Periodic Reporting for period 1 - MIGRADISP (Linking seasonal migration and dispersal: A large-scale demographic approach in a wild partially-migratory metapopulation)
Reporting period: 2021-09-01 to 2023-08-31
Migration (seasonal movement) and dispersal (movement between birth and first breeding, or between breeding events) are two critical life-history decisions, both taken in response to changing ecological conditions. They could involve similar decision-making processes and covary, thereby profoundly affecting spatio-temporal population dynamics. Yet, we still know remarkably little about how migration and dispersal might be linked and affect each other. While social information (obtained by observing others’ decisions) is known to influence dispersal decisions, we do not know how such information also influences migration. Key outstanding questions are: (1) What is the association between individual migration and dispersal? (2) What are the consequences (in terms of reproductive success) of such an association?
I found that migrating is associated to breeding dispersal, and that this can affect individual reproductive success. However, the direction of this effect on reproductive success depends on the years, so likely on the environmental conditions experienced by migrant and resident birds.
I found that migrating is associated to breeding dispersal, and that this can affect individual reproductive success. However, the direction of this effect on reproductive success depends on the years, so likely on the environmental conditions experienced by migrant and resident birds.
During this project, I collated ringing and location data from European Shags, analysed them, and prepared a manuscript for publication. This manuscript is currently being revised for publication in Journal of Animal Ecology.
I also prepared and published two other manuscripts on decision making and habitat selection in birds with different ecology but who also shared to aspects of their ecology with the European Shag (one on a colonial bird, and one on a seabird) (see publication list).
I also prepared and published two other manuscripts on decision making and habitat selection in birds with different ecology but who also shared to aspects of their ecology with the European Shag (one on a colonial bird, and one on a seabird) (see publication list).
On the European Shag population, we found unprecedenting evidence that migration can affect later decision, namely Dispersal and that both decisions could be part of a same syndrome.
Besides, we showed that dispersal and migration, seperately and in association have both an impact in individual reproductive success, but this is subject also to changes depending on local environmental conditions.
On the other species, we showed that location of breeding within a colony will impact which space individual utilize to forage and feed, and that individuals breeding in different parts of a same colony will segregate when feeding. This is important to consider also the the project on EUropean Shag which breed in colonies. This led us to differentiate mini-subcolonies when considering dispersal for the main project on European shags.
We also showed that the segregation while foraging of individuals from different subcolonies was important from a conservation aspect. Of people (researchers, stake-holders) do not take into account such segregation in colonial species like the European Shags and others when deriving Areas of Conservation Interest, then they are strongly biasing these Areas and jeopardizing the conservation of the species, or at least the efficiency of conservation measures.
Besides, we showed that dispersal and migration, seperately and in association have both an impact in individual reproductive success, but this is subject also to changes depending on local environmental conditions.
On the other species, we showed that location of breeding within a colony will impact which space individual utilize to forage and feed, and that individuals breeding in different parts of a same colony will segregate when feeding. This is important to consider also the the project on EUropean Shag which breed in colonies. This led us to differentiate mini-subcolonies when considering dispersal for the main project on European shags.
We also showed that the segregation while foraging of individuals from different subcolonies was important from a conservation aspect. Of people (researchers, stake-holders) do not take into account such segregation in colonial species like the European Shags and others when deriving Areas of Conservation Interest, then they are strongly biasing these Areas and jeopardizing the conservation of the species, or at least the efficiency of conservation measures.