Habitat selection by breeding waterbirds at ponds with size-structured fish populations

Fish may significantly affect habitat use by birds, either as their prey or as competitors. Fish communities are often distinctly size-structured, but the consequences for waterbird assemblages remain poorly understood. We examined the effects of size structure of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) cohor...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Die Naturwissenschaften 2010-07, Vol.97 (7), p.673-682
Main Authors: Kloskowski, Janusz, Nieoczym, Marek, Polak, Marcin, Pitucha, Piotr
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal Feed
Animals
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Birds - physiology
Body Size
Body Weight
Choice Behavior
Cyprinus carpio
Distant competition
Ecosystem
Environment
Feeding Behavior
Fishes - growth & development
Freshwater
Habitat selection
Life Sciences
Original Paper
Podiceps cristatus
Size-structured interactions
Waterbird assemblages
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Summary:Fish may significantly affect habitat use by birds, either as their prey or as competitors. Fish communities are often distinctly size-structured, but the consequences for waterbird assemblages remain poorly understood. We examined the effects of size structure of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) cohorts together with other biotic and abiotic pond characteristics on the distribution of breeding waterbirds in a seminatural system of monocultured ponds, where three fish age classes were separately stocked. Fish age corresponded to a distinct fish size gradient. Fish age and total biomass, macroinvertebrate and amphibian abundance, and emergent vegetation best explained the differences in bird density between ponds. Abundance of animal prey other than fish (aquatic macroinvertebrates and larval amphibians) decreased with increasing carp age in the ponds. Densities of ducks and smaller grebes were strongly negatively associated with fish age/size gradient. The largest of the grebes, the piscivorous great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus), was the only species that preferred ponds with medium-sized fish and was positively associated with total fish biomass. Habitat selection by bitterns and most rallids was instead strongly influenced by the relative amount of emergent vegetation cover in the ponds. Our results show that fish size structure may be an important cue for breeding habitat choice and a factor affording an opportunity for niche diversification in avian communities.
ISSN:0028-1042
1432-1904
DOI:10.1007/s00114-010-0684-9