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IMPACT OF PHALACROCORAX CARBO COLONIES ON SOIL AND VEGETATION AT LAKE KANIERIS ISLANDS IN LATVIA

Gunta Čekstere

Abstract

Great cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo are frequent nesting in colonies in trees next to water bodies or on islands of Latvia?s lakes. The present study was done to evaluate the effect of great cormorant colonies on the soil chemical composition and vegetation on two islands of Lake Kanieris in a long term, 2010-2017. While great cormorants were distributed unevenly, two different sites on each island were set up, one representing a site without vegetation, the other ? a site with vegetation. To characterize the background level, the third island in the Lake Kanieris was selected without colonies of great cormorant. Soil samples were taken from top-soil layer at 0-10 depth. The content of soil N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Mn, Zn, Cu, and Na in 1 M HCl extraction, soil pH/KCl and electrical conductivity (EC) were determined in July of 2010 and 2017. The cover and species composition of tree, shrub and herb layer were evaluated in percent at all study sites. Our study demonstrated that high input of chemical elements from nutrient rich guano had caused drastic effect on the habitats of lake islands, particularly changes in soil chemistry and damage to vegetation. Habitats unsuitable for plant growth with extremely high content of P, Na, N, S, Zn, etc., as well as EC were stated. Generally, the forest stands have lost the typical spatial continuity and layering, the plant species composition has fully changed. The development of nitrophile plant communities, e.g., Urtica dioca at the herb layer and Sambuca nigra at the shrub layer were observed in the sites with less impact of nesting great cormorant colonies.

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DOI resolver: doi.org/10.5593/sgem2018/3.2/s13.031

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