Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3265
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3265
11 Aug 2025
 | 11 Aug 2025
Status: this preprint is open for discussion and under review for Biogeosciences (BG).

Nutrient Flows and Biogeomorphic Feedbacks: Linking Seabird Guano to Plant traits and Morphological Change on Sandy Islands

Floris F. van Rees, Laura L. Govers, Polina Guseva, Maarten P. A. Zwarts, Camille Tuijnman, Cornelis J. Camphuysen, Gerben Ruessink, and Valérie C. Reijers

Abstract. Vegetated coastal landscapes are crucial for carbon storage, shoreline protection, and biodiversity. Their structure emerges from biogeomorphic feedbacks between vegetation growth and sedimentation, shaped by environmental conditions. Allochthonous nutrient inputs, particularly seabird guano, can significantly influence plant growth and distribution, potentially altering these feedbacks. This suggests that coastal birds may actively shape their own habitat by modifying plant-sediment dynamics. Yet, as sea-level rise and coastal squeeze reduce available habitat for already declining bird populations, understanding these interactions becomes increasingly urgent. Despite this, spatially explicit studies on bird–plant–sediment interactions remain lacking. This study addresses that gap by examining how guano deposition influences plant traits, community composition, and landscape morphology. We combined fine-scale field data with remote sensing and spatial modelling to assess guano effects on vegetation and sedimentation. Field measurements included plant traits, community composition, environmental variables, and δ¹⁵N to trace guano uptake. A guano dispersion model was linked to PlanetScope and LiDAR data, and Bayesian models (INLA) revealed spatial links between guano, vegetation change, and sediment accretion. Results show that guano-derived nitrogen promotes shifts in species composition toward later-successional, sediment-stabilizing species, particularly on sandy soils with low baseline nutrient levels. Guano enhanced early-season vegetation productivity, increasing sediment retention, but seasonal differences and local environmental context modulated these effects. We propose that seabirds act as indirect ecosystem engineers by fueling vegetation–sediment feedbacks. Changes in breeding pair numbers may therefore influence coastal landscape evolution, and ultimately, shape the very habitats these birds depend on.

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Floris F. van Rees, Laura L. Govers, Polina Guseva, Maarten P. A. Zwarts, Camille Tuijnman, Cornelis J. Camphuysen, Gerben Ruessink, and Valérie C. Reijers

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Floris F. van Rees, Laura L. Govers, Polina Guseva, Maarten P. A. Zwarts, Camille Tuijnman, Cornelis J. Camphuysen, Gerben Ruessink, and Valérie C. Reijers
Floris F. van Rees, Laura L. Govers, Polina Guseva, Maarten P. A. Zwarts, Camille Tuijnman, Cornelis J. Camphuysen, Gerben Ruessink, and Valérie C. Reijers

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Short summary
Seabird guano enriches nitrogen-loving plants and boost plants to trap sediment, driving the gradual growth and reshaping of coastal islands. By pairing on-site plant surveys with satellite imagery and elevation data, we show these effects vary with elevation, soil type, and season. Birds thus engineer and sustain their own breeding habitats. For conservation managers, protecting colonies is key to preserving the dynamic island landscapes these and other species rely on.
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