Predation and food–weather interactions drive colony collapse in a managed metapopulation of Arctic Terns ( Sterna paradisaea)
Seabirds are considered bioindicators of bottom-up ecosystem processes, owing to seabirds’ dependence on marine prey. However, ground-nesting seabirds are susceptible to predation, which can limit their use as bioindicators. Machias Seal Island (MSI) supported the largest colony of Arctic Terns (Ste...
Published in: | Canadian Journal of Zoology |
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2016-0281 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/full-xml/10.1139/cjz-2016-0281 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/cjz-2016-0281 |
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crcansciencepubl:10.1139/cjz-2016-0281 2024-06-23T07:50:04+00:00 Predation and food–weather interactions drive colony collapse in a managed metapopulation of Arctic Terns ( Sterna paradisaea) Scopel, L.C. Diamond, A.W. 2018 http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2016-0281 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/full-xml/10.1139/cjz-2016-0281 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/cjz-2016-0281 en eng Canadian Science Publishing http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining Canadian Journal of Zoology volume 96, issue 1, page 13-22 ISSN 0008-4301 1480-3283 journal-article 2018 crcansciencepubl https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2016-0281 2024-06-13T04:10:53Z Seabirds are considered bioindicators of bottom-up ecosystem processes, owing to seabirds’ dependence on marine prey. However, ground-nesting seabirds are susceptible to predation, which can limit their use as bioindicators. Machias Seal Island (MSI) supported the largest colony of Arctic Terns (Sterna paradisaea Pontoppidan, 1763) in the Gulf of Maine metapopulation, but prolonged breeding failure led ∼90% of terns to abandon the colony in 2006. We analyzed 12 years of food, weather, and predation data using logistic regression models to determine which had the strongest influence on breeding success. Food–weather interactions were important; under low rainfall, more euphausiids (northern krill, Meganyctiphanes norvegica (M. Sars, 1857)) in the diet increased breeding success, but euphausiids had a negative effect as rainfall became moderate or high. Predation by Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus Pontoppidan, 1763) increased following the cessation of lethal predator control; we identified a predation threshold of 25%, beyond which terns could not breed successfully. The collapse of MSI’s tern colony can be attributed entirely to gull predation. The breeding success of terns at MSI cannot be used as a bottom-up ecosystem bioindicator without accounting for predation. Managers of ground-nesting seabirds should consider predation and food as equally valid potential causes of population or reproductive declines. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Meganyctiphanes norvegica Northern krill Sterna paradisaea Seal Island Canadian Science Publishing Arctic Canadian Journal of Zoology 96 1 13 22 |
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Open Polar |
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Canadian Science Publishing |
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crcansciencepubl |
language |
English |
description |
Seabirds are considered bioindicators of bottom-up ecosystem processes, owing to seabirds’ dependence on marine prey. However, ground-nesting seabirds are susceptible to predation, which can limit their use as bioindicators. Machias Seal Island (MSI) supported the largest colony of Arctic Terns (Sterna paradisaea Pontoppidan, 1763) in the Gulf of Maine metapopulation, but prolonged breeding failure led ∼90% of terns to abandon the colony in 2006. We analyzed 12 years of food, weather, and predation data using logistic regression models to determine which had the strongest influence on breeding success. Food–weather interactions were important; under low rainfall, more euphausiids (northern krill, Meganyctiphanes norvegica (M. Sars, 1857)) in the diet increased breeding success, but euphausiids had a negative effect as rainfall became moderate or high. Predation by Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus Pontoppidan, 1763) increased following the cessation of lethal predator control; we identified a predation threshold of 25%, beyond which terns could not breed successfully. The collapse of MSI’s tern colony can be attributed entirely to gull predation. The breeding success of terns at MSI cannot be used as a bottom-up ecosystem bioindicator without accounting for predation. Managers of ground-nesting seabirds should consider predation and food as equally valid potential causes of population or reproductive declines. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Scopel, L.C. Diamond, A.W. |
spellingShingle |
Scopel, L.C. Diamond, A.W. Predation and food–weather interactions drive colony collapse in a managed metapopulation of Arctic Terns ( Sterna paradisaea) |
author_facet |
Scopel, L.C. Diamond, A.W. |
author_sort |
Scopel, L.C. |
title |
Predation and food–weather interactions drive colony collapse in a managed metapopulation of Arctic Terns ( Sterna paradisaea) |
title_short |
Predation and food–weather interactions drive colony collapse in a managed metapopulation of Arctic Terns ( Sterna paradisaea) |
title_full |
Predation and food–weather interactions drive colony collapse in a managed metapopulation of Arctic Terns ( Sterna paradisaea) |
title_fullStr |
Predation and food–weather interactions drive colony collapse in a managed metapopulation of Arctic Terns ( Sterna paradisaea) |
title_full_unstemmed |
Predation and food–weather interactions drive colony collapse in a managed metapopulation of Arctic Terns ( Sterna paradisaea) |
title_sort |
predation and food–weather interactions drive colony collapse in a managed metapopulation of arctic terns ( sterna paradisaea) |
publisher |
Canadian Science Publishing |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2016-0281 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/full-xml/10.1139/cjz-2016-0281 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/cjz-2016-0281 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic Meganyctiphanes norvegica Northern krill Sterna paradisaea Seal Island |
genre_facet |
Arctic Meganyctiphanes norvegica Northern krill Sterna paradisaea Seal Island |
op_source |
Canadian Journal of Zoology volume 96, issue 1, page 13-22 ISSN 0008-4301 1480-3283 |
op_rights |
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2016-0281 |
container_title |
Canadian Journal of Zoology |
container_volume |
96 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
13 |
op_container_end_page |
22 |
_version_ |
1802640833762033664 |