Combining Citizen Science Data and Satellite Descriptors of Ecosystem Functioning to Monitor the Abundance of a Migratory Bird during the Non-Breeding Season

Francisco S Moreira,André Verde,Adrián Regos,José A Pérez,David Gonçalves,Bruno Meunier,Marc Pagès,João F Gonçalves,Jean-Pierre Lepetit,João P Honrado,Tiago M Rodrigues

doi:10.3390/rs14030463

Abstract

Migratory birds are particularly exposed to habitat changes in their breeding and non-breeding grounds. Remote sensing technologies offer an excellent opportunity to monitor species’ habitats from space at unprecedented spatiotemporal scales. We analyzed if remotely sensed ecosystem functioning attributes (EFAs) adequately predict the spatiotemporal variation of the Woodcock’s (Scolopax rusticola) relative abundance in southwest Europe, during autumn migration and wintering periods. We used data gathered from Woodcock monitoring through citizen science (N = 355,654 hunting trips) between 2009 and 2018. We computed a comprehensive set of EFAs on a weekly basis from three MODIS satellite products: enhanced vegetation index (EVI), tasseled cap transformation (TCT), and land surface temperature (LST). We developed generalized linear mixed models to explore the predictive power of EFAs on Woodcock’s abundance during the non-breeding season. Results showed that Woodcock abundance is correlated with spatiotemporal dynamics in primary productivity (measured through the EVI), water cycle dynamics (wetness component of TCT), and surface energy balance (LST) in both periods. Our findings underline the potential of combining citizen science and remote sensing data to monitor migratory birds throughout their life cycles—an issue of critical importance to ensure adequate habitat management in the non-breeding areas.

Highlights

In the face of rapid global environmental changes, it is increasingly important to understand the main factors affecting species’ habitats throughout their annual life cycle [1].The status of habitats in wintering and migratory seasons becomes critical for species that spend part of the year in different regions
The present study aims to understand better how ecosystem functioning influences the population abundance of migratory birds throughout the non-breeding season
The relative abundance index initially increases over the migration period until reaching a maximum peak, followed by a relatively stable phase that coincides with the wintering season

Summary

Introduction

In the face of rapid global environmental changes, it is increasingly important to understand the main factors affecting species’ habitats throughout their annual life cycle [1]. The status of habitats in wintering and migratory seasons becomes critical for species that spend part of the year in different regions. These species are exposed to changes in conditions and resources. Several aspects of ecosystem functioning relevant for species have been severely affected by climate and land-use change over recent decades [2]. As the annual life cycle of migratory species involves movements between different locations, it becomes more complex to evaluate the influence of interannual environmental changes in these species [3,4]. Managers and decision makers need to be updated with the best information available on the status of both breeding and non-breeding populations to protect them effectively

Methods

Results

Conclusion