Potentially negative ecological consequences of animal redistribution on beaches during COVID-19 lockdown

Gilby, Ben L.; Henderson, Christopher; Olds, Andrew D.; Ballantyne, Jasmine A.; Bingham, Ellen L.; Elliott, Brittany B.; Jones, Tyson R.; Kimber, Olivia; Mosman, Jesse D.; Schlacher, Thomas A.

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108926

Cited by 48 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…Unfortunately, we could not properly explore the between-years variation in detectability patterns due to sample size constraints. Urban birds during lockdown may have shown this detectability peak at dawn, typical of non-urban habitats, because of a rapid behavioural response to adjust to the new environmental conditions imposed by the COVID-19 measures [64][65][66][67][68]. Birds rely heavily on acoustic communication.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rapid behavioural response of urban birds to COVID-19 lockdown

et al. 2021

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Biodiversity is threatened by the growth of urban areas. However, it is still poorly understood how animals can cope with and adapt to these rapid and dramatic transformations of natural environments. The COVID-19 pandemic provides us with a unique opportunity to unveil the mechanisms involved in this process. Lockdown measures imposed in most countries are causing an unprecedented reduction of human activities, giving us an experimental setting to assess the effects of our lifestyle on biodiversity. We studied the birds' response to the population lockdown by using more than 126 000 bird records collected by a citizen science project in northeastern Spain. We compared the occurrence and detectability of birds during the spring 2020 lockdown with baseline data from previous years in the same urban areas and dates. We found that birds did not increase their probability of occurrence in urban areas during the lockdown, refuting the hypothesis that nature has recovered its space in human-emptied urban areas. However, we found an increase in bird detectability, especially during early morning, suggesting a rapid change in the birds’ daily routines in response to quieter and less crowded cities. Therefore, urban birds show high behavioural plasticity to rapidly adjust to novel environmental conditions, such as those imposed by the COVID-19.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rapid behavioural response of urban birds to COVID-19 lockdown

et al. 2021

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“…Consequently, the reduced stress generated by the lower number of scaring events, contributed to the increased body condition in greater snow geese in 2020 36 , with possible downstream consequences on reproductive success (e.g., number of edglings) later in the season 36 . Other wildlife studies carried out in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic period (Table 1) highlight the role of food availability in species occurrence 34,53 : thus, species such as Feral pigeons (Columba livia) and Torresian crows (Corvus orru) (often referred to as "urban exploiters" as they rely on waste, bread, seeds and other anthropogenic food resources 9,53 ) decreased in number within the urban space since the pandemic started, moving to more natural areas to feed on native invertebrate communities, with serious (and, to some extent, destructive) consequences on local ecosystems 53 . All in all, results reported to date highlight a species-speci c response to lockdown restrictions (Table 1).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Breeding in the Pandemic: Short-Term Lockdown Restrictions Do Not Alter Reproductive Decisions and Avian Life-History Traits in a European Capital City

Corsini

Jagiełło

Walesiak

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Humans are transforming natural habitats into managed urban green areas and impervious surfaces with unprecedented pace. Yet the effects of human presence per se on animal life-history traits are rarely tested. This is particularly true in cities, where human presence is often indissociable from urbanisation itself. The onset of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, along with the resulting lockdown restrictions, offered a unique, “natural experiment” context to investigate wildlife responses to a sudden reduction of human activities. We analysed four years of avian breeding data collected in a European capital city to test whether lockdown measures altered nestbox occupancy and life-history traits in two urban adapters: great tits (Parus major) and blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus). Lockdown measures, which modulated human presence, did not influence any of the life-history traits inferred. In contrast, tree cover, a distinct ecological attribute of the urban space, positively influenced clutch size, a key avian life-history and reproductive trait. This highlights the importance of habitat and food webs over human activity on animal reproduction in cities. We discuss our results in the light of other urban wildlife studies carried out during the pandemic, inviting the scientific community to carefully interpret all lockdown - associated shifts in biological traits.

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“…The anthropause resulting from the pandemic also impacted wildlife distribution in ways that might have a deleterious effect on some species. Torresian crows (Corvus orru) in Australia, for example-a species that normally scavenges for human foodstuffs in urban areas-were found in significantly greater abundance on beaches, where some researchers fear they might be outcompeting and depredating the nests of other resident species [31]. The shift in the crows' foraging habits was attributed to the substantial decrease in human-generated trash available in urban areas in the wake of pandemic shutdowns.…”

Section: Potential Animal Welfare Impacts Of the Covid-19 Pandemicmentioning

confidence: 99%

Animal Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and the Welfare of Animals during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Ekstrand

Flanagan

Lin

et al. 2021

Animals

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The accelerated pace of research into Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) necessitates periodic summaries of current research. The present paper reviews virus susceptibilities in species with frequent human contact, and factors that are best predictors of virus susceptibility. Species reviewed were those in contact with humans through entertainment, pet, or agricultural trades, and for whom reports (either anecdotal or published) exist regarding the SARS-CoV-2 virus and/or the resulting disease state COVID-19. Available literature was searched using an artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted engine, as well as via common databases, such as Web of Science and Medline. The present review focuses on susceptibility and transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2, and polymorphisms in transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) that contribute to species differences. Dogs and pigs appear to have low susceptibility, while ferrets, mink, some hamster species, cats, and nonhuman primates (particularly Old World species) have high susceptibility. Precautions may therefore be warranted in interactions with such species, and more selectivity practiced when choosing appropriate species to serve as models for research.

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Potentially negative ecological consequences of animal redistribution on beaches during COVID-19 lockdown

Cited by 48 publications

References 47 publications

Rapid behavioural response of urban birds to COVID-19 lockdown

Rapid behavioural response of urban birds to COVID-19 lockdown

Breeding in the Pandemic: Short-Term Lockdown Restrictions Do Not Alter Reproductive Decisions and Avian Life-History Traits in a European Capital City

Animal Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and the Welfare of Animals during the COVID-19 Pandemic

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