title: Ecological Responses to Extreme Flooding Events: A Case Study with a Reintroduced Bird.
abstract: In recent years numerous studies have documented the effects of a changing climate on the world's biodiversity. Although extreme weather events are predicted to increase in frequency and intensity and are challenging to organisms, there are few quantitative observations on the survival, behaviour and energy expenditure of animals during such events. We provide the first data on activity and energy expenditure of birds, Eurasian cranes Grus grus, during the winter of 2013-14, which saw the most severe floods in SW England in over 200 years. We fitted 23 cranes with telemetry devices and used remote sensing data to model flood dynamics during three consecutive winters (2012-2015). Our results show that during the acute phase of the 2013-14 floods, potential feeding areas decreased dramatically and cranes restricted their activity to a small partially unflooded area. They also increased energy expenditure (+15%) as they increased their foraging activity and reduced resting time. Survival did not decline in 2013-14, indicating that even though extreme climatic events strongly affected time-energy budgets, behavioural plasticity alleviated any potential impact on fitness. However under climate change scenarios such challenges may not be sustainable over longer periods and potentially could increase species vulnerability.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus TR10 9EZ, UK.|Wildfowl &Wetlands Trust, Slimbridge, Gloucester, GL2 7BT, UK.|Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 2DL, UK.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Soriano-Redondo
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus TR10 9EZ, UK.
authors.forename: Stuart
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bearhop
authors.affiliation: Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus TR10 9EZ, UK.
authors.forename: Ian R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Cleasby
authors.affiliation: Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, The Lodge, Sandy, Bedfordshire, SG19 2DL, UK.
authors.forename: Leigh
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lock
authors.affiliation: Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus TR10 9EZ, UK.
authors.forename: Stephen C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Votier
authors.affiliation: Wildfowl &Wetlands Trust, Slimbridge, Gloucester, GL2 7BT, UK.
authors.forename: Geoff M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Hilton
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D001717:Birds / Q000502:physiology*; D057231:Climate Change; D004463:Ecology; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D004739:England; D055868:Floods; D012621:Seasons; D014887:Weather