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Coastal eutrophication is an issue of serious global concern and although nutrient subsidies can enhance primary productivity of coastal wetlands, they can be detrimental to their long-term maintenance. By supplying nutrients to coastal ecosystems at levels comparable to intensive agriculture practices, roosting colonial waterbirds provide a natural experimental design to examine the impacts of anthropogenic nutrient enrichment in these systems. We tested the hypothesis that long-term nutrient enrichment from bird guano deposition is linked to declines in island size, which may subsequently decrease the stability and resilience of mangrove cays in Belize. We combined remote sensing analysis with field- and lab-based measurements of forest structure, sediment nutrients, and porewater nutrients on three pairs of rookery and control cays in northern, central, and southern Belize. Our results indicate that rookery cays are disappearing approximately 13 times faster than cays without seasonal or resident seabird populations. Rookery cays were associated with a significantly higher concentration of nitrogen (N) in mangrove leaves and greater aboveground biomass, suggesting that eutrophication from bird guano contributes to increased aboveground productivity. Sediments of rookery cays also had lower percentages of soil organic matter and total N and carbon (C) than control islands, which suggests that eutrophication accelerates organic matter decomposition resulting in lower total C stocks on rookery cays. Our results indicate that coastal eutrophication can reduce ecosystem stability by contributing to accelerated cay loss, with potential consequences for mangrove resilience to environmental variability under contemporary and future climatic scenarios.

Semiarid regions experience conspicuous seasonal variations, especially related to precipitation. Caves in these areas can be exceptions since they are less affected by dry seasons. In the north of the Brazilian semiarid, there are structurally heterogeneous karst areas with significant speleological potential and several anthropogenic impacts, with a neglected subterranean fauna. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the influence of caves and external environmental features on the species richness and composition of cave invertebrates of this region. We expected that the caves would have high species richness and endemism, high dissimilarity among spatially discontinuous regions, and caves with water or guano would have greater overall richness and troglobitic species richness than those without water or guano. We collected invertebrates in 40 caves and recorded 416 species from 145 families and 45 orders (38.28 ± 13.88 spp./cave). We identified 57 species with troglomorphic traits, most having narrow distributions, including phylogenetic and/or geographic (oceanic) relicts, suggesting a lengthy and complex evolutionary history. In addition to the faunal dissimilarity among hydrographic basins and caves with or without water, our data indicate the variety of resources, the native vegetation surrounding the caves, the area, and the number of entrances as relevant variables of species composition and richness variation. Caves with water or guano had the highest richness of troglobites. The study area is unique in South America for having such a high concentration of troglobites associated with the presence of karstic aquifers and paleoclimatic changes (including oceanic transgressions and regressions), thus deserving emergency conservation actions.

Seabirds are prominent biovectors whose guano and other wastes are an important source of nutrients that can eutrophy terrestrial and aquatic environments surrounding their breeding and nesting habitats. When these ornithogenically derived nutrients are introduced to waterbodies, they alter aquatic conditions, resulting in shifts in benthic invertebrate communities. In this paleolimnological study, we examined subfossil Chironomidae (non-biting midge) assemblages to assess the impacts of changes in the colony size of the Leach’s Storm-Petrel in three ponds on Baccalieu Island (Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada) over the past ~ 1700 years. Our results indicate that chironomids tracked the growth of the storm-petrel colony (determined by five additional paleolimnological proxies) starting in the early-1800s, and the decline of the colony in the 1980s. Given the shallow nature of the study ponds, assemblage changes likely occurred due to a combination of fluctuations in pH, metal concentrations, and bottom-water oxygen. In the ponds influenced by storm-petrels, we observed a poorly described form of degradation in subfossil chironomids that we attribute to chitinolytic processes mediated by bacteria and/or fungi that thrive on organic matter in productive aquatic systems. This study provides complementary proxy data regarding bottom-water habitats for use alongside other established paleolimnological methods to determine the long-term population dynamics of seabirds.

Potentiality of guano of Black-bearded Tomb bat (Taphozous melanopogon) on the growth and physiological response in two crops, i.e., finger millet (Eleusine coracana) and black gram (Vigna mungo) was assessed in the pot experiments. Plants are grown in different treatments prepared by mixing garden soil with fresh and deposited bat guano, farmyard manure and chemical fertilizer. Addition of fresh and deposited guano in garden soil improves the soil pH, EC, OC, N, P and K. The growth parameters of finger millet and black gram seedlings were significantly (p

The archaeological record shows that large pre-Inca agricultural systems supported settlements for centuries around the ravines and oases of northern Chile’s hyperarid Atacama Desert. This raises questions about how such productivity was achieved and sustained, and its social implications. Using isotopic data of well-preserved ancient plant remains from Atacama sites, we show a dramatic increase in crop nitrogen isotope values (δ15N) from around ad 1000. Maize was most affected, with δ15N values as high as +30‰, and human bone collagen following a similar trend; moreover, their carbon isotope values (δ13C) indicate a considerable increase in the consumption of maize at the same time. We attribute the shift to extremely high δ15N values—the highest in the world for archaeological plants—to the use of seabird guano to fertilize crops. Guano—‘white gold’ as it came to be called—thus sustained agricultural intensification, supporting a substantial population in an otherwise extreme environment. The source of pre-Inca agriculture in the Atacama Desert of Chile has been the subject of multiple theories, but this Article uses preserved maize remains to deduce that coastal guano deposits were utilized in an impressive display of social and ecological sophistication.

Although Antarctica is considered one of the most pristine areas on Earth, an accelerating human presence in this remote continent, such as scientific operations and functioning of numerous scientific stations, logistics, and tourism activities, has increased the risks of environmental impacts in recent decades. During the 63rd Russian Antarctic expedition, 42 samples from topsoil horizons were collected from Larsemann Hills, Mirny station, and Fulmar Island, Eastern Antarctica. The purpose of this work was to analyze the accumulation levels 8 trace elements and to assess possible environmental risks associated with contamination of Antarctic soils. Various human activities have been found to be responsible for increase of metal levels in studied Antarctic environments. Our study also revealed a specific role of ornithogenic factor and moss cover in distribution of contaminants in severe conditions of Eastern Antarctica soils. Ornithogenic soils were characterized by higher rates of accumulation of some trace metals and metalloids (especially zinc and copper) compared with other investigated "pristine" sites without significantly visible traces of guano inputs. In general term, obtained geoaccumulation index for trace elements in all samples were under or slightly above the 0 level, indicating low to moderate pollution of the studied soils. Results of principal component analysis revealed the necessity for further detailed research on interactions of trace metals with soil organic matter for better understanding of their biogeochemistry in the Antarctic environment. Although most of contaminated sites were found in anthropogenically affected areas, accumulation of some elements in guano-derived and moss materials were associated with higher values for soil pollution indices in natural soils, as well.

Objective Coronaviruses (CoVs) are natural commensals of bats. Two subgenera, namely Sarbecoviruses and Merbecoviruses have a high zoonotic potential and have been associated with three separate spillover events in the past 2 decades, making surveillance of bat-CoVs crucial for the prevention of the next epidemic. The study was aimed to elucidate the presence of coronavirus in fresh bat guano sampled from Wind Cave Nature Reserve (WCNR) in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. Samples collected were placed into viral transport medium, transported on ice within the collection day, and preserved at − 80 °C. Nucleic acid was extracted using the column method and screened using consensus PCR primers targeting the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) gene. Amplicons were sequenced bidirectionally using the Sanger method. Phylogenetic tree with maximum-likelihood bootstrap and Bayesian posterior probability were constructed. Results CoV-RNA was detected in ten specimens (47.6%, n = 21). Six alphacoronavirus and four betacoronaviruses were identified. The bat-CoVs can be phylogenetically grouped into four novel clades which are closely related to Decacovirus-1 and Decacovirus-2, Sarbecovirus, and an unclassified CoV. CoVs lineages unique to the Island of Borneo were discovered in Sarawak, Malaysia, with one of them closely related to Sarbecovirus. All of them are distant from currently known human coronaviruses.

Bats are crucial components of an ecosystem and provide many services such as seed dispersal, pollination, and arthropod suppression. Nevertheless, the bats are considered as reservoir hosts of viruses, bacteria, and fungi. The present study describes the fungal diversity associated with the guano of two frugivorous and four insectivorous bat species. The guanophilic fungi were isolated using potato dextrose agar and czapek dox agar culture media and identified by employing classical phenotypic and molecular methods. A total of 18 fungal species belonging to seven genera, five orders, and two phyla were detected and generated 30 new ITS4 barcodes from 30 isolates. The genera Aspergillus and Penicillium were commonly observed in the bat guano; however, species such as Cladosporium tenuissimum, Alternaria tenuissima, Mucor indicus, Sarocladium implicatum, and Pericornia sp. were found as a rare occurrence in bat guano. The guano of insectivorous bats contains more culturable fungal spores than the frugivorous bats, and these levels of insectivorous guano fungal spore pose a threat to the health of people who enter into the roost sites of bats. The unique species composition of guanophilic fungi was probably supported by specific microclimates like constant humidity, and optimum temperature in the historical monuments, abandoned buildings, and temples. Thus, guanophilic fungal monitoring at historical monuments, abandoned buildings, temples, and caves seem to be very important to understand the ecosystem, and it may help to reduce the risk of fungal infections in humans and other mammals.

The impacts of tourism on wildlife have long been a concern in areas where ecotourism is a major industry. The issue is especially pressing in Antarctica, which has a rapidly growing tourism industry largely concentrated around penguin colonies on the Antarctic Peninsula. Guidelines developed by both the Committee for Environmental Protection and the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators include measures to minimize wildlife impacts. In this study, we examined the relationship between physiologic stress in Gentoo Penguins (Pygoscelis papua) and tourism. Corticosterone is an adrenal glucocorticoid that has been shown in previous studies to increase in response to stressors such as low food availability, environmental conditions, as well as human visitation and proximity. Fecal glucocorticoids (FGM; primarily corticosterone and metabolites) were measured in Gentoo Penguin guano collected at 19 breeding colonies (n = 108, 3–10 samples per site) on the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands, representing a wide range of tourism visitation. We found a large degree of variation in FGM concentrations, and no relationship between FGM concentrations and number of tourists landed at that site. These results suggest that current tourism management guidelines on the Antarctic Peninsula are effective at preventing increased stress in Gentoo Penguins as measured by hormonal markers, and demonstrate the use of guano as a non-invasive, low-impact methodology for monitoring Gentoo Penguin stress.

Little is known about the geochemical baseline of Antarctic soils in different environments. We investigated the soil geochemistry of the two main landscape units of Harmony Point (Nelson Island, Maritime Antarctica): the coastal domain and the upper platform. Fourteen soil samples (seven in each landscape unit) were divided according to depth (hA for surface and hC for subsurface horizons) and characterized by their major, trace elements and REE concentrations. The concentration of major elements (SiO2, TiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, MgO, CaO, MnO, and K2O) were determined by X-ray fluorescence, whereas trace elements were quantified by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (Co, Ni, As, Cd, Pb, Ba, Cr, Cu, V, Zn, and Zr) and REE by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The results showed geochemical variation with depth, either related to pedological processes (phosphatization, humification, podzolization, and cryoturbation), and parent material constitution (andesitic basalt in upper platform and mixed volcanic sediments in coastal domain). The main chemical aspects distinguishing Harmony Point soils from other Maritime Antarctic soils from the vicinity are: (i) higher CIA index; (ii) P2O5 enrichment due to bird guano and enhanced pedogenesis; (iii) REE retention; (iv) enrichment in Fe2O3 and S concentrations. The REE concentration was influenced by weathering processes combined with allochthonous inputs, such as volcanic ashes and iceberg-transported granitic boulders at the coastal domain. The Harmony Point soils are little subjected to anthropic impacts, so they can be used as a basis for environmental monitoring programs in the Maritime Antarctica region.

Primate taphonomy in cave deposits is complex, and the taphonomic signatures of different accumulation scenarios present some degree of equifinality, rendering their identification in the fossil record challenging. Here, we describe an assemblage of 30 modern chacma baboons, including nine partially mummified individuals, which died inside a cave chamber at Misgrot, South Africa. The mortality profile is attritional, favouring immature and older individuals. We describe skeletal part representation, body postures for the most complete mummies and preserved articulations. Bone surface modifications suggest limited impact by biotic agents besides small rodents and invertebrates. Several specimens were affected by heat-induced damage, most likely resulting from natural combustion of bat guano, abundant on the cave floor. Misgrot has a similar geology and similar dimensions to some Plio-Pleistocene primate-bearing cave deposits from the UNESCO World Heritage Cradle of Humankind area. Implications of the taphonomic features of the Misgrot baboon remains are discussed in the context of some of these fossil assemblages, including the recently discovered Homo naledi assemblages.

This study presents sulfur isotope compositions (δ34S) for plants grown in a series of growth chamber and field experiments under controlled conditions. Maize, beans, and squash fertilized with a marine fertilizer (seabird guano) were significantly enriched in 34S relative to the unfertilized control plants (by +4.0 to +7.2‰) in the growth chamber experiments. No 34S enrichment was detected in the plants from the field experiment, which likely relates to the recent use of ammonium sulfate fertilizer in these fields and the retention of residual sulfate with a comparatively low δ34S. The field experiment provided a basis to estimate the apparent fractionation between soil and plant S associated with uptake and assimilation (Δ34S), which ranged between −4 and −6‰ depending on the taxon and tissue. The use of marine fertilizers has the capacity to increase plant δ34S values and complicate quantitative reconstructions of ancient diet based on bulk stable isotope data.

Circular replication-associated protein encoding single-stranded DNA (CRESS DNA) viruses are increasingly recognized worldwide in a variety of samples. Representative members include well-described veterinary pathogens with worldwide distribution, such as porcine circoviruses or beak and feather disease virus. In addition, numerous novel viruses belonging to the family Circoviridae with unverified pathogenic roles have been discovered in different human samples. Viruses of the family Genomoviridae have also been described as being highly abundant in different faecal and environmental samples, with case reports showing them to be suspected pathogens in human infections. In order to investigate the genetic diversity of these viruses in European bat populations, we tested guano samples from Georgia, Hungary, Romania, Serbia and Ukraine. This resulted in the detection of six novel members of the family Circoviridae and two novel members of the family Genomoviridae. Interestingly, a gemini-like virus, namely niminivirus, which was originally found in raw sewage samples in Nigeria, was also detected in our samples. We analyzed the nucleotide composition of members of the family Circoviridae to determine the possible host origins of these viruses. This study provides the first dataset on CRESS DNA viruses of European bats, and members of several novel viral species were discovered.

Tardigrada in Antarctic regions are poorly known. The aim of this study was to examine for tardigrades the nests material of the kelp gull (Larus dominicanus Lichtenstein, 1823) in maritime Antarctic and discuss the possible ways of migration and dispersion of tardigrades by birds. We also discuss the influence of bird’s guano on the communities of microscopic invertebrates (mainly tardigrades). In the positive samples (mainly bryophytes and lichens) of seven Larus dominicanus nests, collected on Ardley Island (near Fildes Peninsula) and Argentine Islands, ca. 850 tardigrades and their eggs were found. In total, 13 taxa (including Ramajendas sp.) were identified, and four are new to science: Bryodelphax olszanowskii sp. nov., Diphascon puchalskii sp. nov., D. rudnickii sp. nov. and Hypsibius conwentzii sp. nov.. Bryodelphax olszanowskii sp. nov. differs from known Bryodelphax species in the weglarskae group mainly by having a different ventral plate configuration. Belonging to the pingue group, D. puchalskii sp. nov. differs from other species by some quantitative characters and D. rudnickii sp. nov. by having the first and second macroplacoids situated very close to each other. Hypsibius conwentzii sp. nov. differs from other species of the genus Hypsibius, with two macroplacoids and septulum, by some morphological and morphometric characters. Summarizing, Antarctic tardigrades are a very diverse group, and birds can be responsible for translocation of small invertebrates (including tardigrades) inside of various parts of plants and lichens. They also deposit large amounts of guano, which provides a lot of nutrients for poor tundra ecosystems and support small invertebrate communities.

Karst caves, considering to be the "arks" of biodiversity, often contain high levels of endemism. In the present study, the actinobacterial community in Shuanghe Cave, the longest cave in Asia, was analyzed for the first-time using culture-dependent and -independent (16S rRNA amplicon sequencing) approaches. The amplicon sequencing analysis revealed a broad taxonomic diversity in Shuanghe Cave, including 19 phyla (predominantly Actinobacteria) and 264 different genera. While the culture-dependent method got the unrepresentative but supplemental result, a total of 239 actinomycetes were isolated and were identified to seven genera based on culture features and 16S rRNA tests. Among the three habitats (soil, rock soil, and bat guano), the dominant phyla did not differ significantly, while the dominant genus community varied among different habitats, and the richness in soil and rock soil samples was higher than that in bat guano. Furthermore, 16 isolate strains showed antimicrobial activity, especially, the strain S142 (Streptomyces badius) and S761 (Actinoplanes friuliensis) exhibited the most promising activity against various pathogens. Overall, this work showed the abundant bacterial diversity and the antimicrobial potential of the isolates from the Shuanghe Cave.

Nutrient subsidies across ecotone boundaries can enhance productivity in the recipient ecosystem, especially if the nutrients are transferred from a nutrient rich to an oligotrophic ecosystem. This study demonstrates that seabird nutrients from islands are assimilated by endosymbionts in corals on fringing reefs and enhance growth of a dominant reef-building species, Acropora formosa. Nitrogen stable isotope ratios (δ15N) of zooxanthellae were enriched in corals near seabird colonies and decreased linearly with distance from land, suggesting that ornithogenic nutrients were assimilated in corals. In a one-year reciprocal transplant experiment, A. formosa fragments grew up to four times faster near the seabird site than conspecifics grown without the influence of seabird nutrients. The corals influenced by elevated ornithogenic nutrients were located within a marine protected area with abundant herbivorous fish populations, which kept nuisance macroalgae to negligible levels despite high nutrient concentrations. In this pristine setting, seabird nutrients provide a beneficial nutrient subsidy that increases growth of the ecologically important branching corals. The findings highlight the importance of catchment–to–reef management, not only for ameliorating negative impacts from land but also to maintain beneficial nutrient subsidies, in this case seabird guano.

Identifying species from non-invasively collected, mixed species samples for biodiversity monitoring can be difficult and expensive using typical molecular methods because samples are often degraded. This is the case when identifying the species of bats present in roosts where guano may be the only means of assessment without disturbing the bats themselves. To aid in such studies, we developed species-specific DNA probes and a microarray capable of identifying most bat species in the United States and Canada using our existing database of 16S mitochondrial DNA sequences. The microarray was sensitive enough to detect DNA diluted 1:500 for several species combinations and was able to detect the presence of more species in mixed guano samples collected from roosts than did direct sequencing from individual fecal pellets. We suggest that these DNA probes and the microarray could be a valuable tool with which to non-invasively monitor bat populations and roost use.

Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) is a high energy-demanding process that may be inhibited by penguin guano. We tested this hypothesis in Ardley Island by measuring BNF in biological soil crusts (BSC) directly within a Penguin Colony and in sites unaffected by penguins. We also explored the effect of adding guano to BSCs in sites free of the influence of penguins. Water availability is also one of the most limiting elements for life in the Antarctica, and we expected that a wetter growing season would stimulate BNF. To evaluate the effect of moisture on BNF, we added water to BSCs under laboratory conditions and estimated BNF by means of the acetylene reduction assay during three growing seasons (2012, 2013 and 2014), with contrasting temperature and precipitation conditions. The results reveal an almost complete inhibition of N fixation in the BSCs of the Penguin Colony. In sites free of ammonium and phosphate in rainwater, BNF rates reached up to 3 kg N ha−1 year−1 during warmer and wetter years. The addition of guano to BSCs significantly inhibited the rates of BNF. In laboratory incubations, the addition of water significantly stimulated rates of BNF during the warmer growing season with more sunshine hours. The likely increases in soil moisture levels due to climate change and glacier melting in the Antarctic Peninsula may enhance the rates of BNF. However, this may be constrained by accompanying changes in the distribution of Penguin Colonies.

© 2016, Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht. Habitat fragmentation in urban environments concentrates bird populations that have managed to adapt to these newly developed areas. Consequently, the roosts of these birds are potentially creating environments conducive to fungal growth and dissemination. Airborne fungi derived from these environments are relatively unstudied, as is the potential health risk arising from these fungi. This study documented the diversity of culturable airborne fungal propagules associated with forty urban bird roosts. Environmental variables from each site were recorded to allow us to analyse the correspondence between different bird species, the substrate they occupy and airborne fungal propagules. Associations were established between Rhodotorula and Pacific black ducks, wood ducks, myna birds and miner birds when in the presence of bare soil as a substrate. Further associations were established between Penicillium, Scopulariopsis and Cunninghamella and pigeons, sparrows and swallows living in areas with hard surfaces such as bitumen and rocks.

Mangroves provide numerous ecosystem services, including biodiversity values such as nesting sites for piscivorous waterbirds. High concentrations of waterbirds at nest sites are hypothesized to affect ecosystem dynamics, yet few studies have examined their effects as a nutrient source in mangroves. We examined the effects of nutrient enrichment by colonial waterbirds at a mangrove rookery in the Gulf of Fonseca, Honduras. We compared nutrient inputs via bird guano deposition and macronutrient levels in the vegetation and soils between a small island that hosted large numbers of roosting waterbirds and an adjacent island with little evidence of waterbird activity. Nest density at the rookery was 1721 ± 469 nests ha−1. Rookery birds deposited 7.2 ± 3.4 g m−2 day−1 guano dry weight, delivering an estimated 1.12 Mg ha−1 nitrogen and 0.16 Mg ha−1 phosphorus to the island over a 120 day breeding season. This large nutrient influx contributed to substantially higher concentrations of biologically important nutrients in the rookery soils (seven times more plant available phosphorus, eight times more nitrate, and two times more ammonium). Rookery mangrove leaves contained significantly higher concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus compared to the control site. These results suggest that colonial waterbirds significantly influence nutrient dynamics of mangroves at local scales. Further research is needed to understand the effects of avian derived nutrients on mangrove growth rates, nutrient export to adjacent waters, invertebrate communities, and mangrove associated fisheries.

Arctic freshwater ponds are typically pristine and oligotrophic, however seabird biovectors can markedly alter water quality via enrichment with marine-derived nutrients and bioaccumulated metals. These ornithogenic inputs can be the dominant factor structuring aquatic biota and the surrounding island flora. Here, we measured a suite of limnological water chemistry variables and sediment geochemistry from 21 freshwater ponds influenced by Common Eiders (Somateria mollissima) in Hudson Strait, near the northern communities of Cape Dorset (Nunavut) and Ivujivik (Quebec). Nest counts and sedimentary δ15N values were used as proxies of bird abundance. Nutrient-rich guano from the nesting eiders visibly promoted the growth of catchment vegetation. Elevated metal (Al, Cd, Zn), metalloid (Se), and nutrient concentrations (N, P) in the water of eider-affected sites were recorded (Sign test; p = 0.004), but the proximity of many sites to the coast meant that variables related to ocean spray (conductivity, Na+, Mg2+, Cl−, Sr) confounded the effects of birds on pond water chemistry. In contrast, sediment geochemistry appeared to more clearly characterize sites according to the level of eider activity in their catchments by tracking Pb, Cd, N, and P sedimentary concentrations (Sign test; p = 0.02). These results have direct implications for reconstructing historical eider population trends using sediment archives, which is necessary to inform effective conservation management strategies.

Invasive r odents set off chain reaction that can starve marine ecosystems. Rodents' taste for guano sets off chain reaction that can starve marine ecosystems.

Outbreaks of the crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS), Acanthaster planci, have occurred at many locations throughout the Indo-Pacific and are a major contributor to widespread coral loss and reef degradation. The causes of outbreaks remain controversial, but are commonly attributed to anthropogenically elevated nutrients and/or over-fishing. If so, it seems unlikely that outbreaks would occur in reef systems that are largely isolated from anthropogenic disturbances. However, high densities of COTS were recently observed on reefs in the Chagos Archipelago, a remote group of atolls and banks within the central Indian Ocean, which experience very limited anthropogenic influence. Aggregations of COTS were first noticed at Eagle Island in 2012, which, although unquantified, appeared to be at outbreak levels, and very high densities (1624 km−2) were subsequently recorded at Danger Island in 2013. While these islands are uninhabited by humans, it is possible that nutrient inputs result from upwelling zones around the Archipelago, or high densities of breeding seabirds. Among islands within the Great Chagos Bank, densities of the red-footed booby Sula sula ranged from 8 to 7888 individuals km−2, with associated guano input ranging from 96 to 25,381 kg island−1 year−1. However, Danger and Eagle Islands where high COTS densities were recorded, had both high and low levels of guano production, respectively, which suggests that outbreaks may not be directly linked to guano nutrient enrichment. Other factors which might be responsible for intermittent COTS outbreaks should be considered in isolated reef systems such as the Chagos Archipelago.

In spite of general knowledge that guano deposited near seabird colonies enhances fertility of poor polar soils, improves primary production and influences the tundra plant community, there are very few quantitative studies concerning plant responses to ornithogenic fertilization on the population level. We studied density, size variability and proportions of generative to vegetative individuals of polar scurvygrass Cochlearia groenlandica along a seabird influence gradient in south-west Spitsbergen. We found the seabird colony effect to being a predominant factor determining local ascurvygrass population structure. Plant density was increasing starting from the foot of the cliff (820 ind/m2) and reaching the highest value (7500 ind/m2) about 30 m from the colony. This density peak was a result of the flowering plants occurring in the area above in the highest number which produced plenty of seeds germinating several metres below. The density of flowering plants was significantly correlated with the physical and chemical features of the soil but concerned only small individuals (1–4 cm), whose numbers were negatively correlated with the level of available nutrients, and large-sized (13–20 cm) plants, which were correlated positively. The only significant factor influencing flowering plant density along the bird colony gradient was the content of organic matter in the soil. In the control transect, total plant density was three orders of magnitude lower. No or weak correlations were found between plant density and soil characteristics along that transect. Our study supports the hypothesis that seabirds have fundamental importance not only for vegetation abundance in the nutrient-poor Arctic environment but also to determine plant population structure in the vicinity of large breeding colonies.

Bats today face a number of important threats, including that of heavy metal exposure. While the numerous adverse health effects of heavy metals have long been documented, exposure to heavy metal pollution continues, and is even increasing in some parts of the world. The eleven heavy metal elements of highest wildlife protection concern are arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, mercury, manganese, nickel, lead, tin and thallium. This paper reviews 52 studies reporting on heavy metal concentrations in bats, their organs and guano, and aims to provide an overview of heavy metal research on wild bat populations, and particularly its temporal, geographic, methodological and biological aspects. The published data are biased both temporally and spatially, with the greatest number of articles published over the last decade. While most studies reporting on heavy metal contamination have come from North America and Europe, these are generally restricted to one or two reports per country/state. General trend analysis of heavy metal content in bats is not possible due to variation in the data and the analysis of stratigraphically dated guano deposits provides inconsistent results. Moreover, variability in heavy metal content observed in bat bodies is influenced by background levels and a direct comparison of results between geographically distant areas is, therefore problematic. Comparison of contaminated and reference localities at a regional scale is useful and is regularly used. From a methodological point of view, the determination of heavy metal concentration in tissues may be limited by the typically small sample sizes available. Heavy metals have been analyzed in a range of matrices, with the four most sampled types (liver, kidney, whole body/carcass and guano) and the actual number of compounds analyzed gradually increasing over time as more sophisticated and precise instrumentation are developed. Non-lethal sampling methods are increasingly used for monitoring as these have minimal impact on threatened and highly protected animals. In total, heavy metal content has been studied in 65 bat species, though the species, sex, age, year of collection and locality varies widely with no clear pattern. Only four species (big brown bat Eptesicus fuscus, gray bat Myotis grisescens, greater mouse-eared bat Myotis myotis and common pipistrelle Pipistrellus pipistrellus sensu lato) have been analyzed more than five times, and only five heavy metals (cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, and zinc) have been measured in fructivorous/nectarivorous species. Insectivorous bats have lower mean contaminant values in tissues than both fructivorous/nectarivorous species and guano. While exposure pathway may have influenced differences between the various food guilds, lowered bioavailability of heavy metals from digested food displaying lower bioaccumulation factors may account for differences observed between guano and other types of samples. While the number of articles confirming direct adverse effects and toxicity of heavy metals on bats is low some impacts and poisoning cases have been documented, including hepatopathy, DNA damage, hemochromatosis, renal inclusion bodies, ascending paralysis, and changes in cholinergic functions. Moreover, results suggest that the effects of chronic sub-lethal exposure to heavy metal contamination may be a more important threat to bat populations as bats under natural environmental conditions are frequently exposed to multiple anthropogenic stressors at the same time. One of the main challenges facing bat ecotoxicology today is the preparation of standardized monitoring programs using modern analytical technologies that offer more precise data on heavy metal contamination.

Ross Island, Antarctica, is home to the southernmost breeding colonies of Adelie penguins, with associated ornithogenic nutrient enrichment to soil. Most of our knowledge about ornithogenic soils in Antarctica comes from studies of the Peninsula region, with much less known about soils in the Ross Sea region of continental Antarctica where climate is more extreme and biological communities are less diverse. We measured soil properties (pH, salinity, total and organic C and N, extractable mineral N and P), microbial biomass, and CO2 flux at three penguin rookeries on Ross Island differing in colony size and along gradients of penguin activity extending from the colony to soils lacking visible penguin influence. We determined both in situ and potential rates of CO2 flux, as well as the nutrient limitations on C cycling by fertilizing soils with N and P, in controlled laboratory incubations. Larger pools of soil C, N, and P along with elevated soil CO2 flux were found in soils with high penguin activity as compared to areas of low or no apparent activity. In laboratory incubations, CO2 flux was stimulated by addition of C with N or P, but not with N or P alone, suggesting that even with the deposition of large amounts of penguin guano, soil biota are not released from C limitation. The influence of penguin activity was not directly related to colony size but rather to the intensity of activity within the rookery (e.g., frequency of penguin presence). Our results show that penguin-influenced soils are biogeochemical hot spots where altered nutrient pools are associated with increased CO2 flux.

Cave guano derived from insectivorous bats and birds contain unique geochemical and mineralogical signatures. We investigated the mineralogy, pH, C, N and metal abundance patterns of cave guano spatially and temporally (with depth) along a W–E transect in Malaysia and Palawan from five remote cave sites, each housing large populations of bats and Aerodramus spp.(cave swiftlets). Guano deposits were rich in phosphate and/or sulphate minerals (e.g., gypsum, bassanite) with leucophosphite, spheniscidite, and variscite present in most profiles. Metal abundances measured from modern and ancient bat guano revealed high concentrations of transition metals relative to the local environment. Highly enriched metals, however, were associated with phosphate rather than sulphate minerals. Copper and Zn were enriched in all profiles, whereas other metals were associated with specific caves consistent with known local mineral resources. For example, Sn, Pb, and Rb were particularly enriched in Batu Cave, located in the Peninsular Malaysian granitic tin belt, whereas Ni and Cr were high in regions associated with ultramafic ophiolites and Ni-laterites found on Palawan.

A thousand years old 105 cm deep deposit of bat guano in the Domica Cave (southern Slovakia, Slovak Karst National Park) has been discovered for science, and three samples were analysed for pollen to identify the bats’ preferred foraging habitats and for insect remains to identify their diet. The bat species concerned, Rhinolophus euryale, is rare in the area, which lies at the northern margin of its distribution. The pollen record captured alder forests between 897–1024 AD, temperate light broad-leaved oak-hornbeam forests with Quercus cerris, Fraxinus ornus, Cornus mas and Corylus avellana between 1522–1800 AD, and almost recently willow shrubs. This pattern may, however, reflect local changes in the surrounding landscape where the bats hunted. Pollen of anemophilous taxa was underrepresented (e.g. Fagus), while entomophilous taxa were overrepresented (e.g. Fraxinus ornus, Loranthus europaeus, Acer, Agrostemma githago). The phenology of the encountered pollen taxa indicates that the bats used the Domica Cave mainly as spring and summer roosts. The pollen record further indicates that the bats prefer to forage in a forest–steppe landscape with open Pannonian broadleaved forests and humid temperate riparian environments. Today, this kind of landscape does not occur further north, which may explain the northern limit of this bat species at the study site.

Seabirds act as vectors transporting marine nutrients to land by feeding on fish while nesting and roosting on islands. By depositing large amounts of nutrient-rich guano on their nesting islands they strongly affect island soils, vegetation and consumers. However, few studies have investigated how nesting seabirds affect soil communities. In this study, we investigated how cormorant nesting colonies affect soil chemistry, soil microbes and soil and litter fauna on their nesting islands in the Stockholm archipelago, Sweden. We found that cormorant colonies strongly increase organic soil N and P concentrations, and the effect is stronger close to cormorant nests. Microbial communities were studied by extracting phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) from the soil. The total amounts of PLFA and the amount of PLFA indicating bacterial biomass were lower on active cormorant islands than on reference islands. Furthermore, PLFA structure and thus microbial community structure differed between cormorant and reference islands. Among ten investigated soil and litter arthropod groups three groups (Thysanoptera, Araneae and Oribatida) showed lower densities and one group (Astigmata) showed higher densities in soils on active cormorant than on reference islands. Some arthropod groups showed strong spatial variation on the cormorant islands. Astigmata, Mesostigmata and Diptera showed higher densities in soil samples close to cormorant nests, whereas Oribatida, Collembola and Hemiptera showed lower densities in litter samples close to cormorant nests than in samples taken 3–20 m away from nests. Overall, the cormorant colonies strongly affected soil ecosystems of their nesting islands, but causal correlations between arthropod densities and soil factors were difficult to reveal. One likely reason may be that nesting cormorant islands are very heterogeneous habitats showing large spatial variation in both soil properties as well as fauna densities.

The contents of Ti, Al and Fe 2 O 3 in a lacustrine sediment core (DY6) collected from Dongdao Island, South China Sea (SCS), were determined to be much higher than those in the three major sediment end-members (coral sand, guano and plants), and their likely sources include terrigenous dust and volcanic ash. At 61 cm (∼AD 1300), the contents of Ti, Al and Fe 2 O 3 have an abnormally high spike, which cannot be explained by terrigenous dust. The Sr and Nd isotope compositions at 61 cm are in excellent agreement with those in volcanic materials, but they are significantly different from those in terrigenous dust, implying a possible material input from historical volcanic eruptions in the lacustrine sediment DY6. The documented great Samalas volcanic eruption at AD 1257 in Indonesia is likely the candidate for this volcanic eruption.

(1) During the Arctic summer, little auks (Alle alle) deposit considerable amounts of guano on land. Ecosystems subsidised in nutrients are known to hold greater biodiversity and to produce grander biomass of plants and animals compared with areas where seabirds do not nest. (2) The aim of this study was to look into the relationship between guano fertilisation and body size of invertebrates inhabiting tundra. (3) The specimens of Macrobiotus islandicus islandicus Richters, 1904, a tardigrade dwelling in mosses and lichens of the Arctic, from six different populations from Spitsbergen (Hornsund fjord) were measured. Tardigrades were collected from areas different in terms of seabird guano effects on the tundra ecosystem. An overall body size index for tardigrades was calculated using a principal component analysis. (4) Here, we show that the body size of M. i. islandicus is larger in vicinities of the little auk colonies than in areas devoid of bird nesting sites. (5) Given that fitness of many invertebrates is positively correlated with their condition, our study underlines the ecological importance of a side effect of seabirds biology—the transfer of nutrients from the sea to the land.

In this study, we report Monopis crocicapitella (Clemens, 1859) (Tineidae), which was collected from bat guano in a cave in the southern region of Korea, for the first time from East Asia. We briefly redescribe and illustrate the external morphology and genital structures of both sexes. Also, we discuss the local habitat characteristics and some of the ecological information that was observed during our field investigation.

The presence of metals in Antarctica is becoming an issue that needs to be more investigated as human presence is increasing in the region, especially in the Antarctic Peninsula, where most of the polar animals, scientific bases and tourists are concentrated. Penguins are endemic species of Antarctica situated at the top of food web and are useful sentinels of pollution. To improve data of trace metal contamination in the Antarctic Peninsula region, concentrations of Cd, Pb, As, Cu and Zn in fresh excrement of penguins were determined by atomic absorption. Samples were collected in several locations during the 2011/2012 austral summer: eight sites (O’Higgins Station, Yankee Harbour, Mikkelsen Harbor, Danco Island, Gonzalez Videla Base, Yelcho Station and Brown Station) from gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) colonies and four locations (Hydrurga Rocks, Cape Shirreff, Narebski Point and Kopaitic Island) from chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica) colonies. Data showed that gentoo penguin colonies had higher levels of metals (μg g−1 dw) like Pb, Cu and Zn at locations such as O’Higgins (2.89 for Pb, 199.95 for Cu and 379.99 for Zn) and Gonzalez Videla (2.74 for Pb and 222.51 for Cu). Levels of Cd in excreta of chinstrap penguins were higher at Narebski Point (3.13 μg g−1). The levels of Pb, As, Cd, Cu and Zn were similar or even higher to those reported in excreta of the same species by previous studies at Antarctica. Data suggest that metals ingested by these two penguin species feeding in the sea end up in terrestrial ecosystems.

In Antarctica, the marine ecosystem is dynamically interrelated with the terrestrial ecosystem. An example of the link between these two ecosystems is the biogeochemical cycle of phosphorus. Biovectors, such as penguins, transport phosphorus from sea to land, play a key role in this cycle. In this paper, we selected three colonies of penguins, the most important seabirds in Antarctica, and computed the annual quantity of phosphorus transferred from sea to land by these birds. Our results show that adult penguins from colonies at Ardley Island, the Vestfold Hills, and Ross Island could transfer phosphorus in the form of guano at up to 12 349, 167 036, and 97 841 kg/a, respectively, over their breeding period. These quantities are equivalent to an annual input of 3.96×109–1.63×1010 kg of seawater to the land of Antarctica. Finally, we discuss the impact of phosphorus on the ice-free areas of the Antarctica.

A 28-cm sediment core from an Arctic pond (Nordaustlandet, Svalbard), which is currently subjected to the fertilizing effect of bird guano, was analysed for fossil invertebrates and the physical properties of the sediment. The objective was to examine aquatic community responses to climate warming. Our record reveals that faunal changes have occurred. Initially chironomid assemblages were dominated by a cold-indicating oligotrophic community but this was replaced by a community typical of more nutrient-enriched conditions and warmer water temperature at around AD 1,700–1,800. After AD 1,800, ostracods and Daphnia increase suggesting that a nutrient enrichment threshold was crossed, probably related to increased planktonic algal productivity. In the early twentieth century, organic content markedly increases and magnetic susceptibility values suddenly drop, indicating a further increase in nutrient input and lake productivity. Since the most likely source of nutrients in the lake is goose guano, this suggests that the size of the bird colony may also have increased over this period. These changes coincide with climate warming suggesting a positive feedback in which climate change is the primary driver of the increasing geese abundance and lake productivity. Our results further suggest that the predicted future warming in the Arctic will continue to have cascading effects on freshwater ecosystems in the region.

The δ13C values of 23 unevenly spaced guano samples from a 17-cm long clay sediment profile in Gaura cu Musca Cave (GM), in SW Romania, made it possible to preliminarily characterize the Medieval Warm Period summer hydroclimate regime. The beginning of the sequence (AD 990) was rather wet for more than a century, before becoming progressively drier. After a brief, yet distinct wet period around AD 1170, drier conditions, with a possible shift from C3 to a mixed C3-dominated/C4 type vegetation (2 ‰ lower δ13C values), prevailed for almost half a century before the climate became colder and wetter at the onset of the Little Ice Age, when bats left the cave. The guano-inferred wet and dry intervals from the GM Cave are mirrored by changes in the color and amount of clay accumulated in the cave. They also agree well with reconstructions based on pollen and charcoal from peat bogs and δ13C and δ18O on speleothems from other Romanian sites. Overall, these results indicate that the δ13C of bat guano can provide a sensitive record of the short-term coupling between local/regional climate and the plant–insect–bat–guano system.

Histoplasmosis is a systemic mycosis caused by inhaling spores of Histoplasma capsulatum, a dimorphic fungus. This fungus grows in soil contaminated with bat and avian excreta. Each year, patients with disseminated histoplasmosis have been diagnosed in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand. No published information is currently available on the environmental sources of this fungus in Chiang Mai or anywhere else in Thailand. The aim of this study was to detect H. capsulatum in soil samples contaminated with bat guano and avian droppings by nested PCR. Two hundred and sixty-five samples were collected from the following three sources: soil contaminated with bat guano, 88 samples; soil contaminated with bird droppings, 86 samples; and soil contaminated with chicken droppings, 91 samples. Genomic DNA was directly extracted from each sample, and H. capsulatum was detected by nested PCR using a primer set specific to a gene encoding 100-kDa-like protein (HcI, HcII and HcIII, HcIV). Histoplasma capsulatum was detected in seven of 88 soil samples contaminated with bat guano, one of 21 soil samples contaminated with pigeon droppings and 10 of 91 soil samples contaminated with chicken droppings. The results indicate the possibility of the association of bat guano and chicken droppings with H. capsulatum in this area of Thailand.

In the resource-limited Arctic environment, vegetation developing near seabird colonies is exception- ally luxuriant. Nevertheless, there are very few detailed quantitative studies of any specific plant species responses to ornithogenic manuring. Therefore, we studied variability of polar scurvygrass Cochlearia groenlandica individual biomass and leaf width along a seabird influenced gradient determining environmental conditions for vegetation in south-west Spitsbergen. We found seabird colony effect being a paramount factor responsible for augmented growth of C. groenlandica. The species predominated close to the colony and reached the highest mean values of individual biomass (1.4 g) and leaf width (26.6 mm) 10 m below the colony. Its abundance and size declined towards the coast. Both C. groenlandica individual traits signifi- cantly decreased with distance from the colony, soil water and organic matter content and increased with guano deposition, soil d 15 N, conductivity, acidity and nitrate, phosphate and potassium ion content. Our study supports the hypothesis that seabirds have fundamental importance for vegetation growth in poor Arctic environment. Highly plastic species such as C. groenlandica may be a useful instrument in detecting habitat condition changes, for instance resulting from climate change.

The soils impacted by sea animal excreta are important sources of nutrients in Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems, and soil microorganisms are the principal drivers of carbon and nitrogen cycling. However, microbial diversity and enzyme activities in these soils have still received little attention. In this paper, we investigated the distribution characteristics of bacterial community in four penguin and seal colony soil profiles collected in East Antarctica, using 16S rDNA-DGGE and real-time quantitative PCR. Soil microbial biomass carbon (Cmic), soil respiration (SR), and enzyme activities involved in carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus metabolisms were also measured. Overall soil Cmic, SR, enzyme activities, and bacterial abundance decreased with depth. The bacterial abundance had a significant correlation with soil organic carbon and total nitrogen and highly corresponded to the relative content of penguin guano or seal excreta in these soil profiles. The 16S rDNA-DGGE revealed the complicated bacterial community structure in penguin and seal colony soils, and the band richness and dominant bands decreased with soil depth. Cluster analysis of DGGE profiles indicated that bacterial community in those soil profiles were divided into four main categories with the bacterial genetic similarity of 22 %, and the majority of the sequenced bands were Proteobacteria (α, β, γ), Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Deinococcus-Thermus, Chloroflexi, and Firmicutes. Our results indicated that the deposition of penguin guano or seal excreta, which caused the variability in soil soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, pH, and soil moisture, might have an important effect on the vertical distribution pattern of bacterial abundance and diversity in Antarctic soil profiles.

Bats are crucial for proper functioning of an ecosystem. They provide various important services to ecosystem and environment. While, bats are well-known carrier of pathogenic viruses, their possible role as a potential carrier of pathogenic bacteria is under-explored. Here, using culture-based approach, employing multiple bacteriological media, over thousand bacteria were cultivated and identified from Rousettus leschenaultii (a frugivorous bat species), the majority of which were from the family Enterobacteriaceae and putative pathogens. Next, pathogenic potential of most frequently cultivated component of microbiome i.e. Escherichia coli was assessed to identify its known pathotypes which revealed the presence of virulent factors in many cultivated E. coli isolates. Applying in-depth bacterial community analysis using high-throughput 16 S rRNA gene sequencing, a high inter-individual variation was observed among the studied guano samples. Interestingly, a higher diversity of bacterial communities was observed in decaying guano representative. The search against human pathogenic bacteria database at 97% identity, a small proportion of sequences were found associated to well-known human pathogens. The present study thus indicates that this bat species may carry potential bacterial pathogens and advice to study the effect of these pathogens on bats itself and the probable mode of transmission to humans and other animals.

Seabirds and coral reefs are two of the most threatened marine communities on earth, and they co-occur on many tropical islands and subtropical islands and atolls. Seabirds concentrate marine-derived nutrients on breeding islands in the form of feces (guano), and these nutrients dramatically alter terrestrial ecosystem ecology. Recent work in the remote Pacific indicates seabird-derived nutrients may also subsidize nearshore coral reefs, but the consequences of guano on complex, anthropogenically modified coral reefs are unknown. The impact of seabird guano on nearshore coral reefs around Moku Nui, an islet with a large seabird colony in Oahu, Hawaii, was investigated in comparison with coral reefs around three islets with lower seabird abundance. Reefs in close proximity to Moku Nui (where thousands of wedge-tailed shearwaters, Puffinus pacificus, breed) had greater concentrations of dissolved phosphate in seawater and greater δ15N in adjacent subtidal macroalgae relative to reefs next to smaller breeding colonies. However, dissolved nitrate was not different among islets. These results indicate that seabirds may be a source of nutrients for the waters surrounding Moku Nui that are already inundated with local and global stressors.

The crucial role of seabirds in the enrichment of nutrient-poor polar terrestrial ecosystem is well-known. However, no studies have examined the potentially different impacts associated with piscivorous and planktivorous bird colonies on the surrounding tundra soils. Therefore, we compared guano deposition and physical and chemical parameters of soil near two large seabird colonies, one of planktivorous little auks (Alle alle) and the other comprising piscivorous Brunnich’s guillemots (Uria lomvia) and kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla). The two colonies generated similar levels of guano deposition, with the intensity of deposition decreasing away from the colony. Guano deposition adjacent to both colonies was considerably higher than that in control areas. The increased guano supply around colonies significantly enhanced soil conductivity, nitrogen (NO3−, NH4+), potassium (K+), and phosphate (PO43−) ion concentrations and led to reduced pH values. Guano deposition explained 84 % (piscivorous colony) and 67 % (planktivorous colony) of the total variation in the tested soil parameters. Planktivore and piscivore colonies affected adjacent tundra in different ways. The phosphate content and pH value of soil influenced by piscivores were significantly higher than values measured in planktivore-influenced soil. The gradient of guano deposition and associated ion content in the soil decreased more rapidly with distance from the piscivore colony. Climate-induced changes in populations of planktivorous and piscivorous seabirds are expected in the study region and may therefore have substantial consequential effects on Arctic terrestrial ecosystems.

The poor solubility of rock phosphate limits its usefulness for crop production, but it has been shown that combined application of rock phosphate with plant residues can increase its P availability compared to rock phosphate alone. To investigate if compost mulch has a similar effect as residues, the effect of two rock phosphates [Nutriphos Guano Powder (RPA) and Indian Potash Limited (RPB)] with or without two different composts C1 (from garden waste) and C2 (from wood chips and bark), on soil P pools and P uptake by wheat was evaluated in a 75-day glasshouse experiment in a loamy sand soil. The composts were applied as a 2.5-cm-thick layer on the soil surface and rock P was mixed in the soil at a rate of 0.250 g kg−1 soil (equivalent to 35 mg P kg−1 of RPA and 26 mg P kg−1 soil as RPB). Further treatments included an unamended soil and a soil amended with soluble P (KH2PO4) at a rate of 50 mg P kg−1 soil. Wheat was sown and harvested after 42 and 75 days. At sampling, the compost layer was removed and the underlying soil was sampled. Soil pH and total organic C concentration were not affected by the amendments. Soil respiration was significantly higher in soil amended with composts with or without rock P compared to unamended and inorganic fertiliser treatments. On day 75, addition of composts alone or with rock P increased plant growth and P uptake by 30–50 % compared to the unamended soil, which was greater increase than with soluble P. Compared with either rock P or compost applied alone, the combination of rock P with compost increased the concentration of NaHCO3-Pi and microbial P by about 30 %, suggesting that compost increased the mobilisation of rock P. The combination of compost and rock P also changed the concentrations of non-labile P pools compared to rock P alone indicating effects on P flux between the pools. This study showed that surface compost application can increase P mobilisation from rock P, but plant growth and P uptake were not increased compared to compost alone indicating that the composts supplied sufficient P to the plants.

This study determined the distribution and main source of methylmercury in ornithogenic coral sand sediments and pure guano collected from Guangjin and Jinqing islets of the South China Sea. Results showed that the levels of methylmercury (MeHg) and total mercury (THg), as well as the percentage of MeHg relative to THg (%MeHg), are high in both fresh and ancient guano samples. %MeHg in ancient guano exceeded 70 %, much greater than that in fresh seabird droppings (~45 %). These results suggest that excretion through feces likely plays an important role in the cycling of MeHg by seabirds. Guano has been identified as the major source of MeHg in the ornithogenic coral sand sediments in the Xisha Islands. The close relationship between MeHg and guano-derived phosphorus has weakened considerably since 1840 AD. This is probably caused by a significant increase in THg and MeHg in modern guano samples due to the recent increase of Hg pollution. %MeHg in the ornithogenic coral sand sediments is extremely high, ranging from 10 to 30 % (average 20 %).

Current non-invasive biomonitoring techniques to measure heavy metal exposure in free ranging birds using eggs, feathers and guano are problematic because essential metals copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) deposited in eggs and feathers are under physiological control, feathers accumulate metals from surface contamination and guano may contain faecal metals of mixed bioavailability. This paper reports a new technique of measuring lead (Pb), Cu and Zn in avian urate spheres (AUS), the solid component of avian urine. These metal levels in AUS (theoretically representing the level of metal taken into the bloodstream, i.e. bioavailable to birds) were compared with levels in eggs (yolk and shell), feathers and whole guano from chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) exposed to a heavy metal-contaminated soil (an allotment soil containing Pb 555 mg kg−1 dry mass (dm), Cu 273 mg kg−1 dm and Zn 827 mg kg−1 dm). The median metal levels (n = 2) in AUS from chickens exposed to this contaminated soil were Pb 208 μg g−1 uric acid, Cu 66 μg g−1 uric acid and Zn: 526 μg g−1 uric acid. Lead concentrations in egg yolk and shell samples (n = 3) were below the limit of detection (

Despite a widespread recognition of the role of seabird colonies in the fertilization of nutrient-poor polar terrestrial ecosystems, qualitative and quantitative data documenting any consequential influence on soil invertebrate communities are still lacking. Therefore, we studied community structure and abundance of springtails (Collembola) in ornithogenic tundra near two large seabird colonies in Hornsund, south-west Spitsbergen. We found considerably (5–20×) higher densities and biomass of Collembola in the vicinities of both colonies (the effect extending up to ca. 50 m from the colony edge) than in comparable control areas of tundra not influenced by allochtonous nutrient input. The most common springtails observed in the seabird-influenced areas were Folsomia quadrioculata, Hypogastrura viatica and Megaphorura arctica. The latter species appeared the most resistant to ornithogenic nutrient input and was found commonly closest to the bird colonies. Collembolan abundance decreased with increasing distance from the seabird colonies. However, relationships between collembolan density and specific physicochemical soil parameters and vegetation characteristics were weak. The most important factors were the cover of the nitrophilous green alga Prasiola crispa, total plant biomass and soil solution conductivity, all of which were correlated with distance from the colony and estimated amount by guano deposition. Community composition and abundance of springtails showed no evidence of being influenced of seabird diet, with no differences apparent between communities found in ornithogenic tundra developing in the vicinity of planktivorous and piscivorous seabird colonies. The study provides confirmation of the influence of marine nutrient input by seabirds on soil microfaunal communities.

A phosphatic alteration rind is described comprising a leucophosphite crust above a phosphatised substrate of serpentinized peridotite from an exceptionally isolated location experiencing high rainfall conditions. The formation of the rind is intimately linked to the deposition and subsequent leaching of guano associated with the high concentration of seabirds that nest on the islands and its transformation into a ‘weathering rind’. The favoured pathway into the substrate appears to be along a pre-existing microfracture network, via the alteration of its carbonate infill into soluble apatite. This apatite is only retained within the protected environment of the microfracture network. Surrounding the network, there is evidence of the continued inward migration of the leachate into the surrounding peridotite resulting in its gradual phosphatisation in the form of a ‘halo’ around individual fractures. On the exposed rock surface, the consequence of the reaction between the guano leachate and the underlying substrate is its transformation into a ‘weathering rind’ composed principally of leucophosphite. It appears that the widespread formation of a phosphate crust is constrained by continual surface loss in a high energy, salt-rich maritime environment exposed to extensive overwash, wave attack and ultimately erosion.

We inferred late Holocene Adelie penguin occupation history and population dynamics on Zolotov Island, Vestfold Hills, Antarctica, using geochemical data from a dated ornithogenic sediment core (ZOL4). Radiocarbon dates on fossil penguin bones in the core indicate that Adelie penguins occupied the island as early as 1,800 years before present (yr BP), following the retreat of the Sorsdal glacier. This occupation began ~1,200 years later than that observed at Ardley Island and King George Island, in the South Shetland Islands. Phosphorus was identified as the most indicative bio-element for penguin guano in core ZOL4, and was used to infer past penguin population dynamics. Around 1,800 years ago, the Adelie penguin populations at both Zolotov Island and Ardley Island increased rapidly and reached their highest levels ~1,000 yr BP. For the past ~900 years, the penguin populations at Zolotov Island have shown a general rising trend, with fluctuations, while those at Ardley Island have shown a moderate decreasing trend. The Adelie penguin populations at both Ardley Island and Zolotov Island showed a clear decline ~300 years ago, which we interpret as a response to the Little Ice Age, or a neoglacial cooling event.

Reflectance spectroscopy has several advantages compared to traditional chemical methods in paleolimnology. It requires little cost, involves minimal or no sample preparation and is rapid. There has, however, been limited use of reflectance spectroscopy in polar paleolimnological studies. This paper explores the application of reflectance spectroscopy to reconstruct historical changes in penguin population size in the maritime Antarctic. Two ornithogenic sediment cores on Ardley Island, Antarctica were analyzed. Penguin droppings and weathered soils were analyzed as reference materials. Principal component analysis and linear mixing modeling were performed on the spectral data to estimate the proportion of penguin guano in the sediments and these values were used to infer historical penguin population numbers. Historical penguin population size versus time, reconstructed from reflectance spectra, and population numbers inferred from previous geochemical analysis of bio-elements, were quite similar. Our results illustrate the feasibility of rapidly inferring historical changes in penguin population size using reflectance spectroscopy on Antarctic ornithogenic sediments. Our findings suggest that this technique has potential for reconstructing past population numbers of other seabirds and mammals using lake sediments influenced by animal excrement.

In natural apatites, perinaphthenyl radical with spectral parameters g = 2.0018±0.0002, A1 (1H) = 0.62±0.01 mT, A2 (1H) = 0.2±0.01 mT is identified by EPR. The radical forms during annealing of samples in the air in a range T = 300–500°C and is stable over time for several months after the formation. It is detected in the only genetic type of this polygenic mineral, namely, in supergene insular apatites from guano phosphate ores.