Biofilm grazing in a higher vertebrate: the western sandpiper, Calidris mauri.
نویسندگان
چکیده
We show that a higher vertebrate can graze surficial intertidal biofilm, previously only considered a food source for rasping invertebrates and a few specialized fish. Using evidence from video recordings, stomach contents, and stable isotopes, we describe for the first time the grazing behavior of Western Sandpipers (Calidris mauri) and estimate that biofilm accounts for 45-59% of their total diet or 50% of their daily energy budget. Our finding of shorebirds as herbivores extends the trophic range of shorebirds to primary consumers and potential competitors with grazing invertebrates. Also, given individual grazing rates estimated at seven times body mass per day and flock sizes into the tens of thousands, biofilm-feeding shorebirds could have major impacts on sediment dynamics. We stress the importance of the physical and biological processes maintaining biofilm to shorebird and intertidal conservation.
منابع مشابه
Biofilm Consumption and Variable Diet Composition of Western Sandpipers (Calidris mauri) during Migratory Stopover
Many shorebird species undertake long-distance migrations punctuated by brief stays at food-rich, estuarine stopover locations. Understanding use of these food resources helps guide conservation and responsible development decisions. We determined the extent and degree to which Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri) utilized biofilm as a food resource across a large and variable stopover location d...
متن کاملTissue damage precludes the use of the everted sleeve technique to measure nutrient uptake in a small migratory shorebird, the western sandpiper (Calidris mauri).
Tissue Damage Precludes the Use of the Everted Sleeve Technique to Measure Nutrient Uptake in a Small Migratory Shorebird, the Western Sandpiper ( Calidris mauri ) Author(s): R. Will Stein and Tony D. Williams Source: Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, Vol. 76, No. 5 (September/October 2003), pp. 762-770 Published by: The University of Chicago Press. Sponsored by the Division of Comparative...
متن کاملLatitudinal clines in food distribution correlate with differential migration in the Western Sandpiper.
We report that a latitudinal cline in intertidal food distribution is associated with the nonbreeding distribution of the Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri). This novel result is the first to demonstrate a clear relationship between patterns of differential nonbreeding distribution and food availability for any shorebird species. Within each age class and sex, longer-billed Western Sandpipers w...
متن کاملTropical and Subtropical Western Sandpipers (calidris Mauri ) Differ in Life History Strategies
– The Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri) is one of the most common shorebirds in the western hemisphere, with a global population of about of 3–3.5 million birds. The species breeds primarily in western Alaska, and spends the non-breeding season along the Pacific coast from California to Perú, and the Atlantic coast from North Carolina to Surinam. The largest concentrations occur in northwester...
متن کاملForaging behaviour of non-breeding Western Sandpipers Calidris mauri as a function of sex, habitat and flocking
Individuals within a population may vary considerably in the way they exploit available food resources. If the sexes differ in the size of their feeding apparatus, there can be differences in foraging behaviour and habitat use, hence one sex may be more susceptible to competition. We examined relationships between sexual dimorphism in bill size and foraging behaviour, and habitat and microhabit...
متن کاملذخیره در منابع من
با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید
برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید
ثبت ناماگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید
ورودعنوان ژورنال:
- Ecology
دوره 89 3 شماره
صفحات -
تاریخ انتشار 2008