The impact of climate change on animals and nature is a recurring research topic. But according to the news website n-tv also the habitats of migratory birds are threatened by climate change. This claim turns out to be true.
Climate change is affecting most coastal areas and their inhabitants, such as migratory birds that stop in the Wadden Sea to replenish their energy reserves. This is according to an article published by the German news channel n-tv on its own website on 13 June 2022. The article was taken from the German press agency “dpa”.
It is based on a study by the Wadden Sea World Heritage. The organization is responsible for trilateral cooperation between Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands in the Wadden Sea and for the conservation and protection of the Wadden Sea. The article includes statements from Dr Hans-Ulrich Rösner, Head of the WWF Wadden Sea Office and Dr Kristine Meise, overseeing biodiversity and migratory bird routes at Waddensea World Heritage and contributing to the study. The article deals with the changes in the Wadden Sea due to climate change and the many migratory birds that use the Wadden Sea to spend the winter or to replenish their energy reserves. Rising sea levels due to climate change in north-western Europe are seen as the main threat for migratory bird populations. To gain deeper insights and assess the assertion, it’s important to closely examine the main source of the article: the study by Wadden Sea World Heritage.
Background of the flyway report
The article, published by n-tv, is based on a 2020 study by the Wadden Sea World Heritage. The “East Atlantic Flyway Assessment 2020”, a collection of studies to monitor the status of waterbird populations along the coast, can make predictions and observations about current changes in migratory birds. The report is the result of a collaboration between several international organizations, including the Wadden Sea Flyway Initiative, Wetlands International and BirdLife International.
The study is based on bird counts along the East Atlantic route (Arctic – Wadden Sea – Africa) from 2020, involving more than 13,000 people in 36 countries. It focuses on 115 predominantly larger coastal sites in 31 countries, which host around 60% of all waterbirds occurring along the entire coastal flyway during the non-breeding season. The results of the census were analyzed by observers, site managers and national coordinators of the International Waterbird Census (IWC). Researchers face a major challenge due to the constant movement of migratory birds. They must record all locations simultaneously to get an accurate count of the global bird population.
Nevertheless, this approach allows a comprehensive assessment of the impact of climate change on migratory birds along their migratory routes.
Current Trends in Wadden Sea Bird Populations
Over the long-term study period, 30% of the 83 waterbird populations analyzed were found to be in decline. The future of four populations is also uncertain. Over the short-term study period, 29% of the waterbird populations were in decline, 4% were in severe decline.
The latest results of the Wadden Sea Census show that many bird populations breeding in the Wadden Sea are showing negative trends. There is evidence that these declines in the Wadden Sea are largely due to local factors. Possible reasons for the decline include changing climatic conditions that affect breeding success. Demographic data also show that several species are unable to produce enough offspring to maintain a stable population.
Climate change impacts on migratory birds
While direct human impacts have dominated the profile of pressures on migratory routes, the direct effects of climate change are becoming increasingly apparent. These occur either alone or in combination with other factors. Warmer temperatures are shifting the migration routes and distribution of migratory birds, while also affecting waterbirds in their breeding grounds. In addition, rising sea levels and increasingly extreme weather conditions are affecting the availability of habitats along migratory routes, including the Wadden Sea. According to the report, projections indicate that climate change will reduce habitat suitability for waterbirds in 58% of existing critical areas in Africa-Eurasia.
One of the most important effects of climate change, the accelerated rise in sea levels, has the potential to destroy the Wadden Sea. Hans-Ulrich Rösner stresses this in an interview. Rösner points out that the Wadden Sea normally grows as the sea level rises, but the dikes prevent the Wadden Sea from expanding inland. The result could be a shallower sea, reducing the availability of suitable roosting and feeding habitats and driving waders away from these areas. Bird species such as the knot are already showing adaptations that put them at risk of extinction. Many European countries are experiencing significant loss of coastal wetlands, with coastal defenses and development having the greatest impact on soft-sediment habitats. Dr Rune Michaelis, of the Lower Saxony Wadden Sea National Park, warns that the building of dikes is stopping the Wadden Sea from coping with rising sea levels, which could result in it being “flooded like a bathtub.”
Many challenges for Migratory birds
The study confirms that migratory birds in the Wadden Sea are affected by climate change. However, Dr Rune Michaelis emphasizes that climate change can only be seen as an overarching problem for migratory birds. It is important to not reduce the problem due to climate change alone, but to look at a variety of causes. In addition to climate change, increasing human population density in migratory bird habitats also plays a significant role. Urban growth along the flyway has doubled in the last 25 years, leading to more pollution such as noise, litter and waste. Overfishing and agricultural expansion are also damaging the birds’ habitats and food sources. Furthermore, nature conservation in the Wadden Sea area often takes a back seat to coastal protection.
Conclusion
Looking at the claim itself, it can be classified as true. Both, the study and the experts Dr Rösner and Dr Michaelis have emphasized that climate change is a threat for migratory birds in the Wadden Sea. However, it should be mentioned that there are many other factors besides climate change that affect migratory birds in the Wadden Sea. This is not mentioned in the claim as well. So, even though the statement is true, it might be criticized in the claim for not fully explaining how the living conditions for migratory birds in the Wadden Sea are changing.
RESEARCH | ARTICLE – Lennart Platz and Moritz Orth, Jade University of Applied Sciences, Germany
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