Shorebirds assemblages as indicators of ecological status and sediment quality in the Ria Formosa lagoon

Danchenko, Sergei A.

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/1733

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Authors

Danchenko, Sergei A.

Advisor(s)

Newton, Alice

Ramos, Jaime Albino

Abstract(s)

The Ria Formosa lagoon is a site of international environmental importance, included into Natura 2000 Network, Ramsar Convention and European Water Framework Directive (WFD). This thesis focuses on the study of shorebird assemblages feeding on intertidal flats in relation with physical properties of the sediments, meiobenthos and macrobenthos communities. The study sites were presumably different in ecological status, both located close to the WFD intercalibration sites with defined ecological status. The study sites did not differ significantly by sediment granulometry, but differed in total organic content and redox potential of the sediment. Bird communities consisted of the same species but differed in relative densities between sites. No relation was found between bird densities and their benthic prey. The other habitat characteristics, tidal channels, disturbance of sediment by shellfishery and distance to roost sites, presence of complementary feeding sites influenced bird communities.