{"title":"How Habitat Features and Human Activities Shape Occurrence of the Declining Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus on a Mediterranean Coastline","authors":"F. Hamza","doi":"10.13157/arla.67.2.2020.ra3","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Summary. Understanding ecological factors and processes affecting the abundance of species of conservation concern is key to ensuring their conservation. The Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus is a ‘Near Threatened’ wader species that depends on coastal zones during the non-breeding season. However, these habitats constitute focal points of human settlement and suffer from intensified human activities. I used survey data from the central part of the Gulf of Gabès, Tunisia, to assess the significance of ecological and anthropogenic factors as predictors of the density of wintering oystercatchers. Using generalized linear mixed models, Oystercatcher density was positively correlated with sediment mud content and negatively correlated with seagrass cover. Density was also positively correlated with distance from human settlements and negatively correlated with the densities of recreationists and artisanal fishermen. Overall, oystercatchers avoid intertidal areas near human settlements. This study provides critical information on where conservation and research efforts should be focused to preserve this wader species. As a priority, investigations on flight initiation distances are needed to determine at which spatial level it would be beneficial to create buffer zones or walkways to minimise the negative impact of human disturbance on this wintering population.— Hamza, F. (2020). How habitat features and human activities shape occurrence of the declining Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus on a Mediterranean coastline. Ardeola, 67: 269-284.","PeriodicalId":55571,"journal":{"name":"Ardeola-International Journal of Ornithology","volume":"407 1","pages":"269 - 284"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4000,"publicationDate":"2020-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"2","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Ardeola-International Journal of Ornithology","FirstCategoryId":"99","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.13157/arla.67.2.2020.ra3","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ORNITHOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 2
Abstract
Summary. Understanding ecological factors and processes affecting the abundance of species of conservation concern is key to ensuring their conservation. The Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus is a ‘Near Threatened’ wader species that depends on coastal zones during the non-breeding season. However, these habitats constitute focal points of human settlement and suffer from intensified human activities. I used survey data from the central part of the Gulf of Gabès, Tunisia, to assess the significance of ecological and anthropogenic factors as predictors of the density of wintering oystercatchers. Using generalized linear mixed models, Oystercatcher density was positively correlated with sediment mud content and negatively correlated with seagrass cover. Density was also positively correlated with distance from human settlements and negatively correlated with the densities of recreationists and artisanal fishermen. Overall, oystercatchers avoid intertidal areas near human settlements. This study provides critical information on where conservation and research efforts should be focused to preserve this wader species. As a priority, investigations on flight initiation distances are needed to determine at which spatial level it would be beneficial to create buffer zones or walkways to minimise the negative impact of human disturbance on this wintering population.— Hamza, F. (2020). How habitat features and human activities shape occurrence of the declining Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus on a Mediterranean coastline. Ardeola, 67: 269-284.
期刊介绍:
Ardeola: International Journal of Ornithology is the scientific journal of SEO/BirdLife, the Spanish Ornithological Society. The journal had a regional focus when it was first published, in 1954. Since then, and particular during the past two decades, the journal has expanded its thematic and geographical scope. It is now a fully international forum for research on all aspects of ornithology. We thus welcome studies within the fields of basic biology, ecology, behaviour, conservation and biogeography, especially those arising from hypothesis-based research. Although we have a long publication history of Mediterranean and Neotropical studies, we accept papers on investigations worldwide.
Each volume of Ardeola has two parts, published annually in January and July. The main body of each issue comprises full-length original articles (Papersand Review articles) and shorter notes on methodology or stimulating findings (Short Communications). The publication language is English, with summaries, figure legends and table captions also in Spanish. Ardeolaalso publishes critical Book Reviewsand PhD-Dissertation Summaries; summarising ornithological theses defended in Spain. Finally there are two Spanish-language sections, Ornithological News; summarising significant recent observations of birds in Spain, and Observations of Rare Birds in Spain, the annual reports of the Spanish Rarities Committee.