Abstract
Extensive loss of natural wetlands caused by changes in land use largely diminishes the food resources essential for the survival of migratory waterbirds. Globally, the decline in waterbird populations in East Asia is the most serious, with 64% of these populations showing a decreasing trend. In this study, we applied DNA metabarcoding to examine the spatiotemporal variations and diversities in the dietary compositions of migratory waterbirds in a natural/artificial wetland complex in Asia. By investigating 110 fecal samples from the endangered black-faced spoonbill (Platalea minor) wintering in the wetland, our results show that P. minor had a broad dietary spectrum. The birds fed on at least 26 species in the classes Actinopterygii and Malacostraca, with Mugiliformes, Cichliformes, and Gobiiformes being the main taxa in their diets. Our results also demonstrated clear patterns of the spatiotemporal variations between the roosting groups and intraspecific variations between the individuals, which potentially reflect some of their feeding habits, and the probable usage of different habitat types in the wetland complex. Using high-throughput sequencing, we were able to elucidate the food resources that are critical to P. minor non-invasively, this method can also be used to provide invaluable information for the conservation of many other waterbird species.
Highlights
Extensive loss of natural wetlands caused by changes in land use largely diminishes the food resources essential for the survival of migratory waterbirds
The food web structure of modified wetlands has been extensively impacted by these economic activities, mainly through landscape change and pollution, which progressively decreases the availability of food along flyways and threatens the sustainability of many migratory waterbird populations
This study demonstrates the application of dietary DNA metabarcoding as an important conservation management tool to gain insights into the foraging ecology of endangered species, which can facilitate the development of effective conservation strategies
Summary
Extensive loss of natural wetlands caused by changes in land use largely diminishes the food resources essential for the survival of migratory waterbirds. The food web structure of modified wetlands has been extensively impacted by these economic activities, mainly through landscape change and pollution, which progressively decreases the availability of food along flyways and threatens the sustainability of many migratory waterbird populations. To halt the widespread loss of wetlands, multiple countries have created new or restored/enhanced existing artificial wetlands[7] as mitigation measures. In East Asia, the declines in waterbirds are the most serious among all global regions, with 64% of waterbird species occurring in East Asia showing a decreasing trend Many of these waterbirds migrate along the EastAsian Australasian Flyway (EAAF)[6]. Ramsar site Water courses Mudflat & mangrove Sampling sites Gei wai Fishponds & mitigation ponds Developed & rural area Black-faced spoonbill's home range km
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