Various animal species worldwide use artificial environments for reproduction, a suitable alternative to dwindling native habitats. An artificial lake system established in the core zone of the Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, primarily intended for recreational purposes, assists wildlife to cope with water shortages and the extreme hot climate of the Arabian Desert. This area potentially opens up conflicts between recreational use and wildlife welfare. The Red-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus aigneri) is a spreading Asian shorebird tightly linked to water resources and tolerant of human disturbance. We analyzed the habitat use and reproductive success of this species, following 361 nests and 373 chicks in 2018 and 2019 to reveal the breeding potential of the Reserve. The occurrence of lapwings dropped sharply at a distance of 500 m from the lakes, regardless of vegetation cover and desert type. In addition, nest site choice strongly reflected the proximity of water within the core lakes area. The Lapwings bred preferentially on islands built in the centers of the lakes, where they started breeding earlier in the season. They had a lower nest predation rate on islands than on the surrounding mainland, but the chicks grew slightly more slowly on islands, probably due to lower food availability. However, survival of island and mainland chicks was similar. We conclude that the shallow shores of lakes with islands make the area suitable for breeding of the Lapwing in the Arabian desert, despite extensive recreational use and constant human disturbance. This study shows an example of combining appropriate landscape design with benefits for humans and current support for wildlife conservation.

中文翻译：

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一个用于人类娱乐的人工湖系统支持阿拉伯沙漠中重要的红垂耳草的繁殖种群

世界各地的各种动物物种都使用人工环境进行繁殖，这是替代日益减少的原生栖息地的合适选择。在阿拉伯联合酋长国迪拜 Al Marmoom 沙漠保护区核心区建立的人工湖系统主要用于娱乐目的，帮助野生动物应对阿拉伯沙漠的水资源短缺和极端炎热的气候。该地区可能会引发娱乐用途和野生动物福利之间的冲突。红垂耳鹟 (Vanellus indicus aigneri) 是一种与水资源紧密相连并能容忍人类干扰的亚洲滨鸟。我们在 2018 年和 2019 年追踪了 361 个巢穴和 373 只雏鸡，分析了该物种的栖息地利用和繁殖成功，以揭示保护区的繁殖潜力。无论植被覆盖和沙漠类型如何，在距湖泊 500 m 的距离处，田鸡的发生率急剧下降。此外，巢址的选择强烈反映了核心湖泊区域内水的接近程度。Lapwings 优先在建在湖泊中心的岛屿上繁殖，它们在本季早些时候开始繁殖。它们在岛屿上的巢捕食率低于周围大陆，但小鸡在岛屿上的生长速度稍慢，可能是由于食物供应量较低。然而，岛屿和大陆雏鸡的生存情况相似。我们得出的结论是，尽管有广泛的娱乐用途和不断的人为干扰，但有岛屿的湖泊浅岸使该地区适合在阿拉伯沙漠中繁殖麦翅。