Waterbirds in a changing world : effects of climate, habitat and conservation policy on European waterbirds

Climate change has become a major threat for biodiversity in recent decades. Waterbirds, in particular, are very responsive to climate change compared to other avian species and have already shown changes in phenology and distribution. Such strong and rapid response of some species to climate change has motivated debate about the effectiveness of the site-safeguard network, as climate change may ultimately push species of conservation concern out of the protected areas. One such network, which aims to protect all European bird species, is the Special Protection Area (SPA), designated under the EU Birds Directive. My thesis overviews the most important environmental factors acting upon Nordic waterbird populations now and in the future. In addition, I studied (i) the spatial changes in wintering abundances of 25 waterbird species in Europe in relation to weather conditions, (ii) the effectiveness of the SPA network delivering climate change adaptation for a protected waterbird species and (iii) the effects of weather conditions and habitat type on the abundance of 17 waterbird species breeding in Finland. Results show differential response of 25 waterbird species (classified into five guilds) to inter-annual variation in weather conditions. The centre of gravity in abundance of dabbling ducks, diving ducks, swans and other waterbird species (non-Anatidae) moved southwestwards in cold winters. On the other hand, only the centre of gravity in abundance of dabbling and diving ducks moved northeastwards in warm, and a priori beneficial, winter weather conditions. In this case, diving ducks responded the fastest. There was no link between the movement of the centre of gravity in abundance of geese with winter weather conditions. These differences in responses to weather conditions are probably related to different food and habitat requirements during winter as well as to life-history traits. Furthermore, while the centre of gravity in abundance of diving ducks showed a steadily long-term shift northeastwards over the past three decades, that of other waterbird species shifted southwestwards in recent years probably due to several consecutive cold winters. Dabbling ducks, swans and geese did not show long-term shifts. A detailed study about the wintering distribution of the smew Megellus albellus supports the above-mentioned findings and shows that the wintering numbers of this protected diving duck in the northeastern part of the wintering range increased from 6% of the total wintering population in the early 1990s to 32% in the early 2010s. In this context of climate-driven redistribution of wintering waterbirds, the EU s SPA network facilitated the redistribution of wintering smew towards the northeast: smew wintering numbers increased twice as fast inside than outside SPAs. However, results also pinpointed big gaps in the SPA network in north European countries, as most of the individuals winter outside the network in Sweden (79%) and Finland (95%). This findings call for an urgent assessment of the network in northern Europe, where wintering numbers are rapidly increasing. Furthermore, due to the high flexibility in migration of this and other waterbirds according to current weather conditions, it is of paramount importance to maintain a cohesive and coherent site-safeguard network throughout the flyway, including cold weather refuge sites. Lastly, the abundance of waterbird species breeding in Finland was higher after mild winters in western and northern Europe likely due to improved survival. This beneficial effect of mild weather conditions was more apparent in eutrophic wetlands than in oligotrophic ones. However, my analysis of population trends in different habitat types revealed faster population declines in wetlands surrounded by agricultural and urban areas, possibly due to hyper-eutrophication processes that renders such wetlands unsuitable for waterbirds to breed. These findings suggest that the impact decreased habitat quality can overcome the positive effects of milder winters and cause populations to decline.Ilmastonmuutoksesta on tullut merkittävä uhka luonnon monimuotoisuudelle. Vesilinnuilla on osoitettu ilmaston aiheuttamia muutoksia fenologiassa ja levinneisyydessä, ja ne reagoivat voimakkaammin muuttuvaan ilmastoon kuin monet muut lintulajiryhmät. Nopeat muutokset ovat käynnistäneet keskustelun suojelualueverkoston toimivuudesta ilmaston ja lajien levinneisyysalueiden muuttuessa, sillä ilmastonmuutos voi työntää suojeltavan lajin levinneisyyden suojelualueiden ulkopuolelle. Euroopan Unionin lintudirektiivin perusteella rauhoitetut SPA-alueet (Special Protection Areas) muodostavat merkittävän suojelualueverkoston. Väitöskirjani koostuu neljästä osatyöstä ja näiden yhteenvedosta. Ensimmäinen osatyöni käsittelee tärkeimpiä Pohjoismaiden sorsakantoihin nyt ja tulevaisuudessa vaikuttavia tekijöitä. Loput kolme osatyötäni tarkastelevat (i) vesilintujen talvipopulaatioiden muutoksia Euroopassa 25 vesilintulajilla viime vuosikymmeninä, (ii) EU:n suojelualueverkoston tehokkuutta sopeutua vesilintujen talviaikaisiin levinneisyysmuutoksiin ja (iii) säätekijöiden sekä elinympäristön laadun yhteisvaikutusta 17 vesilintulajin pesimäpopulaatioihin Suomessa. Tulokset osoittavat, että viiteen vesilintukiltaan jaetut 25 vesilintulajia reagoivat eri tavalla talven sääolojen vaihteluun. Puolisukeltaja- ja sukeltajasorsien ja joutsenten talviset runsauden painopisteet siirtyivät kohti lounasta kylminä talvina, mutta keskimääräistä lämpiminä talvina painopiste siirtyi kohti koillista vain puolisukeltaja- ja sukeltajasorsilla. Sukeltajasorsat olivat ainoa ryhmä, jolla talvirunsauden painopiste on siirtynyt kohti koillista viimeisen 25 vuoden aikana. Alueelliset muutokset lajien talvirunsauden muutoksista ja niiden yhteys talven sääoloihin riippunevat lajiryhmien ravinto- ja elinympäristövaatimuksista. Erillinen tarkastelu EU:n lintudirektiivin erityissuojellulla sukeltajasorsalajilla, uivelolla, osoitti, että Pohjois-Euroopassa talvehtivien lintujen osuus koko talvikannasta on kasvanut 6 %:sta 32:een vuosina 1990 2011. Tulokset viittaavat, että EU:n suojelualueverkosto tukee lajin levittäytymistä kohti pohjoista, sillä Pohjois-Euroopassa talvikanta kasvoi lähes kaksi kertaa nopeammin EU:n SPA-alueilla. Tutkimukseni kuitenkin paljasti, että osassa Pohjois-Euroopan maissa lajin suojelutilanne on heikko: SPA-alueiden ulkopuolella talvehtivien lintujen osuus oli Ruotsissa 79 % ja Suomessa peräti 95 %. Tulosten perusteella suojelualueen kattavuutta tulisi päivittää säännöllisesti etenkin pohjoisilla alueilla, sillä ilmastonmuutoksen myötä lajien levinneisyysalueet ja runsaudet muuttuvat. Koska kylmät talvet työntävät vesilintuja talvehtimaan eteläisille alueille, eteläisten alueiden suojelu on edelleen tärkeää suojelualueverkoston joustavuuden kannalta. Viimeisessä osatyössäni selvitin, että vesilintulajilla pesimäkannat kasvoivat leutojen talvien jälkeen todennäköisesti parantuneen hengissäsäilyvyyden takia. Tämä leutojen talvien suotuisa vaikutus oli voimakkaampaa rehevillä kosteikoilla kuin karuilla vesillä. Elinympäristökohtainen tarkasteluni kuitenkin paljasti, että vesilinnut taantuivat kaikkein voimakkaimmin maatalousympäristöjen ja taajamien läheisillä kosteikoilla, todennäköisesti liiallisen rehevöitymisen takia. Tulokset osoittavat, että heikentynyt elinympäristön laatu voi kumota leudontuneen ilmaston positiiviset vaikutukset

Effects of flyway-wide weather conditions and breeding habitat on the breeding abundance of migratory boreal waterbirds

Anthropogenic habitat loss and climate change are among the major threats to biodiversity. Bioclimatic zones such as the boreal and arctic regions are undergoing rapid environmental change, which will likely trigger changes in wildlife communities. Disentangling the effects of different drivers of environmental change on species is fundamental to better understand population dynamics under changing conditions. Therefore, in this study we investigate the synergistic effect of winter and summer weather conditions and habitat type on the abundance of 17 migratory boreal waterbird species breeding in Finland using three decades (1986–2015) of count data. We found that above-average temperatures and precipitations across the western and northern range of the wintering grounds have a positive impact on breeding numbers in the following season, particularly for waterbirds breeding in eutrophic wetlands. Conversely, summer temperatures did not seem to affect waterbird abundance. Moreover, waterbird abundance was higher in eutrophic than in oligotrophic wetlands, but long term trends indicated that populations are decreasing faster in eutrophic than in oligotrophic wetlands. Our results suggest that global warming may apparently benefit waterbirds, e.g. by increased winter survival due to more favourable winter weather conditions. However, the observed population declines, particularly in eutrophic wetlands, may also indicate that the quality of breeding habitat is rapidly deteriorating through increased eutrophication in Finland which override the climatic effects. The findings of this study highlight the importance of embracing a holistic approach, from the level of a single catchment up to the whole flyway, in order to effectively address the threats that waterbirds face on their breeding as well as wintering groundsPeer reviewe

Los modelos 3D de rastros y huellas de fauna como propuesta de innovación docente en Educación Infantil, Primaria y Secundaria

El uso de una colección de modelos 3D de rastros, huellas y señales de diferentes grupos de animales se ha utilizado con el fin de mejorar el proceso de estudio e identificación de los organismos vivos, que forma parte de los contenidos de las prácticas de laboratorio correspondientes a la materia de la Biología dentro de la asignaturas “Complementos de Formación Disciplinar en Biología y Geología (12002)” del Máster Universitario en Profesorado de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria y Bachillerato, Formación Profesional y Enseñanza de Idiomas, y Educación científica para enseñanza infantil (17017) y primaria (17558) de la Facultad de Educación, que se imparten en la Universidad de Alicante. Así, el uso de colecciones biológicas es un recurso didáctico y accesible, que permite la interacción entre alumnado-alumnado y alumnado-profesorado, gracias al hecho de que la manipulación de los ejemplares permite implementar el proceso de aprendizaje.L’ús d’una col·lecció de models 3D de rastres, petjades i senyals de diferents grups d’animals s’ha utilitzat per millorar el procés d’estudi i identificació dels organismes vius, que forma part dels continguts de les pràctiques de laboratori corresponent en la matèria de la Biologia dins de les assignatures “Complements de Formació Disciplinar en Biologia i Geologia (12002)” del Màster Universitari en Professorat d’Educació Secundària Obligatòria i Batxillerat, Formació Professional i Ensenyament d’Idiomes, i Educació científica per a ensenyament infantil (17017 ) i primària (17558) de la Facultat d’Educació, que s’imparteixen a la Universitat d’Alacant. Així, l’ús de col·leccions biològiques és un recurs didàctic i accessible, que permet la interacció entre l’alumnat-alumnat i l’alumnat-professorat, gràcies al fet que la manipulació dels exemplars permet implementar el procés d’aprenentatge.The use of a collection of 3D models of tracks, footprints and signs of different groups of animals has been used in order to improve the process of study and identification of living organisms, which is part of the contents of the corresponding laboratory practices. in the subject of Biology within the subjects “Disciplinary Training Complements in Biology and Geology (12002)” of the Master’s Degree in Compulsory Secondary Education and Baccalaureate Teaching, Vocational Training and Language Teaching, and Scientific Education for Early Childhood Education (17017 ) and primary (17558) of the Faculty of Education, which are taught at the University of Alicante. Thus, the use of biological collections is a didactic and accessible resource, which allows interaction between students-students and students-teachers, thanks to the fact that the manipulation of the specimens allows the learning process to be implemented

Assessing the effectiveness of the Ramsar Convention in preserving wintering waterbirds in the Mediterranean

lthough biological conservation is based on international agreements, its effectiveness depends on how countries implement such recommendations as effective conservation tools. The Ramsar Convention is the oldest international treaty for wetland and waterbird conservation, establishing the world's largest network of protected areas. However, since it does not constitute any binding measure, its effectiveness in protecting wintering waterbird populations at an international scale has been questioned. Here, we use long-term (1991–2012) count data to assess the effectiveness of the Ramsar Convention in the Mediterranean Basin. We compared abundance and temporal trends of 114 waterbird species between 251 Ramsar wetlands and 3486 non-Ramsar wetlands. We found that the Ramsar network is critical for wintering waterbirds, concentrating nearly half of all waterbirds counted in the Mediterranean Basin in only 7% of monitored wetlands. Waterbird trends followed a northwestsoutheast gradient, with a population decrease in the East. A significant and positive Ramsar effect on population trends was only found for the species of higher conservation concern in the Maghreb, particularly when a management plan was implemented. The Ramsar Convention was previously used on very important wetlands for waterbirds in Southern Europe, but is now an underused conservation tool. Our study suggests weaknesses in the use of Ramsar as an effective conservation tool in most of the Mediterranean Basin. However, the Ramsar Convention effectiveness to enhance waterbird populations in the Maghreb should encourage strengthening the Ramsar Convention. It should be done particularly in countries with limited environmental agreements and by systematic implementation of management plans. Conservation measures International conventions Protected areas Protection status Monitoring WetlandsacceptedVersio

Comparison of 2016–17 and Previous Epizootics of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5 Guangdong Lineage in Europe

We analyzed the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5 epizootic of 2016–17 in Europe by epidemiologic and genetic characteristics and compared it with 2 previous epizootics caused by the same H5 Guangdong lineage. The 2016–17 epizootic was the largest in Europe by number of countries and farms affected and greatest diversity of wild birds infected. We observed significant differences among the 3 epizootics regarding region affected, epidemic curve, seasonality, and outbreak duration, making it difficult to predict future HPAI epizootics. However, we know that in 2005–06 and 2016–17 the initial peak of wild bird detections preceded the peak of poultry outbreaks within Europe. Phylogenetic analysis of 2016–17 viruses indicates 2 main pathways into Europe. Our findings highlight the need for global surveillance of viral changes to inform disease preparedness, detection, and control

The future distribution of wetland birds breeding in Europe validated against observed changes in distribution

Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Author(s). Published by IOP Publishing Ltd.Wetland bird species have been declining in population size worldwide as climate warming and land-use change affect their suitable habitats. We used species distribution models (SDMs) to predict changes in range dynamics for 64 non-passerine wetland birds breeding in Europe, including range size, position of centroid, and margins. We fitted the SDMs with data collected for the first European Breeding Bird Atlas and climate and land-use data to predict distributional changes over a century (the 1970s-2070s). The predicted annual changes were then compared to observed annual changes in range size and range centroid over a time period of 30 years using data from the second European Breeding Bird Atlas. Our models successfully predicted ca. 75% of the 64 bird species to contract their breeding range in the future, while the remaining species (mostly southerly breeding species) were predicted to expand their breeding ranges northward. The northern margins of southerly species and southern margins of northerly species, both, predicted to shift northward. Predicted changes in range size and shifts in range centroids were broadly positively associated with the observed changes, although some species deviated markedly from the predictions. The predicted average shift in core distributions was ca. 5 km yr-1 towards the north (5% northeast, 45% north, and 40% northwest), compared to a slower observed average shift of ca. 3.9 km yr-1. Predicted changes in range centroids were generally larger than observed changes, which suggests that bird distribution changes may lag behind environmental changes leading to 'climate debt'. We suggest that predictions of SDMs should be viewed as qualitative rather than quantitative outcomes, indicating that care should be taken concerning single species. Still, our results highlight the urgent need for management actions such as wetland creation and restoration to improve wetland birds' resilience to the expected environmental changes in the future.Peer reviewe

North by north-west : climate change and directions of density shifts in birds

There is increasing evidence that climate change shifts species distributions towards poles and mountain tops. However, most studies are based on presence-absence data, and either abundance or the observation effort has rarely been measured. In addition, hardly any studies have investigated the direction of shifts and factors affecting them. Here, we show using count data on a 1000km south-north gradient in Finland, that between 1970-1989 and 2000-2012, 128 bird species shifted their densities, on average, 37km towards the north north-east. The species-specific directions of the shifts in density were significantly explained by migration behaviour and habitat type. Although the temperatures have also moved on average towards the north north-east (186km), the species-specific directions of the shifts in density and temperature did not correlate due to high variation in density shifts. Findings highlight that climate change is unlikely the only driver of the direction of species density shifts, but species-specific characteristics and human land-use practices are also influencing the direction. Furthermore, the alarming results show that former climatic conditions in the north-west corner of Finland have already moved out of the country. This highlights the need for an international approach in research and conservation actions to mitigate the impacts of climate change.Peer reviewe

Factors affecting survival in Mediterranean populations of the Eurasian eagle owl

The survival rate is a key parameter for population management and the monitoring of populations. Thus, an analysis of survival rate variations and the factors influencing the same is essential for understanding population dynamics. Here, we study the factors determining the survival and the causes of mortality of the Eurasian eagle owl (Bubo bubo) in two Spanish Mediterranean populations (Murcia and Seville) where the species has a high population density and breeding success; yet its survival rates and the factors that affect them are unknown. Between 2003 and 2010, 63 breeding owls were captured and radio-tracked. Three monthly (quarterly) survival rates were estimated using known-fate models in the program MARK. The mean overall annual survival rate was 0.776 (95 % CI: 0.677, 0.875). We observed survival differences between sexes, and between the breeding and non-breeding periods, although no overwhelming support was found for any particular model. We concluded that (i) females have a lower survival rate than males, probably due to their larger home ranges, which increase the risk of mortality; (ii) the survival rates of both sexes were lower during the non-breeding period; and (iii) the causes of mortality differed significantly between the two populations, gunshot being the main cause in Seville and electrocution in Murcia.Peer Reviewe

Protected area characteristics that help waterbirds respond to climate warming

Protected area networks help species respond to climate warming. However, the contribution of a site's environmental and conservation-relevant characteristics to these responses is not well understood. We investigated how composition of nonbreeding waterbird communities (97 species) in the European Union Natura 2000 (N2K) network (3018 sites) changed in response to increases in temperature over 25 years in 26 European countries. We measured community reshuffling based on abundance time series collected under the International Waterbird Census relative to N2K sites' conservation targets, funding, designation period, and management plan status. Waterbird community composition in sites explicitly designated to protect them and with management plans changed more quickly in response to climate warming than in other N2K sites. Temporal community changes were not affected by the designation period despite greater exposure to temperature increase inside late-designated N2K sites. Sites funded under the LIFE program had lower climate-driven community changes than sites that did not received LIFE funding. Our findings imply that efficient conservation policy that helps waterbird communities respond to climate warming is associated with sites specifically managed for waterbirds