The Importance of <i>Pandanus spiralis</i> to Birds

Verbeek, Nicolaas A. M.; Braithwaite, Richard W.; Boasson, Rosalinda

doi:10.1071/mu9930053

Cited by 6 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 1 publication

(1 reference statement)

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“…Although finches can renest after a predation event, the costs to the individual of renesting () can, presumably, reduce individual fitness and affect population growth. The relationship between Crimson Finch fledging success and these predatory lizards is likely to be general, as the finches essentially nest only in Pandanus bushes in riparian zones where both monitor species spend the majority of their time (Immelmann 1982, Verbeek et al 1993, Christian 2004, Schultz and Doody 2004, Milenkaya et al 2011). Thus, as toads continue to invade new areas of the Kimberley Region they will likely facilitate Crimson Finch populations by increasing fledging success.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Invasive toads shift predator–prey densities in animal communities by removing top predators

Doody

Soanes

Castellano³

et al. 2015

Ecology

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Although invasive species can have substantial impacts on animal communities, cases of invasive species facilitating native species by removing their predators have rarely been demonstrated across vertebrate trophic linkages. The predictable spread of the invasive cane toad (Rhinella marina), however, offered a unique opportunity to quantify cascading effects. In northern Australia, three species of predatory monitor lizards suffered severe population declines due to toad-induced lethal toxic ingestion (yellow-spotted monitor (Varanus panoptes), Mertens' water monitor (V. mertensi), Mitchell's water monitor (V. mitchelli). We, thus, predicted subsequent increases in the abundance and recruitment of prey species due to the reduction of those predators. Toad-induced population-level declines in the water monitor species approached 50% over a five-year period spanning the toad invasion, apparently causing fledging success of the Crimson Finch (Neochmia.phaeton) to increase from 55% to 81%. The consensus of our original and published long-term data is that invasive cane toads are causing predators to lose a foothold on top-down regulation of their prey, triggering shifts in the relative densities of predator and prey in the Australian tropical savannah ecosystem.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Invasive toads shift predator–prey densities in animal communities by removing top predators

Doody

Soanes

Castellano³

et al. 2015

Ecology

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“…Consequently, plants are likely the most consistent food source for rats throughout the year. Rats also prey on marine birds and their eggs in late spring and early summer when they are available along the coast (Irons, Anthony & Estes ; Verbeek, Braithwaite & Boasson ; Major & Jones , ; Major et al . ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…4, Table 2). Birds that nest on the coast, along with bird eggs, would provide rats with a highprotein food source in the late spring and early summer when birds are present, nesting and thus available as prey (Irons, Anthony & Estes 1986;Verbeek, Braithwaite & Boasson 1993). Previous studies have ascribed significant reductions in birds on islands to predation by invasive rats (Towns, Atkinson & Daugherty 2006;Jones et al 2008), including in the Aleutian Islands (Kurle, Croll & Tershy 2008).…”

Section: N O R W a Y R A T Smentioning

confidence: 99%

Measuring the realized niches of animals using stable isotopes: from rats to bears

Hopkins

Kurle

2015

Methods Ecol Evol

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Summary1. Stable isotope analysis is a powerful method for estimating the impacts animals have on their environment (resource use), revealing their ecological niches. 2. We demonstrated the use of a stable isotope mixing model for measuring the ecological niches of consumers. In particular, we used the model IsotopeR to estimate the resource use of two species with complex, omnivorous diets: invasive Norway rats from the Aleutian Islands, AK, and American black bears from Yosemite National Park, CA. Marginal posterior distributions for major food sources (for populations, groups and individuals) described the resource axes that partly define the realized niches of these omnivores. We used measures of these resource axes to inform resource management in the Aleutians and Yosemite. 3. Results from our analyses confirm that coastal rats did not rely on marine birds on rat-infested islands in the Aleutians. Instead, rats foraged primarily on terrestrial plants and preferred amphipods when they were available. We also use stable isotopes to confirm that plants and acorns are the largest contributors to black bear nutrition in Yosemite and learned that female bears foraged for acorns and pine nuts more heavily than males. 4. Although it is unclear if Norway rats can maintain viable populations in the Aleutians without access to marine-derived animal protein, results from our analyses suggest their dependence on such nutrients. In addition, sex-specific differences in foraging for high-fat acorns and pine nuts in Yosemite suggest black bear populations in the Sierra Nevada may be limited by the productivity and health of hard mast species. As demonstrated here, stable isotope analysis has wide applicability for investigating the resource use and ecological niches of animals. We anticipate and encourage its rapid development in this fundamental field of ecology.

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“…), and nest building is performed almost exclusively by males in riparian vegetation, predominantly Pandanus trees ( Pandanus spiralis, Verbeek et al. ; Todd ; Milenkaya et al. ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nesting Success in Crimson Finches: Chance or Choice?

et al. 2015

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In avian systems, nest predation is one of the most significant influences on reproductive success. Selection for mechanisms and behaviours to minimise predation rates should be favoured. To avoid predation, breeding birds can often deter predators through active nest defence or by modifying behaviours around the nest (e.g. reducing feeding rates and vocalisations). Birds might also benefit from concealing nests or placing them in inaccessible locations. The relative importance of these strategies (behaviour vs. site selection) can be difficult to disentangle and may differ according to life history. Tropical birds are thought to experience higher rates of predation than temperate birds and invest less energy in nest defence. We monitored a population of crimson finches (Neochmia phaeton), in the Australian tropics, over two breeding seasons. We found no relationship between adult nest defence behaviour (towards a model reptile predator) and the likelihood of nest success. However, nest success was strongly related to the visibility of the nest and the structure of the vegetation. We found no evidence that adult nest building decisions were influenced by predation risk; individuals that re-nested after a predation event did not build their nest in a more concealed location. Therefore, predator avoidance, and hence nest success, appears to be largely due to chance rather than due to the behaviour of the birds or their choice of nesting sites. To escape high predation pressures, multiple nesting attempts both within and between seasons may be necessary to increase reproductive success. Alternatively, birds may be limited in their nest-site options; that is, high-quality individuals dominate quality nest sites.

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The Importance of Pandanus spiralis to Birds

Cited by 6 publications

References 1 publication

Invasive toads shift predator–prey densities in animal communities by removing top predators

Invasive toads shift predator–prey densities in animal communities by removing top predators

Measuring the realized niches of animals using stable isotopes: from rats to bears

Nesting Success in Crimson Finches: Chance or Choice?

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