Yellow-legged gull populations (Larus michahellis) link the history of landfills to soil eutrophication and time-related vegetation changes on small Mediterranean islands

Mutillod, Clémentine; Baumberger, Teddy; Prudent, Pascale; Saatkamp, Arne; Vidal, Éric; Le-Mire-Pecheux, Lidwine; Affre, Laurence

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162948

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 72 publications

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“…Phosphorus is less soluble than nitrogen and strongly adsorbed in soils, especially the calcareous soils of atolls which precipitate phosphorus as calcium phosphate (Otero et al, 2015). Phosphorus stability in soils can be long-lasting, even reflecting seabird-derived phosphorus from extinct colonies (Wardle et al, 2009; De La Peña-Lastra et al, 2021b; Mutillod et al, 2023). Red-footed boobies historically bred in large numbers on our control island, but not since at least 1897 (Feare, 1978), suggesting coastal plants on this island may derive phosphorus from long-term reserves (Mulder et al, 2011).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seabird traits and seasonality modulate nutrient dynamics of terrestrial and marine habitats on atolls

Appoo,

Bunbury,

Letori

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Marine nutrients underpin productivity and functioning of oceanic island ecosystems. Seabirds represent a primary source of marine nutrients. In tropical regions, some of the largest seabird populations nest on atolls, yet there is limited information available on seabird contributions to atoll ecosystem nutrient dynamics. To investigate the spatial and seasonal dynamics of seabird contributions, we assessed seabird colonies of different taxa, including red-footed boobies and terns, nesting on separate islands of Farquhar Atoll, Seychelles. We assessed nutrient concentrations of guano, soil, coastal plants and nearby seagrass in seabird colonies and at a control island with no seabirds, during the wet and dry seasons. Sooty terns contributed the highest quantities of nutrients, estimated at 71.2 N tonne.yr-1and 52.2 P tonne.yr-1. Seabird-derived nutrient transfer occurred year-round from seabird colonies to soil, coastal plants and seagrass. Soil macro- and inorganic nutrients were higher in the high-density, ground-nesting tern colony and during the dry season, coinciding with the breeding period of sooty terns. Both red-footed booby and tern colonies maintained high nitrogen levels (%N) in coastal plants year-round, while phosphorus levels (%P) did not differ between islands or seasons. Seabird-derived nitrogen reversed nitrogen limitation (log C:N) of seagrass during the dry season. We provide the first insights into seabird nutrient contributions to atoll ecosystems in Seychelles, with recommendations for seabird conservation to boost and support atoll and island ecosystem resilience. Our results from a relatively undisturbed atoll serve as a baseline with which more impacted atolls and future changes can be assessed.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seabird traits and seasonality modulate nutrient dynamics of terrestrial and marine habitats on atolls

Appoo,

Bunbury,

Letori

et al. 2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Phosphorus is less soluble than nitrogen and strongly adsorbed in soils, especially the calcareous soils of atolls which precipitate phosphorus as calcium phosphate (Otero et al, 2015). Phosphorus stability in soils can be long-lasting, even reflecting seabird-derived phosphorus from extinct colonies (De La Peña-Lastra et al, 2021; Mutillod et al, 2023;Wardle et al, 2009). Although a few red-footed boobies have recently started nesting at the southern tip of the control island, historically they used to occur in larger numbers on the control island (Feare, 1978), suggesting coastal plants on this island may derive phosphorus from long-term reserves (Mulder et al, 2011).…”

Section: Nutrient Levels In Terrestrial and Nearshore Habitatsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seabird presence and seasonality influence nutrient dynamics of atoll habitats

Appoo,

Bunbury,

Letori

et al. 2024

Biotropica

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Marine nutrients underpin productivity and functioning of oceanic island ecosystems. On islands where they nest, seabirds represent a primary source of marine nutrients. In tropical regions, some of the largest seabird populations nest on atolls, yet there is limited information available on seabird contributions to atoll ecosystem nutrient dynamics. To investigate the spatial and seasonal dynamics of seabird contributions, we assessed seabird colonies of different taxa, including red‐footed boobies and terns, nesting on separate islands of Farquhar Atoll, Seychelles. We assessed nutrient concentrations of guano, soil, coastal plants, and nearby seagrass in seabird colonies and at a control island with no seabirds, during the wet and dry seasons. Sooty terns contributed the highest quantities of nutrients, estimated at 71.2 N tonne/year and 52.2 P tonne/year. Seabird‐derived nutrient transfer occurred year‐round from seabird colonies to soil, coastal plants and seagrass. Soil macro‐ and inorganic nutrients were higher in the high‐density tern colony and during the dry season, coinciding with the breeding period of sooty terns. Both red‐footed booby and tern colonies maintained high nitrogen levels in coastal plants year‐round, while phosphorus levels did not differ between islands or seasons. Seabird‐derived nitrogen reversed nitrogen limitation of seagrass during the dry season. We provide the first insights into seabird nutrient contributions to atoll ecosystems in Seychelles, with recommendations for seabird conservation to boost and support atoll and island ecosystem resilience. Our results from a relatively undisturbed atoll serve as a baseline with which more impacted atolls and future changes can be assessed.

show abstract

Yellow-legged gull populations (Larus michahellis) link the history of landfills to soil eutrophication and time-related vegetation changes on small Mediterranean islands

Cited by 2 publications

References 72 publications

Seabird traits and seasonality modulate nutrient dynamics of terrestrial and marine habitats on atolls

Seabird traits and seasonality modulate nutrient dynamics of terrestrial and marine habitats on atolls

Seabird presence and seasonality influence nutrient dynamics of atoll habitats

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