{"id":704,"date":"2016-01-03T16:10:16","date_gmt":"2016-01-03T20:10:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/practiceconservation.com\/?p=704"},"modified":"2016-01-03T16:10:16","modified_gmt":"2016-01-03T20:10:16","slug":"danger-in-numbers-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/practiceconservation.com\/?p=704","title":{"rendered":"Danger in numbers?"},"content":{"rendered":"

As we start 2016, I\u2019m trying to be more conscious of conservation issues that I interact with on a regular basis but might not really spend a lot of time contemplating in detail. For example, I know that carbon dioxide emissions are a major cause of global warming, so I try to turn off lights when they aren\u2019t in use and put on an extra layer when it\u2019s cold outside to reduce energy consumption, but it took me a good chunk of time to really think about how many freezer bags I use once and then toss when I\u2019m storing and then cooking food.<\/p>\n

\"Spoonbills<\/a>

Spoonbills are beautiful birds that seem a bit wary of human presence- perhaps they have a good reason?<\/p><\/div>\n

So much of my work concerns systems on the very edges of Louisiana- barrier islands and beaches that are constantly changing and being lost a bit at a time to erosion, subsidence, and sea level rise. I focus on the carnivores that survive in this dynamic landscape, but many more people are interested in the colonial seabirds that nest and\/or winter on the shore- pelicans, terns, plovers, egrets- many different birds with a variety of food sources, behaviors, and habitat needs. But all of them utilize a coastal zone that is steadily disappearing- they share what remains with predators, prey, and lots of human activity. Under those conditions, it seems reasonable to wonder how they are faring, so this month I will be looking at the survival of colonial seabirds here in Louisiana and around the world.<\/p>\n

Based on my time in the field, I know that some seabird species like to nest in trees and shrubs, while others prefer beach areas. I also know they can be very loud, messy, and quick to defend the colony if they feel threatened. I know that Louisiana regularly surveys colonies and wintering areas to count birds and nests, and there are several island and beach restoration projects in the areas where I work which were created, in part, to provide more or better nesting habitat- all of this attention suggests that there are concerns about colony survival. Certainly I have seen some nesting islands all but disappear over the course of three years in the field under the constant onslaught of wind and water, so I can understand the concern. But is it all about nesting locations or places to rest on the beach? What about food supplies, invasive species, or seclusion from humans?<\/p>\n

This month I want to better understand the issues facing colonial seabirds where I live and around the world, to really consider the situation facing birds I see all of the time and what I can do to strengthen their hand.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As we start 2016, I\u2019m trying to be more conscious of conservation issues that I interact with on a regular basis but might not really spend a lot of time contemplating in detail. For example, I know that carbon dioxide emissions are a major cause of global warming, so I try to turn off lights […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes","footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[95,138,20,83],"class_list":["post-704","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-birds","tag-aquatic-systems","tag-birds-2","tag-conservation","tag-endangered-species"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/practiceconservation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/704","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/practiceconservation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/practiceconservation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/practiceconservation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/practiceconservation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=704"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/practiceconservation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/704\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":705,"href":"https:\/\/practiceconservation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/704\/revisions\/705"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/practiceconservation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=704"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/practiceconservation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=704"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/practiceconservation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=704"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}