Long-term environmental influences on the ecology and conservation of river birds

淡水生态系统只占地球表面的不到1%，却承载着地球上约10%的物种和三分之一的脊椎动物。这包括近2000种鸟类——约占全球总数的20%——它们的全部或部分生命周期依赖于内陆水域或其边缘。然而，与此同时，这些物种中的许多都暴露在淡水的多重全球环境压力下，这些压力现在导致灭绝和损害的速度比任何其他生态系统都要快。有必要了解这些过程，评估生态系统和生态系统服务的后果，并制定管理战略以制止或扭转不利影响。在英国，小毛尾和灰鹡鸰与溪流和河流密切相关，但自20世纪70年代以来，它们的数量下降，现在分别被列为“琥珀色”和“红色”保护状态。超过35年的研究表明，1)这些物种与淡水中无脊椎动物生产的质量/数量整体相关（Ormerod & Tyler 1991） 2)它们的分布、丰度和生活史受到淡水生态系统压力源的影响，如污染、持久性污染物、塑料、气候变化和物理栖息地特征（Vaughan et al. 2007; Windsor et. 2019）。因此，这些物种被全球公认为河流及其周围集水区质量的指标。该项目将利用这些详细的知识来评估导致旱地鹬和灰鹡鸰分布、数量和数量变化的因素，特别是中/南威尔士，主要关注农村河流，我们将关注日益增长的农业对河流生态和河鸟的影响，并提出以下问题：河鸟的分布、数量和数量与土地利用在空间/时间上有何关系？通过哪些淡水生态过程？具体来说：i)土地利用如何影响河鸟的繁殖性能、种群数量和适应性？ii)土地利用如何改变淡水猎物的可得性和河鸟的猎物利用？iii)土地利用对水质和自然生境的影响如何影响河鸟？iv)土地利用如何影响河鸟接触污染物？v)是否有证据表明，集水区或河岸区的缓解策略可以抵消第i)项至第iv)项所显示的任何不利影响？

Covering less than 1% of Earth's surface, freshwater ecosystems host around 10% of the Earth's species and a third of all vertebrates. This includes almost 2000 bird species - roughly 20% of the global total - that depend on inland waters or their margins for all or part of their life cycle. Simultaneously, however, many of these species are exposed to multiple, global environmental stressors on freshwaters that are now responsible for rates of extinction and impairment faster than in any other ecosystem. There is a need to understand the processes, assess the consequences for ecosystems and ecosystem-services, and for management strategies to halt or reverse adverse effects. In the UK, Dippers Cinclus cinclus and Grey Wagtails Motacilla cinerea are associated closely with streams and rivers, but now have respectively 'amber' and 'red' conservation status following population decline since the 1970s. Research over 35 years has shown that 1) these species are connected integrally to the quality/quantity of invertebrate production in freshwaters (Ormerod & Tyler 1991) 2) their distribution, abundance and life histories are affected by freshwater ecosystem stressors such as pollution, persistent contaminants, plastics, climatic variation and physical habitat character (Vaughan et al. 2007; Windsor et. 2019). As a result, these species are recognised globally as indicators of the quality of rivers and their surrounding catchments. This project will use this detailed knowledge to assess factors responsible for variations in the distribution, abundance and demography of Dippers and Grey Wagtails areas of their upland range - specifically Mid/South Wales Focusing mostly on rural rivers, we will pay attention to growing concerns about the influence of intensifying agriculture on the ecology of rivers and river birds to ask: How do the distribution, abundance and demography of river birds relate to land use in space/time, and through what freshwater ecological processes? Specifically:i) How does land use affect the breeding performance, demography and fitness of river birds?ii) How does land use alter freshwater prey availability and prey use for river birds?iii) How do land use effects on water quality and physical habitat affect river birds?iv) How does land use affect pollutant exposure in river birds?v) Is there any evidence that mitigation strategies in catchments or riparian zone can offset any adverse effects revealed by i) to iv)?