Antagonistic, synergistic and direct effects of land use and climate on Prairie wetland ecosystems: Ghosts of the past or present?

Abstract

Aim Wetland loss and degradation threaten biodiversity to an extent greater than most ecosystems. Science‐supported responses require understanding of interacting effects of land use and climate change on wetland biodiversity. Location Alberta, Canada. Methods We evaluated how current climate, climate change (as a ghost of the past), land use and wetland water quality relate to aquatic macroinvertebrates and birds. Results Climatic relationships and climate–land use interactions were observed on chironomid abundance, but not macroinvertebrate taxa richness (MTR) or odonate abundance, which responded to land use and water chemistry. Chironomid abundance was positively associated with cropland and negatively associated with total precipitation. Higher cropland cover and dissolved organic carbon synergistically interacted with total precipitation to affect chironomids. MTR was negatively related to salinity, yet greater area of non‐woody riparian vegetation attenuated salinity effects on MTR. Odonate abundance was negatively related to total phosphorus. Higher grassland cover also increased the negative relationship of total phosphorous to odonate abundance. Climatic relationships and climate–land use interactions were observed on bird species richness (BSR) and abundance of several bird functional groups. Higher BSR and abundances of several bird groups were positively related to average rainfall and greater warming temperatures over time. Area of non‐crop cover and wetlands was positively associated with most bird groups and BSR. Warming temperatures over time ameliorated the negative relationship of higher cropland or less shrubland on aerial insectivores and other bird groups. Main conclusions Climate patterns and climate change are as important as land use pressures with stronger impacts on birds. Climate change was more influential than current climate and provided novel empirical evidence that progressively warmer, wetter conditions is benefiting some bird groups, including aerial insectivores, a group of conservation concern. Riparian vegetation ameliorated the negative impacts of climate and water quality gradients on MTR and could mitigate global change impacts in agricultural systems.

Not Singing in the Rain: Linking Migratory Songbird Declines With Increasing Precipitation and Brood Parasitism Vulnerability

“…These findings contrast with previous research elsewhere in the Great Plains testing the "climate bottleneck hypothesis" that found that grassland breeding bird abundance did not significantly change in response to changes in precipitation (Wiens, 1973;Zimmerman, 1992), with the important caveat that our study areas differed in their proximity to riparian corridors and therefore flooding potential. Our findings also contrast with a pattern of increasing bird abundance with increasing precipitation for wetland bird species elsewhere in the Great Plains (Mantyka-Pringle et al, 2019). Dickcissel abundance decreased with increased precipitation during the breeding season but not the non-breeding season (when they are away), implying that negative effects of increased precipitation on dickcissels stem from direct effects during the breeding season, such as emigration due to heavy precipitation and related extreme events including flooding and summer hailstorms.…”

“…Broaderscale climate effects can also influence dickcissels' settlement decisions (Jensen and Cully, 2005), for example if dickcissels concentrate in the southern part of their breeding range in wetter years and in the northern part of their range in drier years or vice versa. Climate change may thus influence bird species on a broader scale, as geographic shifts in climate envelope may sometimes outweigh effects of local land management (Barbet-Massin et al, 2012;Sohl, 2014;Mantyka-Pringle et al, 2019). Other factors not captured in this study may also influence breeding bird populations, such as carry-over effects, which recent students have suggested are widespread and important in many bird species (Harrison et al, 2011;O'Connor et al, 2014) and can be sex-and age-specific (Saino et al, 2017;López-Calderón et al, 2019).…”

The relative contribution of individual quality and changing climate as drivers of lifetime reproductive success in a short-lived avian species

“…Our results suggest that climate change projections of increased frequency of extreme climate events may generate large, and perhaps distinct, effects on apparent LRS of species across their range. In the prairies where current warmer, wetter conditions associated with climate change appear to be benefiting some species 70 , climate scenarios are forecasting more frequent and severe drought conditions and widespread drying of ponds 71,72 , which our results suggest could negatively affect the fitness of terrestrial species. Such effects will not only occur via habitat loss, but also through the loss of aquatic food resources for a variety of species.…”

The Impact of Weather on the Behavior and Ecology of Birds

“…Broaderscale climate effects can also influence dickcissels' settlement decisions (Jensen and Cully, 2005), for example if dickcissels concentrate in the southern part of their breeding range in wetter years and in the northern part of their range in drier years or vice versa. Climate change may thus influence bird species on a broader scale, as geographic shifts in climate envelope may sometimes outweigh effects of local land management (Barbet-Massin et al, 2012;Sohl, 2014;Mantyka-Pringle et al, 2019). Other factors not captured in this study may also influence breeding bird populations, such as carry-over effects, which recent students have suggested are widespread and important in many bird species and can be sex-and age-specific (Saino et al, 2017;López-Calderón et al, 2019).…”