Utilization of nitrogen derived from seabird guano by terrestrial and marine plants at St. Paul, Pribilof Islands, Bering Sea, Alaska

Wainright, Sam C.; Haney, J. Christopher; Kerr, C. Lance; Golovkin, A. N.; Флинт, М. В.

doi:10.1007/s002270050297

Cited by 133 publications

(105 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Wainright et al 1998;Wait et al 2005;Zmudczyńska et al 2009;Mulder et al 2011;Smith et al 2011;Zwolicki et al 2013). Nonetheless, current knowledge and understanding of seabird impact on tundra productivity remains incomplete.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At the community level, plants may respond to these changes through variation in cover, species richness, or diversity, depending on species adaptations, requirements and tolerance (Odasz 1994;Theodose and Bowman 1997;Vidal et al 2003;Pennings et al 2005;Wait et al 2005;Zelenskaya and Khoreva 2006;Smykla et al 2007). At the individual level, conspecific plants may differ in size, morphology, above-and below-ground biomass, content of nutrients such as nitrogen or phosphorus and thus physiological properties including photosynthetic abilities and productivity (Wainright et al 1998;Anderson and Polis 1999;Zelenskaya and Khoreva 2006;Madan et al 2007;Zmudczyńska et al 2008). Trait information within individual species can directly link the response of a species to variable habitat conditions along environmental gradient and is relatively easy to quantify.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Variability of polar scurvygrass Cochlearia groenlandica individual traits along a seabird influenced gradient across Spitsbergen tundra

et al. 2013

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In the resource-limited Arctic environment, vegetation developing near seabird colonies is exceptionally luxuriant. Nevertheless, there are very few detailed quantitative studies of any specific plant species responses to ornithogenic manuring. Therefore, we studied variability of polar scurvygrass Cochlearia groenlandica individual biomass and leaf width along a seabird influenced gradient determining environmental conditions for vegetation in south-west Spitsbergen. We found seabird colony effect being a paramount factor responsible for augmented growth of C. groenlandica. The species predominated close to the colony and reached the highest mean values of individual biomass (1.4 g) and leaf width (26.6 mm) 10 m below the colony. Its abundance and size declined towards the coast. Both C. groenlandica individual traits significantly decreased with distance from the colony, soil water and organic matter content and increased with guano deposition, soil d 15 N, conductivity, acidity and nitrate, phosphate and potassium ion content. Our study supports the hypothesis that seabirds have fundamental importance for vegetation growth in poor Arctic environment. Highly plastic species such as C. groenlandica may be a useful instrument in detecting habitat condition changes, for instance resulting from climate change.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variability of polar scurvygrass Cochlearia groenlandica individual traits along a seabird influenced gradient across Spitsbergen tundra

et al. 2013

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“…), which are present in soil in the vicinity of seabird colonies and even individual nest burrows compared to areas beyond their impact, enhance primary production (Smith 1976;Anderson and Polis 1999;García et al 2002;Stempniewicz et al 2006). Substantial guano deposition close to seabird colonies increases nutrient content in the soil (Ryan and Watkins 1989;Wainright et al 1998;Anderson and Polis 1999;Stempniewicz et al 2006) and plant biomass (Anderson and Polis 1999;Zmudczyńska et al 2008), as well as causing changes within plant communities (Vidal et al 2003;Ellis et al 2006;Zmudczyńska et al 2009). This feeds through the local food web, with more intensive use of such areas by invertebrate and vertebrate herbivores (Jakubas et al 2008), predators and scavengers (Croll et al 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of allochtonous nutrients delivered by colonial seabirds on soil collembolan communities on Spitsbergen

et al. 2012

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Despite a widespread recognition of the role of seabird colonies in the fertilization of nutrient-poor polar terrestrial ecosystems, qualitative and quantitative data documenting any consequential influence on soil invertebrate communities are still lacking. Therefore, we studied community structure and abundance of springtails (Collembola) in ornithogenic tundra near two large seabird colonies in Hornsund, south-west Spitsbergen. We found considerably (5-209) higher densities and biomass of Collembola in the vicinities of both colonies (the effect extending up to ca. 50 m from the colony edge) than in comparable control areas of tundra not influenced by allochtonous nutrient input. The most common springtails observed in the seabird-influenced areas were Folsomia quadrioculata, Hypogastrura viatica and Megaphorura arctica. The latter species appeared the most resistant to ornithogenic nutrient input and was found commonly closest to the bird colonies. Collembolan abundance decreased with increasing distance from the seabird colonies. However, relationships between collembolan density and specific physicochemical soil parameters and vegetation characteristics were weak. The most important factors were the cover of the nitrophilous green alga Prasiola crispa, total plant biomass and soil solution conductivity, all of which were correlated with distance from the colony and estimated amount by guano deposition. Community composition and abundance of springtails showed no evidence of being influenced of seabird diet, with no differences apparent between communities found in ornithogenic tundra developing in the vicinity of planktivorous and piscivorous seabird colonies. The study provides confirmation of the influence of marine nutrient input by seabirds on soil microfaunal communities.

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“…Large differences in stable isotope composition are already known to exist between mosses and lichens from the Antarctic (Galimov 2000;Huiskes et al 2006). These differences partly result from the utilisation of different nitrogen sources by these cryptogams (Crittenden 1998;Wainright et al 1998). Analyses of the different potential sources of nitrogen for their 15 N content should, therefore, provide clarification of the origin of external nitrogen into these ecosystems.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

External nutrient inputs into terrestrial ecosystems of the Falkland Islands and the Maritime Antarctic region

et al. 2007

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Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems are nutrientpoor and depend for their functioning in part on external nutrients. However, little is known about the relative importance of various sources. We measured external mineral nutrient sources (wind blown material, precipitation and guano) at three locations, the cold temperate oceanic Falkland Islands (51°76¢S), and the Maritime Antarctic Signy (60°71¢S) and Anchorage Islands (67°61¢S). These islands differ in the level of vegetation development through different environmental constraints and historical factors. Total mineral nitrogen input differed considerably between the islands. During the 3 month summer period it amounted to 18 mg N m -2 on the Falkland Islands and 6 and 102 mg N m -2 at Signy and Anchorage Islands, respectively. The high value for Anchorage was a result of guano deposition. By measuring stable isotopic composition (d 15 N) of the different nitrogen sources and the dominant plant species, we investigated the relative utilisation of each source by the vegetation at each island. We conclude that external mineral nitrogen inputs to Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems show great spatial variability, with the local presence of bird (or other vertebrate) colonies being particularly significant.

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Utilization of nitrogen derived from seabird guano by terrestrial and marine plants at St. Paul, Pribilof Islands, Bering Sea, Alaska

Cited by 133 publications

References 30 publications

Variability of polar scurvygrass Cochlearia groenlandica individual traits along a seabird influenced gradient across Spitsbergen tundra

Variability of polar scurvygrass Cochlearia groenlandica individual traits along a seabird influenced gradient across Spitsbergen tundra

Influence of allochtonous nutrients delivered by colonial seabirds on soil collembolan communities on Spitsbergen

External nutrient inputs into terrestrial ecosystems of the Falkland Islands and the Maritime Antarctic region

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