Effects of sea birds and soil development on plant and soil nutritional parameters after 50 years of succession on Surtsey

Research on Surtsey, a volcanic island formed during submarine eruptions from 1963 to 1967, reveals that seabird colonies play a pivotal role in shaping soil nutritional characteristics and plant productivity. A study conducted in 2013 found that the presence of seagulls significantly increased nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations in tephra soils, with δ15N analyses confirming the transfer of N from bird waste to plants. Despite the high P availability in volcanic soils and substantial N input by birds—47 kg N ha-1 yr-1—vegetation on Surtsey remains nitrogen-limited due to the extreme imbalance between N and P. The study highlights the critical impact of seabird colonies on the nutritional ecology of young, nutrient-poor ecosystems like Surtsey.

Aerts, R., van Logtestijn, R. S. P., Leblans, N. I. W., & Sigurdsson, B. D. (2020). Effects of sea birds and soil development on plant and soil nutritional parameters after 50 years of succession on Surtsey. Surtsey Research, 14, 85–90. https://doi.org/10.33112/surtsey.14.7