Key Features of Intertidal Food Webs That Support Migratory Shorebirds - Université Pierre et Marie Curie Access content directly
Journal Articles PLoS ONE Year : 2013

Key Features of Intertidal Food Webs That Support Migratory Shorebirds

Pierrick Bocher
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Johann Lavaud
Hélène Montanié
Jean-Luc Mouget
Francis Orvain
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  • PersonId : 974143
Pierre-Yves Pascal
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Nathalie Niquil

Abstract

The migratory shorebirds of the East Atlantic flyway land in huge numbers during a migratory stopover or wintering on the French Atlantic coast. The Brouage bare mudflat (Marennes-Oléron Bay, NE Atlantic) is one of the major stopover sites in France. The particular structure and function of a food web affects the efficiency of carbon transfer. The structure and functioning of the Brouage food web is crucial for the conservation of species landing within this area because it provides sufficient food, which allows shorebirds to reach the north of Europe where they nest. The aim of this study was to describe and understand which food web characteristics support nutritional needs of birds. Two food-web models were constructed, based on in situ measurements that were made in February 2008 (the presence of birds) and July 2008 (absence of birds). To complete the models, allometric relationships and additional data from the literature were used. The missing flow values of the food web models were estimated by Monte Carlo Markov Chain – Linear Inverse Modelling. The flow solutions obtained were used to calculate the ecological network analysis indices, which estimate the emergent properties of the functioning of a food-web. The total activities of the Brouage ecosystem in February and July are significantly different. The specialisation of the trophic links within the ecosystem does not appear to differ between the two models. In spite of a large export of carbon from the primary producer and detritus in winter, the higher recycling leads to a similar retention of carbon for the two seasons. It can be concluded that in February, the higher activity of the ecosystem coupled with a higher cycling and a mean internal organization, ensure the sufficient feeding of the migratory shorebirds.
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Dates and versions

hal-01613410 , version 1 (09-10-2017)

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Blanche Saint-Béat, Christine Dupuy, Pierrick Bocher, Julien Chalumeau, Margot de Crignis, et al.. Key Features of Intertidal Food Webs That Support Migratory Shorebirds. PLoS ONE, 2013, 15, pp.261 - 261. ⟨10.1371/journal.pone.0076739⟩. ⟨hal-01613410⟩
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