Influence of macroalgal mats on abundance and distribution of dunlin Calidris alpina in estuaries: a long-term approach
2006; Inter-Research; Volume: 323; Linguagem: Inglês
10.3354/meps323011
ISSN1616-1599
AutoresRicardo J. Lopes, Miguel Ã. Pardal, Tiago Múrias, João Alexandre Cabral, João Carlos Marques,
Tópico(s)Avian ecology and behavior
ResumoMEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 323:11-20 (2006) - doi:10.3354/meps323011 Influence of macroalgal mats on abundance and distribution of dunlin Calidris alpina in estuaries: a long-term approach Ricardo J. Lopes1,2,*, Miguel A. Pardal2, Tiago Múrias1, João A. Cabral3, João C. Marques2 1Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal 2Institute of Marine Research (IMAR), Department of Zoology, University of Coimbra, 3004-517 Coimbra, Portugal 3Laboratory of Applied Ecology, CETAV-Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5000-911 Vila Real, Portugal *Email: ricardolopes@mail.icav.up.pt ABSTRACT: Estuaries used by shorebirds during the non-breeding season face many types of human pressure, including eutrophication and consequent occurrence of macroalgal blooms. The impact of this phenomenon on the abundance of dunlin Calidris alpina in the Mondego estuary, Portugal, was explored using long-term, monthly time series, between 1993 and 2003. The data series included total macroalgal cover, macroinvertebrate biomass and dunlin abundance. We observed an increase in dunlin abundance during this period that matched the decrease in macroalgal cover, especially since the promotion of management actions in 1998. We suggest that this increase was related to the increase of some of its main prey species, the polychaete Hediste diversicolor and the bivalve Scrobicularia plana. At smaller scales, no effect of macroalgae was observed on the proportion of dunlin that chose to feed in alternative habitats (salinas) during the low tide period. However, there was a small effect of the level of algal cover on the proportion of birds recorded on macroalgae at intermediate levels of coverage (around 25% of total mudflat area). KEY WORDS: Macroalgae · Eutrophication · Intertidal mudflats · Waders · Estuary · Shorebirds · Dunlin Full text in pdf format PreviousNextExport citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 323. Online publication date: October 05, 2006 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2006 Inter-Research.
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