University of Groningen
A golden life
Machín Alvarez, Paula
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Publication date:
2018
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Machín Alvarez, P. (2018). A golden life: Ecology of breeding waders in low Lapland. University of
Groningen.
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Stellingen behorende bij het proefschrift
A golden life
Ecology of breeding waders in low Lapland
Paula Machín
1. An increase in (winter) precipitation due to global climate change, resulting in a late snowmelt in spring, is detrimental for the breeding success of Scandinavian waders. This stresses the importance of also taking into account other effects of climate change than temperature.
(In this thesis, chapter 2)
2. Extreme annual variation in the abundance of a single, late emerging insect species has a dominant effect on the growth and survival of Golden Plover chicks, which suggests that the chicks are generally mismatched with the seasonal peak of insect abundance.
(In this thesis, chapter 3)
3. Predicting the precise effects of climate change on a species not only requires knowledge on what this species exactly eats, but also how individual prey species might be affected by climate change.
(In this thesis, chapter 4)
4. The fact that Golden Plovers do not moult during the winter, because of unfavourable environmental conditions or because they have to be ready to be able to flee for a cold spell, ultimately results in the rare behaviour of overlap between breeding and moult.
(In this thesis, chapter 5)
5. Subarctic alpine ecosystems function differently than arctic ecosystems, not in the least because in subarctic ecosystems there is a direct link with lower elevation habitats.
(In this thesis, chapter 2 and 4)
6. Exploring variation in behaviour between populations is a powerful tool to better under-stand the ecology of a species.
(In this thesis, chapter 3 and 5)
7. Tracking birds using new technologies gives many novel insights about their movements and the dilemma’s they face during the year, but we should not underestimate the power of good old-fashioned fieldwork.
8. Researchers are urged to document the effects of climate change on organisms and ecosystems before it is too late, since climate change is a reality that nobody can deny anymore (IPCC 2014).
(In this thesis, chapter 7)
9. Not all that glitters is gold, including the Golden plover.
10. Impossible is nothing, you just need a sufficient dose of motivation. The research of breeding waders on the mountain tundra provides sufficient motivation to every day climb the hill from the village of Ammarnäs, and have extensive working days of up to 14 hours.
