The development of a correlative approach relating bird distribution and remotely sensed sediment distribution to predict the consequences to shorebirds of habitat change and loss

The development of a model to predict the consequences to shorebirds (Charadrii) of habitat change and loss is described and discussed. The approach was based on two correlative relationships. The first related the distribution of shorebirds on their intertidal feeding areas to that of the sediments. The second related sediment distribution to those physical features of the estuary, such as shore width, whkh are directly influenced by natural or man-made change. In both relationships, the sediment distribution was determined by classifying remotely sensed images of the intertidal area