Laura Payne
Associate Research Scientist, UW Aquatic & Fishery Sciences, Birdfish Lab
Protecting Migratory Species that Use Space Differently: Lessons from Globe-Trotting Shorebirds
Abstract
Shorebirds (sandpipers, plovers, and their allies) may be especially vulnerable to changes in land use and climatic conditions because they engage in long-distance migrations between high-latitude breeding grounds and wintering grounds, and they use extensive networks of wetland habitats throughout their migrations as stopover sites. More than half of North America’s 40 common shorebird species have declined, in parallel with declining wetlands. Shorebirds present challenges to conservationists because they require networks of protected stopover sites (many of which remain to be identified) and because their habitat needs are not well understood. Nevertheless, conservation and management efforts are underway, targeting wetlands with spectacularly large numbers of shorebirds, and targeting groups of species with similar habitat preferences. At present, it is unknown which species benefit from these ‘hotspot’ and multi-species approaches, and which are left at risk.
We characterized continental-scale space-use of 36 shorebird species during fall and spring migration, at 2000 U.S. wetlands over 26 years (1975-2000). We found that shorebirds were generally aggregated among the wetlands surveyed but species differed significantly in extent of aggregation. Individual species exhibited similar space-use during fall and spring and among months of a season, implying that space-use of wetlands is intrinsic to each species. However, species with similar biology (i.e., body size, migration distance, or habitat affinity) did not reveal common space-use patterns during either season, instead displaying unique space-use. Between 1975 and 2000, the migratory spatial patterns of 75% of the 36 species we considered showed significant unidirectional change, or correlation with large- scale climatic drivers (i.e., mainly precipitation, also North Atlantic Oscillation). Of these species, most (84%) demonstrated significant trends during one migration season only, and most (74%) became more dispersed through time. Observed changes in space-use had compelling convergence with established indices of population status; a higher proportion of imperiled species demonstrated directional changes in dispersion than non-imperiled species, and coastal species are most at risk. The lack of overlap in space-use among shorebirds poses an enormous challenge to conservationists and the observed correlation between changes in space-use and species status indicates a potential link between habitat loss and population declines.
Conservation priority should be given to coastal specialists, and follow-up studies are necessary to identify the specific wetlands essential to each species. Finally, our analyses highlight the importance of considering space-use when planning for the conservation of otherwise similar species, and demonstrate that shorebird conservation efforts must be broadened to accommodate spatial differences among species.
Bio
- Received a Ph.D. (Aug 2005) in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her dissertation research focused on the spatial ecology and conservation of shorebirds migrating through the U.S.
- Graduated from Cornell University in 1985 (Cum Laude) with an English Major in ‘creative writing’
- Prior to entering graduate school, worked for three years at the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network, an international conservation organization dedicated to identifying and protecting wetlands for migratory shorebirds.
- First became interested in shorebirds when she was given the opportunity to learn to identify shorebirds (at a bird banding station in Massachusetts) in exchange for conducting shorebird surveys in Patagonia (where her parents were conducting field work on whales). In Massachusetts, she helped band and color-mark 250 Red Knots, and 2 weeks later, in Patagonia (5,500 miles to the south), 4 of those birds showed up on the beach in front of their camp.
In addition to research on shorebirds:
- Is conducting research on the link between salmon and the avian community in Alaska, in conjunction with the Alaska Salmon Program
- Is an advocate of women in the sciences (and recognizes the need for more female role models in high positions in the sciences); is co-writing a book with 10 other women entitled “The Paths We Take.” This book documents the decisions and lives of women as they enter and pursue careers in environmental fields.
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