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Climate change

Climate Change Threatens Endangered Waterbirds in Mediterranean Wetland

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Investigations in North Africa have uncovered the fragile state of waterbirds in arid regions, where climate change is exacerbating droughts and altering wetlands. Researchers from the Faculty of Sciences in Annaba, Algeria, discovered that four emblematic species - the Aythya nyroca, Marmaronetta angustirostris, Oxyura leucocephala, and Porphyrio porphyrio porphyrio - are experiencing differing sensitivities to various climatic variables. This research emphasizes the urgent need for climate-adaptive conservation strategies to safeguard wetland biodiversity and ecosystem resilience.

Key Takeaways:

  • The population dynamics of waterbirds in the Garaet Hadj Tahar marsh, Northeast Algeria, show a temporal trend that differs between species and seasons.
  • The population dynamics of the endangered O. leucocephala species in the wintering and breeding seasons are best predicted with the drought index.
  • The population dynamics of the less threatened species (Aythya nyroca, Marmaronetta angustirostris, and Porphyrio p. porphyrio) in the wintering and breeding seasons are best explained with either maximum temperature, precipitation, average temperature, or drought.
  • The most endangered species (O. leucocephala) showed population declines in drier years, whereas less threatened species exhibited either positive or negative correlations.
  • The observed temporal increase in vegetation cover was positively correlated with the wintering population size of O. leucocephala, as well as the breeding population size of Porphyrio p. porphyrio and Marmaronetta angustirostris.
  • The research suggests that future increases in temperatures and drought severity might threaten endangered waterbirds and benefit more common species in the region.

Statistics:

  • The drought index best predicted the population dynamics of the endangered O. leucocephala species in the wintering and breeding seasons.
  • The long-term survey of regular counts during the wintering and breeding seasons of 2002-2019 showed differing sensitivities to various climatic variables among the four species.
  • The population size of the four species was influenced by temperature, precipitation, and drought index, with varying degrees of sensitivity depending on the species and season.
  • The most endangered species (O. leucocephala) showed a significant decline in population size in drier years (annual decline rate: 0.84 [CI: 0.71, 0.97]).

Sources:

  • Threatened Birds in a Changing Mediterranean Wetland: Long-Term Trends and Climate-Driven Threats. Life, 2025, 15(6):892.
  • Faculty of Sciences: "Understanding the impact of climate change on waterbirds, particularly those of conservation concern, is essential for their long-term management and effective conservation."
  • Imane Bouregbi, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University Badji Mokhtar, B.P. 12, Sidi-Ammar, Annaba 23000, Algeria.
  • Zinette Bensakhri, Rabah Zebsa, Abdelheq Zouaimia, Soufyane Bensouilah, Oualid Bouteraa, Rassim Khelifa, Mohamed Laid Ouakid, Hayat Mahdjoub, Moussa Houhamdi.

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