Adverse effects of acid rain on the distribution of the Wood Thrush<i>Hylocichla mustelina</i>in North America

Hames, Ralph S.; Rosenberg, Kenneth V.; Lowe, James D.; Barker, Sara E.; Dhondt, André A.

doi:10.1073/pnas.172700199

Cited by 95 publications

(75 citation statements)

References 33 publications

(51 reference statements)

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“…For example, several studies have found that species such as the Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina), Ovenbird (Seiurus aurocapilla), and American Redstart may be most abundant in mid-successional forests (Holmes et al 1986, Holmes and Sherry 1988, Thompson et al 1992, Hunt 1996, at least in parts of their range, and are less common in the older, more mature stands. The Wood Thrush has received much attention for its widespread declines, including the possible effects of acid rain on eggshell thickness (Hames et al 2002), but less has been said about the possibility that some portion of these declines may be from the maturation of forests in much of its former breeding habitat (Holmes andSherry 2001, Ahlering andFaaborg 2006). Recently, there have been concerns because applications of these models often carried Field of Dreams (''if you build it, they will come'') assumptions (Ahlering and Faaborg 2006), when recent behavioral work suggests that colonization of appropriate habitats may not occur without the proper behavioral cues.…”

Section: Habitat Selection and Suitabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, Hames et al (2002) suggested that the widespread decline of the Wood Thrush in the eastern United States is related to eggshell thinning. Their eggshells are thin because of reduced numbers of snails in these forests; snails are rare because of calcium limitations due to acid rain, with populations of Wood Thrush downwind from major industrial regions suffering the most.…”

Section: Ecosystem-level Constraints and Migrant Bird Populationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Recent advances in understanding migration systems of New World land birds

Faaborg

Holmes

Anders

et al. 2010

Ecological Monographs

292

259

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Abstract. Our understanding of migratory birds' year-round ecology and evolution remains patchy despite recent fundamental advances. Periodic reviews focus future research and inform conservation and management; here, we take advantage of our combined experiences working on Western Hemisphere avian migration systems to highlight recent lessons and critical gaps in knowledge. Among topics discussed are: (1) The pipeline from pure to applied researchers leaves room for improvement. (2) Population limitation and regulation includes both seasonal and between-season interactions. (3) The study of movements of small-bodied species remains a major research frontier. (4) We must increase our understanding of population connectivity. (5) With few exceptions, population regulation has barely been investigated. (6) We have increasingly integrated landscape configuration of habitats, large-scale habitat disturbances, and habitat quality impacts into models of seasonal and overall demographic success. (7) The post-breeding season (late summer for latitudinal migrants) is increasingly appreciated for its impacts on demography. (8) We recognize the diverse ways that avian brood parasites, nest predators, and food availability affect demography. (9) Source-sink and meta-population models help us understand migratory avian distributions among fragmented habitats. (10) Advances in modeling have improved estimates of annual survival and fecundity, but for few species. (11) Populations can be limited by ecological conditions in winter, but habitat needs are poorly known for most species at this time. (12) Migration tends to occupy broad spatial fronts that may change seasonally or when migrants cross major barriers. En route conditions can limit migrant populations; linking migration habitat quality indicators to fitness or population consequences presents a major challenge. (14) A variety of intra-tropical Neotropical migration patterns are recognizable, but almost nothing is known about these systems beyond descriptions of a few typical species' movements. (15) Global climate change scenarios predict range and phenology shifts of Neotropical migrant bird populations that must be considered in conservation plans. Future studies will depend on new technologies and the integration of modeling with sophisticated, large-spatial-scale measurement and parameter estimation; whether the pace of research and management involving migratory birds can match the growth of environmental threats remains to be seen.

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Section: Habitat Selection and Suitabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Ecosystem-level Constraints and Migrant Bird Populationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent advances in understanding migration systems of New World land birds

Faaborg

Holmes

Anders

et al. 2010

Ecological Monographs

292

259

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Earthworms, slugs, millipedes, centipedes, collembolans, and isopods are among the soil animals known to be sensitive to acidity, although most of the studies are from high-deposition areas in Europe (Rusek and Marshall 2000). One recent study reports that productivity of wood thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) populations is negatively correlated with acid deposition levels across the northeastern United States (Hames et al 2002). This is purely a correlative result, but the proposed mechanism for the response is plausible-that acid deposition reduces the quantity or quality of the soil invertebrates that are the main source of calcium for wood thrushes.…”

Section: Forestsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Air Pollution on Ecosystems and Biological Diversity in the Eastern United States

Lovett

Tear

Evers

et al. 2009

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

194

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Conservation organizations have most often focused on land-use change, climate change, and invasive species as prime threats to biodiversity conservation. Although air pollution is an acknowledged widespread problem, it is rarely considered in conservation planning or management. In this synthesis, the state of scientific knowledge on the effects of air pollution on plants and animals in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States is summarized. Four air pollutants (sulfur, nitrogen, ozone, and mercury) and eight ecosystem types ranging from estuaries to alpine tundra are considered. Effects of air pollution were identified, with varying levels of certainty, in all the ecosystem types examined. None of these ecosystem types is free of the impacts of air pollution, and most are affected by multiple pollutants. In aquatic ecosystems, effects of acidity, nitrogen, and mercury on organisms and biogeochemical processes are well documented. Air pollution causes or contributes to acidification of lakes, eutrophication of estuaries and coastal waters, and mercury bioaccumulation in aquatic food webs. In terrestrial ecosystems, the effects of air pollution on biogeochemical cycling are also very well documented, but the effects on most organisms and the interaction of air pollution with other stressors are less well understood. Nevertheless, there is strong evidence for effects of nitrogen deposition on plants in grasslands, alpine areas, and bogs, and for nitrogen effects on forest mycorrhizae. Soil acidification is widespread in forest ecosystems across the eastern United States and is likely to affect the composition and function of forests in acid-sensitive areas over the long term. Ozone is known to cause reductions in photosynthesis in many terrestrial plant species. For the most part, the effects of these pollutants are chronic, not acute, at the exposure levels common in the eastern United States. Mortality is often observed only at experimentally elevated exposure levels or in combination with other stresses such as drought, freezing, or pathogens. The notable exceptions are the acid/aluminum effects on aquatic organisms, which can be lethal at levels of acidity observed in many surface waters in the region. Although the effects are often subtle, they are important to biological conservation. Changes in species composition caused by terrestrial or aquatic acidification or eutrophication can propagate throughout the food webs to affect many organisms beyond those that are directly sensitive to the pollution. Likewise, sublethal 100Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences doses of toxic pollutants may reduce the reproductive success of the affected organisms or make them more susceptible to potentially lethal pathogens. Many serious gaps in knowledge that warrant further research were identified. Among those gaps are the effects of acidification, ozone, and mercury on alpine systems, effects of nitrogen on species composition of forests, effects of mercury in terrestrial food webs, interactiv...

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“…Breeding birds have high demands of calcium for eggshell formation and proper juvenile growth. The widespread depletion of environmental calcium availability in northeastern North America is now linked to adverse effects on the distribution of wood thrush (Hylocichla mustelina) (Hames et al, 2002). Unfortunately, the strong link between environmental acidification with MeHg production and calcium depletion may be creating a scenario where their synergy has the potential for long-term, landscape-level impacts on insectivorous passerine populations across much of northeastern North America.…”

Section: Recommended Bioindicatorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Patterns and Interpretation of Mercury Exposure in Freshwater Avian Communities in Northeastern North America

et al. 2005

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Abstract. A large data set of over 4,700 records of avian mercury (Hg) levels in northeastern North America was compiled and evaluated. As Hg emissions remain poorly regulated in the United States and Canada, atmospheric deposition patterns and associated ecological responses continue to elicit interest by landscape managers, conservation biologists, policy makers, and the general public. How avian Hg exposure is interpreted greatly influences decision-making practices. The geographic extent and size of this data set is valuable in understanding the factors that affect the exposure of Hg to birds. Featured are differences found among tissues, major aquatic habitats and geographic areas, between age class and gender, and among species. While Hg concentrations in egg and blood reflect short-term Hg exposure, Hg concentrations in liver and feather provide insight into long-term Hg exposure. Blood is a particularly important matrix for relating site-specific exposure to methylmercury (MeHg). The level of MeHg is generally 5-10x greater in adults compared to nestlings. Age also influences MeHg bioaccumulation, particularly for individuals where MeHg intake exceeds elimination. Gender is of interpretive concern when evaluating Hg exposure for species exhibiting sexual dimorphism and niche partitioning. Based on two indicator species, the belted kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon) and bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), we found MeHg availability increased from marine, to estuarine and riverine systems, and was greatest in lake habitats. A large sample of >1,800 blood and egg Hg levels from the common loon (Gavia immer) facilitated a suitable comparison of geographic differences. Although some clusters of highly elevated Hg exposure (i.e., blood levels >3.0 lg/g, ww and egg levels >1.3 lg/g, ww) were associated with hydrological and biogeochemical factors known to increase MeHg production and availability, others were not. Geographic areas without a relationship between Hg exposure and biogeochemical processes were associated with emission or waterborne point sources. Differences in Hg exposure among species are primarily correlated with trophic position and availability of MeHg. Although piscivorous species were repeatedly *To whom correspondence should be addressed: Tel.: 207-839-7600; Fax: 207-839-7655; E-mail: david.evers@briloon.org Ecotoxicology, 14, 193-221, 2005 Ó 2005 shown to have some of the highest MeHg levels of the 38 species analyzed, insectivorous birds in both aquatic and terrestrial habitats (such as montane areas) were also found with elevated MeHg levels. A better understanding of the factors confounding interpretation of Hg exposure provides an effective basis for choice of indicator species and tissues according to 12 selected scenarios. This and the national need for spatiotemporal monitoring of MeHg availability require careful consideration of indicator species choice. Only then will local, regional, continental, and even global monitoring efforts be effective.

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Adverse effects of acid rain on the distribution of the Wood ThrushHylocichla mustelinain North America

Cited by 95 publications

References 33 publications

Recent advances in understanding migration systems of New World land birds

Recent advances in understanding migration systems of New World land birds

Effects of Air Pollution on Ecosystems and Biological Diversity in the Eastern United States

Patterns and Interpretation of Mercury Exposure in Freshwater Avian Communities in Northeastern North America

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