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The Effects Of Socotra Cormorant Nesting Activities On Terrestrial Invertebrates Diversity And Abundance, Hiba Obaid Darwish Alshehhi

Biology Theses

Seabirds breed on off-shore islands or cliffs often in large aggregations during their 2- 6 month breeding seasons. During this period, seabirds perform an important role in the allochthonous transport of marine nutrients into these terrestrial environments. Depending on the size and density of these aggregations, the impact could be alteration of soil chemistry, vegetation or invertebrate diversity and distribution patterns, primarily through the deposition of large quantities of guano. We studied the impact of breeding aggregations of the Socotra Cormorants (Phalacrocorax nigrogularis) on Siniya Island, Umm Al Quwain, United Arab Emirates, typically ranging between 26,000 to 41,000 breeding pairs. …