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Tariq A, Ahmad SR, Qadir A. Nesting material adaptation of native bird species with anthropogenic litter along an urbanization gradient in Pakistan. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 249:118435. [PMID: 38350545 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
Rapid urbanization and associated waste generation have become a mounting ecological concern for wildlife, especially avian communities. Research has primarily focused on investigating the impacts of human activities on marine birds with comparatively less focus on terrestrial species that live in far more anthropized environments and are at significant risk. Our study has explored the abundance and characteristics of anthropogenic litter in 70 nests of four generalist bird species: Bank Myna (Acridotheres ginginianus), Common Myna (Acridotheres tristis), Black Kite (Milvus migrans) and House Crow (Corvus splendens), within the city of Lahore (Pakistan) and its surroundings, by determining and following an urbanization gradient. The overall frequency of litter occurrence (FLO%) for all the sampled nests was 89%. Over 80% of the recorded litter items consisted of plastic materials, primarily dominated by sheet-like plastics. There was a strong association between fabric and Black Kite nests, and metal and House Crow nests. Litter incorporation increased across the gradient from rural to urban habitats. The highest FLO% was found in nests sampled from waste dumping sites and urban sites (95%-100%), where anthropogenic influence was more intense. The high level of litter incorporation is potentially indicative of a species' adaptive response to urbanization, associated with the decline in natural nesting material and availability of anthropogenic litter. These findings highlight the need for strengthening the existing global database for terrestrial litter and its effect on wildlife and devising policy actions for better waste management and conservation of natural ecosystem balance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anum Tariq
- College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.
| | - Sajid Rashid Ahmad
- College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Abdul Qadir
- College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
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Espinoza MJ, Laviada I, Taberner Cerezo A, Luna Á, Gil-Delgado JA, Bernat-Ponce E. Do birds select the plastics debris used for nest construction? A case study in a Mediterranean agricultural landscape. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 255:119117. [PMID: 38729409 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.119117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Plastic pollution is becoming a global problem due to its ubiquitous occurrence and the impacts detected for many species. However, the research about plastics in nests of terrestrial bird species has remained relatively overlooked in comparison to those devoted to marine ecosystems. Here we study the occurrence and patterns of use of anthropogenic material in nests of two passerine birds, the Eurasian magpie (Pica pica) and the European serin (Serinus serinus), breeding in an orange tree cultivation in Mediterranean Spain. Our results show that both species use extensively plastic debris as nest material; almost 71% of the European serin nests and 96% of nests of Eurasian magpies contained plastic debris. Furthermore, by analyzing the plastic debris availability in the agricultural landscape surveyed we confirmed a selection pattern in the two species. Thus, both species preferably select plastic filaments over other plastic debris. The Eurasian magpie does not select plastic based on size or color but the European serin avoid black plastics prefer smaller fragments in comparison to the average size available. Moreover, we suggest the apparent similarity of plastic filaments with the natural materials typically used by these species, as well as how they use the plastic in their nests could influence their selection behavior. More studies focused on terrestrial birds inhabiting human modified habitats could offer a deeper approach to how plastic debris interacts with wildlife in different ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- María José Espinoza
- Department of Microbiology and Ecology, Terrestrial Vertebrates Ecology, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, c/ Catedrático José Beltrán, 2, 46980, Paterna, Valencia, Spain.
| | - Iván Laviada
- Department of Microbiology and Ecology, Terrestrial Vertebrates Ecology, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, c/ Catedrático José Beltrán, 2, 46980, Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Aina Taberner Cerezo
- Department of Microbiology and Ecology, Terrestrial Vertebrates Ecology, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, c/ Catedrático José Beltrán, 2, 46980, Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Álvaro Luna
- Department of Biosciences, Faculty of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - José A Gil-Delgado
- Department of Microbiology and Ecology, Terrestrial Vertebrates Ecology, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, c/ Catedrático José Beltrán, 2, 46980, Paterna, Valencia, Spain.
| | - Edgar Bernat-Ponce
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Europea de Valencia, Paseo de la Alameda, 7, 46010, Valencia, Spain
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Sheard C, Stott L, Street SE, Healy SD, Sugasawa S, Lala KN. Anthropogenic nest material use in a global sample of birds. J Anim Ecol 2024. [PMID: 38525599 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
As humans increasingly modify the natural world, many animals have responded by changing their behaviour. Understanding and predicting the extent of these responses is a key step in conserving these species. For example, the tendency for some species of birds to incorporate anthropogenic items-particularly plastic material-into their nests is of increasing concern, as in some cases, this behaviour has harmful effects on adults, young and eggs. Studies of this phenomenon, however, have to date been largely limited in geographic and taxonomic scope. To investigate the global correlates of anthropogenic (including plastic) nest material use, we used Bayesian phylogenetic mixed models and a data set of recorded nest materials in 6147 species of birds. We find that, after controlling for research effort and proximity to human landscape modifications, anthropogenic nest material use is correlated with synanthropic (artificial) nesting locations, breeding environment and the number of different nest materials the species has been recorded to use. We also demonstrate that body mass, range size, conservation status and brain size do not explain variation in the recorded use of anthropogenic nest materials. These results indicate that anthropogenic materials are more likely to be included in nests when they are more readily available, as well as potentially by species that are more flexible in their nest material choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Sheard
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Lucy Stott
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Sally E Street
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - Susan D Healy
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Shoko Sugasawa
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Kevin N Lala
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
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Teng H, Zhou K. Designing a sustainable collection and transportation routes for domestic wastes in the agro-pastoral ecotone of the Tibetan Plateau. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2023; 347:119130. [PMID: 37783077 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
The absence of an efficient and safe routes for the timely collection and transportation of domestic waste (DW) may have negative effects on the environment and public health. However, the existing collection and transportation routes (CTR) for domestic waste (DW) based on territorial management are not suitable for the special socio-ecological system of the agro-pastoral ecotone (APE). Therefore, it is crucial to develop a low-cost, high-efficiency, and risk-free CTR to mitigate the threat of DW to the environmental sustainability in the APE of the Tibetan Plateau. This study selected Haidong as a research case and constructed a sustainable CTR optimization framework based on an integrated perspective on temporal, spatial and eco-safety risk. We used the improved Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) to simulate optimal spatial-temporal routes, and the eco-safety risk level of the CTR was assessed by using the Minimum Cumulative Resistance model (MCR). Results demonstrated that: (1) After the sustainable model was optimized, the total transportation mileage and the frequency of collection and transportation were reduced by 45.88% and 38.07% respectively, the economic cost savings were decreased by 32.29%. Optimized routes were more effective and can better adapt to the dispersed pollution-producing characteristics in the APE. (2) The optimized routes reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 41.09%, and reduced the eco-safety risk of the high and relative high-risk routes, which account for 29.05% of total routes, can protect important ecological functions and reduce the adverse impacts of DW transportation on soil, atmosphere, water, and the living environment. (3) The cores of adaptive management for sustainable CTR in APE were to change from the current single-county administrative organization to a cross-county administrative organization; adjust the transportation cycle based on pollution-producing characteristics; sort the DW locally; and cultivate environmental awareness among farmers and herdsmen. This study designed new sustainable collection and transportation routes for domestic waste to improve environmental sustainability in the agro-pastoral ecotone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hezhi Teng
- Key Laboratory of Regional Sustainable Development Modelling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, PR China; School of Geography and Information Engineering, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430000, PR China
| | - Kan Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Regional Sustainable Development Modelling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, PR China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, PR China.
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Rodríguez B, López-Suárez P, Varo-Cruz N, Dack E, Rendall A, Siverio F, Siverio M, Rodríguez A. Use of marine debris as nest material by ospreys. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 194:115422. [PMID: 37632982 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
The use of anthropogenic debris as nest-building materials may affect nest function. We study ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) on an island with scarce vegetation and high availability of beached marine debris. We describe the anthropogenic debris in osprey nests, evaluate the factors affecting its prevalence and abundance, and test its potential effects on breeding parameters. We also quantify plastic entanglements among adults and nestlings. Of the 36 studied nests, 92 % included non-natural items, with plastic being the most frequent material (88.9 %). Nests that were bigger and closer to the coast had more anthropogenic items. The abundance of anthropogenic items in nests did not correlate with osprey breeding parameters. We recorded two live entangled adult females, which represent 3.9 % of the adult population. Monitoring the abundance of anthropogenic debris and its effects on wildlife is necessary to guarantee long-term viability of coastal wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beneharo Rodríguez
- Canary Islands' Ornithology and Natural History Group (GOHNIC), Buenavista del Norte, Canary Islands, Spain.
| | | | - Nuria Varo-Cruz
- Cetaceans and Marine Research Institute of the Canary Islands (CEAMAR), San Bartolomé, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Ena Dack
- Bios.CV, Sal Rei, Boa Vista, Cabo Verde
| | - Aline Rendall
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação e Desenvolvimento Agrário (INIDA), São Jorge dos Órgãos, Santiago, Cabo Verde; Universidade de Cabo Verde (UniCV), Praia, Santiago, Cabo Verde
| | - Felipe Siverio
- Canary Islands' Ornithology and Natural History Group (GOHNIC), Buenavista del Norte, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Manuel Siverio
- Canary Islands' Ornithology and Natural History Group (GOHNIC), Buenavista del Norte, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Airam Rodríguez
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
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Jagiello Z, Dylewski Ł, Aguirre JI, Białas JT, Dylik A, López-García A, Kaługa I, Olszewski A, Siekiera J, Tobółka M. The prevalence of anthropogenic nest materials differs between two distinct populations of migratory birds in Europe. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:69703-69710. [PMID: 37129807 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-27156-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
A major impact of human development is the transformation of natural habitats into farming lands and the expansion of built-up areas. Also, plastic pollution is affecting wildlife on a global scale. Discarded plastic is ubiquitous and accessible for birds, which can incorporate them into the nest structure. Here, we describe the differences in type, prevalence, and the amount of anthropogenic nest materials between two populations of terrestrial, mainly farmland bird, the white stork Ciconia ciconia, on a broad geographical scale, from two migratory divides-eastern in Poland and western in Spain (in total 303 nests). In the two populations, we detected significant differences in the incorporation of anthropogenic nest material, as measured by the Human Footprint Index (HFI) and the Impervious Surface Areas (ISA). We found that ISA was positively related to anthropogenic nest material incorporation in the Spanish population, and HFI was positively related to anthropogenic nest material, in contrast to the Polish population, in which the relationships were not significant. Moreover, we showed that the prevalence of nests with anthropogenic nest material was two times higher in Spanish than in the Polish white stork population. This study demonstrates that the behavior of incorporation of the anthropogenic nest material differs between two distinct populations of a single bird species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuzanna Jagiello
- Department of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, 60-625, Poznań, Poland.
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain.
| | - Łukasz Dylewski
- Department of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, 60-625, Poznań, Poland
| | - José I Aguirre
- Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Complutense University of Madrid, José Antonio Novais, 12, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Joanna T Białas
- Department of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, 60-625, Poznań, Poland
| | - Andrzej Dylik
- Kuyavian Ornithological Region, Kotwicowa 15, 85-435, Bydgoszcz, Poland
| | - Alejandro López-García
- Department of Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, Complutense University of Madrid, José Antonio Novais, 12, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Adam Olszewski
- Kampinos National Park, Tetmajera 38, 05-080, Izabelin, Poland
| | | | - Marcin Tobółka
- Department of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, 60-625, Poznań, Poland
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstraβe 1a, 1160, Vienna, Austria
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Winchell KM, Aviles‐Rodriguez KJ, Carlen EJ, Miles LS, Charmantier A, De León LF, Gotanda KM, Rivkin LR, Szulkin M, Verrelli BC. Moving past the challenges and misconceptions in urban adaptation research. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9552. [PMID: 36425909 PMCID: PMC9679025 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Although the field of urban evolutionary ecology has recently expanded, much progress has been made in identifying adaptations that arise as a result of selective pressures within these unique environments. However, as studies within urban environments have rapidly increased, researchers have recognized that there are challenges and opportunities in characterizing urban adaptation. Some of these challenges are a consequence of increased direct and indirect human influence, which compounds long-recognized issues with research on adaptive evolution more generally. In this perspective, we discuss several common research challenges to urban adaptation related to (1) methodological approaches, (2) trait-environment relationships and the natural history of organisms, (3) agents and targets of selection, and (4) habitat heterogeneity. Ignoring these challenges may lead to misconceptions and further impede our ability to draw conclusions regarding evolutionary and ecological processes in urban environments. Our goal is to first shed light on the conceptual challenges of conducting urban adaptation research to help avoid the propagation of these misconceptions. We further summarize potential strategies to move forward productively to construct a more comprehensive picture of urban adaptation, and discuss how urban environments also offer unique opportunities and applications for adaptation research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin M. Winchell
- Department of BiologyNew York UniversityNew YorkNYUSA
- Department of BiologyWashington University in St. LouisSt. LouisMissouriUSA
| | - Kevin J. Aviles‐Rodriguez
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Massachusetts BostonBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Department of BiologyFordham UniversityBronxNew YorkUSA
| | - Elizabeth J. Carlen
- Department of BiologyWashington University in St. LouisSt. LouisMissouriUSA
- Department of BiologyFordham UniversityBronxNew YorkUSA
- Living Earth CollaborativeWashington University in St. LouisSt. LouisMissouriUSA
| | - Lindsay S. Miles
- Center for Biological Data ScienceVirginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginiaUSA
| | - Anne Charmantier
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et EvolutiveUniversité de Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRDMontpellierFrance
| | - Luis F. De León
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Massachusetts BostonBostonMassachusettsUSA
| | - Kiyoko M. Gotanda
- Department of BiologyUniversité de SherbrookeSherbrookeQuebecCanada
- Department of Biological SciencesBrock UniversitySt. Catharine'sOntarioCanada
| | - L. Ruth Rivkin
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntarioCanada
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Toronto MississaugaMississaugaOntarioCanada
- Centre for Urban EnvironmentsUniversity of Toronto MississaugaMississaugaOntarioCanada
| | - Marta Szulkin
- Centre of New TechnologiesUniversity of WarsawWarsawPoland
| | - Brian C. Verrelli
- Center for Biological Data ScienceVirginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmondVirginiaUSA
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