Airflow modelling predicts seabird breeding habitat across islands

Lempidakis, Emmanouil; Ross, Andrew N.; Börger, Luca; Shepard, Emily L. C.

doi:10.1111/ecog.05733

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…This is probably because this species needs strong enough wind speeds to take-off and land (making very wind-sheltered locations unsuitable), but also benefits from protection from the strongest wind speeds, both for thermoregulation and for chicks not to be blown off their nests. This influence of flight-related wind preferences impacting nest-site selection is in agreement with those for a cliff-nesting seabird species on much smaller islands, where Common Guillemots are only able to land in very low wind speeds, and therefore nest in more sheltered locations (Shepard et al 2019, Lempidakis et al 2022.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

“…In other systems, the windward sides of nests have trampled vegetation where the birds enter the nest (Miller et al 2014). Common Guillemots Uria aalge (Alcidae), a cliff-breeding seabird, nest in areas that are protected from wind and rain and waves, which are also affected by the wind characteristics (Lempidakis et al 2022). Wind is being recognized as an important factor for seabirds, affecting their movement (Weimerskirch et al 2000, Clay et al 2020, foraging ecology (Cornioley et al 2016), predation (Gilchrist & Gaston 1997) and even life-history (Weimerskirch et al 2012).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Factors determining nest‐site selection of surface‐nesting seabirds: a case study on the world's largest pelagic bird, the Wandering Albatross (Diomedea exulans)

Momberg

Ryan

Hedding

et al. 2022

Ibis

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Several factors may drive bird nest-site selection, including predation risk, resource availability, weather conditions and interaction with other individuals. Understanding the drivers affecting where birds nest is important for conservation planning, especially where environmental change may alter the distribution of suitable nest-sites. This study investigates which environmental variables affect nest-site selection by the Wandering Albatross Diomedea exulans, the world's largest pelagic bird. Here, wind characteristics are quantitatively investigated as a driver of nest-site selection in surface-nesting birds, in addition to several topographical variables, vegetation and geological characteristics. Nest locations from three different breeding seasons on sub-Antarctic Marion Island were modelled to assess which environmental factors affect nest-site selection. Elevation was the most important determinant of nest-site selection, with Wandering Albatrosses only nesting at low elevations. Distance from the coast and terrain roughness were also important predictors, with nests more generally found close to the coast and in flatter terrain, followed by wind velocity, which showed a hump-shaped relationship with the probability of nest occurrence. Nests occurred more frequently on coastal vegetation types, and were absent from polar desert vegetation (generally above c. 500 m elevation). Of the variables that influence Wandering Albatross nest location, both vegetation type and wind characteristics are likely to be influenced by climate change, and have already changed over the last 50 years. As a result, the availability of suitable nest-sites needs to be considered in light of future climate change, in addition to the impacts that these changes will have on foraging patterns and prey distribution. More broadly, these results provide insights into how a wide range of environmental variables, including wind, can affect nest-site selection of surface-nesting seabirds.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors determining nest‐site selection of surface‐nesting seabirds: a case study on the world's largest pelagic bird, the Wandering Albatross (Diomedea exulans)

Momberg

Ryan

Hedding

et al. 2022

Ibis

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Evidence of time-lag in the provision of ecosystem services by tropical regenerating forests to coffee yields

González‐Chaves

Carvalheiro

Piffer

et al. 2023

Environ. Res. Lett.

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Restoration of native tropical forests is crucial for protecting biodiversity and ecosystem functions, such as carbon stock capacity. However, little is known about the contribution of early stages of forest regeneration to crop productivity through the enhancement of ecosystem services, such as crop pollination and pest control. Using data from 610 municipalities along the Brazilian Atlantic Forest (30 m spatial resolution), we evaluated if young regenerating forests (less than 20 years old) are positively associated with coffee yield and whether such a relationship depends on the amount of preserved forest in the surroundings of the coffee fields. We found that regenerating forest alone was not associated with variations in coffee yields. However, the presence of young regenerating forest (within a 500 m buffer) was positively related to higher coffee yields when the amount of preserved forest in a 2 km buffer is above a 20% threshold cover. These results further reinforce that regional coffee yields are influenced by changes in biodiversity-mediated ecosystem services, which are explained by the amount of mature forest in the surrounding of coffee fields. We argue that while regenerating fragments may contribute to increased connectivity between remnants of forest fragments and crop fields in landscapes with a minimum amount of forest (20%), older preserved forests (more than 20 years) are essential for sustaining pollinator and pest enemy’s populations. These results highlight the potential time lag of at least 20 years of regenerating forests’ in contributing to the provision of ecosystem services that affect coffee yields (e.g., pollination and pest control). We emphasize the need to implement public policies that promote ecosystem restoration and ensure the permanence of these new forests over time.

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Effects of wind on the movement, behavior, energetics, and life history of seabirds

Thorne,

Clay,

Phillips

et al. 2023

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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For decades, studies have highlighted links between wind patterns and the behavior, ecology, distribution, energetics and life history of seabirds. However, only relatively recently have advancements in tracking technologies and improvements in the resolution of globally-available wind data allowed wind impacts on seabirds to be quantified across multiple spatiotemporal scales. Here, we review and synthesize current knowledge of the effects of wind on seabirds. We first describe global patterns of wind circulation and relevant atmospheric processes and discuss the relationship between seabird morphology, flight performance and behavior relative to wind. We then develop a conceptual model linking seabird movement strategies to wind, morphology, flight capabilities and central-place constraint. Finally, we examine how wind influences seabird populations via effects on flight efficiency and energetics, and wind impacts associated with climate variability and severe weather. We conclude by highlighting research priorities for advancing our understanding of the effects of wind on seabird ecology and behavior; these include assessing how and to what extent seabirds use ocean waves for efficient flight, understanding how seabirds sense and anticipate wind patterns, and examining how wind has shaped seabird evolution. Future research should also focus on assessing how wind modulates habitat accessibility, and how this knowledge could be incorporated into theory of seabird habitat use. Moreover, approaches that focus on mechanistic links between climate, wind and demography are needed to assess population-level effects, and will be imperative to understanding how seabirds may be impacted by climate-driven changes to wind patterns.

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Airflow modelling predicts seabird breeding habitat across islands

Cited by 4 publications

References 48 publications

Factors determining nest‐site selection of surface‐nesting seabirds: a case study on the world's largest pelagic bird, the Wandering Albatross (Diomedea exulans)

Factors determining nest‐site selection of surface‐nesting seabirds: a case study on the world's largest pelagic bird, the Wandering Albatross (Diomedea exulans)

Evidence of time-lag in the provision of ecosystem services by tropical regenerating forests to coffee yields

Effects of wind on the movement, behavior, energetics, and life history of seabirds

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