Diademed Sandpiper-Plover (Phegornis mitchellii)

Sayers, Christopher J.

doi:10.2173/bow.diaplo1.01

Cited by 1 publication

(4 citation statements)

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“…Although Diademed Plovers have traditionally been considered very local and rare [ 28 ], we suspect their occupancy may have been underestimated. To our knowledge, our study represents the first effort to estimate Diademed Plovers’ population state variables (i.e., occupancy).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We decided to use NDWI mean as a more reliable index of the long term moisture dynamics of peatlands. We did not include any isolation metrics as Diademed Plovers are known to move over long distances [ 26 , 28 ] and therefore plovers could reach even fairly isolated peatlands.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Importantly, their specific micro-habitat requirements remain largely unknown. Peatlands used by Diademed Plovers look, to the human eye, very similar to peatlands where they are not found [ 28 ]. To conserve habitat for Diademed Plover, it is important to identify the factors that influence their occurrence in peatlands of the High Andes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, we still lack empirical evidence that supports this in High Andean peatlands. Overgrazing has also been suggested to have a negative effect on plover occurrence [ 28 ], despite these peatlands having a long pastoral tradition. Trampling by llamas ( Lama glama ) and vicuñas ( Vicugna vicugna ) may disturb nesting behavior and habitat, as reported for livestock effects on nesting shorebirds in coastal habitats [ 37 ], and the effect of livestock on plover occurrence may be area-dependent (with larger effects on smaller peatlands than larger peatlands).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Habitat occupancy of the threatened Diademed Plover (Phegornis mitchellii) is not affected by llama grazing or peatland size, but declines with peatland humidity

Pietrek,

Cockle,

Izquierdo

et al. 2024

PLoS ONE

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Many habitat-specialist organisms occur in distinct, patchy habitat, yet do not occupy all patches, and an important question is why apparently suitable habitat remains unoccupied. We examined factors influencing patch occupancy in near-threatened, little-known Diademed Plovers (Phegornis mitchellii), arguably the bird most specialized to life in High Andean peatlands. Andean peatlands are well-suited to occupancy modelling because they are discrete patches of humid habitat within a matrix of high-altitude steppe. We hypothesized that Diademed Plovers occupy preferably larger and more humid peatlands, and avoid peatlands used for grazing by llamas and vicuñas, which may trample vegetation and nests. From December 2021 to February 2022 (breeding season), we conducted plover occupancy surveys (2–4) on 40 peatlands at Lagunas de Vilama, a landscape of arid steppe and wetlands above 4,500 m in NW Argentina. We measured peatland size, grazing pressure, topographic and remotely-sensed variables that correlate with humidity, and incorporated these as covariates in occupancy models. Occupancy models showed that more than 50% of the studied peatlands were used by Diademed Plovers and most showed signs of reproduction, highlighting the importance of the Vilama Wetlands for Diademed Plover conservation. Within peatlands, Diademed Plovers were most often associated with headwaters. The top ranked occupancy model included constant detection, random spatial effects, and a single occupancy covariate: mean NDWI (Normalized Difference Water Index, an index correlated with water content and humidity) over the previous three years. Contrary to our prediction, Diademed Plovers preferred less water-saturated peatlands (lower NDWI), possibly to avoid nest flooding. This may be especially important in wet years, like the year when we conducted our surveys. Neither peatland size nor grazing by llamas and vicuñas affected peatland use by Diademed Plovers, suggesting that llama grazing at current levels may be compatible with plover conservation. For organisms that specialize on humid habitats, such as peatlands, factors affecting occupancy may vary temporally with variation in climate, and we recommend follow-up surveys across multi-year timescales to untangle the impact of climate on animals’ use of humid habitats.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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