Protected areas help waterbirds adapt to climate change

Date:
October 21, 2020
Source:
University of Turku
Summary:
Climate change pushes species distribution areas northward. However,
the expansion of species ranges is not self-evident due to
e.g. habitat degradation and unsustainable harvesting caused by
human activities. A new study suggests that protected areas can
facilitate wintering waterbird adaptation to climate warming by
advancing their range shifts towards north.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Climate change pushes species distribution areas northward. However,
the expansion of species ranges is not self-evident due to e.g. habitat degradation and unsustainable harvesting caused by human activities. A new study led from the University of Turku, Finland, suggests that protected
areas can facilitate wintering waterbird adaptation to climate warming
by advancing their range shifts towards north.


========================================================================== Researchers of the new study investigated the role of protected
areas for the range shifts of wintering waterbirds in Europe and North
Africa. Species communities were noted to shift faster inside protected
areas compared to other areas.

- Range shifts of waterbirds have been over 40 percent faster inside
protected areas compared to outside areas. On average, species communities
have shifted inside protected areas c. 90 kilometres in 25 years, says Postdoctoral Researcher Elie Gaget from the University of Turku.

Protected areas not only increased the colonisation towards northern
areas, but also prevented local extinctions on the southern range of
species compared to non-protected areas. This suggests that protected
areas can contribute to expand the overall range of species.

In addition to single protected areas, the protected area network as
a whole influenced the spread of waterbird species. Shifts in species communities were faster in areas with a dense protected area network
compared to areas where the network was sparse.

- Our findings highlight that protected area networks, historically
established to fight habitat degradation and over-exploitation of natural resources, are now also important to mitigate the negative effects of
climate warming on biodiversity, says Professor Jon Brommer from the
University of Turku.

The study is part of an international collaboration that utilised tens
of thousands of waterbird surveys covering 97 species from 39 countries
during 25 years. The international coordination of surveys has been
conducted by Wetlands International and the research was published in
the scientific journal of Conservation Biology.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Turku. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Elie Gaget, Diego Pavo'n‐Jorda'n, Alison Johnston, Aleksi
Lehikoinen, Wesley M. Hochachka, Brett K. Sandercock, Alaaeldin
Soultan, Hichem Azafzaf, Nadjiba Bendjedda, Taulant Bino, Luka
Božič, Preben Clausen, Mohamed Dakki, Koen Devos,
Cristi Domsa, Vitor Encarnac,a~o, Kiraz Erciyas‐Yavuz,
Sa'ndor Farago', Teresa Frost, Clemence Gaudard, Li'via Gosztonyi,
Fredrik Haas, Menno Hornman, Tom Langendoen, Christina Ieronymidou,
Vasiliy A. Kostyushin, Lesley J.

Lewis, Svein‐Haakon Lorentsen, Leho Luiujoe, Włodzimierz
Meissner, Tibor Mikuska, Blas Molina, Zuzana Musilova',
Viktor Natykanets, Jean‐Yves Paquet, Nicky Petkov, Danae
Portolou, Jozef Ridzoň, Samir Sayoud, Marko Sćiban,
Laimonas Sniauksta, Antra Stīpniece, Nicolas Strebel, Norbert
Teufelbauer, Goran Topić, Danka Uzunova, Andrej Vizi, Johannes
Wahl, Marco Zenatello, Jon E.

Brommer. Benefits of protected areas for nonbreeding waterbirds
adjusting their distributions under climate warming. Conservation
Biology, 2020; DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13648 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201021130132.htm

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