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Birds as Monitors of Environmental Change pp 179–216Cite as

Birds as indicators of changes in water quality

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Abstract

Throughout the world, birds are abundant, conspicuous and diverse components of freshwater ecosystems and of the wetlands and riparian areas around them. Although less than 4–5% of the Earth’s land surface is covered by standing freshwater, as many as 11–23% of all bird species use inland waters or their margins at some time during their annual cycle (Table 5.1). In part, this diversity reflects the fundamental importance, productivity and wider ecological influences of water in all biomes. It reflects also the riparian influence of running waters: Britain alone has 80 000 km of streams and rivers, yet river drainage from the whole of Europe still represents only 8% of the world’s total (Chorley, 1969).

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Authors
  1. S. J. Ormerod
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  2. S. J. Tyler
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Applied Ornithology Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Glasgow, G12 8QQ, Glasgow, UK

    R. W. Furness

  2. British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Nunnery Place, IP24 2PU, Thetford, Norfolk, UK

    J. J. D. Greenwood

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Ormerod, S.J., Tyler, S.J. (1993). Birds as indicators of changes in water quality. In: Furness, R.W., Greenwood, J.J.D. (eds) Birds as Monitors of Environmental Change. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-1322-7_5

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