The ecology of lesser black-backed gulls (Larus fuscus) in the Anthropocene: implications for conservation and management

管理人类与野生动物的冲突是一项重大的社会挑战。然而，在物种既是保护目标又是潜在的人类危害的情况下，这一挑战就更大了。在这种情况下，研究对于制定有效的管理战略至关重要，但往往缺乏研究。海鸥就是这样一个管理噩梦。在世纪后半叶急剧上升之后，许多海鸥种群在最近几十年急剧下降，引起了保护问题。然而，与此同时，分布的变化使海鸥与人类发生冲突，导致许可控制或其他直接干预。例如，约60%的小黑背鸥Larus fuscus（以下简称LBBG）的graellsii亚种在英国繁殖，大多数在几个关键地点繁殖，因此被列入英国琥珀保护鸟类名单。它受到欧盟鸟类指令在10个特别保护区（SPA）的保护-这是对野生鸟类提供的最高级别的法律的保护之一。相反，在非SPA地点，基于自然保育理由，或由于对人类健康和安全的风险，它受到许可证的管制。目前的立法矛盾是有问题的，因为我们几乎对SPA和非SPA（特别是城市）地点的鸟类繁殖生物学一无所知。这一空白是重要的，因为城市鸟类预计有机会获得更可预测的猎物和更安全的筑巢地点，导致预测更高的生殖输出，使他们不成比例的重要性。然而，这种研究尚未进行。本提案的目的是比较SPA和非SPA繁殖的LBBG的生态学。这些地点之间的比较将用于提供有关许可证和指定地点个案工作的建议，改善SPA海鸥的保护状况，并确保更好地管理海鸥与人类之间的冲突。

Managing human/wildlife conflicts is a major societal challenge. However, in cases where species are both a target for conservation and a potential human hazard, this challenge is greater still. In such instances, research is critical to develop effective management strategies, but is often lacking. Gulls represent just such a management nightmare. After sharp rises in the latter half of the twentieth century, many gull populations declined steeply in recent decades creating conservation concern. However, at the same time, distribution shifts have brought gulls into conflict with humans, leading to licenced control or other direct intervention. For instance, ~60% of the graellsii subspecies of lesser black-backed gull Larus fuscus (hereafter LBBG) breeds in the UK, most at a few key sites, and is therefore included on the UK Amber list of Birds of Conservation Concern. It is protected under the EU Birds Directive at 10 Special Protection Areas (SPAs) - one of the highest levels of legal protection afforded to wild birds. In contrast, it is subject to licensed control at non-SPA sites on conservation grounds, or because of risk to human health and safety. This current legislative contradiction is problematic since we know virtually nothing about the biology of birds breeding in SPA and non-SPA (particularly urban) sites. This void is significant since urban birds are predicted to have access to more predictable prey and safer nesting sites, leading to predicted higher reproductive output, making them disproportionately important. However such research has not been conducted. The aim of the current proposal is to compare the ecology of SPA and non-SPA breeding LBBGs. Comparisons between these sites will be used to inform advice in relation to licencing and designated site casework, improving the conservation status of SPA gulls and securing better management of conflicts between gulls and humans.