How do hydrological and climatic conditions influence the diversity and behavioural trends of water birds in small Mediterranean reservoirs? A community-level modelling approach

Wetlands are considered fundamental for the conservation of many species of birds. They are among the most threatened habitats on Earth, due to area loss through drainage and other land use changes, which lead to large-scale redistributions of birds and population declines. Although anthropogenic activities in wetlands tend to negatively affect water birds, by changing their natural habitat conditions, many species may benefit from the creation of artificial reservoirs, using these areas to feed, breed and rest. Reservoirs and some types of flooded agricultural fields are preferred by many species using Mediterranean extents for wintering and as stopover migration spots. The present paper examined the applicability of a Stochastic Dynamic Methodology (StDM) to predict the dynamics of the daylight water bird assemblages on artificial small reservoirs facing different climatic and hydrological conditions. The final model provided some basis to analyze the responses at community level (total abundance, species richness and behavioural categories) under very complex and variable environmental scenarios. The obtained results show how expected changes in the climatic and hydrological patterns will alter the bird community daylight dynamics, namely their composition and behavioural interactions.

► We modelled the response of daylight water bird communities to environmental changes. ► A holistic StDM was applied to Mediterranean artificial reservoirs. ► Increases in water availability results in less diverse and abundant communities. ► Lower temperature and water availability were associated with feeding activities. ► Our model could support decisions in water management for wildlife conservation.