PHOSPHORUS AND NITROGEN IN WETLANDS WITH AND WITHOUT EGRET COLONIES

Colonially nesting birds have been implicated in the destruction of their nest site vegetation, the most likely mechanism being through an overload or imbalance of soil nutrients. The numbers of egrets in coastal New South Wales colonies have increased rapidly in the second half of this century since cattle egrets (Ardeola ibis) were introduced. This species now nests colonially with three native species: great (Egretta alba), intermediate (Egretta intermedia) and little egrets (Egretta garzetta). Thus there is potential for more rapid degradation of the colony site. We measured the levels of phosphorus in surface sediments, and phosphorus and nitrogen in water at eight colony site wetlands, and compared each to four other wetlands in the same region where there were no egret colonies. We conclude that levels of both nutrients were elevated in colony wetlands. The implications of this result for death of colony site vegetation and the conservation of the three native egret species ate briefly discussed.