Differential impacts of foraging plasticity by greater flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus on intertidal soft sediments

Gihwala, Kirti Narendra; Pillay, Deena; Varughese, Melvin

doi:10.3354/meps12069

Cited by 12 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…In Langebaan Lagoon, Z. capensis has been shown to be spatially excluded by sandprawns ( K. kraussi ) in higher densities, that subsequently increase sediment suspension and destabilise sediments ( Siebert & Branch, 2005 ; Hanekom & Russell, 2015 ). Qualitative field observations also showed bioturbator pressure from Greater flamingos ( Phoenicopterus roseus ) and Lesser flamingos ( Phoeniconaias minor ) which both form donut-shaped depressions due to trampling and their circular filter feeding technique, resulting in sediment resuspension, and increased nutrient flows, causing root destabilisation and enhanced biofilm production ( Gihwala, Pillay & Varughese, 2017 ; El-Hacen et al, 2018 ). Bioturbator interactions in combination with (1) small, spatially isolated transplant plots, (2) planted at sites across a tidal gradient where sandprawn density is known to increase towards the lower intertidal zone ( Siebert & Branch, 2006 ), likely led to negative density-dependent effects and account for significantly lower survival rates and area cover in the upper-mid and mid-intertidal zones, in comparison to the upper-intertidal zone, in our study.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using transplantation to restore seagrass meadows in a protected South African lagoon

Watson,

Pillay,

von der Heyden

2023

PeerJ

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Background Seagrass meadows provide valuable ecosystem services but are threatened by global change pressures, and there is growing concern that the functions seagrasses perform within an ecosystem will be reduced or lost without intervention. Restoration has become an integral part of coastal management in response to major seagrass declines, but is often context dependent, requiring an assessment of methods to maximise restoration success. Here we investigate the use of different restoration strategies for the endangered Zostera capensis in South Africa. Methods We assessed restoration feasibility by establishing seagrass transplant plots based on different transplant source materials (diameter (ø) 10 cm cores and anchored individual shoots), planting patterns (line, dense, bullseye) and planting site (upper, upper-mid and mid-intertidal zones). Monitoring of area cover, shoot length, and macrofaunal diversity was conducted over 18 months. Results Mixed model analysis showed distinct effects of transplant material used, planting pattern and site on transplant survival and area cover. Significant declines in seagrass cover across all treatments was recorded post-transplantation (2 months), followed by a period of recovery. Of the transplants that persisted after 18 months of monitoring (~58% plots survived across all treatments), seagrass area cover increased (~112%) and in some cases expanded by over >400% cover, depending on type of transplant material, planting arrangement and site. Higher bioturbator pressure from sandprawns (Kraussillichirus kraussi) significantly reduced transplant survival and area cover. Transplant plots were colonised by invertebrates, including seagrass specialists, such as South Africa’s most endangered marine invertebrate, the false-eelgrass limpet (Siphonaria compressa). For future seagrass restoration projects, transplanting cores was deemed the best method, showing higher long-term persistence and cover, however this approach is also resource intensive with potentially negative impacts on donor meadows at larger scales. There is a clear need for further research to address Z. capensis restoration scalability and improve long-term transplant persistence.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using transplantation to restore seagrass meadows in a protected South African lagoon

Watson,

Pillay,

von der Heyden

2023

PeerJ

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“…The observed differences in the use of tidal phases by flamingos and crabs are likely caused by their feeding habits. Flamingos are filter‐feeders and thus need some tidal water to stir up the sediment with their feet to harvest buried microphytobenthos (Gihwala et al ). This motion will prevent the settlement of new sediment and maintains the bowls and mound structures, which seems to create a favourable conditions for the growth of biofilms (Gerbersdorf and Wieprecht ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The highest zone on average (including all microhabitats) had an elevation of −13.12 ± 2.6 cm compared with average sea level, while the lowest one had an average elevation of −5.9 ± 4 cm. The lowest zone is used mainly by flamingos and can be recognised by signs of flamingo feeding: extensive circular pits of up to 1.4 m in width (Gihwala et al ) with a sand heap in the middle that are clearly visible even on aerial photos (area L in Fig. b).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Flamingos are well‐known ecosystem engineers that can modify sediment characteristics, microtopography and benthic communities (Glassom and Branch , b, Rodríguez‐Pérez and Green , Scott et al ). Greater flamingos have been reported to create distinct donut‐shaped depressions (also known as craters) due to their circular filter‐feeding behaviour while remaining standing at a single location (Rodríguez‐Pérez and Green , Gihwala et al ). Fiddler crabs are also effective ecosystem engineers in coastal systems due to their feeding and intensive burrowing activities (Kristensen , Smith et al , Holdredge et al ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Large‐scale ecosystem engineering by flamingos and fiddler crabs on West‐African intertidal flats promote joint food availability

El-Hacen

Bouma

Oomen

et al. 2019

Oikos

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Although the ecosystem engineering concept is well established in ecology, cases of joint engineering by multiple species at large scales remain rare. Here, we combine observational studies and exclosure experiments to investigate how co‐occurring greater flamingos Phoenicopterus roseus and fiddler crabs Uca tangeri promote their own and each other's food availability by creating a spatially complex mosaic of depressions (bowls, gullies) and hummocks (plateaus, mounds) in the intertidal zone. This results in a mosaic of microhabitats with different tidal inundation regimes. These microhabitats are spatially organized with labyrinth‐like patterns in the high intertidal zone and spotted patterns in the lower intertidal, both of which likely arise from biophysical interactions between these organisms and hydrodynamic forces. We show that the resulting spatial complexity is vital for biofilm production. The depression microhabitats were wetter and richer in organic matter and biofilms compared with hummocks. Excluding flamingos and crabs resulted in an increase in biofilm biomass over the shorter term (six months), but a decrease over the longer term (after one year). Moreover, our results strongly suggest that these biogeomorphological microhabitats in the mosaics were maintained by the feeding activities of flamingos and to a lesser extent crabs. During a period of flamingo exclusion, all the spotted patterns filled up with sediment, while the exclusion of crabs led to gradual sediment accumulation in the labyrinth‐like patterns. Collectively, these findings provide empirical evidence for large‐scale joint promotion of food availability by multiple taxa in a marine ecosystem.

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“…For a few years, Greater Flamingos have been observed regularly in the Lagoon of Venice, feeding or resting in the large extensions of shallow bottoms. The presence of thousands of Greater Flamingos should promote studies dealing with the possible effects of intertidal sediment properties and biological characteristics on Greater Flamingo activity (see for a review Gayet et al 2012 andGihwala et al 2017), as well as conservation actions aimed at reducing disturbance to the flocks occurring in this highly anthropised lagoon.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental characteristics of shallow bottoms used by Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus in a northern Adriatic lagoon

Scarton¹

2017

Acrocephalus

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Since the beginning of this century, Greater FlamingoPhoenicopterus roseusflocks have been observed regularly when feeding in the large extensions of shallow bottoms in the Lagoon of Venice (NE Italy), the largest lagoon along the Mediterranean. Nowadays thousands of flamingos are present throughout the year. Between 2013 and 2017 I collected data on the environmental features of the shallow bottoms used by feeding flocks, along with measurements of flight initiation distance (FID) of Greater Flamingo in response to the approach of boats and pedestrians. Shallow bottoms were shown to be used when covered with approximately 10 to 60 cm of water. All the feeding sites were in open landscapes, with low occurrence of saltmarshes in a radius of 500 m. The bottoms were barely covered with seagrasses (<4% of the surface around the survey points) and were mostly silty. Feeding flocks were on average 1.2 km far from the nearest road or dyke, while the mean distance from channels that could be used by boats was about 420 m. The mean FID caused by boats or pedestrians was 241 m ± 117 m (N = 31, ± 1 SD) without significant differences between those for the two disturbance sources. The use of shallow bottoms by the Greater Flamingo appears governed primarily by the tidal cycle, but boat disturbance probably modifies this effect. According to FID values, a set-back distance of 465 m is suggested to reduce the disturbance caused by boats and pedestrians to the flamingo feeding flocks.

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Differential impacts of foraging plasticity by greater flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus on intertidal soft sediments

Cited by 12 publications

References 52 publications

Using transplantation to restore seagrass meadows in a protected South African lagoon

Using transplantation to restore seagrass meadows in a protected South African lagoon

Large‐scale ecosystem engineering by flamingos and fiddler crabs on West‐African intertidal flats promote joint food availability

Environmental characteristics of shallow bottoms used by Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus in a northern Adriatic lagoon

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