A transdisciplinary approach to a conservation crisis: a case study of the Eurasian curlew (Numenius arquata) in Ireland

In this article, we build on a growing literature of examples of transdisciplinary approaches to illustrate the catalysts and outcomes of a stakeholder‐driven process to conservation practice. We illustrate this using the case of one of Europe's most rapidly declining bird species, the Eurasian curlew (Numenius arquata ). As part of the response to its continuing decline, a stakeholder‐driven workshop was held in Ireland in November 2016, bringing together over 80 stakeholders from a range of governmental, non‐governmental, and private organizations responsible for or interested in curlew conservation and management. This innovative workshop sought to formulate ideas and support the implementation of actions from stakeholders themselves on how to halt further losses of curlews, within the current legislative framework. Four years on, many of the short‐ and medium‐term actions identified during the workshop have been implemented jointly by stakeholders. However, curlew recovery will require continued communication and meaningful engagement with all relevant stakeholders together with increased government support underpinned by increased public awareness and ownership of the curlew's plight. Ultimately, many stakeholders will measure the success of curlew conservation in Ireland by the long‐term viability of the breeding population

Moulting season corticosterone correlates with winter season bodyweight in an Arctic migrant bird

In vertebrates, the endocrine system translates environmental changes into physiological responses on which natural selection can act to regulate individual fitness and, ultimately, population dynamics. Corticosterone (CORT) and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) are important regulators of the avian endocrine system but relatively few studies have investigated their downstream effects on key morphological fitness‐related traits in free‐living populations. This study quantified endocrine–morphology relationships in free‐living Greenland Barnacle Geese Branta leucopsis that breed in the high Arctic. CORT and DHEA were extracted from feather and blood samples and tested for relationships with three morphological traits associated with survival and reproduction: bodyweight, body size and facial plumage coloration. We expected CORT concentration to be higher in birds with less favourable morphological traits (i.e. lighter, smaller and less attractive) and DHEA to be higher in birds with more favourable traits (i.e. heavier, bigger and more attractive). As expected, individuals with higher CORT during the post‐breeding moult (July/August) had significantly lower bodyweight during the following winter (November–April). In contrast, we found no robust DHEA–morphology relationships and no statistically significant relationship between CORT and body size or facial plumage. Overall, this study provides evidence of a negative relationship between CORT and bodyweight extending across different seasons of the annual cycle in a long‐distance migrant. This is of particular interest because bodyweight fluctuates rapidly in response to environmental resources and is closely linked to both survival and reproductive success in this species. Understanding the relationship between CORT and key morphological traits is important because endocrine‐disrupting contaminants in the Arctic increasingly interfere with CORT function in birds, including Barnacle Geese, and based on the results of this study may have consequences for bodyweight regulation

Spring and autumn movements of an Arctic bird in relation to temperature and primary production

It is increasingly important to understand animal migratory movements because climate disruption is shifting plant and animal phenology at different rates across the world. We applied a Markov state-switching model to telemetry data of a long-distance migrant, the barnacle goose, to detect migratory movement and relate it to three proximate environmental factors: photoperiod, daily mean temperature and forage plant phenology. Spring migratory movements towards the breeding grounds were most closely related to forage plant phenology (measured by accumulated growing degree days, GDDs); high GDDs values were associated with a greater probability of transiting to a more northerly site, suggesting that spring migration is closely aligned with primary productivity. Autumn migration from the breeding grounds was most closely related to temperature; higher temperature values were associated with a greater probability of remaining settled at the current site, suggesting that autumn migration is closely aligned with atmospheric conditions. Understanding the relative influence of different environmental factors on migratory patterns may in turn provide us with insight into how continued climate disruption could influence northern migratory systems

Values and perceptions of landowners within remaining breeding territories of Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata in Ireland

International audienceHabitat loss and degradation have been identified as some of the main threats to breeding Curlew (Numenius arquata) across much of Europe. In Ireland, marginal habitats such as rough or wet grasslands and peatlands have been fragmented or degraded by activities including afforestation, drainage and intensification. The management implemented by landowners directly affects Curlew breeding territories. However, the values and perceptions held by landowners whose lands contain Curlew breeding territories, or the factors driving the decisions behind farming practices in these areas are rarely considered when looking at the causes of changes in these bird populations. This study, as part of the Curlew Conservation Programme established in 2017, gathered data through the distribution of questionnaires to landowners found within three kilometres of Curlew breeding territories in Ireland. In this study, we identify the current land uses being employed in Curlew breeding territories, and query future projections of land use in these areas. We investigate landowners’ perceptions of the requirements to sustain favourable environments for breeding Curlew. We also explore landowner values with respect to farming. The landowners in this study identified habitat loss and predation as the main drivers for Curlew declines. The majority of farming systems in this study were cattle rearing, the sustainability of which is under threat across Ireland. The results indicate that these landowners are not financially motivated, however, the availability of financial aid and expert advice are listed by landowners as requirements for traditional farming practices to continue. These results give an insight to the lifestyle, values and perceptions owners of land adjacent or within Curlew breeding territories. This information can be used to design Curlew conservation programmes that align with these values

Identifying optimal feeding habitat and proposed Marine Protected Areas (pMPAs) for the black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) suggests a need for complementary management approaches

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are an important conservation tool. For marine predators, recent research has focused on the use of Species Distribution Models (SDMs) to identify proposed sites. We used a maximum entropy modelling approach based on static and dynamic oceanographic parameters to determine optimal feeding habitat for black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) at two colonies during two consecutive breeding seasons (2009 and 2010). A combination of Geographic Positioning System (GPS) loggers and Time-Depth Recorders (TDRs) attributed feeding activity to specific locations. Feeding areas were <30 km from the colony, <40 km from land, in productive waters, 25–175m deep. The predicted extent of optimal habitat declined at both colonies between 2009 and 2010 coincident with declines in reproductive success. Whilst the area of predicted optimal habitat changed, its location was spatially stable between years. There was a close match between observed feeding locations and habitat predicted as optimal at one colony (Lambay Island, Republic of Ireland), but a notable mismatch at the other (Rathlin Island, Northern Ireland). Designation of an MPA at Rathlin may, therefore, be less effective than a similar designation at Lambay perhaps due to the inherent variability in currents and sea state in the North Channel compared to the comparatively stable conditions in the central Irish Sea. Current strategies for designating MPAs do not accommodate likely future redistribution of resources due to climate change. We advocate the development of new approaches including dynamic MPAs that track changes in optimal habitat and non-colony specific ecosystem management

Data from: Heterozygosity-fitness correlations in a migratory bird: an analysis of inbreeding and single-locus effects

Studies in a multitude of taxa have described a correlation between heterozygosity and fitness, and usually conclude that this is evidence for inbreeding depression. Here we have used multi-locus heterozygosity estimates from 15 microsatellite markers to show evidence of heterozygosity-fitness correlations (HFCs) in a long-distance migratory bird, the light-bellied Brent goose. We found significant, positive heterozygosity-heterozygosity correlations between random subsets of the markers we employ, and no evidence that a model containing all loci as individual predictors in a multiple regression explained significantly more variation than a model with multi-locus heterozygosity as a single predictor. Collectively these results lend support to the hypothesis that the HFCs we have observed are a function of inbreeding depression. However, we do find that fitness correlations are only detectable in years where population-level productivity is high enough for the reproductive asymmetry between high and low heterozygosity individuals to become apparent. We suggest that lack of evidence of heterozygosity-fitness correlations in animal systems may be because heterozygosity is a poor proxy measure of inbreeding, especially when employing low numbers of markers, but alternatively because the asymmetries between individuals of different heterozygosities may only be apparent when environmental effects on fitness are less pronounced

Data from: Climatic conditions produce contrasting influences on demographic traits in a long distance Arctic migrant

The manner in which patterns of variation and interactions among demographic rates contribute to population growth rate (λ) is key to understanding how animal populations will respond to changing climatic conditions. Migratory species are likely to be particularly sensitive to climatic conditions as they experience a range of different environments throughout their annual cycle. However, few studies have provided fully integrated demographic analyses of migratory populations in response to changing climatic conditions. Here, we employed integrated population models to demonstrate that the environmental conditions experienced during a short but critical period play a central role in the demography of a long-distance migrant, the light-bellied Brent goose (Branta bernicla hrota). Female survival was positively associated with June North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) values, whereas male survival was not. In contrast, breeding productivity was negatively associated with June NAO, suggesting a trade-off between female survival and reproductive success. Both adult female and adult male survival showed low temporal variation, whereas there was high temporal variation in recruitment and breeding productivity. In addition, while annual population growth was positively correlated with annual breeding productivity, a sensitivity analysis revealed that population growth was most sensitive to changes in adult survival. Our results demonstrate that the environmental conditions experienced during a relatively short-time window at the start of the breeding season play a critical role in shaping the demography of a long-distant Arctic migrant. Crucially, different demographic rates responded in opposing directions to climatic variation, emphasising the need for integrated analysis of multiple demographic traits when understanding population dynamics

M Arrays for adults and juveniles

Survival histories in M Array format for adult females, adult males and juveniles. Note juvenile goslings were only ringed in one year of the present stud