Supporting data: Shorebird responses to fine-scale water level fluctuations and macrofauna biomass in a newly constructed freshwater wetland

Data supporting "Shorebird responses to fine-scale water level fluctuations and macrofauna biomass in a newly constructed freshwater wetland" publication in Restoration Ecology (2026)

Introduction: Restoration of marine and freshwater wetlands for shorebirds is essential for the recovery of their declining populations. An ongoing approach is to restore shorebird habitats by large-scale engineering, expecting the return of birds once suitable abiotic conditions are (re)established. However, this requires science-based knowledge on which abiotic conditions should be (re)constructed.
Objectives: Here, we aimed to identify preferred water-level ranges of a diverse shorebird community by studying shorebird habitat use in a new 1300-ha heterogeneous freshwater wetland with spatio-temporal variation in food availability and water levels (Marker Wadden, the Netherlands). We hypothesized that (1) water levels regulate the attractiveness of wetland sites to shorebirds; (2) shorebird numbers are positively related to benthic and pelagic macrofauna biomass; (3) water level and macrofauna biomass interact, with the effect of macrofauna biomass diminishing as water levels increase.
Methods: We combined Artificial Intelligence shorebird counting on 86400 camera trap images with automatic water level registrations and monthly macrofauna biomass sampling.
Results: Statistical modelling identified water level as the key driver of shorebird numbers, and macrofauna biomass as less important during our one-year study. Optimal water levels ranged between just exposed saturated mudflats and mudflats with 5 cm of water on the sediment surface. Water level-regulated macrofauna accessibility overruled effects of macrofauna biomass on shorebird numbers.
Conclusions: Fine-scale water level management can be a powerful approach to restore habitat suitability for foraging shorebirds, and thus contribute to recovery of their declining populations.
Implications for Practice: Water levels determine the value of wetland areas for shorebirds at the resolution of centimeters. Two-thirds of all shorebirds were observed when water levels ranged between 10 cm below and 10 cm above the sediment surface. This makes high-resolution water level management a powerful tool for improving shorebird habitat suitability. This is particularly feasible in freshwater wetlands, in the absence of a tidal cycle. Variation in pelagic and benthic macrofauna densities is irrelevant if prey are inaccessible due to unsuitable water levels. Considering water levels during the design-phase of wetland restoration can ensure future habitat suitability for shorebirds throughout the annual cycle.

本数据集为支持发表于《恢复生态学（Restoration Ecology）》2026年的论文《新建淡水湿地内鸻鹬类对精细尺度水位波动及大型底栖动物生物量的响应》的配套研究数据。

引言：为鸻鹬类恢复滨海与淡水湿地，对其种群衰退的复苏至关重要。当前主流修复策略为通过大规模工程手段重建鸻鹬类栖息地，期望在适宜的非生物条件（重新）建立后吸引鸟类回迁。然而，此类修复需依托基于科学研究的认知，明确应（重新）构建哪些非生物条件。

研究目标：本研究针对荷兰玛克瓦登（Marker Wadden）一处占地1300公顷的新型异质性淡水湿地展开调研，该湿地的食物可获得性与水位存在时空异质性。我们旨在通过分析鸻鹬类的栖息地利用模式，明确多样化鸻鹬类群落偏好的水位区间。本研究提出三项假设：（1）水位调控湿地生境对鸻鹬类的吸引力；（2）鸻鹬类种群数量与底栖及浮游大型动物生物量呈正相关；（3）水位与大型动物生物量存在交互效应，即随着水位升高，大型动物生物量对鸻鹬类的影响会减弱。

研究方法：本研究将人工智能（Artificial Intelligence, AI）鸻鹬类计数技术应用于86400张相机陷阱影像，同时结合自动水位监测数据与月度大型动物生物量采样结果开展整合分析。

研究结果：统计模型显示，水位是调控鸻鹬类种群数量的关键驱动因子，而在本为期一年的研究周期内，大型动物生物量的影响相对较弱。最优水位区间为刚出露的饱和潮滩至沉积物表面覆有5厘米水深的潮滩。水位调控的大型动物可获取性，抵消了大型动物生物量对鸻鹬类种群数量的影响。

研究结论：精细尺度的水位管理可作为提升鸻鹬类觅食生境适宜性的有效手段，进而助力衰退鸻鹬类种群的复苏。

实践启示：水位以厘米级的分辨率决定了湿地生境对鸻鹬类的价值。当水位介于沉积物表面下10厘米至表面上10厘米区间时，观测到的鸻鹬类数量占总观测量的三分之二。这表明高分辨率水位管理是提升鸻鹬类生境适宜性的有力工具，在无潮汐周期的淡水湿地中尤其具备实施可行性。若因水位不适导致猎物不可获取，浮游与底栖大型动物的密度差异则无实际意义。在湿地修复的设计阶段纳入水位考量，可确保未来全年生境均适宜鸻鹬类栖息。