Anthropogenic debris as nest material in three swift species: New insights into the interactions of atmospheric pollution with wildlife

Basit Öğe Kaydı
dc.authorid0000-0001-6765-8761
dc.authorid0000-0003-2358-1277
dc.authorid0000-0001-5318-4833
dc.authorid0000-0002-8566-6367
dc.authorid0000-0002-5651-1462
dc.contributor.authorLuna, Alvaro
dc.contributor.authorMoreno, Elena
dc.contributor.authorPinzolas, Jose Antonio
dc.contributor.authorOliver, Santiago
dc.contributor.authorMeyer, Susanna
dc.contributor.authorBrodermann, Olaf
dc.contributor.authorMerino, Carlos
dc.date.accessioned2026-01-24T12:31:18Z
dc.date.available2026-01-24T12:31:18Z
dc.date.issued2024
dc.departmentAlanya Alaaddin Keykubat Üniversitesi
dc.description.abstractPlastic pollution has become a global concern, affecting many species around the world. While well-documented for marine ecosystems, the impact of plastic pollution on terrestrial ecosystems is comparatively limited. In fact, only recently have some studies begun to explore the occurrence, pathways, and impacts of plastic in the atmosphere and on terrestrial species. Here, we assess the presence of synthetic material in nests of three swift species breeding in the Western Palearctic: the common swift ( Apus apus), ), the pallid swift ( Apus pallidus), ), and the alpine swift ( Tachymarptis melba). ). Using data from 487 nests spanning 25 colonies and seven European countries, we show that 36.5 % of the examined nests contained anthropogenic materials, mainly plastic debris. Notably, Pallid swifts' nests, with 85 % of the total nests examined with plastic, rank among birds with the highest plastic content in nests. We also demonstrate that the probability of finding plastic in the nest increased substantially with the human footprint of the landscape. Last, we recorded four cases of swifts entangled in their own nest, a low proportion compared to other species studied previously. Our study provides compelling evidence that plastic pollution may also be considered a concern for other terrestrial species, particularly for birds with highly aerial lifestyles, such as other swifts. The correlation with the human footprint suggests that areas with higher human activity contribute more significantly. Moreover, the entanglement cases, although low, indicate a threat to bird health and welfare. To our knowledge, our study is the first to report a direct interaction between floating plastic debris in the atmosphere and any species. Understanding this interaction is key, not only due to the lack of research on the topic, but also because it highlights that plastic pollution is a multifaceted environmental issue affecting various ecosystem categories, and the broader implications of atmospheric plastic circulation on wildlife and ecosystems health.
dc.description.sponsorshipFCT - Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia, I.P [10.54499/CEECIND/02064/2017/CP1423/CP1645/CT0009]
dc.description.sponsorshipWe thank all the collaborators that provided data, also to Cristina Amador that helped to analyze the sample from Czech Republic, and to the people who, once contacted, redirected us to other naturalists who might be interested, hence facilitating the creation of a network of collaborators. A heartfelt tribute to Ales Toman, who provided data from the Czech Republic. His recent passing creates a void that will be deeply felt. Alex Mascarell contributed with the pictures of the species used for the figures. We thank Edward Mayer from Swifts Conservation for keep the international swift community united. We also congratulate all the members of the swallow-martins-swifts-worldwide forum for being an active community that shares news, publications and personal experiences which allows us to advance in our knowledge of swifts. LPS was supported by FCT - Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia, I.P. through the individual research contract 10.54499/CEECIND/02064/2017/CP1423/CP1645/CT0009.
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175171
dc.identifier.issn0048-9697
dc.identifier.issn1879-1026
dc.identifier.pmid39094648
dc.identifier.scopus2-s2.0-85200483713
dc.identifier.scopusqualityQ1
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175171
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12868/5791
dc.identifier.volume949
dc.identifier.wosWOS:001292852600001
dc.identifier.wosqualityQ1
dc.indekslendigikaynakWeb of Science
dc.indekslendigikaynakScopus
dc.indekslendigikaynakPubMed
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherElsevier
dc.relation.ispartofScience of The Total Environment
dc.relation.publicationcategoryMakale - Uluslararası Hakemli Dergi - Kurum Öğretim Elemanı
dc.rightsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.snmzKA_WoS_20260121
dc.subjectPlastic
dc.subjectSwifts
dc.subjectAnthropogenic pollution
dc.subjectUrban environment
dc.subjectHuman footprint index
dc.titleAnthropogenic debris as nest material in three swift species: New insights into the interactions of atmospheric pollution with wildlife
dc.typeArticle

Dosyalar

Koleksiyon

WoS İndeksli Yayınlar Koleksiyonu
PubMed İndeksli Yayınlar Koleksiyonu
Scopus İndeksli Yayınlar Koleksiyonu