Academic Journal
Review of contaminant levels and effects in shorebirds: Knowledge gaps and conservation priorities
| Title: | Review of contaminant levels and effects in shorebirds: Knowledge gaps and conservation priorities |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Yanju Ma, Chi-Yeung Choi, Alex Thomas, Luke Gibson |
| Source: | Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, Vol 242, Iss , Pp 113868- (2022) |
| Publisher Information: | Elsevier, 2022. |
| Publication Year: | 2022 |
| Collection: | LCC:Environmental pollution LCC:Environmental sciences |
| Subject Terms: | Waders, Flyway, Pollutants, POPs, Heavy metals, Conservation, Environmental pollution, TD172-193.5, Environmental sciences, GE1-350 |
| More Details: | Environmental pollution has emerged as a major threat to bird populations. Many shorebird populations are declining, although contamination has been documented in some shorebirds, evidence of negative impacts is sparse and this important topic remains understudied. To guide future research and develop effective conservation strategies, we carried out a comprehensive review of environmental pollutants and their consequences on shorebirds. In total, we found 93 relevant articles which examined pollutant contamination in ~37% (79 of 215) of all shorebird species, mostly from the Charadriidae and Scolopacidae families. Studies were geographically biased: the majority were conducted in American flyways, while only 1 was found from Australasia and few were conducted in Asian flyways. The main geographic gap for research includes East Africa, South Asia and Siberian Arctic. The most well-documented pollutants included mercury (Hg, 37 studies), cadmium (33), and lead (Pb, 28); less well studied pollutants were barium (1), calcium (1), strontium (1), dicofols (1), and other newly emerging contaminants, such as plastic debris/microplastics (4) and antibiotics resistance (2). Several pollutants have caused considerable concerns in shorebirds, including embryotoxicity caused by PCBs at non-optimum temperature (laboratory experiments); reduced reproduction performance linked to maternal Hg and paternal Pb (field evidence); and reduced refueling and flight performance related to oil contamination (both field and laboratory evidence). Our results confirm that an in-depth understanding of the local, regional and global factors that influence population trends of shorebirds in light of increasing pollution threats is essential for accurate and effective management and conservation strategies. |
| Document Type: | article |
| File Description: | electronic resource |
| Language: | English |
| ISSN: | 0147-6513 |
| Relation: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651322007084; https://doaj.org/toc/0147-6513 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113868 |
| Access URL: | https://doaj.org/article/8bef76dd3768448b820314e65b8a8d5a |
| Accession Number: | edsdoj.8bef76dd3768448b820314e65b8a8d5a |
| Database: | Directory of Open Access Journals |
| ISSN: | 01476513 |
|---|---|
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113868 |
| Published in: | Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety |
| Language: | English |