WP3: Ecological Connectivity, we caught individuals of the five focal bird species central to the Tricma² project: Brent Geese (Branta bernicla), Barnacle Geese (Branta leucopsis), Pied Avocets (Recurvirostra avosetta), Common Shelducks (Tadorna tadorna), and Eurasian Curlews (Numenius arquata). The respective animals were equipped with solar-powered GPS data loggers which enabled the acquisition of high-resolution spatio-temporal tracking data used to address research questions on the selection and connectivity of various Wadden Sea habitats on several spatial scales (flyway-scale, landscape-scale, patch-scale). Regarding the habitat use of Barnacle Geese on the landscape-scale in the coastal zone of the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea, first results indicate the geese’s preference for salt marsh habitats compared to open water/intertidal flat regions and the coastal hinterland. Additionally, the intersection of tracking data with highly precise geospatial vector data gathered as part of the Trilateral Monitoring and Assessment Programme (TMAP) revealed that within salt marsh habitats, Barnacle Geese preferentially utilize intensively grazed areas compared to those that are ungrazed or extensively grazed. Preferred salt marsh zones are the low marsh and the pioneer zone as well as salt marsh systems with fresh grasslands. Next to these habitat analyses, which will be extended during the upcoming months, feces from all five bird species were collected for an assessment of the birds’ contamination with micro-plastics and other pollutants.

Participating Researchers
Dr. rer. nat. Philipp Schwemmer, CAU Kiel
Filiz Kück, CAU Kiel