Interactions between coot (Fulica atra) and submerged macrophytes: the role of birds in the restoration process. Perrow, M.R.; Schutten, J.; Howes, J.R.; Holzer, T.; Madgewick, F.J.; Jowitt, A.J.D. Published in: Hydrobiologia Link to publicationCitation for published version (APA): Perrow, M. R., Schutten, J., Howes, J. R., Holzer, T., Madgewick, F. J., & Jowitt, A. J. D. (1997). Interactions between coot (Fulica atra) and submerged macrophytes: the role of birds in the restoration process. Hydrobiologia, 242/243, 241-255. General rightsIt is not permitted to download or to forward/distribute the text or part of it without the consent of the author(s) and/or copyright holder(s), other than for strictly personal, individual use, unless the work is under an open content license (like Creative Commons). Disclaimer/Complaints regulationsIf you believe that digital publication of certain material infringes any of your rights or (privacy) interests, please let the Library know, stating your reasons. In case of a legitimate complaint, the Library will make the material inaccessible and/or remove it from the website. Please Ask the Library: http://uba.uva.nl/en/contact, or a letter to: Library of the University of Amsterdam, Secretariat, Singel 425, 1012 WP Amsterdam, The Netherlands. You will be contacted as soon as possible. AbstractGrazing by herbivorous birds is often cited as an important factor in suppressing macrophyte development in shallow lakes undergoing restoration, thus delaying the attainment of the stable clear water state. Development and succession of macrophyte communities and size, diet and grazing pressure of coot (Fulica atra) populations upon macrophytes, were monitored over the seasonal cycle at ten shallow lakes of varying nutrient status, in the Norfolk Broads in eastern England. In spring, territorial breeding birds were at relatively low density and included only a small proportion of macrophytes in their diet, resulting in low grazing pressure on macrophytes. In summer, there was a significant relationship between macrophyte cover and bird density, illustrating the importance of macrophytes in the dispersion phase for birds following breeding. Macrophytes comprised the bulk of bird diet where they were available and the consumption of macrophytes was up to 76 fold higher than in spring. However, losses to grazing in both periods were negligible when compared to potential growth rates documented in the literature. Grazing experiments at two biomanipulated lakes confirmed that birds were not responsible for limiting macrophytes during the spring colonisation phase or in the summer growth period. During the period of autumnal senescence and over the winter months where some macrophyte species remain available, e.g. as developed individuals or dormant buds, grazing by birds may conceivably have an impact on the development and structure of macrophyte populations in subsequent growing seasons.The relative importance of bird grazing compared to other factors limiting the development of macrophytes...
Fractional or point‐abundance sample (PAS) electric fishing was compared with conventional electric fishing within stop‐nets in several shallow, structurally complex, lowland lakes. The two methods tended to sample the fish community in different ways. PAS provided significantly higher total population estimates, partly as a result of the higher estimates for the dominant small fish (e.g. 0 + perch, Perca fluviatilis L.). Fish hidden by cover (macrophytes, branches, etc.) or substrate, such as eels Anguilla anguilla (L.) and ruffe Gymnocephalus cernuus (L.), were also sampled at a higher rate and for eel, this led to considerable variation in biomass estimates between the two methods. It is argued that PAS, rather than electric fishing within stop‐nets, provided more accurate estimates of fish population parameters and that PAS had several distinct advantages when used for qualitative and quantitative stock assessment, particularly in shallow lakes dominated by emergent and submerged vegetation.
The activity patterns and habitat selection of tench in a shallow eutrophic lake were determined by radio telemetry. Environmental variables, including prey availability, depth and vegetational composition were quantified in order to explain observed patterns of distribution. Tench were generally only active at night, foraging on benthic animal prey, particularly chironomid larvae. Feeding fish clearly selected for particular locations although only weak associations with depth and densities of preferred prey were found. In addition, it appears that fish spent a considerable time searching for prey and travelling relatively large distances in the process, with the result that only relatively few prey were ingested during the course of a night. During daylight, fish were almost completely inactive, resting together in favoured locations and displaying a strong association for the littoral emergent vascular plant, Typha angustifolia. This may be because Typha usually grows in relatively deep water and forms stands of relatively widely spaced stems, thus allowing such large fish to penetrate deeply into cover. Management of eutrophic waters to encourage tench should take this habitat preference into account. 1996 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles
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