Predicting Effects of Water Regime Changes on Waterbirds: Insights from Staging Swans

Nolet, Bart A.; Gyimesi, Abel; Krimpen, Roderick R. D. Van; Boer, Willem F. de; Stillman, Richard A.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0147340

Cited by 10 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 48 publications

(62 reference statements)

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“…Dabbling ducks most often use deeper depths, ranging from 10–30 cm in rice fields [ 12 , 22 ]. Geese and swans and long-legged wading birds have less restrictive water depth requirements, using both non-flooded and flooded habitats [ 12 , 22 , 26 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Waterbird response to variable-timing of drawdown in rice fields after winter-flooding

et al. 2018

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Wetland loss and degradation have been extensive across the world, especially in California’s Central Valley where over 90% of the natural wetlands have been converted to agricultural and urban uses. In the Central Valley today, a much smaller network of managed wetlands and flooded agricultural fields supports almost five million waterfowl and half a million shorebirds. Over 50% of waterbird habitat in the Central Valley is provided by flooded agricultural land, primarily rice (Oryza sativa). Each year non-breeding waterbird habitat decreases in the late winter as flooded agricultural fields are drained after waterfowl hunting season in late-January to prepare for the next crop. This study evaluated a practice called ‘variable drawdown’ that involves delaying the removal of water from rice fields by 1, 2, and 3 weeks to extend the availability of flooded habitat later into February and March. We studied waterbird response to variable drawdown in 2012 and 2013 at twenty rice farms throughout the northern half of the Central Valley. The staggered drawdown created a mosaic of water depths throughout the six-week study period. The 3-week delay in drawdown supported more dabbling ducks than earlier drawdowns in the first half of the study and more shorebirds and long-legged wading birds during the second half of the study. The timing of highest use of each drawdown treatment differed for each waterbird guild; dabbling ducks, geese and swans benefited at the beginning, then long-legged wading birds, followed by shorebirds. Despite the presence of appropriate water depths for shorebirds across the treatments during the entire study period, shorebird densities were highest near the end of the study when the 3-week-delayed drawdown was providing the majority of the habitat on the landscape. This suggests that shorebirds may have concentrated in our study fields due to decreasing availability of shallow water habitat elsewhere. The practice of variable drawdown successfully extended the availability of waterbird habitat provided by post-harvest flooded rice fields later into winter.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Waterbird response to variable-timing of drawdown in rice fields after winter-flooding

et al. 2018

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“…For example, the presence of some proposed tidal barrages (presence/absence drivers) in the Severn Estuary-A was predicted to reduce the number of birds that could be supported as the area of feeding habitat and time for which this habitat was available were reduced. An increasing pressure of higher water levels (magnitude driver) above a threshold level was predicted in Lauwersmeer (Nolet et al 2016) and Camargue (Deville 2013), as Bewick's Swan Cygnus columbianus bewickii and Greater Flamingo, respectively, were able to access a lower proportion of their food resources as water levels rose.…”

Section: Incorporating Pressures Within Waterbird Ibmsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Evidence‐based conservation in a changing world: lessons from waterbird individual‐based models

Brown

Stillman

2021

Ecosphere

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Drivers of environmental change are causing novel combinations of pressures on ecological systems. Prediction in ecology often uses understanding of past conditions to make predictions to the future, but such an approach can breakdown when future conditions have not previously been encountered. Individual-based models (IBMs) consider ecological systems as arising from the adaptive behavior and fates of individuals and have potential to provide more reliable predictions. To demonstrate potential, we review a lineage of related IBMs addressing the effects of environmental change on waterbirds, comprising 53 case studies of 28 species in 32 sites in 9 countries, using the Drivers-Pressures-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) environmental management framework. Each case study comprises the predictions of an IBM on the effects of one or more drivers of environmental change on one or more bird species. Drivers exert a pressure on the environment which is represented in the IBMs as changes in either area or time available for feeding, the quality of habitat, or the energetic cost of living within an environment. Birds in the IBMs adapt to increased pressure by altering their behavioral state, defined as their location, diet, and the proportion of time spent feeding. If the birds are not able to compensate behaviorally, they suffer a physiological impact, determined by a decrease in body energy reserves, increased mortality, or decreased ability to migrate. Each case study assesses the impact of alternative drivers and potential ways to mitigate impacts to advise appropriate conservation management responses. We overview the lessons learned from the case studies and highlight the opportunities of using IBMs to inform conservation management for other species. Key findings indicate that understanding the behavioral and physiological processes that determine whether or not birds survive following a change in their environment is vital, so that mitigation measures can be better targeted. This is especially important where multiple hazards exist so that sensitivities and worse-case scenarios can be better understood. Increasing the involvement of stakeholders to help inform and shape model development is encouraged and can lead to better representation of the modeled system and wider understanding and support for the final model.

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“…For example, the presence of some proposed tidal barrages (presence / absence drivers) in the Severn Estuary -A were predicted to reduce the number of birds that could be supported as the area of feeding habitat and time for which this habitat was available were reduced. An increasing pressure of higher water levels (magnitude driver) above a threshold level was predicted in Lauwersmeer (Nolet et al 2016) and Camargue (Deville 2013), as Bewick's Swan Cygnus columbianus bewickii and Greater Flamingo respectively were able to access a lower proportion of their food resources as water levels rose.…”

Section: Incorporating Pressures Within Waterbird Ibmsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Evidence-based conservation in a changing world: lessons from waterbird individual-based models

Brown¹,

Stillman²

2020

Preprint

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Predicting Effects of Water Regime Changes on Waterbirds: Insights from Staging Swans

Cited by 10 publications

References 48 publications

Waterbird response to variable-timing of drawdown in rice fields after winter-flooding

Waterbird response to variable-timing of drawdown in rice fields after winter-flooding

Evidence‐based conservation in a changing world: lessons from waterbird individual‐based models

Evidence-based conservation in a changing world: lessons from waterbird individual-based models

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