Population Increases in Non-Breeding Sanderlings in Ghana Indicate Site Preference

Ardea

Theunis Piersma³  Alfred A. Nuoh¹  Jeroen Reneerkens⁴  Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu² 

[1] 2 Department of Animal Biology and Conservation Science, University of Ghana, P.O. Box LG 67, Legon, Accra, Ghana;1 Centre for African Wetlands, University of Ghana, P.O. Box LG 67, Legon, Accra, Ghana2 Department of Animal Biology and Conservation Science, University of Ghana, P.O. Box LG 67, Legon, Accra, Ghana;3 Animal Ecology Group, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands4 Department of Marine Ecology, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), P.O. Box 59, 1790 AB Den Burg, Texel, The Netherlands;3 Animal Ecology Group, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC Groningen, The Netherlands

关键词: Flyway Conservation;   

DOI  :  

学科分类：动物科学

来源: Nederlandse Ornithologische Unie/Netherlands Ornithological Union

【 摘 要 】

Tobeabletosetprioritiesinspeciesconservationplanning,weneedtoknowhowthesespeciesprioritizetheenvironmentthemselves,i.e.whattheyconsidertobebetterandworsesites.WepresentauniqueandrelevantcasefromtropicalWest-Africabasedon20yearsofmonthlycountsofwetlandsitesspreadalongthe550kmlongcoastofGhana.TheGhanaianSanderlingCalidrisalbapopulationincreasedalmostfourfoldfromaveragemonthlytotalcountsofc.1350Sanderlingsto4850duringthestudyperiod.Interestingly,withthisconsiderableincrease,thesiteswiththelargernumbersatthestartofthesurveyshowedthesmallestrelativeincreasesduring20yearsofmonitoring.Thispatternisconsistentwithabuffereffectandsuggeststhatwithanincreasingoverallpopulationthebestqualitysitesarefilledup,sothatadditionalbirdswillbeforcedtouselowerqualitysites.ThepreferredsiteinGhana,astretchofbeachnearthevillageofEsiamabetweentheAmansuri-Ankobraestuaries,isnowentirelyunprotected.Wearguethatthesiteshouldbeplacedhigherontheconservationagendagiventhefactthatupto3.5%oftheSanderlingpopulationconnectingGreenlandwithWest-andsouthernAfricarelyonthissite.

【 授权许可】

Unknown