The Effects of Climate Change on Waterfowl Migration Flyway Habitat in North America

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The Effects of Climate Change on Waterfowl
Migration Flyway Habitat in North America
By Jason Preuett
Southern University Urban Forestry
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Topics
Introduction Behavior and Migration Habitat and
Behavior Waterfowl and Ecosystem
relationship Migration Routes Regions Solutions Co
nclusion
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Introduction
Wetland habitat loss and warmer temperatures
affect waterfowl nesting timing, habitat, and
available food source during migration routes
According to the Wildlife Society, the ranges
of habitats and wildlife are predicted to move
northward as temperatures increase limited by
migratory pathways, pollinator availability, and
concurrent movement of forage and prey
Waterfowl habitat is affected by urban growth,
wetland loss, and agricultural use The effects
of global warming on waterfowl populations and
range distributions can be negative or positive
Source of Picture Ducks Unlimited. Picture of
Trumpeter Swan
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Behavior and Migration Factors
Disruption of ecological processes, displacement,
or disruption of coastal wetlands and alpine
ecosystems Migration timing and distance is
affected by global warming Warmer temperatures
would limit the need for waterfowl to fly far
south to find suitable habitat for shelter and
food Nesting and reproductive behavior can be
altered with changes in weather
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Habitat and Behavior
Forests, lakes, prairie, rivers, and wetlands
directly affected. The temperature increase can
potentially result in precipitation patterns
changes and extreme weather of more frequent
droughts and flooding Timing of migration for
waterfowl is associated with seasonal and annual
periods of precipitation and flooding and food
availability affecting habitats Nesting behavior
can be indirectly affected by climate
conditions Migratory waterfowl population is
greatly affected year to year by breeding success
The loss of habitat in available adequate
wetlands and grassland habitats plays a greater
role Picture Source Ducks Unlimited Northern
Pintail
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Waterfowl and Ecosystem Relationship

• Waterfowl disburse seed and contribute nutrients
• Depend on insects, grasses, and seeds in
  migration and raising young
• Plays an important role as indicators of overall
  health of natural systems due to sensitivity to
  changes (National Wildlife Federation 2005)

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North America Flyways
Picture Source Ducks Unlimited
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Picture Source Birdnature.org
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Migration Routes

• Migration routes are also called flyways
  consisting of Atlantic, Mississippi, Central, and
  Pacific flyways
• Follow a north or south direction following
  coasts, mountain ranges, rivers, and other water
  bodies
• Timing and range of travel is affected by climate
  and timing of food supply

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Picture Source Birdnature.org
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Atlantic Flyway

• The prairie regions along this route cover part
  of Pothole Region containing shallow wetlands
• The coastal routes for migratory waterfowl of
  canvasbacks, redheads, and lesser scanups are
  used for travel to winter habitat in the water
  and marshes south of Delaware bay

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Picture Source Birdnature.org
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Central Flyway

• Called the flyway of the Great Plains because it
  includes the regions between the Mississippi
  river valley and the Rocky Mountains
• Flyway merges east toward the Mississippi flyway
  due the direction of the Missouri river
• Western boundary serves an important function as
  breeding areas
• Majority of the Travel fly north to south toward
  wintering grounds

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Picture Source Birdnature.org
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Mississippi Flyway

• Longest migration route in the Western Hemisphere
  merging in parts of the Central flyway
• Areas along the Mississippi river provide cover
  and habitat for large numbers of ducks, geese,
  shorebirds, and songbirds

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(No Transcript)
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Pacific Flyway

• Includes vast regions important for breeding
  grounds in Alaska and Canada
• The migrating birds use wintering grounds in
  California in the United States that do not
  travel to Mexico or other flyways

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Regions Along Flyways
Picture Source Hunting Society.org Wood Ducks
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Regions

• Prairie Pothole Region
• Boreal Forests, Tundra, and other Arctic Habitat
• Gulf Coast
• Atlantic Coast
• Pacific Coast
• Inland Regions River Basins and Freshwater Lakes

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Prairie Pothole Region
Made up of shallow wetlands located in the
north-central United States and south-central
Canada known as the continents duck factory
Makes up only ten percent of the North American
breeding habitat, but produces 50 to 80 percent
of the total duck population Climate change
would affect the breeding success through drought
by causing reduced clutch sizes, shorter nesting
seasons, lower nesting success, and lower brood
survival Changes in climate reduce wetland
pockets Picture Source tabletpcbuzz.com
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Boreal Forests, Tundra, and other Arctic Habitat
Exist in Alaska and northern Canada In Alaska 20
percent of North America waterfowl breeding
habitat The region is warming up the fastest
with unknown affects on waterfowl nesting and
breeding Scanup and scoter duck species have
been declining
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Gulf Coast
Provides winter habitat with the wetlands located
in the southern part of the Mississippi flyway
Problems are the rising sea level and the loss
of wetlands affects species like lesser scanup
and northern pintail If losses are severe, the
migrating waterfowl would redistribute inland
affecting wintering waterfowl in cold years
Species at the greatest risks include redheads,
lesser scanup, and canvasbacks Shallow
agricultural lands may service as alternative
food source for most dabbling ducks like
mallards, northern pintails, northern shovelers,
and mottled ducks
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Atlantic Coast
Includes Florida, Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Bay
and part of the Atlantic flyway Affects the
stream flows by altering local salinity and
nutrients loading degrading water quality and
aquatic plants Chesapeake Bay used by nearly 1
million waterfowl (ducks, geese, and swans)
during winter Waterfowl population that uses
the area during winter has dropped significantly
In Florida, wetland habitat loss from urban
development has lead to saltwater intrusion and
loss of winter habitat Picture Source Ducks
Unlimited - Canvasbacks
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Pacific Coast
Includes San Francisco Bay, San Diego Bay, Puget
Sound, and the Fraiser river delta in Canada
Covers the Pacific flyway providing critical
habitat for resident and migrating waterfowl
Rise in sea levels, inland precipitation
pattern changes, and decline in snow pack
mountains could affect the regions coastal
marshes and estuaries Changes could alter key
food sources and distribution affecting the
diving ducks canvasbacks and ruddy ducks Picture
Source Ducks Unlimited Ruddy Duck
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Inland Regions River Basins and Freshwater Lakes

• Areas are valuable for stopovers provide shelter
  areas and food source
• Changes in precipitation patterns may alter the
  amount of seasonal water flow and volume
• Great Lake areas where the possible combined
  changes in breeding and migration habitats could
  lower populations from 19 to 39 percent in these
  regions by 2030
• Great lake region supports diving and sea ducks
  and projected to have increased evaporation with
  higher temperatures causing the lake levels to
  drop reducing submerged vegetation food source

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Solutions

• 1.) Enhance current waterfowl and habitat
  conservation efforts
• 2.) Incorporate global warming and associated
  climate change into long-term resource management
  and planning
• 3.)Reduce the amount of carbon released in the
  air
• Source Waterfowlers Guide to Global Warming

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Conclusions

• Climate change can potentially alter waterfowl
  habitats and behavior
• Behavior changes act as a survival tool
• Potential migrations routes could travel shorter
  distances south for winter habitats and more
  northern migration for breeding grounds
• Changes in habitat flyways affect the survival
  and resources that migratory waterfowl use.
• Habitat loss of wetlands can have major effects
  on the behavior by changing seasonal
  precipitation and food availability along
  migrating waterfowl.
• Management decisions of natural habitats and
  waterfowl populations will be important in the
  future.

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Any Questions