Princeton researchers may have solved the long-standing puzzle of why migratory shorebirds around the world are plummeting several times faster than coastal ecosystems are being developed. They discovered that shorebirds overwhelmingly rely on the portion of tidal zones closest to dry land for food and rest as they migrate, which are the locations most often lost to development. Photo by Tong Mu, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Princeton University researchers may have solved a long-standing mystery in conservation that could influence how natural lands are designated for the preservation of endangered species.
By closely examining 17 migratory shorebirds at two critical stopovers along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, the researchers found that upper tidal flats appear to be especially important to most shorebirds.
Tidal flats are the areas between dry land and the sea. Upper tidal flats are those parts of the flats closest to dry land. Because upper tidal flats are more prone to coastal development, the findings could help explain why shorebird populations depending on that slice of land have declined much faster than the overall rate of tidal flat loss. Indeed, the study showed that the upper tidal flats supported 70% of the birds' cumulative foraging time.
The work highlights the importance of protecting upper tidal flats to conserve migratory shorebirds. It also demonstrates the value of gaining a detailed ecological understanding of habitat usage by migratory animals when planning conservation strategies for species.
Migratory animals play vital ecological roles in ecosystems worldwide, yet many species are threatened by human activities.
