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Effects of recreational disturbance on tidal wetlands: supporting the importance of undisturbed roosting sites for waterbird conservation

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Abstract

In coastal wetlands, the increasing level of disturbance from recreational activities could threaten waterbird populations, which overall are showing decreasing trends. Despite the crucial contribution of waterbirds to biodiversity, empirical studies measuring the effects of disturbance on them remain scarce, especially in terms of the impact upon their roosting sites. We developed an experimental treatment to measure the effects of a pedestrian walking on a site used by overwintering waterbirds in a wetland of international importance. We registered 156 events (88 at high tide) of flushing birds, totaling 4,018 individuals. Each treatment drove the flushing of 1–5 % of the wintering populations of nearly all species present during high tide. In addition, 1.5 % of the Eurasian curlew wintering population was driven to change site. All the effects were found to be reduced during other tidal periods. Therefore, allowing recreational use in a previously undisturbed area can systematically increase daily energy expenditure of significant percentages of different waterbird populations during high tide, and even cause birds to avoid a site completely. These effects will probably be even worse given that our results were derived only from a disturbance source of low magnitude and frequency. We recommend that, prior to developing recreational areas close to the shoreline, coastal wetland managers should study the habitat use of waterbirds during high tide in relation to total waterbird populations using the wetland.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Álvaro Bustamante and María Díaz for field assistance. Juan Amodia, José Barquín, José A. Masero and Jorge S. Gutiérrez made invaluable comments on an earlier draft. We also thank the staff of the Centro Meteorológico Territorial de Cantabria y Asturias (Agencia Española de Meteorología-AEMet) for their help in supplying meteorological data. The study was supported by Sociedad Española de Ornitología (SEO/BirdLife) and funded by the Bárcena de Cicero City Council, with the agreement of Organismo Autónomo Parques Nacionales (belonging to the former Spanish Ministry of the Environment). JGN was currently supported by a postdoctoral fellowship of Plan Regional de Investigación (III PRI + D + I) of Junta de Extremadura.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Conservation Biology Research Group, Zoology, University of Extremadura, 06006, Badajoz, Spain

    Juan G. Navedo

  2. Unidad Académica Mazatlán, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 811, Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico

    Juan G. Navedo

  3. Aves Cantábricas SL., Plaza de los Valles 10, 39300, Torrelavega, Cantabria, Spain

    Alejandro G. Herrera

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  1. Juan G. Navedo
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Correspondence to Juan G. Navedo.

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Navedo, J.G., Herrera, A.G. Effects of recreational disturbance on tidal wetlands: supporting the importance of undisturbed roosting sites for waterbird conservation. J Coast Conserv 16, 373–381 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11852-012-0208-1

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