Global ecosystem typology

Alternative site for the Global ecosystem typology with additional information for ecosystem profiles and indicative maps.

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MT2.2 Large seabird and pinniped colonies

Biome: MT2. Supralittoral coastal biome

Contributors:
(texts)

– profile in preparation –

Key Features

Localised areas of bare or vegetated ground with diverse microbial communities at the ocean interface receiving massive nutrient subsidies and disturbance from large concentrations of roosting or nesting seabirds and pinnipeds that function as mobile links between land and sea.

Overview of distribution

Scattered globally on islands and coastlines, but most common in polar and subpolar regions.

Profile versions

Main references

Selected references for this functional group:

  • Ellis JC (2005) Marine Birds on land: A review of plant biomass, species richness, and community composition in seabird colonies Plant Ecology 181, 227–241

  • S. N. Riddick, U. Dragosits, T. D. Blackall, F. Daunt, S. Wanless and M. A. Sutton (2012) The global distribution of ammonia emissions from seabird colonies Atmospheric Environment 55 (2012), pp. 319-327 DOI:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2012.02.052

  • Otero XL, De La Peña-Lastra S, Pérez-Alberti A, Ferreira TO, Huerta-Diaz MA (2018) Seabird colonies as important global drivers in the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles Nature Communications 9, 246

Diagrammatic assembly model

Diagrammatic assembly model of MT2.2 Large seabird and pinniped colonies. See general notes on diagrams. Open image full size.

Maps

Maps are indicative of global distribution patterns are not intended to represent fine-scale patterns. The maps show areas of the world containing major (coloured red) or minor occurrences (coloured yellow) of each ecosystem functional group. See general notes on maps.

Information about the current valid indicative map for this functional group is shown below.

MT2.2.IM.orig_v1.0

Datasets

  • Seabird-colonies-NP

Map references

  • Otero XL, De La Peña-Lastra S, Pérez-Alberti A, Ferreira TO, Huerta-Diaz MA (2018) Seabird colonies as important global drivers in the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles Nature Communications 9, 246

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