NDLI: Effects of nesting waterbirds on nutrient levels in mangroves, Gulf of Fonseca, Honduras

Content Provider	Springer Nature Link
Author	McFadden, Tyler Neal Kauffman, J. Boone Bhomia, Rupesh K.
Copyright Year	2016
Abstract	Mangroves provide numerous ecosystem services, including biodiversity values such as nesting sites for piscivorous waterbirds. High concentrations of waterbirds at nest sites are hypothesized to affect ecosystem dynamics, yet few studies have examined their effects as a nutrient source in mangroves. We examined the effects of nutrient enrichment by colonial waterbirds at a mangrove rookery in the Gulf of Fonseca, Honduras. We compared nutrient inputs via bird guano deposition and macronutrient levels in the vegetation and soils between a small island that hosted large numbers of roosting waterbirds and an adjacent island with little evidence of waterbird activity. Nest density at the rookery was 1721 ± 469 nests ha$^{−1}$. Rookery birds deposited 7.2 ± 3.4 g m$^{−2}$ day$^{−1}$ guano dry weight, delivering an estimated 1.12 Mg ha$^{−1}$ nitrogen and 0.16 Mg ha$^{−1}$ phosphorus to the island over a 120 day breeding season. This large nutrient influx contributed to substantially higher concentrations of biologically important nutrients in the rookery soils (seven times more plant available phosphorus, eight times more nitrate, and two times more ammonium). Rookery mangrove leaves contained significantly higher concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus compared to the control site. These results suggest that colonial waterbirds significantly influence nutrient dynamics of mangroves at local scales. Further research is needed to understand the effects of avian derived nutrients on mangrove growth rates, nutrient export to adjacent waters, invertebrate communities, and mangrove associated fisheries.
Starting Page	217
Ending Page	229
Page Count	13
File Format	PDF
ISSN	09234861
Journal	Wetlands Ecology and Management
Volume Number	24
Issue Number	2
e-ISSN	15729834
Language	English
Publisher	Springer Netherlands
Publisher Date	2016-02-09
Publisher Place	Dordrecht
Access Restriction	One Nation One Subscription (ONOS)
Subject Keyword	Mangroves Macronutrient cycling Waterbirds Guano Nutrient enrichment Freshwater & Marine Ecology Evolutionary Biology Ecology
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Aquatic Science Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law

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1	Ministry of Education (GoI), Department of Higher Education	Sanctioning Authority	https://www.education.gov.in/ict-initiatives
2	Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur	Host Institute of the Project: The host institute of the project is responsible for providing infrastructure support and hosting the project	https://www.iitkgp.ac.in
3	National Digital Library of India Office, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur	The administrative and infrastructural headquarters of the project	Dr. B. Sutradhar bsutra@ndl.gov.in
4	Project PI / Joint PI	Principal Investigator and Joint Principal Investigators of the project	Dr. B. Sutradhar bsutra@ndl.gov.in Prof. Saswat Chakrabarti will be added soon
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