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The provision of supplementary fresh water improves the breeding success of the globally threatened Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita
Author(s) -
SMITH KEN W.,
AGHNAJ ALI,
EL BEKKAY MOHAMMED,
OUBROU WIDADE,
RIBI MOHAMMED,
ARMESTO MARIA JIMENEZ,
BOWDEN CHRISTOPHER G. R.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
ibis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.933
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1474-919X
pISSN - 0019-1019
DOI - 10.1111/j.1474-919x.2008.00844.x
Subject(s) - threatened species , ibis , fishery , geography , productivity , population , near threatened species , ecology , habitat , biology , demography , macroeconomics , sociology , economics
The Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita is a globally threatened species with its main remaining world population breeding in an area of sea cliffs and coastal semi‐desert steppe near Agadir in southern Morocco. Between 1998 and 2002, we showed experimentally that the small‐scale provision of fresh water near the breeding colonies led to an increase in the productivity of the birds. The increase was greatest in years with low natural rainfall but was positive in all years tested. The supplementary fresh water appears to help buffer productivity against the impacts of low rainfall and its provision is now part of the ongoing conservation measures for this species.