A gloomy future for light-bellied brent geese in Tusenøyane, Svalbard, under a changing predator regime

Madsen, Jesper; Jaspers, Cornelia; Frikke, John; Gundersen, Ove Martin; Nolet, Bart A.; Nolet, K.; Schreven, Kees H. T.; Sonne, Christian; Vries, Peter P. de

doi:10.33265/polar.v38.3393

Cited by 5 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Previous studies also identified increases in densities of nest predators (Langgemach & Bellebaum, 2005; Panek & Bresiński, 2002), which probably resulted from habitat fragmentation (Chalfoun et al, 2002), availability of additional food resources from agriculture (Cove et al, 2014; Wood, 1998) and in some species also from changes in hunting practices (Panek & Bresiński, 2002). Moreover, introduction of new species by humans or expansion of their ranges due to climatic changes can locally increase the diversity of potential nest predators (Iverson et al, 2014; Kauhala & Kowalczyk, 2011; Madsen et al, 2019; Prop et al, 2015). Thus, the increase in nest predation intensity in passerines that we document here might have been the result of gradually increasing predation pressure caused by habitat fragmentation or changes in predator communities.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stronger negative species interactions in the tropics supported by a global analysis of nest predation in songbirds

Matysioková

Remeš

2022

Journal of Biogeography

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Aim: Species interactions are assumed to be stronger closer to the equator. However, numerous studies provided conflicting results and considerable controversy exists concerning the latitudinal patterns in the intensity of biotic interactions. Thus, the question of whether biotic interactions are stronger near the equator remains open.Here, we provide a global evaluation of latitudinal trends in nest predation in songbirds and their explanations. Location: Worldwide.Taxon: Songbirds (Aves: Passeriformes). Methods:We collected published data on nest predation in 1297 populations of 659 species across the globe (124,958 nests). We quantified latitudinal trends in the intensity of nest depredation (daily predation rate, DPR) and in potential demographic impacts of nest depredation (the proportion of nests destroyed by predators). We also quantified the latitudinal trend in the proportion of failed nests destroyed by predators and assessed how nest depredation and latitudinal trends differed across nest types. We aimed at explaining spatial variation in nest predation by productivity and species richness of potential nest predators.Results: All measures of nest predation increased towards the equator and the increase was stronger in the northern hemisphere. Nest predation also increased with time, and it was higher in open nests than in cavities. Nest predation increased with productivity (indexed by NDVI), independently of latitude. It also increased with species richness of potential nest predators, but this effect was confounded with latitude.Main conclusions: Tropical songbirds faced both higher intensity of nest predation (higher DPR) and more detrimental demographic outcomes of nest depredation (higher proportion of nests lost to predators). Moreover, the proportion of nest failure caused by predators also increased towards the equator. Our results support the view that birds are subject to strong biotic interactions close to the equator. Nest predation increased with productivity and tended to increase with species richness of potential nest predators.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stronger negative species interactions in the tropics supported by a global analysis of nest predation in songbirds

Matysioková

Remeš

2022

Journal of Biogeography

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“…If the presence of foraging bears in nesting bird colonies results in decreased nest attendance by incubating individuals, this will create additional foraging opportunities for avian predators and potentially lead to underestimates of total nest losses ultimately due to bears. As these types of interactions between foraging bears, avian predators and nesting prey species have been reported in multiple different Arctic regions (Barry 1967, Gaston and Elliott 2013, Iles et al 2013, Iverson et al 2014, Rode et al 2015, Madsen et al 2019, formal investigation into this interspecific foraging association and prey behavioural responses are warranted.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One changing predator regime that has gained much attention is that of Arctic nesting birds and the increasing predation (Hanson 2006) of nests by polar bears Ursus maritimus (Donaldson et al 1995, Rockwell and Gormezano 2009, Prop et al 2013, 2015, Iverson et al 2014, Gormezano et al 2017, Madsen et al 2019, Barnas et al 2020, Dey et al 2020, Jagielski et al 2021a, b). While consumption of bird eggs by bears has been reported in the past (Canadian Wildlife Service 1992, Cooke et al 1995, Derocher 2012), climate‐induced loss of spring sea‐ice is increasing the amount of time bears spend on land in recent years resulting in more frequent overlap with the incubation period of Arctic nesting birds than has likely occurred in the past (Smith et al 2010, Iverson et al 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Avian predator species have been reported to follow foraging bears in Arctic bird colonies (Barry 1967, Gaston and Elliott 2013, Iles et al 2013, Iverson et al 2014, Rode et al 2015, Madsen et al 2019), and one site where this interaction is likely to occur is in lesser snow goose Anser caerulescens caerulescens colonies within Wapusk National Park (Manitoba, Canada). Snow geese in this region are experiencing increasing predation by polar bears that are being forced on shore earlier due to reduced spring sea‐ice extent (Rockwell and Gormezano 2009, Rockwell et al 2011), and grizzly bears Ursus arctos that are undergoing a geographic expansion into the region (Clark et al 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Bear presence attracts avian predators but does not impact lesser snow goose daily nest attendance

Barnas

Darby

Iles

et al. 2022

Journal of Avian Biology

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The presence of foraging bears in Arctic breeding bird colonies has been increasingly reported in the literature, and these may constitute disturbance events which cause incubating birds to leave their nest. Avian predators may associate with bears during such events, likely to capitalize on unattended nests in the presence of bears. Here, we estimated changes in daily nest attendance of lesser snow geese Anser caerulescens caerulescens in the presence of foraging bears, and estimated the association between foraging bears and avian predators. We predicted decreased nest attendance by geese on days with bears, and close associations between avian predators and bears. We monitored snow goose nests with cameras from 2013 to 2018 to assess nest attendance behaviours on days when bears were in the colony compared to control days without bears. When bears were present in colonies, we estimated the probability of avian predator occurrence compared to control periods. When controlling for day of incubation and camera placement types, we found no significant effects of bears on daily nest attendance behaviours of snow geese (n = 85). We found a significantly higher probability of observing avian predators when bears were present (0.72) compared to control periods without bears (0.11). We show that snow geese do not alter daily nest attendance in the presence of foraging bears, and suggest this is due to the presence of avian predators.

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“…Common eiders are an ecologically and culturally significant species (Clyde et al, 2021;Henri et al, 2018), and our study provides insights on climate-induced changes in the predator community of eiders on East Bay Island. We demonstrated that avian predators capitalize on disturbance foraging by polar bears, and it is likely that these types of interactions are occurring in other nesting bird colonies where avian predators and polar bears co-occur (Gaston & Elliott, 2013;Madsen et al, 2019). Simulation models predict redistribution of nesting eiders to smaller colonies in response to polar bears (Dey et al, 2017), but this has not yet been shown empirically (Dey et al, 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 87%

An interspecific foraging association with polar bears increases foraging opportunities for avian predators in a declining Arctic seabird colony

Barnas,

Simone,

Geldart

et al. 2024

Ecology and Evolution

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Interspecific foraging associations (IFAs) are biological interactions where two or more species forage in association with each other. Climate‐induced reductions in Arctic sea ice have increased polar bear (Ursus maritimus) foraging in seabird colonies, which creates foraging opportunities for avian predators. We used drone video of bears foraging within a common eider (Somateria mollissima) colony on East Bay Island (Nunavut, Canada) in 2017 to investigate herring gull (Larus argentatus) foraging in association with bears. We recorded nest visitation by gulls following n = 193 eider flushing events from nests during incubation. The probability of gulls visiting eider nests increased with higher number of gulls present (β = 0.14 ± 0.03 [SE], p < .001) and for nests previously visited by a bear (β = 1.14 ± 0.49 [SE], p < .02). In our model examining the probability of gulls consuming eggs from nests, we failed to detect statistically significant effects for the number of gulls present (β = 0.09 ± 0.05 [SE], p < .07) or for nests previously visited by a bear (β = −0.92 ± 0.71 [SE], p < .19). Gulls preferred to visit nests behind bears (χ2 = 18, df = 1, p < .0001), indicating gulls are risk averse in the presence of polar bears. Our study provides novel insights on an Arctic IFA, and we present evidence that gulls capitalize on nests made available due to disturbance associated with foraging bears, as eiders disturbed off their nest allow gulls easier access to eggs. We suggest the IFA between gulls and polar bears is parasitic, as gulls are consuming terrestrial resources which would have eventually been consumed by bears. This finding has implications for estimating the energetic contribution of bird eggs to polar bear summer diets in that the total number of available clutches to consume may be reduced due to avian predators.

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A gloomy future for light-bellied brent geese in Tusenøyane, Svalbard, under a changing predator regime

Abstract: Light-bellied brent geese in Tusenøyane, Svalbard J. Madsen et al.

Cited by 5 publications

References 11 publications

Stronger negative species interactions in the tropics supported by a global analysis of nest predation in songbirds

Stronger negative species interactions in the tropics supported by a global analysis of nest predation in songbirds

Bear presence attracts avian predators but does not impact lesser snow goose daily nest attendance

An interspecific foraging association with polar bears increases foraging opportunities for avian predators in a declining Arctic seabird colony

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