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Shorebirds play a crucial role in assessing the health of coastal ecosystems due to their life history, behaviour, migratory patterns, and feeding preferences. Many shorebird species are experiencing population declines worldwide, driven by habitat loss and climate change. Understanding these challenges requires extensive data on their distribution and breeding ecology. The Kentish Plover (Anarhynchus alexandrinus) is a small shorebird that constructs its nests on sandy beaches. However, there is a scarcity of data regarding the reproductive ecology of this species in many areas, including the Molise region of Southern Italy. This study aimed at assessing the potential role of environmental variables derived from remote sensing to model current and future Kentish Plover nesting habitat suitability accounting for future scenarios of coastal dynamics in 2040. Data on Kentish Plover nests were collected along the Molise coast over several years and used to calibrate ecological niche models (ENMs) relying on environmental variables derived from coastal images. Kentish Plover nesting habitat suitability was mostly affected by distance from open sand, artificial surfaces, shoreline, and herbaceous vegetation and forested areas. The study predicts an average decline of more than 22% in suitable nesting environments for the Kentish Plover within the next two decades. Results indicated that our modelling approach can offer valuable insights for the conservation strategy of Kentish Plover in the region. In conclusion, we assert that preserving the nesting habitat of the Kentish Plover will not only safeguard this species, but also other species that inhabit similar environments, along with providing protection for coastal landscapes and associated ecosystem services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Desert areas represent heterogeneous environments where animals must reproduce under extreme conditions, and where a combination of environmental factors may contribute to trigger or inhibit reproduction. Microcavia australis is a caviomorph rodent that occurs in arid and semiarid habitats of Argentina. We examined how reproductive activity in male M. australis from a Monte Desert population is responsive to environmental conditions, including precipitation. Our results showed that reproductive activity of these animals is predicted exclusively by precipitation. This research adds new evidence to the ecology of this species, which could explain its wide distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exotic herbivores have detrimental effects on the ecosystems where they are introduced, at the level of plant communities and ecosystem processes. The native guanacoLama guanicoeand the exotic feral donkeyEquus asinuscoexist in Ischigualasto Provincial Park. We quantified food availability in a plant community in the park during the wet and dry seasons, analyzed diet composition of both herbivores (by microhistological analysis of feces), and assessed the relationship between diet and plant availability and the overlap between donkey and guanaco diets. In both seasons, shrub species represented the most abundant cover type in the area, whereas grasses were the lowest plant cover during the wet season and almost non-existent in the dry season. The diet of the exotic donkey showed a high intake of grasses, and the trophic niche breadth did not change along the year. The guanaco’s diet was based on the most abundant food resources (shrubs), which constituted at least 60% of the diet; it was less diverse during the dry season. The diets of donkey and guanaco showed high overlap during the dry season. We can assume, at least during the dry season, the existence of a potential competition between guanaco and donkey, which may be higher if the donkey density increases. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]