Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
☰ Search Explore Log in Create new account Upload × Wetlands, Biodiversity and Salt Wetland Birds and Salinity August 2006 Overview Findings Non-riverine wetlands provide important habitat for birds, which are a prominent part of the biodiversity of many ecosystems. Birds perform important functional roles, such as predation and grazing, in wetland ecosystems and are very popular with a broad part of the community. Consequently, it is important to understand how birds respond to the secondary salinisation of non-riverine wetlands. Unlike other taxa, many bird species can move relatively easily around the landscape and may be able to respond quickly to changes in their environment. It is these attributes that may make some bird species appropriate indicators of secondary salinisation. • Several species, including Australian Shelduck, Masked Lapwing and RedCapped Plover were positively associated with wetland salinity. • Other species, like the White-faced Heron, White-necked Heron and Latham’s Snipe were negatively associated with wetland salinity. • Species number was typically highest in the wetlands with intermediate salinities (Figure 1). • Many of the wetlands with high species number were secondary salinised Aims and Methods We examined the patterns of wetland use by common bird species in association with changes in conductivity, our proxy for salinity. We surveyed wetlands in the Wimmera region of western Victoria that varied in their salinity regime and examined wetland use bird species in each of the wetlands. Many of the study wetlands were secondary salinised and accordingly, we were also able to determine whether the birds utilised these wetlands. A Victorian Government initiative • Species such as the Red-Capped Plover that are easily identifiable and were believed to prefer more saline wetlands may be candidate indicator species. The RedCapped Plover clearly inhabits secondary salinised wetlands and, in our study, was not readily detected in the fresh wetlands. • We will continue to analyse our data and to improve our understanding of the effects of secondary salinisation on wetland birds. Figure 1: Predicted relationship between wetland salinity and species number. Solid line depicts relationship and dashed lines show the degree of uncertainty. Top axis indicated percentage of seawater. Outcomes • Several bird species were positively associated with wetland conductivity, suggesting that these species will commonly utilise the more saline wetlands. Red-capped Plover, Charadrius ruficapillus Photo: Ian McCann • Many used the secondary salinised wetlands, indicating that increased salinity is not a deterrent for some wetland bird species. • Some, like White-faced Heron, were not readily detected in highly saline wetlands. Published by the Victorian Government Department of Sustainability and Environment Melbourne, August 2006 © The State of Victoria Department of Sustainability and Environment 2006 This publication is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any process except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. Authorised by the Victorian Government, 8 Nicholson Street, East Melbourne. ISBN 1 74152 657 4 For more information contact the DSE Customer Service Centre 136 186 or Dr Michael Smith on (03) 9450 8612 or [email protected], Arthur Rylah Institute, Department of Sustainability and Environment, PO Box 137, Heidelberg 3084. This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication. www.dse.vic.gov.au/ari/ the Wetlands, Biodiversity and Salt project can be found by following ‘Research Themes’ to ‘Salinity and Climate change’ Download 1. No category Microsoft Word - Wetland birds and salinity net.doc Microsoft Word - Riparian vegetation net.doc Experimental test of conceptual model Read more about this in our June Report Relief Printmaking Microsoft Word - wetlands as landscape units net.doc May 2014 - Machrihanish seabird & Wildlife Observatory Assessing the Risks of Salinity Fact Sheet presentation - Mangalajodi Oystercatchers, Stilts, Avocets, and Plovers Structural woody habitat - Department of Environment, Land, Water Macrophytes (accessible version) studylib © 2017 DMCA Report