Breeding Ecology of Adélie Penguins in Mid Victoria Land, Ross Sea Antarctica
Identifying the factors influencing seabird breeding output is critical for their conservation because breeding performance in turn influences population dynamics. This is particularly important in sensitive environments, where ecological disturbances can lead to changes in population trends of extr...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-05-01
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| Series: | Diversity |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/14/6/429 |
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| author | Silvia Olmastroni Francesco Ferretti Lucia Burrini Nicoletta Ademollo Niccolò Fattorini |
| author_facet | Silvia Olmastroni Francesco Ferretti Lucia Burrini Nicoletta Ademollo Niccolò Fattorini |
| author_sort | Silvia Olmastroni |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Identifying the factors influencing seabird breeding output is critical for their conservation because breeding performance in turn influences population dynamics. This is particularly important in sensitive environments, where ecological disturbances can lead to changes in population trends of extremely specialized species in a relatively short time. Here, we have reported on the breeding output of the Adélie penguin <i>Pygoscelis adeliae</i> in three colonies of the Mid Victoria Land, Ross Sea (Antarctica), in 2017/2018–2018/2019 to provide scientific information for the Ross Sea Marine Protected Area research and management plan. Breeding chronology, breeding success and chick growth did not differ between study colonies and were in line with data reported for other penguin colonies across Antarctica. Penguin breeding success was higher in central than in peripheral nests and decreased with an increasing number of neighboring nesting skuas; conversely, at-nest weather conditions experienced by chicks did not seem to play a role. Our findings suggest that the quality of the nesting environment seems more important than the general condition of the colony in determining breeding output. Therefore, along with marine habitat characteristics for the planning of management and conservation of seabirds, the importance of the terrestrial environment must be also duly considered. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T23:59:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-52d8e1f5f41c4f75be9ecb77353aefc2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-2818 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T23:59:12Z |
| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Diversity |
| spelling | doaj.art-52d8e1f5f41c4f75be9ecb77353aefc22023-11-23T16:19:54ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182022-05-0114642910.3390/d14060429Breeding Ecology of Adélie Penguins in Mid Victoria Land, Ross Sea AntarcticaSilvia Olmastroni0Francesco Ferretti1Lucia Burrini2Nicoletta Ademollo3Niccolò Fattorini4Museo Nazionale dell’ Antartide ‘F. Ippolito’, Via Laterino 8, 53100 Siena, ItalyDepartment of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, ItalyDepartment of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, ItalyInstitute of Polar Sciences of the National Research Council (ISP-CNR), Strada Provinciale 35d, km 0.7, 00010 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Life Sciences, University of Siena, Via P.A. Mattioli 4, 53100 Siena, ItalyIdentifying the factors influencing seabird breeding output is critical for their conservation because breeding performance in turn influences population dynamics. This is particularly important in sensitive environments, where ecological disturbances can lead to changes in population trends of extremely specialized species in a relatively short time. Here, we have reported on the breeding output of the Adélie penguin <i>Pygoscelis adeliae</i> in three colonies of the Mid Victoria Land, Ross Sea (Antarctica), in 2017/2018–2018/2019 to provide scientific information for the Ross Sea Marine Protected Area research and management plan. Breeding chronology, breeding success and chick growth did not differ between study colonies and were in line with data reported for other penguin colonies across Antarctica. Penguin breeding success was higher in central than in peripheral nests and decreased with an increasing number of neighboring nesting skuas; conversely, at-nest weather conditions experienced by chicks did not seem to play a role. Our findings suggest that the quality of the nesting environment seems more important than the general condition of the colony in determining breeding output. Therefore, along with marine habitat characteristics for the planning of management and conservation of seabirds, the importance of the terrestrial environment must be also duly considered.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/14/6/429Adélie penguinAntarctic speciesbreeding ecologyhatching successbreeding successcolony habitat |
| spellingShingle | Silvia Olmastroni Francesco Ferretti Lucia Burrini Nicoletta Ademollo Niccolò Fattorini Breeding Ecology of Adélie Penguins in Mid Victoria Land, Ross Sea Antarctica Diversity Adélie penguin Antarctic species breeding ecology hatching success breeding success colony habitat |
| title | Breeding Ecology of Adélie Penguins in Mid Victoria Land, Ross Sea Antarctica |
| title_full | Breeding Ecology of Adélie Penguins in Mid Victoria Land, Ross Sea Antarctica |
| title_fullStr | Breeding Ecology of Adélie Penguins in Mid Victoria Land, Ross Sea Antarctica |
| title_full_unstemmed | Breeding Ecology of Adélie Penguins in Mid Victoria Land, Ross Sea Antarctica |
| title_short | Breeding Ecology of Adélie Penguins in Mid Victoria Land, Ross Sea Antarctica |
| title_sort | breeding ecology of adelie penguins in mid victoria land ross sea antarctica |
| topic | Adélie penguin Antarctic species breeding ecology hatching success breeding success colony habitat |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/14/6/429 |
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