In July the seabird census team reported record number of seabirds breeding on Special Nature Reserve Aride. ICS science officer Annie Simons explains why there is a lot to celebrate, .
The Pisonia tree’s grisly behavior has a devastating effect on the bird population. A study conducted on seabird population on Cousin Island in Seychelles revealed that the Pisonia tree killed a quarter of White Terns and nearly a tenth of Tropical Shearwaters via fatal seed entanglement.
Scientists have wondered if there is any evolutionary benefit derived by the Pisonia tree by killing birds. One hypothesis stated that the trees get increased nutrients from the decomposition of bird corpses that fall at the foot of the trees. But when Alan Burger, an ecologist at the University of Victoria, analyzed seedlings sprouting near bird carcasses on Cousin Island, he did not find any evidence that seemed to indicate that the seeds were sprouting any better. In addition, the tree received far more fertilizer from the bird s droppings and fallen eggs, indicating they were worth far more to the tree alive than dead.