Restoration of Intertidal Flat Ecosystems by Exploring Unknown Diet for Small Sandpiper Species

Abstract

Our empirical multidisciplinary study shows that shorebird reliance on biofilm, a ubiquitous, previously unsuspected food comprised of microbes, their extracellular mucus substances, and detritus, is universal. The reliance was dependent on the environment that determines biofilm density. These findings revise shorebirds' trophic position and reveal new food web structures. Also, the study can assist in recovering worldwide declines in shorebird biodiversity as well as conservation and restoration of the integrity of intertidal flat ecosystems. We propose ideal configurations applied to the planning and designing of intertidal flat restoration projects, in the light of shorebird foraging ecology.