{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,4]],"date-time":"2026-02-04T17:05:06Z","timestamp":1770224706322,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":48,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,4,24]],"date-time":"2023-04-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1682294400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"LIFE EU programme","award":["UID\/MAR\/04292\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UID\/MAR\/04292\/2020"]}]},{"name":"LIFE EU programme","award":["LA\/P\/0069\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["LA\/P\/0069\/2020"]}]},{"name":"Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P. (FCT) to MARE","award":["UID\/MAR\/04292\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UID\/MAR\/04292\/2020"]}]},{"name":"Foundation for Science and Technology, I.P. (FCT) to MARE","award":["LA\/P\/0069\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["LA\/P\/0069\/2020"]}]},{"name":"Associate Laboratory ARNET","award":["UID\/MAR\/04292\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UID\/MAR\/04292\/2020"]}]},{"name":"Associate Laboratory ARNET","award":["LA\/P\/0069\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["LA\/P\/0069\/2020"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Diversity"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The establishment of large populations of yellow-legged gull Larus michahellis in coastal and urban areas can lead to strong changes in vegetation cover and composition through creating physical disturbance in the vegetation and impacting the soil quality through defecation. In this study, we evaluated the effects of breeding yellow-legged gull populations on tall and short vegetation cover and plant species composition in old (occupied for 13 years) and new (occupied for 3 years) colony sites in grey dunes of the Algarve, southern Portugal. In each site, sampling plots were used to measure the percentage of vegetation cover in areas with and without breeding gulls. In the old colony site, the cover by tall vegetation was substantially reduced and the cover by short vegetation substantially increased in the areas where gulls are breeding in comparison with the adjacent areas. In the new colony sites, there were only minor differences. The increase in cover of short vegetation in the breeding area of the old colony site was mostly by nitrophilous species (Paronychia argentea and Malcolmia littorea) and should be explained by the decrease in vegetation cover of tall plant species and by feces deposition. Tall and slow-growing species Suaeda maritima and Helichrysum italicum covers were negatively affected. Our results showed that yellow-legged gulls affected vegetation cover and composition of grey dunes after 3 years of consecutive breeding, and this should be considered in the management of these habitats where breeding yellow-legged gulls are increasing.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/d15050589","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,4,24]],"date-time":"2023-04-24T03:38:07Z","timestamp":1682307487000},"page":"589","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["The Impact of Breeding Yellow-Legged Gulls on Vegetation Cover and Plant Composition of Grey Dune Habitats"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-9784-9920","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Diogo","family":"Portela","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Sciences and Technologies (FCT), Gambelas Campus, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7594-3535","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jorge M.","family":"Pereira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"MARE\u2014Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre\/ARNET Aquatic Research Network, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Cal\u00e7ada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Lara R.","family":"Cerveira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"MARE\u2014Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre\/ARNET Aquatic Research Network, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Cal\u00e7ada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6368-9579","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Vitor H.","family":"Paiva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"MARE\u2014Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre\/ARNET Aquatic Research Network, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Cal\u00e7ada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Jaime A.","family":"Ramos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"MARE\u2014Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre\/ARNET Aquatic Research Network, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Cal\u00e7ada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,4,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"774","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1600-0706.2008.17226.x","article-title":"Effects of Urbanisation on Disease Prevalence and Age Structure in Blackbird Turdus merula Populations","volume":"118","author":"Evans","year":"2009","journal-title":"Oikos"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e0209200","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0209200","article-title":"Effects of Urbanization on the Foraging Ecology and Microbiota of the Generalist Seabird Larus argentatus","volume":"13","author":"Fuirst","year":"2018","journal-title":"PLoS ONE"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"8877","DOI":"10.1038\/ncomms9877","article-title":"Increased Tolerance to Humans among Disturbed Wildlife","volume":"6","author":"Samia","year":"2015","journal-title":"Nat. Commun."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1101","DOI":"10.1007\/s11252-021-01101-x","article-title":"Seasonal Variation in Habitat Use, Daily Routines and Interactions with Humans by Urban-Dwelling Gulls","volume":"24","author":"Paiva","year":"2021","journal-title":"Urban Ecosyst."},{"key":"ref_5","first-page":"948","article-title":"Town and Country Reptiles: A Review of Reptilian Responses to Urbanization","volume":"58","author":"French","year":"2018","journal-title":"Integr. Comp. Biol."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"83","DOI":"10.3161\/000164514X682913","article-title":"Nest Site Selection and Breeding Success in Three Turdus Thrush Species Coexisting in an Urban Environment","volume":"49","author":"Mikula","year":"2014","journal-title":"Acta Ornithol."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"10527","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-019-46890-6","article-title":"Habitat Use of Urban-Nesting Lesser Black-Backed Gulls during the Breeding Season","volume":"9","author":"Spelt","year":"2019","journal-title":"Sci. Rep."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"312","DOI":"10.1111\/ibi.13123","article-title":"Plenty of Rooftops with Few Neighbours Occupied by Young Breeding Yellow-Legged Gulls (Larus michahellis): Does This Occur at the Expense of Their Health Condition?","volume":"165","author":"Paiva","year":"2023","journal-title":"IBIS"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ramos, J.A., and Pereira, L. (2022). Seabird Biodiversity and Human Activities, Taylor & Francis.","DOI":"10.1201\/9781003047520"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"274","DOI":"10.1111\/ibi.12892","article-title":"Urban Gulls Adapt Foraging Schedule to Human-Activity Patterns","volume":"163","author":"Spelt","year":"2021","journal-title":"IBIS"},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1013","DOI":"10.1023\/A:1008805030578","article-title":"Is the Yellow-Legged Gull a Superabundant Bird Species in the Mediterranean? Impact on Fauna and Flora, Conservation Measures and Research Priorities","volume":"7","author":"Vidal","year":"1998","journal-title":"Biodivers. Conserv."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"148","DOI":"10.7589\/2016-03-051","article-title":"Antimicrobial Resistance of Salmonella serovars and Campylobacter Spp. Isolated from an Opportunistic Gull Species, Yellow-Legged Gull (Larus michahellis)","volume":"53","author":"Ramos","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Wildl. Dis."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"807","DOI":"10.1007\/s002270100651","article-title":"Competition between the Yellow-Legged Gull Larus cachinnans and Audouin\u2019s Gull Larus audouinii Associated with Commercial Fishing Vessels: The Influence of Season and Fishing Fleet","volume":"139","author":"Arcos","year":"2001","journal-title":"Mar. Biol."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"245","DOI":"10.1016\/S0169-2046(97)00037-6","article-title":"Gulls in Urban Environments: Landscape-Level Management to Reduce Conflict","volume":"38","author":"Belant","year":"1997","journal-title":"Landsc. Urban Plan."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"76","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ecolind.2011.09.009","article-title":"Plant Community Changes as Ecological Indicator of Seabird Colonies\u2019 Impacts on Mediterranean Islands","volume":"15","author":"Baumberger","year":"2012","journal-title":"Ecol. Indic."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"De La Pe\u00f1a-Lastra, S., Torre, F., Carballeira, R., Santiso, M.J., P\u00e9rez-Alberti, A., and Otero, X.L. (2022). The Rapid Effects of Yellow-Legged Gull (Larus michahellis) Colony on Dune Habitats and Plant Landscape in the Atlantic Islands National Park (NW Spain). Land, 11.","DOI":"10.3390\/land11020258"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"117","DOI":"10.1016\/0006-3207(72)90012-2","article-title":"A Review of Gull Damage and Management Methods at Nature Reserves","volume":"4","author":"Thomas","year":"1972","journal-title":"Biol. Conserv."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"427","DOI":"10.1007\/s004420050049","article-title":"Seabirds Drive Plant Species Turnover on Small Mediterranean Islands at the Expense of Native Taxa","volume":"122","author":"Vidal","year":"2000","journal-title":"Oecologia"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"144","DOI":"10.1016\/j.marpolbul.2018.05.027","article-title":"Trace Elements in Biomaterials and Soils from a Yellow-Legged Gull (Larus michahellis) Colony in the Atlantic Islands of Galicia National Park (NW Spain)","volume":"133","author":"Otero","year":"2018","journal-title":"Mar. Pollut. Bull."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"112469","DOI":"10.1016\/j.marpolbul.2021.112469","article-title":"Soil Eutrophication in Seabird Colonies Affects Cell Wall Composition: Implications for the Conservation of Rare Plant Species","volume":"168","author":"Otero","year":"2021","journal-title":"Mar. Pollut. Bull."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"267","DOI":"10.1016\/S0025-326X(98)80010-6","article-title":"Effects of Nesting Yellow-Legged Gulls (Larus cachinnans Pallas) on the Heavy Metal Content of Soils in the Cies Islands (Galicia, North-West Spain)","volume":"36","year":"1998","journal-title":"Mar. Pollut. Bull."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"383","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2015.06.013","article-title":"Phosphorus in Seagull Colonies and the Effect on the Habitats. The Case of Yellow-Legged Gulls (Larus michahellis) in the Atlantic Islands National Park (Galicia-NW Spain)","volume":"532","author":"Otero","year":"2015","journal-title":"Sci. Total Environ."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"110682","DOI":"10.1016\/j.marpolbul.2019.110682","article-title":"Heterogeneous composition of anthropogenic litter recorded in nests of Yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis) from a small Mediterranean island","volume":"150","author":"Battisti","year":"2020","journal-title":"Mar. Pollut. Bull."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"543","DOI":"10.1080\/03949370.2020.1870568","article-title":"Alien-dominated plant communities\u2019 syntopic with seabird\u2019s nests: Evidence and possible implication from a Mediterranean insular ecosystem","volume":"33","author":"Battisti","year":"2021","journal-title":"Ethol. Ecol. Evol."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3240","DOI":"10.1139\/b83-361","article-title":"The Effects of Nesting Gulls on the Vegetation and Soil of Islands in the Great Lakes","volume":"61","author":"Hogg","year":"1983","journal-title":"Can. J. Bot."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"163","DOI":"10.11606\/issn.2237-1095.v6p163-186","article-title":"Gest\u00e3o Da Biodiversidade Na Uni\u00e3o Europeia: O Programa Natura 2000 Como Instrumento Para o Alcance Da Meta 11 de Aichi","volume":"6","author":"Tozato","year":"2016","journal-title":"Rev. Gest\u00e3o Pol\u00edticas P\u00fablicas"},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"478","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ocecoaman.2010.06.004","article-title":"Coastal Vulnerability in Barrier Islands: The High Risk Areas of the Ria Formosa (Portugal) System","volume":"53","author":"Ceia","year":"2010","journal-title":"Ocean. Coast. Manag."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1949","DOI":"10.1093\/icesjms\/fsy096","article-title":"How fishing intensity affects the spatial and trophic ecology of two gull species breeding in sympatry","volume":"75","author":"Matos","year":"2018","journal-title":"ICES J. Mar. Sci."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"187","DOI":"10.3354\/meps13601","article-title":"Influence of fisheries on the spatio-temporal feeding ecology of gulls along the western Iberian coast","volume":"661","author":"Calado","year":"2021","journal-title":"Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2815","DOI":"10.21105\/joss.02815","article-title":"Effectsize: Estimation of Effect Size Indices and Standardized Parameters","volume":"5","author":"Makowski","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Open Source Softw."},{"key":"ref_31","unstructured":"Maechler, M., Rousseeuw, P., Struyf, A., Hubert, M., and Hornik, K. (2022). Cluster: Cluster Analysis Basics and Extensions, R Foundation. R package version 2.1.4."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3566","DOI":"10.1890\/08-1823.1","article-title":"Associations between species and groups of sites: Indices and statistical inference","volume":"90","author":"Legendre","year":"2009","journal-title":"Ecology"},{"key":"ref_33","unstructured":"R Core Team (2022). R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing, R Foundation for Statistical Computing."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"75","DOI":"10.1034\/j.1600-0706.2002.980108.x","article-title":"Seagull Influence on Soil Properties, Chenopod Shrub Distribution, and Leaf Nutrient Status in Semi-Arid Mediterranean Islands","volume":"98","author":"Ojeda","year":"2002","journal-title":"Oikos"},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1643","DOI":"10.1007\/s10021-020-00494-8","article-title":"Long-Term Changes in Terrestrial Vegetation Linked to Shifts in a Colonial Seabird Population","volume":"23","author":"Duda","year":"2020","journal-title":"Ecosystems"},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"57","DOI":"10.1134\/S1995425513010101","article-title":"Changes in the Vegetation Cover of Cape Ostrovnoy (Gulf of Tauisk, the Sea of Okhotsk) under the Influence of Colonial Seabirds","volume":"6","author":"Mochalova","year":"2013","journal-title":"Contemp. Probl. Ecol."},{"key":"ref_37","first-page":"69","article-title":"A Vegeta\u00e7\u00e3o Do Parque Natural Da Ria Formosa (Algarve, Portugal)","volume":"15","author":"Costa","year":"1996","journal-title":"Stud. Bot."},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1876","DOI":"10.1126\/science.1094678","article-title":"Impact of Nitrogen Deposition on the Species Richness of Grasslands","volume":"303","author":"Stevens","year":"2004","journal-title":"Science"},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"227","DOI":"10.1007\/s11258-005-7147-y","article-title":"Marine Birds on Land: A Review of Plant Biomass, Species Richness, and Community Composition in Seabird Colonies","volume":"181","author":"Ellis","year":"2005","journal-title":"Plant Ecol."},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"108770","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ecolind.2022.108770","article-title":"A New Index to Assess the State of Dune Vegetation Derived from True Colour Images","volume":"137","author":"Talavera","year":"2022","journal-title":"Ecol. Indic."},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"153535","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2022.153535","article-title":"Gulls Living in Cities as Overlooked Seed Dispersers within and Outside Urban Environments","volume":"823","author":"Montalvo","year":"2022","journal-title":"Sci. Total Environ."},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"27","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ecss.2012.06.008","article-title":"Effects of a Small Seagull Colony on Trophic Status and Primary Production in a Mediterranean Coastal System (Marinello Ponds, Italy)","volume":"111","author":"Signa","year":"2012","journal-title":"Estuar. Coast. Shelf Sci."},{"key":"ref_43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"883","DOI":"10.5194\/bg-7-883-2010","article-title":"Effects of Seagulls on Ecosystem Respiration, Soil Nitrogen and Vegetation Cover on a Pristine Volcanic Island, Surtsey, Iceland","volume":"7","author":"Sigurdsson","year":"2010","journal-title":"Biogeosciences"},{"key":"ref_44","first-page":"233","article-title":"The Effect of Nesting Black-Headed Gulls (Larus ridibundus L.) on the Soil and Vegetation of a Vistual River Island, Poland","volume":"31","author":"Bukacinski","year":"1994","journal-title":"Ann. Bot. Fenn."},{"key":"ref_45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3117","DOI":"10.1890\/0012-9658(2000)081[3117:BUDOAI]2.0.CO;2","article-title":"Bottom-up Dynamics of Allochthonous Input: Direct and Indirect Effects of Seabirds on Islands","volume":"81","author":"Polis","year":"2000","journal-title":"Ecology"},{"key":"ref_46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"114109","DOI":"10.1016\/j.geoderma.2019.114109","article-title":"Soil Nutrient Dynamics in Colonies of the Yellow-Legged Seagull (Larus michahellis) in Different Biogeographical Zones","volume":"361","author":"Affre","year":"2020","journal-title":"Geoderma"},{"key":"ref_47","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"176","DOI":"10.1007\/s10336-005-0077-6","article-title":"Effects of Vegetation on Nest Microclimate and Breeding Performance of Lesser Black-Backed Gulls (Larus fuscus)","volume":"146","author":"Kim","year":"2005","journal-title":"J. Ornithol."},{"key":"ref_48","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"154","DOI":"10.2307\/1520983","article-title":"Nest Cover and Chick Survival in Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus)","volume":"6","author":"Parsons","year":"1983","journal-title":"Colonial Waterbirds"}],"container-title":["Diversity"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1424-2818\/15\/5\/589\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T19:22:09Z","timestamp":1760124129000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1424-2818\/15\/5\/589"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2023,4,24]]},"references-count":48,"journal-issue":{"issue":"5","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,5]]}},"alternative-id":["d15050589"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/d15050589","relation":{},"ISSN":["1424-2818"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1424-2818","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2023,4,24]]}}}