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Nordstrand Bay
Response of waterbirds to habitat loss
One of the larger empirical studies of the effect of habitat loss on birds
was undertaken in the tidal area of Nordstrand Bay in the German Wadden Sea
(Hotker 1997). In addition to quantifying
the local loss of bird populations when some 33,000 ha of tidal habitat was
lost, it also emphasised the fact that it is difficult, if not impossible, to
measure the effects of localised habitat loss on the wider populations. This
was due to changing environmental conditions, the relatively small size of the
land claim and also the transitory nature of bird populations. It also concluded
that the attempts to compensate for the loss of habitat was not successful,
although it did restore the freshwater transition habitats that had been largely
lost due to previous reclaims. The proposed compensatory measures (at Beltringharder)
were insufficient to account for the loss of mudflats. This highlights that
compensation measures must ensure that habitats of similar or better quality
and quantity to those that are lost are provided as compensation.
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Guidance: Even in the case of such large scale habitat loss, it
was not possible to determine the effects of habitat loss on the larger
population in the Wadden Sea." (Atkinson
et al. 2001).
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References
Atkinson, P.W., Crooks, S., Grant, A. & Rehfisch, M.M.
2001.
The Success of Creation and Restoration Schemes in Producing Intertidal Habitat for Waterbirds.
English Nature Research Report, 425
English Nature.
Hotker, H.
1997.
Response of migratory bird populations to the land claim in the Nordstrand Bay, Germany.
In: Effect of Habitat Loss and Change on Waterbirds, eds.Goss-Custard, J.D., Rufino, R. & Luis, A.HMSO
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