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Content with tag larus fuscus .

Gulls and storks contribute to the dispersal of exotic invertebrate species between ricefields and protected areas

Scientists from Doñana Biological Station – EBD-CSIC have studied the role of waterbirds in the dispersion of invertebrates between habitats. The study has taken place in seven sites in Andalucia with different degrees of anthropogenization: Doñana ricefields, Celtina and Punta Entina saltpans in Almeria, Fuente de Piedra lake in Malaga, and three landfills sites in Huelva, Sevilla, and Córdoba. This new study shows the capacity of waterbirds to disperse freshwater invertebrates,...

Gulls can spread weeds over large distances and between habitats

A study from the Doñana Biological Station has developed a seed dispersal model based on the movement of gulls monitored by GPS telemetry, while feeding in rice fields in Andalusia, South-West Spain.
Modelling shows that gulls can disperse weeds over large distances and between different hábitats, causing the exchange of weed and alien plant species between agricultural crops and natural areas.

Seagulls act as vectors of metals and arsenic between landfills and protected wetlands

Researchers from the Doñana Biological Station assessed the spatial variation in concentrations of ten metals in faeces of the lesser black-backed gull (Larus fuscus) wintering at seven localities in South-West Spain. They found high concentrations of metals in gull faeces, with several elements (arsenic, copper, molybdenum, lead and zinc) locally exceeding (by 2 to 11 times) derived Lowest Effect Level (LEL) values.

Endozoochory of similar plants by storks and gulls

Research into the dispersal of plants lacking a fleshy fruit by avian endozoochory remains limited, particularly regarding the different roles of specific vectors in the same habitat. Plants dispersed by endozoochory were compared between two migratory waterbirds differing in body size: the lesser black-backed gull, and the white stork. Faeces and pellets were collected from roosting flocks on dykes in the Doñana rice fields, and extracted intact seeds. 424 intact seeds from 21 plant taxa...

The functional connectivity network of wintering gulls links seven habitat types, acting ricefields as the central node

The lesser black-backed gull is now the second most abundant wintering waterbird in Andalusian wetlands. Many birds are fitted with GPS loggers on their breeding grounds in northern Europe, and using 42 tagged individuals we studied the connectivity network between different sites and habitats in Andalusia.
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