Dynamic space use of Andalusian rice fields by Lesser Black‐backed Gulls (Larus fuscus) is driven by flooding pattern

Abstract

Research on the space use and behaviour of waterbirds yields important insights on human-wildlife interactions of ecological and societal importance under global change. The extent to which dynamic (within-season) changes in anthropogenic landscapes affect these interactions is poorly understood. Lesser Black-backed Gulls Larus fuscus are prominent bio-vectors of biological, synthetic and inorganic materials and have exhibited large increases in abundance in parts of southern Europe in recent decades. We combined GPS tracking, earth observation, accelerometry and field observations to study the space use of overwintering gulls in a mixed rice field landscape in Andalusia, southern Spain. We used Manly selectivity metrics, a common quantitative measurement of habitat selection, and classified remote sensing imagery directly to evaluate space use and habitat selection for these gulls and how it changed throughout the rice harvest cycle. Analysis of over 45 000 GPS fixes and 14 classified remotely sensed images from winter 2016/17 showed dynamic space use driven by the harvest-related flooding across the rice harvest cycle. Prior to harvest, gulls foraged in rice paddies during the day and roosted in adjacent waterbodies (the River Guadalquivir and fish ponds) at night. During harvest, they spent nearly 100% of their daily cycle within the rice fields, foraging in harvested paddies and roosting in post-harvest, flooded paddies. After harvest, they roosted in flooded paddies at night and foraged at landfills in the surrounding landscape. Gull space use at landscape and paddy scales was closely linked to dynamic land and water management over the rice agricultural cycle, illustrating how human activities influence the movements of ecologically important, human-associated bio-vectors such as gulls. The frequent early-spring movement patterns of gulls between landfills and agricultural fields makes them an important bio-transport link for potentially toxic materials and pathogens between waste sites and places where food is grown for human consumption.

Seed Size, Not Dispersal Syndrome, Determines Potential for Spread of Ricefield Weeds by Gulls

“…Kleyheeg, et al [ 39 ] found that seed survival increased significantly with forced activity in ducks. LBBGs spend long periods of the day inactive, roosting in rice fields or neighbouring habitats [ 40 ], so our experiment may reflect field conditions quite well.…”

Winged Resistance: Storks and Gulls Increase Carriage of Antibiotic Resistance by Shifting from Paddy Fields to Landfills

“…Artificial methods, mainly using nitrogen and phosphorus application, are employed for fertilization in these agroecosystems, excluding the use of manure (Campos et al, 2010). These paddy fields are a key node of high functional connectivity with other habitat types, including landfills (López-Calderón et al, 2023;Martín-Vélez et al, 2020a, 2020bvan Rees et al, 2021). The Montemarta-Cónica landfill is the largest integrated municipal solid waste treatment centre in Andalusia, managing >620,000 tons per year of waste, including organic matter, packaging, construction, biosanitary waste, and leachate.…”

“…Study site selection was based on GPS tracking data and the use of O. Sacristán-Soriano et al habitat by birds (see (López-Calderón et al, 2023;Martín-Vélez et al, 2020b;van Rees et al, 2021).…”

“…For that purpose, we used two wellmonitored species, white storks (Ciconia ciconia) and lesser blackbacked gulls (Larus fuscus), in the Guadalquivir Basin (SW Spain). Both are known to switch regularly between two major foraging habitats, paddy fields and a nearby landfill (López-Calderón et al, 2023;van Rees et al, 2021). Our work aimed to answer the following questions: i) How does the use of contaminated sites alter the faecal microbiota (composition, diversity, and occurrence of human bacterial pathogens) of two unrelated bird species with different body sizes but similar habitat use?…”

A Systematic Review of the Latest Research Trends on the Use of Satellite Imagery in Solid Waste Disposal Applications from 2012 to 2021

“…Increased population growth and rapid urban development have brought new challenges to SWM in both developing [5][6][7] and developed countries [8][9][10]. In situ data collection and frequent field monitoring of environmental analysis are gradually replaced with newer and more efficient methods, such as remote sensing (RS) and Geographical Information System (GIS) techniques.…”