensitive to habitat change.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Shangxiao Cai, Tong Mu, He-Bo Peng, Zhijun Ma, David S. Wilcove
Summary: Understanding species distribution patterns and their determinants is crucial for effective conservation planning and management. Loss of stopover habitat in the Yellow Sea region is believed to be the main cause of population decline in shorebirds migrating along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF). This study reveals that the heterogeneity of sediment characteristics and invertebrate prey plays a significant role in explaining the distribution patterns of shorebird species in a key stopover site in eastern China.
CONSERVATION BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yong Xu, Lin Ma, Jixing Sui, Xinzheng Li, Hongfa Wang, Baolin Zhang
Summary: Species distribution models were used to assess the potential effects of climate change on macrobenthos in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea. The study found that different species displayed varying reactions to future climate scenarios, with changes influenced by thermal tolerance. These findings provide valuable insight into the impact of climate change on marine benthic ecosystems.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Sungbae Joo, Yu-Seong Choi, Sang-Yeon Lee
Summary: In this study, the core home range and habitat use of Swan Goose in Seocheon Tidal Flat, South Korea were examined using GPS tracking data. The results showed significant differences in core home range and habitat use between daytime and nighttime. Yubu Island was identified as an important resting place for the Swan Goose population. These findings provide valuable information for protecting the vulnerable population and establishing management strategies.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yuqiu Wei, Ting Gu, Guicheng Zhang, Keming Qu, Zhengguo Cui, Jun Sun
Summary: This study uses a large dataset from the Yellow Sea, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean to investigate the variability of abundance and distribution of marine picophytoplankton among different regions. The results suggest that water temperature and dissolved inorganic nitrogen are key factors driving the large-scale variability of marine picophytoplankton.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Zhimei Huang, Yalan Lu, Weiqing Meng, Xunqiang Mo, Wenbin Xu, Haofan Yun, Mengxuan He, Yidong Wang
Summary: Due to rapid economic development, the Bohai Rim has become a focus of attention, but the coastal wetlands in the area are currently under serious threat and waterbird conservation needs urgent attention. This study recorded waterbird numbers and species in the Bohai Rim region from 2002 to 2021, and analyzed the driving factors and suitable habitats for waterbirds using the MaxEnt model. The results showed that waterbird richness increased gradually over a 20-year period, with wetlands being the main habitat. Five hotspot regions requiring special attention were identified, along with the main driving factors of waterbird changes.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Biology
Katherine L. Mansfield, Jeanette Wyneken, Jiangang Luo
Summary: The study provides the first long-term offshore tracks of oceanic green turtles in the western North Atlantic waters, showing their preference for the Sargasso Sea and the use of thermally beneficial habitats. They also exhibit different orientation compared to loggerhead turtles of the same stage. The research suggests that oceanic-stage sea turtles may be more behaviorally complex than previously assumed.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Biology
K. M. Aarif, Aymen Nefla, T. R. Athira, P. K. Prasadan, Sabir Bin Muzaffar
Summary: The study recorded injured shorebirds in coastal wetlands of Kerala, India, with injuries mainly caused by anthropogenic debris and activities. Recommendations are made for environmental authorities to minimize anthropogenic debris along migratory bird flyways to reduce injuries.
SAUDI JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Deo A. Lachman, Courtney J. Conway, Kerri T. Vierling, Ty Matthews, Diane Evans Mack
Summary: Habitat selection is a crucial decision-making process for animals, especially for colonial-nesting birds. This study investigates how water depth and proximity to open water influence nest-site selection for Western and Clark's Grebes, providing insights into the microhabitat features that affect their choices within a breeding colony.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ana M. Gonzalez, Nicholas J. Bayly, Scott Wilson, Keith A. Hobson
Summary: The study revealed that native forest is a higher-quality winter habitat for Swainson's Thrush compared to shade-grown coffee, with better body condition and density in forest, while survival rates are similar between the two habitats.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Haibin Yu, Xinghua Sui, Miao Sun, Xue Yin, David C. Deane
Summary: China has a high number of threatened plant species, and their extinction risk is influenced by factors such as habitat loss and species characteristics. Understanding these extinction pathways and threats to phylogenetic diversity can help in conservation efforts. The study found that threatened species are concentrated in certain plant genera, and habitat loss has a significant positive effect on the abundance of threatened species.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Studies
Mercedes McLean, Brian Warner, Robert Markham, Mibu Fischer, Jim Walker, Carissa Klein, Maia Hoeberechts, Daniel C. Dunn
Summary: This paper discusses the importance of incorporating Indigenous knowledge into the management of marine conservation. Through a review and analysis of case studies in Australia and Canada, it is demonstrated that Indigenous knowledge can enhance the understanding of connectivity for migratory marine species and provide a baseline for species with limited scientific knowledge. Indigenous communities should be at the forefront of ocean conservation decision-making as rights holders to marine territory and possessors of valuable marine knowledge.
Article
Ecology
Graydon McKee, Rachael L. Hornsby, Friedrich Fischer, Erin S. Dunlop, Robert Mackereth, Thomas C. Pratt, Michael Rennie
Summary: Using acoustic telemetry technology, a study on Walleye population in Black Bay, Lake Superior found two consistent movement patterns - migratory individuals leaving in late summer to early fall and residents staying year-round. Migrant Walleye were larger and female-biased, with their movement associated with thermal-optical habitat changes. The study suggests that migratory Walleye may have increased fitness and sensitivity to environmental changes compared to residents.
Editorial Material
Ecology
Walter Jetz, Grigori Tertitski, Roland Kays, Uschi Mueller, Martin Wikelski
Summary: Space-based tracking technology using low-cost miniature tags is providing fine-scale animal movement data at near-global scale. When combined with remotely sensed environmental data, it offers valuable insights into habitat integrity and connectivity for conservation and human health, creating a global network of animal sentinels for environmental change.
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Ornithology
Bing-Run Zhu, Mo A. Verhoeven, Chris J. Hassell, Katherine K. -S Leung, Dmitry Dorofeev, Qiang Ma, Krairat Eiamampai, Jonathan T. Coleman, Uchrakhzaya Tserenbat, Gankhuyag Purev-Ochir, David Li, Zhengwang Zhang, Theunis Piersma
Summary: Until recently, it was believed that there was only one subspecies of Black-tailed Godwit, melanuroides, in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. However, a larger-bodied subspecies, bohaii, has been discovered in the flyway. A discriminant function based on bill and wing length was developed to assign individuals to subspecies and it showed a 97.7% accuracy when tested against known individuals. The study found that both bohaii and melanuroides occurred at most sites in the flyway and overlapped in their distribution.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Nuria Playa-Montmany, Erick Gonzalez-Medina, Julian Cabello-Vergel, Manuel Parejo, Jose M. Abad-Gomez, Juan M. Sanchez-Guzman, Auxiliadora Villegas, Jose A. Masero
Summary: Maintaining homeothermy is challenging for species in extreme temperatures, such as birds in open landscapes. This study evaluated the effects of environmental temperature and bill/leg sizes on behavioural and physiological responses in dunlin birds. The results showed a link between ambient temperature and responses, as well as a relationship between appendage size and resting body postures.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Jorge S. Gutierrez, Teresa Catry, Maria Espinosa-Colin, Jose A. Masero, Jose Pedro Granadeiro
Summary: Animals often face trade-offs between food acquisition and predation/disturbance avoidance. However, the impact of modulating factors such as thermal risk and foraging opportunities on this trade-off has been largely disregarded. In this study, we investigated the influence of temporal and environmental gradients on the flight initiation distance (FID) and escape mode in shorebirds, and found that heat-stressed shorebirds take greater risks and adjust risk-taking behavior according to tidal and seasonal cycles.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ornithology
Miguel Silva-Monteiro, Hannes Pehlak, Sami Timonen, Jorma Pessa, Esko Pasanen, Mo Verhoeven, A. H. Jelle Loonstra, Theunis Piersma, Frederic Robin, Michal Korniluk, Melissa Onwezen, Morten Bongers, Jaap Hamelink, Frederik Lembreght, Audrey Dunn, David Kleijn
Summary: The size of Black-tailed Godwit breeding populations is positively related to arthropod abundance during the chick-hatching period and weakly related to soil-dwelling invertebrates, such as earthworms, during the clutch laying period. Vegetation growth and soil moisture do not affect the population size. Conservation management should focus on the arthropod prey of chicks to enhance local Godwit populations.
JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Tamar Lok, Matthijs van der Geest, Roeland A. Bom, Petra de Goeij, Theunis Piersma, Willem Bouten
Summary: This study aimed to assess the ability of Eurasian spoonbills to catch prey using 20 Hz acceleration data collected by GPS/ACC-trackers. The results showed that prey ingestion rates of spoonbills can be fairly accurately estimated from acceleration data. Seasonal and annual variations in prey ingestion rates were also observed in the Wadden Sea.
ANIMAL BIOTELEMETRY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sidi Yahya Cheikhna Lemrabott, El-Hacen Mohamed El-Hacen, Theunis Piersma, Amadou Abdarahmane Sall, Ebaye Sidina, Lemhaba Yarba Ahmed Mahmoud, Han Olff, Anieke van Leeuwen
Summary: Many local communities along Africa's western coast depend on the ocean for their livelihood. However, the introduction of new fishing techniques and global trade has drastically changed local fishing practices, leading to overfishing of certain species and a shift in the fish community within the Parc National du Banc d'Arguin in Mauritania.
AQUATIC CONSERVATION-MARINE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
P. Movalli, K. Biesmeijer, G. Gkotsis, N. Alygizakis, M. C. Nika, K. Vasilatos, M. Kostakis, N. S. Thomaidis, P. Oswald, M. Oswaldova, J. Slobodnik, J. C. E. W. Hooijmeijer, R. A. Howison, R. W. R. J. Dekker, N. van den Brink, T. Piersma
Summary: The breeding population of black-tailed godwits in the Netherlands has significantly decreased in recent decades, and the role of contaminants in this decline is unknown. Liver samples from 11 adult birds found dead in SW Friesland from 2016 to 2020 were analyzed, revealing the presence of various contaminants, including industrial chemicals, plant protection products, and pharmaceuticals. The majority of birds were found in intensive and herb-rich grasslands. These findings highlight the need for further research on the potential health risks to godwits and the sources of contamination.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Erick Gonzalez-Medina, Naria Playa-Montmany, Julian Cabello-Vergel, Manuel Parejo, Jose M. Abad-Gomez, Juan M. Sanchez-Guzman, Auxiliadora Villegas, Jorge S. Gutierrez, Jose A. Masero
Summary: This study investigated the thermal adaptations of eight Mediterranean-resident songbirds. During winter, these songbirds increased their basal metabolic rate and decreased thermal conductance. During summer, evaporative water loss increased, but the rate of increase decreased compared to temperature. These findings suggest physiological adjustments that enhance the resilience of Mediterranean songbirds to environmental changes.
COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY A-MOLECULAR & INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
A. H. Jelle Loonstra, Mo A. Verhoeven, Christiaan Both, Theunis Piersma
Summary: The variation in migratory routines of birds has been found to be influenced by various factors, both genetic and non-genetic. A study on translocated and hand-raised godwits showed that their migratory patterns were shaped by the release location rather than their ancestral background. This suggests that inexperienced birds can learn and develop their own knowledge and capacities through contextual individual learning, contributing to the adaptation of long-distance migration.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Eelke O. Folmer, Allert I. Bijleveld, Sander Holthuijsen, Jaap van der Meer, Theunis Piersma, Henk W. van der Veer
Summary: Intertidal mudflat systems are shaped by various factors and are influenced by human activities and global changes. Analyzing the sediment grain size and composition in the Dutch Wadden Sea, the study found synchronous changes in the intertidal flats over time. The changes suggest the possible role of large-scale factors such as hydrodynamic regime and sediment composition in the coarsening of the flats.
ESTUARINE COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
El-Hacen M. El-Hacen, Sidi Yahya Lemrabott, Kasper J. Meijer, Theunis Piersma, Laura L. Govers, Jan A. van Gils, Han Olff
Summary: The size-selective harvest of the African bloody cockle Senilia senilis in the Bijagos archipelago has resulted in a higher population density, older age, lower standing biomass, and smaller shell sizes compared to the unexploited population in Banc d'Arguin. The density and size of S. senilis at both sites are correlated with habitat quality indicators.
MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES
(2023)
Article
Ornithology
Camilo Carneiro, Tomas G. Gunnarsson, Triin Kaasiku, Theunis Piersma, Jose A. Alves
Summary: The migratory behavior in young individuals is influenced by a wide range of factors, including molecular information and social learning. Comparing the migration patterns of adults and juveniles helps to understand the developmental factors that contribute to migration. The study shows that juvenile Icelandic Whimbrels migrate to West Africa, but with later departure, less direct paths, and more stops compared to adults, resulting in slower travel speeds.
Article
Ecology
He-Bo Peng, Zhijun Ma, Eldar Rakhimberdiev, Jan A. van Gils, Phil F. Battley, Danny I. Rogers, Chi-Yeung Choi, Wei Wu, Xuesong Feng, Qiang Ma, Ning Hua, Clive Minton, Chris J. Hassell, Theunis Piersma
Summary: Loss and/or deterioration of refuelling habitats may cause population declines in migratory bird species, and there may be unequal mortality among individuals with different migration traits. Through analyzing 13 years of body mass and size data of great knots at a stopover site in the Yellow Sea, combined with observations of marked individuals along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, the study found that the annual apparent survival rates of great knots rapidly declined, with late-arriving individuals with small fuel stores exhibiting the lowest apparent survival rate. This suggests that habitat loss and/or deterioration can result in changes in the composition of migratory phenotypes at the population-level.
JOURNAL OF ANIMAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Yuhong Li, Theunis Piersma, Jos C. E. W. Hooijmeijer, Ruth A. Howison
Summary: Agricultural intensification has negatively impacted farmland biodiversity, including breeding birds. This study investigated the habitat selection and home range size of Black-tailed Godwits in relation to land-use intensity in the entire Netherlands. The results showed that godwits selected areas with lower land-use intensity at the landscape scale, and their core range size increased with higher land-use intensity.
ECOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS AND EVIDENCE
(2023)