Quality versus quantity: response of riparian bird communities to aquatic insect emergence in agro-ecosystems
In many agricultural landscapes where field drainage is required to enhance crop production, agricultural drainage ditches, and their associated banks and hedgerows can support riparian biodiversity, including bird communities. Against a global background of farmland bird and terrestrial insect decl...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1484377/full |
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| author | Natalie K. Rideout Niloofar Alavi Niloofar Alavi David R. Lapen Mehrdad Hajibabaei Greg W. Mitchell Greg W. Mitchell Wendy A. Monk Marlena Warren Scott Wilson Scott Wilson Michael T. G. Wright Donald J. Baird |
| author_facet | Natalie K. Rideout Niloofar Alavi Niloofar Alavi David R. Lapen Mehrdad Hajibabaei Greg W. Mitchell Greg W. Mitchell Wendy A. Monk Marlena Warren Scott Wilson Scott Wilson Michael T. G. Wright Donald J. Baird |
| author_sort | Natalie K. Rideout |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In many agricultural landscapes where field drainage is required to enhance crop production, agricultural drainage ditches, and their associated banks and hedgerows can support riparian biodiversity, including bird communities. Against a global background of farmland bird and terrestrial insect decline due to agricultural intensification and extensification, emerging aquatic insects in these aquatic corridors can provide a pulse of energy-rich, nutritionally-important food for birds and other wildlife. In this paper, we quantify the value of drainage ditch habitats in terms of aquatic insect production as a potential food source for riparian foraging birds in a river basin in eastern Canada. Despite being highly managed, agricultural drainage ditches remained extremely productive in terms of emerging biomass of aquatic insects (high quantity), but large-bodied aquatic insects such as mayflies, stoneflies and caddisflies, which are rich in fatty acids, were more common in natural, forested streams and less common in agricultural streams and ditches. The proportion of riparian insectivorous birds was lowest along straight ditches running through agricultural fields and highest among meandering (sinuous) streams in more forested areas, suggesting that agricultural drainage systems may not be able to fully support resource use for foraging predators that rely on emerging aquatic insects. Agricultural producers can improve habitat provisioning for birds on their farms by supporting mosaicked farmscapes through careful conservation and management of ditches and ditch bank vegetation. Establishing larger forest blocks with natural or unmanaged streams between areas of more intense land use can ensure the provisioning of more high quality prey to riparian insectivorous birds, helping to find the balance between agricultural productivity and protection of declining bird populations. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8b2ed0499f024fe5aa3bd53a49c8d5d3 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2571-581X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems |
| spelling | doaj-art-8b2ed0499f024fe5aa3bd53a49c8d5d32025-08-20T03:42:23ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems2571-581X2025-03-01810.3389/fsufs.2024.14843771484377Quality versus quantity: response of riparian bird communities to aquatic insect emergence in agro-ecosystemsNatalie K. Rideout0Niloofar Alavi1Niloofar Alavi2David R. Lapen3Mehrdad Hajibabaei4Greg W. Mitchell5Greg W. Mitchell6Wendy A. Monk7Marlena Warren8Scott Wilson9Scott Wilson10Michael T. G. Wright11Donald J. Baird12Department of Biology, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Rivers Institute, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, CanadaLandscape Science and Technology Directorate, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, ON, CanadaDepartment of Geography and Environmental Studies, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, CanadaOttawa Research Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, ON, CanadaCentre for Biodiversity Genomics and Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, CanadaWildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, ON, CanadaDepartment of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, CanadaFaculty of Forestry and Environmental Management, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Rivers Institute, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, CanadaDepartment of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, CanadaWildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, ON, CanadaDepartment of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, CanadaCentre for Biodiversity Genomics and Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, CanadaDepartment of Biology, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Rivers Institute, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, CanadaIn many agricultural landscapes where field drainage is required to enhance crop production, agricultural drainage ditches, and their associated banks and hedgerows can support riparian biodiversity, including bird communities. Against a global background of farmland bird and terrestrial insect decline due to agricultural intensification and extensification, emerging aquatic insects in these aquatic corridors can provide a pulse of energy-rich, nutritionally-important food for birds and other wildlife. In this paper, we quantify the value of drainage ditch habitats in terms of aquatic insect production as a potential food source for riparian foraging birds in a river basin in eastern Canada. Despite being highly managed, agricultural drainage ditches remained extremely productive in terms of emerging biomass of aquatic insects (high quantity), but large-bodied aquatic insects such as mayflies, stoneflies and caddisflies, which are rich in fatty acids, were more common in natural, forested streams and less common in agricultural streams and ditches. The proportion of riparian insectivorous birds was lowest along straight ditches running through agricultural fields and highest among meandering (sinuous) streams in more forested areas, suggesting that agricultural drainage systems may not be able to fully support resource use for foraging predators that rely on emerging aquatic insects. Agricultural producers can improve habitat provisioning for birds on their farms by supporting mosaicked farmscapes through careful conservation and management of ditches and ditch bank vegetation. Establishing larger forest blocks with natural or unmanaged streams between areas of more intense land use can ensure the provisioning of more high quality prey to riparian insectivorous birds, helping to find the balance between agricultural productivity and protection of declining bird populations.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1484377/fullsecondary productionagricultural streamsagricultural drainage ditchesinsectivorous birdsemerging aquatic insectsecosystem services |
| spellingShingle | Natalie K. Rideout Niloofar Alavi Niloofar Alavi David R. Lapen Mehrdad Hajibabaei Greg W. Mitchell Greg W. Mitchell Wendy A. Monk Marlena Warren Scott Wilson Scott Wilson Michael T. G. Wright Donald J. Baird Quality versus quantity: response of riparian bird communities to aquatic insect emergence in agro-ecosystems Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems secondary production agricultural streams agricultural drainage ditches insectivorous birds emerging aquatic insects ecosystem services |
| title | Quality versus quantity: response of riparian bird communities to aquatic insect emergence in agro-ecosystems |
| title_full | Quality versus quantity: response of riparian bird communities to aquatic insect emergence in agro-ecosystems |
| title_fullStr | Quality versus quantity: response of riparian bird communities to aquatic insect emergence in agro-ecosystems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Quality versus quantity: response of riparian bird communities to aquatic insect emergence in agro-ecosystems |
| title_short | Quality versus quantity: response of riparian bird communities to aquatic insect emergence in agro-ecosystems |
| title_sort | quality versus quantity response of riparian bird communities to aquatic insect emergence in agro ecosystems |
| topic | secondary production agricultural streams agricultural drainage ditches insectivorous birds emerging aquatic insects ecosystem services |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1484377/full |
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