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Bosch JL, Álvarez-Manzaneda I, Smol JP, Michelutti N, Robertson GJ, Wilhelm SI, Montevecchi WA, Lang AS, Hargan KE. Blending census and paleolimnological data allows for tracking the establishment and growth of a major gannet colony over several centuries. Sci Rep 2024; 14:20462. [PMID: 39227672 PMCID: PMC11371804 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-69860-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 08/09/2024] [Indexed: 09/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Seabird colonies with long-term monitoring records, i.e., > 50 years, are rare. The population data for northern gannets (Morus bassanus) in Cape St. Mary's (CSM) Ecological Reserve (Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada) is robust, extending back to 1883 when the colony was presumed established. We inferred the colony's historical population shifts by measuring ornithogenic proxies in a dated sediment record collected from a nearby pond. Our record extended to the early eighteenth century, but the proxy data only began to show significant signs of seabird presence between ca. 1832 and 1910, aligning with the period gannets were first observed at CSM. Through the twentieth century, we observed significant increases in δ15N, P, Zn, Cd, and chlorophyll a, coeval with a shift in the dominant diatom species, indicating rapid colony growth. The proxies were overall highest in ca. 2005, corresponding to the reported historical maximum of the gannet colony in 2009. Our results validate that paleo-reconstructions using ornithogenic proxies can accurately reflect population trends and provide a stronger understanding of the colony's establishment and growth. This study highlights the value of applying paleolimnological methods in seabird population studies to frame the history of a colony's dynamics and inform conservation efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna-Lisa Bosch
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 45 Arctic Ave., St. John's, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada
| | - Inmaculada Álvarez-Manzaneda
- Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Lab (PEARL), Department of Biology, Queen's University, 99 University Ave., Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
- Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Av. del Hospicio, 1, 18071, Granada, Spain
| | - John P Smol
- Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Lab (PEARL), Department of Biology, Queen's University, 99 University Ave., Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Neal Michelutti
- Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Lab (PEARL), Department of Biology, Queen's University, 99 University Ave., Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Gregory J Robertson
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 6 Bruce St., Mount Pearl, NL, A1N 4T3, Canada
| | - Sabina I Wilhelm
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 6 Bruce St., Mount Pearl, NL, A1N 4T3, Canada
| | - William A Montevecchi
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 232 Elizabeth Ave., St. John's, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada
| | - Andrew S Lang
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 45 Arctic Ave., St. John's, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada
| | - Kathryn E Hargan
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 45 Arctic Ave., St. John's, NL, A1C 5S7, Canada.
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Hargan KE, Duda MP, Michelutti N, Blais JM, Smol JP. Assessing long-term diatom changes in sub-Arctic ponds receiving high fluxes of seabird nutrients. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11034. [PMID: 38371864 PMCID: PMC10870249 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Algal bioindicators, such as diatoms, often show subdued responses to eutrophication in Arctic lakes because climate-related changes (e.g., ice cover) tend to be the overriding factors influencing assemblage composition. Here, we examined how sub-Arctic ponds historically receiving high nutrient inputs from nesting seabirds have responded to recent climate change. We present diatom data obtained from 12 sediment cores in seaduck-affected ponds located on islands through Hudson Strait, Canada. All study cores show consistently elevated values of sedimentary ẟ15N, an established proxy for tracking marine-derived nutrients, indicating seabirds have been present on these islands for at least the duration of the sediment records (~100 to 400 years). We document diverse epiphytic diatom assemblages to the base of all sediment cores, which is in marked contrast to seabird-free Arctic ponds-these oligotrophic sites typically record epilithic diatom flora prior to recent warming. Diatoms are likely responding indirectly to seabird nutrients via habitat as nutrients promote the growth of mosses supporting epiphytic diatom communities. This masks the typical diatom response to increased warming in the Arctic, which also results in habitat changes and the growth of mosses around the pond edges. Changes in sedimentary chlorophyll a were not consistently synchronous with large changes in ẟ15N values, suggesting that primary production in ponds is not responding linearly to changes in seabird-derived nitrogen. Across all ponds, we recorded shifts in diatom epiphytic assemblages (e.g., increases in % relative abundance of many Nitzschia species) that often align with increases in chlorophyll a. The changes in diatoms and chlorophyll a, although variable, are most likely driven by climate change as they are generally consistent with longer ice-free conditions and growing seasons. Together, our results show that to effectively use diatoms in animal population reconstructions across the sub-Arctic and Arctic, a strong understanding of eutrophication and climate change, based on supplementary proxies, is also required.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthew P. Duda
- Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Laboratory, Department of BiologyQueen's UniversityKingstonOntarioCanada
| | - Neal Michelutti
- Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Laboratory, Department of BiologyQueen's UniversityKingstonOntarioCanada
| | - Jules M. Blais
- Department of BiologyUniversity of OttawaOttawaOntarioCanada
| | - John P. Smol
- Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Laboratory, Department of BiologyQueen's UniversityKingstonOntarioCanada
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3
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Teixeira H, Le Corre M, Michon L, Nicoll MAC, Jaeger A, Nikolic N, Pinet P, Couzi FX, Humeau L. Past volcanic activity predisposes an endemic threatened seabird to negative anthropogenic impacts. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1960. [PMID: 38263429 PMCID: PMC10805739 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52556-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Humans are regularly cited as the main driver of current biodiversity extinction, but the impact of historic volcanic activity is often overlooked. Pre-human evidence of wildlife abundance and diversity are essential for disentangling anthropogenic impacts from natural events. Réunion Island, with its intense and well-documented volcanic activity, endemic biodiversity, long history of isolation and recent human colonization, provides an opportunity to disentangle these processes. We track past demographic changes of a critically endangered seabird, the Mascarene petrel Pseudobulweria aterrima, using genome-wide SNPs. Coalescent modeling suggested that a large ancestral population underwent a substantial population decline in two distinct phases, ca. 125,000 and 37,000 years ago, coinciding with periods of major eruptions of Piton des Neiges. Subsequently, the ancestral population was fragmented into the two known colonies, ca. 1500 years ago, following eruptions of Piton de la Fournaise. In the last century, both colonies declined significantly due to anthropogenic activities, and although the species was initially considered extinct, it was rediscovered in the 1970s. Our findings suggest that the current conservation status of wildlife on volcanic islands should be firstly assessed as a legacy of historic volcanic activity, and thereafter by the increasing anthropogenic impacts, which may ultimately drive species towards extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Teixeira
- UMR ENTROPIE (Université de La Réunion, IRD, CNRS, IFREMER, Université de Nouvelle-Calédonie), 15 Avenue René Cassin, CS 92003, 97744, Saint Denis Cedex 9, Ile de La Réunion, France.
| | - Matthieu Le Corre
- UMR ENTROPIE (Université de La Réunion, IRD, CNRS, IFREMER, Université de Nouvelle-Calédonie), 15 Avenue René Cassin, CS 92003, 97744, Saint Denis Cedex 9, Ile de La Réunion, France
| | - Laurent Michon
- Université de La Réunion, Laboratoire Géosciences Réunion, 97744, Saint Denis, France
- Université Paris Cité, Institut de physique du globe de Paris, CNRS, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Malcolm A C Nicoll
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK
| | - Audrey Jaeger
- UMR ENTROPIE (Université de La Réunion, IRD, CNRS, IFREMER, Université de Nouvelle-Calédonie), 15 Avenue René Cassin, CS 92003, 97744, Saint Denis Cedex 9, Ile de La Réunion, France
| | | | - Patrick Pinet
- Parc National de La Réunion, Life+ Pétrels, 258 Rue de la République, 97431, Plaine des Palmistes, Réunion Island, France
| | - François-Xavier Couzi
- Société d'Etudes Ornithologiques de La Réunion (SEOR), 13 ruelle des Orchidées, 97440, Saint André, Réunion Island, France
| | - Laurence Humeau
- UMR PVBMT (Université de La Réunion, CIRAD), 15 Avenue René Cassin, CS 92003, 97744, Saint Denis Cedex 9, Ile de La Réunion, France
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4
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Browning TJ, Al-Hashem AA, Achterberg EP, Carvalho PC, Catry P, Matthiopoulos J, Miller JAO, Wakefield ED. The role of seabird guano in maintaining North Atlantic summertime productivity. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 897:165309. [PMID: 37406699 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165309] [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: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
Nutrients supplied via seabird guano increase primary production in some coastal ecosystems. A similar process may occur in the open ocean. To investigate this directly, we first measured bulk and leachable nutrient concentrations in guano sampled in the North Atlantic. We found that guano was strongly enriched in phosphorus, which was released as phosphate in solution. Nitrogen release was dominated by reduced forms (ammonium and urea) whilst release of nitrate was relatively low. A range of trace elements, including the micronutrient iron, were released. Using in-situ bioassays, we then showed that supply of fresh guano to ambient seawater increases phytoplankton biomass and photochemical efficiencies. Based on these results, modelled seabird distributions, and known defecation rates, we estimate that on annual scales guano is a minor source of nutrients for the surface North Atlantic. However, on shorter timescales in late spring/summer it could be much more important: Estimates of upper-level depositions of phosphorus by seabirds were three orders of magnitude higher than modelled aerosol deposition and comparable to diffusion from deeper waters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J Browning
- Marine Biogeochemistry Division, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Kiel, Germany.
| | - Ali A Al-Hashem
- Marine Biogeochemistry Division, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Kiel, Germany
| | - Eric P Achterberg
- Marine Biogeochemistry Division, GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Kiel, Germany
| | - Paloma C Carvalho
- Freshwater Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6, Canada
| | - Paulo Catry
- Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE) / Aquatic Research Network (ARNET), ISPA - Instituto Universitário, Rua Jardim do Tabaco 34, 1149-041 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Jason Matthiopoulos
- School of Biodiversity One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Julie A O Miller
- School of Biodiversity One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Ewan D Wakefield
- School of Biodiversity One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom; Department of Geography, Durham University, Lower Mountjoy, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
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5
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Duda MP, Grooms C, Sympson L, Blais JM, Dagodzo D, Feng W, Hayward KM, Julius ML, Kimpe LE, Lambertucci SA, Layton-Matthews D, Lougheed SC, Massaferro J, Michelutti N, Pufahl PK, Vuletich A, Smol JP. A 2200-year record of Andean Condor diet and nest site usage reflects natural and anthropogenic stressors. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230106. [PMID: 37132237 PMCID: PMC10154929 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding how animals respond to large-scale environmental changes is difficult to achieve because monitoring data are rarely available for more than the past few decades, if at all. Here, we demonstrate how a variety of palaeoecological proxies (e.g. isotopes, geochemistry and DNA) from an Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus) guano deposit from Argentina can be used to explore breeding site fidelity and the impacts of environmental changes on avian behaviour. We found that condors used the nesting site since at least approximately 2200 years ago, with an approximately 1000-year nesting frequency slowdown from ca 1650 to 650 years before the present (yr BP). We provide evidence that the nesting slowdown coincided with a period of increased volcanic activity in the nearby Southern Volcanic Zone, which resulted in decreased availability of carrion and deterred scavenging birds. After returning to the nest site ca 650 yr BP, condor diet shifted from the carrion of native species and beached marine animals to the carrion of livestock (e.g. sheep and cattle) and exotic herbivores (e.g. red deer and European hare) introduced by European settlers. Currently, Andean Condors have elevated lead concentrations in their guano compared to the past, which is associated with human persecution linked to the shift in diet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew P. Duda
- Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Lab (PEARL), Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario Canada, K7L 3N6
| | - Christopher Grooms
- Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Lab (PEARL), Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario Canada, K7L 3N6
| | - Lorenzo Sympson
- Sociedad Naturalista Andino Patagónica (SNAP), R8400 Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Jules M. Blais
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 6N5
| | - Daniel Dagodzo
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 6N5
| | - Wenxi Feng
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario Canada, K7L 3N6
| | - Kristen M. Hayward
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario Canada, K7L 3N6
| | - Matthew L. Julius
- Department of Biological Sciences, St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, MN 56301, USA
| | - Linda E. Kimpe
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 6N5
| | - Sergio A. Lambertucci
- Grupo de Investigaciones en Biología de la Conservación, Laboratorio Ecotono, INIBIOMA-CONICET, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, R8400 Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Daniel Layton-Matthews
- Queen's Facility for Isotope Research (QFIR), Department of Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario Canada, K7L 3N6
| | - Stephen C. Lougheed
- Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario Canada, K7L 3N6
| | - Julieta Massaferro
- CENAC/APN, National Park Administration – National Research Council (CONICET), R8400 Bariloche, Argentina
| | - Neal Michelutti
- Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Lab (PEARL), Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario Canada, K7L 3N6
| | - Peir K. Pufahl
- Queen's Facility for Isotope Research (QFIR), Department of Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario Canada, K7L 3N6
| | - April Vuletich
- Queen's Facility for Isotope Research (QFIR), Department of Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario Canada, K7L 3N6
| | - John P. Smol
- Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Lab (PEARL), Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario Canada, K7L 3N6
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6
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Pollet IL, McFarlane-Tranquilla L, Burgess NM, Diamond AW, Gjerdrum C, Hedd A, Hoeg R, Jones PL, Mauck RA, Montevecchi WA, Pratte I, Ronconi RA, Shutler D, Wilhelm SI, Mallory ML. Factors influencing mercury levels in Leach's storm-petrels at northwest Atlantic colonies. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 860:160464. [PMID: 36427741 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160464] [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: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is a globally distributed heavy metal, with negative effects on wildlife. Its most toxic form, methylmercury (MeHg), predominates in aquatic systems. Levels of MeHg in marine predators can vary widely among individuals and populations. Leach's storm-petrels (Hydrobates leucorhous) have elevated levels of Hg but the role of Hg in storm-petrel population declines is unknown. In this study, we used egg and blood samples to study variation in Hg exposure among several northwest Atlantic colonies during breeding seasons, thereby evaluating relative toxicity risk within and among colonies. Total mercury (THg) concentrations were higher with increasing colony latitude, and were more pronounced in blood than in eggs. THg concentrations in blood were mostly associated with low toxicity risk in birds from the southern colonies and moderate risks in birds from the northern colonies; however, those values did not affect hatching or fledging success. THg concentrations in both eggs and blood were positively correlated with δ34S, emphasizing the role of sulfate-reducing bacteria in methylation of THg acquired through marine food webs, which is consistent with enriched δ34S profiles. By associating tracking data from foraging trips with THg from blood, we determined that blood THg levels were higher when storm-petrel's intensive search locations were over deeper waters. We conclude that spatial variation in THg concentrations in Leach's storm-petrels is attributable to differences in ocean depth at foraging locations, both at individual and colony levels. Differences in diet among colonies observed previously are the most likely cause for observed blood THg differences. As one of the few pelagic seabird species breeding in Atlantic Canada, with limited overlap in core foraging areas among colonies, Leach's storm-petrels can be used as biomonitors for less sampled offshore pelagic regions. The global trend in Hg emissions combined with legacy levels warrant continued monitoring for toxicity effects in seabirds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingrid L Pollet
- Acadia University, Department of Biology, Wolfville, Nova Scotia B4P 2R6, Canada; Birds Canada, PO Box 6436, Sackville, New Brunswick E4L 1G6, Canada.
| | | | - Neil M Burgess
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Antony W Diamond
- Atlantic Laboratory for Avian Research, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
| | - Carina Gjerdrum
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 45 Alderney Drive, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B2Y 2N6, Canada
| | - April Hedd
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Rielle Hoeg
- Acadia University, Department of Biology, Wolfville, Nova Scotia B4P 2R6, Canada; Birds Canada, PO Box 6436, Sackville, New Brunswick E4L 1G6, Canada
| | | | | | - William A Montevecchi
- Psychology Department, Memorial University, St John's, Newfoundland and Labrador A1C 3C9, Canada
| | - Isabeau Pratte
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 45 Alderney Drive, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B2Y 2N6, Canada
| | - Robert A Ronconi
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 45 Alderney Drive, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B2Y 2N6, Canada
| | - Dave Shutler
- Acadia University, Department of Biology, Wolfville, Nova Scotia B4P 2R6, Canada
| | - Sabina I Wilhelm
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Mark L Mallory
- Acadia University, Department of Biology, Wolfville, Nova Scotia B4P 2R6, Canada
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7
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Bolduc D, Fauteux D, Gagnon CA, Gauthier G, Bêty J, Legagneux P. Testimonials to reconstruct past abundances of wildlife populations. Basic Appl Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2022.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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8
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Duda MP, Cyr F, Robertson GJ, Michelutti N, Meyer-Jacob C, Hedd A, Montevecchi WA, Kimpe LE, Blais JM, Smol JP. Climate oscillations drive millennial-scale changes in seabird colony size. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:4292-4307. [PMID: 35320599 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16171] [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: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 03/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Seabird population size is intimately linked to the physical, chemical, and biological processes of the oceans. Yet, the overall effects of long-term changes in ocean dynamics on seabird colonies are difficult to quantify. Here, we used dated lake sediments to reconstruct ~10,000-years of seabird dynamics in the Northwest Atlantic to determine the influences of Holocene-scale climatic oscillations on colony size. On Baccalieu Island (Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada)-where the world's largest colony of Leach's storm-petrel (Hydrobates leucorhous Vieillot 1818) currently breeds-our data track seabird colony growth in response to warming during the Holocene Thermal Maximum (ca. 9000 to 6000 BP). From ca. 5200 BP to the onset of the Little Ice Age (ca. 550 BP), changes in colony size were correlated to variations in the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). By contrasting the seabird trends from Baccalieu Island to millennial-scale changes of storm-petrel populations from Grand Colombier Island (an island in the Northwest Atlantic that is subjected a to different ocean climate), we infer that changes in NAO influenced the ocean circulation, which translated into, among many things, changes in pycnocline depth across the Northwest Atlantic basin where the storm-petrels feed. We hypothesize that the depth of the pycnocline is likely a strong bottom-up control on surface-feeding storm-petrels through its influence on prey accessibility. Since the Little Ice Age (LIA), the effects of ocean dynamics on seabird colony size have been altered by anthropogenic impacts. Subsequently, the colony on Baccalieu Island grew at an unprecedented rate to become the world's largest resulting from favorable conditions linked to climate warming, increased vegetation (thereby nesting habitat), and attraction of recruits from other colonies that are now in decline. We show that although ocean dynamics were an important driver of seabird colony dynamics, its recent influence has been modified by human interference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew P Duda
- Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Lab (PEARL), Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Frédéric Cyr
- Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Centre, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Gregory J Robertson
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Neal Michelutti
- Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Lab (PEARL), Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Carsten Meyer-Jacob
- Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Lab (PEARL), Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - April Hedd
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - William A Montevecchi
- Departments of Psychology and Biology, Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology Program, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
| | - Linda E Kimpe
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jules M Blais
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - John P Smol
- Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Lab (PEARL), Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
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9
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Mohammed RS, Turner G, Fowler K, Pateman M, Nieves-Colón MA, Fanovich L, Cooke SB, Dávalos LM, Fitzpatrick SM, Giovas CM, Stokowski M, Wrean AA, Kemp M, LeFebvre MJ, Mychajliw AM. Colonial legacies influence biodiversity lessons: how past trade routes and power dynamics shape present-day scientific research and professional opportunities for Caribbean scientists. Am Nat 2022; 200:140-155. [DOI: 10.1086/720154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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10
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Duda MP, Hargan KE, Michelutti N, Blais JM, Grooms C, Gilchrist HG, Mallory ML, Robertson GJ, Smol JP. Reconstructing Long-Term Changes in Avian Populations Using Lake Sediments: Opening a Window Onto the Past. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.698175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The lack of long-term monitoring data for many wildlife populations is a limiting factor in establishing meaningful and achievable conservation goals. Even for well-monitored species, time series are often very short relative to the timescales required to understand a population’s baseline conditions before the contemporary period of increased human impacts. To fill in this critical information gap, techniques have been developed to use sedimentary archives to provide insights into long-term population dynamics over timescales of decades to millennia. Lake and pond sediments receiving animal inputs (e.g., feces, feathers) typically preserve a record of ecological and environmental information that reflects past changes in population size and dynamics. With a focus on bird-related studies, we review the development and use of several paleolimnological proxies to reconstruct past colony sizes, including trace metals, isotopes, lipid biomolecules, diatoms, pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs, invertebrate sub-fossils, pigments, and others. We summarize how animal-influenced sediments, cored from around the world, have been successfully used in addressing some of the most challenging questions in conservation biology, namely: How dynamic are populations on long-term timescales? How may populations respond to climate change? How have populations responded to human intrusion? Finally, we conclude with an assessment of the current state of the field, challenges to overcome, and future potential for research.
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