ACCE DTP Annual Meeting, 2018

Poster, awarded with 1st prize, from the annual meeting of the ACCE Doctoral Training Partnership, on my research of the effects of environmental heterogeneity on foraging behaviour and reproductive success

Transcript

1. Muckle Skerry Copinsay Winnyfold Fowlsheugh Isle of May Coquet Filey Bempton Cliffs Puffin Bardsey Skomer St Martins Rathlin Colonsay Lambay The consequences of environmental heterogeneity Alice Trevail, J Green, J Sharples, J Polton, P Miller, FAME data contributors & S Patrick @AliceTrevail alice.trevail@Liverpool.ac.uk 0.5 1.0 -1 0 1 2 Mean no. fledglings per nest Environmental heterogeneity 63% decrease in success across range of environmental heterogeneity Homogeneous Heterogeneous Environmental Heterogeneity Uneven distribution of habitat = shapes resource distribution Our results: decreases reproductive success Study sites Why does fitness decline with heterogeneity? Increased trip duration, time spent foraging & overlap between individuals Would expect foraging area to increase Results from GPS data: Would expect foraging distance to increase Results from GPS data: No change in total distance travelled or size of foraging area No change in maximum foraging distance Would expect increase in overlap between individuals Results from GPS data: 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 -1 0 1 2 Foraging Overlap between individuals (BA index) Environmental heterogeneity At-sea area use • Significantly more overlap • No change in foraging area Trip Metrics • Significantly longer trips • No change in max / total distance 1 2 3 -1 0 1 2 Trip Duration ( log (h) ) Environmental heterogeneity Behavioural state • Significantly more foraging • Significantly less transiting Proportion of time 0.2 0.4 0.6 -1 0 1 2 Transit Rest Forage Environmental heterogeneity Environmental heterogeneity increases competition at resource patches, with negative consequences for fitness H1 Reduced area of high quality habitat? H2 Foraging patches further apart? H3 Increased competition? Increasing heterogeneity Species: black-legged kittiwakes Data = GPS tracking & reproductive success Thanks to the RSPB and all contributors to the FAME tracking project for data Defined using principal co-ordinate analysis of 6 environmental variables