Natural versus artificial- wetlands and their waterbirds in Sri Lanka
| Autor: | Mariagrazia Bellio, Richard T. Kingsford, Sarath W. Kotagama |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2009 |
| Předmět: |
geography
geography.geographical_feature_category biology Ecology Wetland biology.organism_classification Population density Ramsar site Habitat Waterfowl Paddy field Environmental science Species richness Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics Nature and Landscape Conservation Wildlife conservation |
| Zdroj: | Biological Conservation. 142:3076-3085 |
| ISSN: | 0006-3207 |
| Popis: | As natural wetlands have disappeared around the world, artificial wetlands have increased. We found interesting differences in waterbird communities of two natural (Bundala Ramsar site) and seven artificial wetlands (irrigation tanks, salt ponds, rice paddies) in south-east Sri Lanka. Eight species exclusively used natural and one species artificial wetlands. Migratory species (shorebirds 64%, terns 47%) dominated species’ richness of natural lagoons, with densities of shorebirds 3–6 times greater than on artificial wetlands. Contrastingly, resident species (dabbling ducks, gallinules) contributed most to the diversity (59%) and density of waterbirds on artificial irrigation tanks. Cattle egrets dominated waterbird density (>70%) of rice paddies. Waterbird communities reflected physical and chemical character of wetlands: natural wetlands were shallow ( 1000 msm −1 ) compared to deep (>2 m) and freshwater (EC −1 ) artificial wetlands. Artificial inputs of water drained into the natural Embilikala lagoon changing its physico-chemical profile and disrupting the natural seasonal drying. Consequently its waterbird community was similar to artificial irrigation tanks, with shorebird species particularly impacted: densities half that of the other natural lagoon. Artificial salt ponds had similar physico-chemical properties to the natural Bundala lagoon and a similar waterbird community. Even though artificial wetlands supported waterbirds, they were not adequate replacements for loss of natural wetlands, favouring some species. Imposed hydrological stability degraded habitat quality for migratory shorebirds on one of our Ramsar site lagoons. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
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