Livestock indirectly decrease nest abundance of two shrub-nesting species in Patagonian Monte Desert

Domestic livestock may indirectly affect bird species through changes in vegetation structure (e.g. cover), reducing the availability of food, nesting sites, refugia and, therefore, reproduction in many ecosystems worldwide. However, it remains unclear how the effect of livestock on vegetation structure can influence insectivorous birds that use shrubs for nest construction and placement rather than for feeding. Several species from the Furnariidae family inhabit Monte Desert, Argentina, exhibiting an extraordinary diversity in nest placement and structure that allows them to survive habitat aridity. Nest abundance and size of two common furnariid species, Pseudoseisura gutturalis and Leptasthenura aegithaloides, were studied across a cumulative livestock impact gradient (livestock impact by years grazed). These bird species use large, closed-nests (~40cm and ~100cm length, respectively) built with thorny branches placed on thorny shrubs. The study encompassed nine independent rangelands within the same habitat, but with increasing livestock density, establishing a gradient in grazing intensity. In each rangeland, nest abundance, nest and supporting plant characteristics, vegetation structure and the percentage of browsing were assessed. Plant cover was lower in rangelands with higher livestock impact, and this was associated with lower nest abundance and nest size. Nest abundance of L. aegithaloides was halved, whereas P. gutturalis was decreased 10-fold comparing the extremes of the livestock impact gradient (0.06 vs 1.63 cattle ha−1×years). Nests tended to be smaller and more spherical with increasing livestock impact. The significant and positive association between nest abundance and vegetation structure together with the importance of mating and reproduction for bird lifecycles suggests that the nest abundance of these species could be used as an indicator of habitat degradation. Therefore, furnariid nest abundance could be used as a first step for diagnosing ecosystem health and designing ecologically sustainable management practices in Monte Desert. Changes in vegetation structure (e.g. cover) such as those imposed by livestock may unpredictably affect plant-associated species affecting their reproduction, demography and ecosystem biodiversity.

Download Full-text

Should I stay or should I go? Indirect effects of livestock on bird nest-site selection in arid environments

The Rangeland Journal ◽

10.1071/rj18067 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 41 (2) ◽

pp. 147 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Mariana Tadey

Keyword(s):

Site Selection ◽

Vegetation Structure ◽

Nest Site ◽

Bird Species ◽

Nest Site Selection ◽

Raw Material ◽

Arid Environments ◽

Nesting Sites ◽

Selection Of ◽

Nest Abundance

Introduced livestock may indirectly affect bird species by decreasing vegetation structure and affecting the selection of nesting sites. This is especially true for birds that use shrubs as the raw material for nest construction or for nest placement. Nesting in inadequate supporting structures or the use of inadequate raw material for nest building may increase nest vulnerability (e.g. increasing structure weakness, falling and nest exposure to predation). Accordingly, bird species show a great variation in the selectivity of nesting sites and the raw material they use. Furnariidae family members exhibit an extraordinary diversity in nest placement and structure, which allows them to survive in different arid environments. I report here on a study of nest site selection of two common furnariid species, Leptasthenura aegithaloides and Pseudoseisura gutturalis, across a grazing gradient composed by nine independent paddocks within the same arid habitat. These species use large closed-nests (>40 cm long) built with thorny branches, placed on spiny shrubs. I measured nest abundance and supporting plants characteristics, vegetation structure, browsing intensity and compared the plants selected by the birds with the surrounding vegetation. These bird species used only few plant species for nest building and location. Livestock significantly reduced vegetation cover of the species used to build and place the nests, affecting nest site selection and reducing nest abundance. As livestock density increased, both species selected aggregated plants and the tallest plants for nesting, which may increase nest exposure. Therefore, livestock may indirectly affect nest-site selection of birds ultimately affecting their nesting ecology. This work illustrates how domestic livestock, through decreasing plant cover, may affect native biota with consequences on key species within an ecosystem.

Download Full-text

Soil Properties and Plant Community Changes along a Goat Grazing Intensity Gradient in an Open Canopy Oak Forest

Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca ◽

10.15835/nbha4129179 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 41 (2) ◽

pp. 567 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Aimilia LEMPESI ◽

Apostolos P. KYRIAZOPOULOS ◽

Michail ORFANOUDAKIS ◽

Georgios KORAKIS

Keyword(s):

Soil Properties ◽

Plant Community ◽

Management Practices ◽

Plant Cover ◽

Grazing Intensity ◽

Oak Forest ◽

Goat Grazing ◽

Open Canopy ◽

Grazing Intensities ◽

Soil Measurements

Understanding how the management practices of silvopastoral systems affect the long-term sustainability of oak ecosystems and what their influence is on nutrient cycling and plant community, is of great interest. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of relative grazing intensity on soil properties and on vegetation characteristics in an open canopy oak forest dominated by Quercus frainetto. The research was conducted in the area of Pentalofos, which is located in Evros region, north-eastern Greece and is grazed by goats. The distance from a goat corral was used to represent relative grazing intensity. In June 2011, soil and vegetation samples were collected along transects placed at 50, 150, 300, 600 and 1200 m from the goat corral, running perpendicular to three replicates. Soil measurements included pH, phosphorous (P) and nitrogen (N) concentrations while vegetation measurements included plant cover, species composition and diversity. Plant cover was not significantly different among grazing intensities. Species diversity, especially of the woody vegetation layer, was significantly higher in the light grazing intensity in comparison to both the heavy and the very light grazing. Heavy grazing reduced soil organic matter while it increased total nitrogen. Grazing intensity did not affect available P and soil pH. Light to moderate goat grazing could ameliorate floristic diversity and increase sustainability of oak forests in the Mediterranean region.

Download Full-text

Contrasting multi-taxa functional diversity patterns along vegetation structure gradients of woody pastures

Biodiversity and Conservation ◽

10.1007/s10531-020-02037-y ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 29 (13) ◽

pp. 3551-3572

Author(s):

Simon Jakobsson ◽

Heather Wood ◽

Johan Ekroos ◽

Regina Lindborg

Keyword(s):

Functional Response ◽

Functional Diversity ◽

Vegetation Structure ◽

Management Practices ◽

Forest Cover ◽

Bird Species ◽

Taxonomic Diversity ◽

Agricultural Landscapes ◽

Habitat Characteristics ◽

Diversity Metrics

Abstract Woody pastures represent keystone habitats for biodiversity in agricultural landscapes, contributing to increased resource availability, landscape heterogeneity and structural variability. High taxonomic diversity is closely linked to vegetation structure in woody pastures, but examining functional characteristics of species assemblages can shed more light on the ecological mechanisms driving divergent responses to habitat characteristics and help guide good management practices. To this end, we use a multi-taxa approach to investigate how plant, bat and bird taxonomic and functional diversity are affected by pasture tree and shrub density, structural complexity and proximate forest cover in southern Sweden. In particular, we use a trait exclusion approach to estimate the sensitivity of diversity-environment relationships to specific traits. We found little congruence between corresponding diversity metrics across taxa. Bird species richness responded stronger to environmental variables than functional diversity metrics, whereas the functional response to the environment was stronger than the taxonomic response among plants and bats. While increasing tree densities increased the taxonomic diversity of all three taxa, a simultaneous functional response was only evident for plants. Contrasting measures of vegetation structure affected different aspects of functional diversity across taxa, driven by different traits. For plants and birds, traits linked to resource use contributed particularly to the functional response, whereas body mass had stronger influence on bat functional diversity metrics. Multi-taxa functional approaches are essential to understand the effects of woody pasture structural attributes on biodiversity, and ultimately inform management guidelines to preserve the biological values in woody pastures.

Download Full-text

Effects of ectoparasites on breeding success of great tits (Parus major) and pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) in an air pollution gradient

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/z94-085 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 72 (4) ◽

pp. 624-635 ◽

Cited By ~ 57

Author(s):

Tapio Eeva ◽

Esa Lehikoinen ◽

Jorma Nurmi

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metals ◽

Air Pollution ◽

Breeding Success ◽

Detrimental Effect ◽

Bird Species ◽

Parus Major ◽

Ficedula Hypoleuca ◽

Nest Size ◽

Minor Importance ◽

Ceratophyllus Gallinae

Numbers of ectoparasitic blow fly (Protocalliphora azurea) larvae (Diptera: Calliphoridae), adult and larval hen fleas, Ceratophyllus gallinae (Siphonaptera: Ceratophyllidae), and other nest-dwelling insects were counted from the nests of the great tit, Parus major, and the pied flycatcher, Ficedula hypoleuca, in southwestern Finland around a factory complex emitting large quantities of sulphuric oxides and heavy metals. Protocalliphora azurea larvae were more frequently found in the nests of P. major than in those of F. hypoleuca. The prevalence of P. azurea larvae tended to be lower in polluted areas. The number of P. azurea larvae correlated positively with nest size and brood size of P. major. This may be caused by difficulties in sanitation of large and crowded nests. The numbers of fleas and their larvae were negatively affected by moisture in the nests. Nests of F. hypoleuca contained more adult fleas in polluted areas. This may indicate reduced resistance of birds exposed to heavy metals, but other possibilities are also discussed. We found a detrimental effect of P. azurea larvae on the growth of P. major nestlings, and an effect of fleas on mortality of F. hypoleuca nestlings, but these effects were not enhanced by air pollution. We conclude that the ectoparasites studied, at densities observed in our study area, are of minor importance in determining the breeding success of these two bird species.

Download Full-text

Adoption and Impact of IT Governance and Management Practices

International Journal on IT/Business Alignment and Governance ◽

10.4018/ijitbag.2016010104 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 50-72 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Steven De Haes ◽

Tim Huygh ◽

Anant Joshi ◽

Wim Van Grembergen

Keyword(s):

Empirical Evidence ◽

Value Creation ◽

Management Practices ◽

It Governance ◽

Positive Association ◽

Research Project ◽

Governance Framework ◽

Enterprise Value ◽

Management Processes ◽

Governance Processes

This paper empirically investigates how adoption of IT governance and management processes, as identified in the IT governance framework COBIT 5, relates to the level of IT-related goals achievement, which in turn associates to the level of enterprise goals achievement. Simultaneously, this research project provides an international benchmark on how organizations are currently adopting the governance and management processes as identified in COBIT 5. The findings suggest that organizations are best in adopting the “IT factory” related management processes and that implementation scores drop in management and governance processes when more business and board involvement is required. Additionally, there are significant differences in perceived implementation maturity of COBIT 5 processes between SMEs and larger organizations. Also, the data offers empirical evidence that the COBIT 5 processes have a positive association with enterprise value creation.

Download Full-text

Untangling the positive association of phylogenetic, functional, and taxonomic diversity with alien bird species richness

Ecosphere ◽

10.1002/ecs2.3007 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

Author(s):

A. Andrikou‐Charitidou ◽

G. Boutsis ◽

E. Karadimou ◽

A. S. Kallimanis

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Bird Species ◽

Positive Association ◽

Taxonomic Diversity ◽

Bird Species Richness

Download Full-text

An Assessment on Bird’s Diversity in Bagmati River Corridor

The Initiation ◽

10.3126/init.v2i1.2520 ◽

1970 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 34-40

Author(s):

Saroj Thapa ◽

Shambhu Paudel ◽

Dipak BK

Keyword(s):

Public Perception ◽

Habitat Degradation ◽

Bird Species ◽

Habitat Destruction ◽

Conservation Area ◽

Point Count ◽

The Public ◽

One Year ◽

Bagmati River ◽

River Corridor

Bagmati River is considered as a potential conservation area in terms of the bio-diversity conservation due to its unique and diversified habitat distribution. Due to various causes, the river is being polluted and hence habitat degradation rate is increasing. As a consequence, the direct effect is seen on birds inhabiting there. Aiming the assessment of bird's diversity, one year survey was conducted in Bagmati River from Tilganga Bridge to chobhar Gorge Bridge (here after termed as Bagmati river corridor) by applying the point count method .In the total enumeration, 100 of birds species were recorded among which 7 are listed in CITES appendix. The bird species that are regarded as globally threatened are not recorded in the study area. In this report, some potential patches in the study area, are described as hot spots, considering the higher probability of recording maximum number of birds species. The public voice is also collected to find out the public perception on the present status of birds of Bagmati river corridor using the questionaire method. Some causes of habitat destruction and some potential conservation measures are also mentioned. Key Words: Bagmati river corridor, Birds, Conservation, Hotspots, Diversity, Habitat DOI: 10.3126/init.v2i1.2520 The Initiation Vol.2(1) 2008 pp34-40

Download Full-text

THE IMPACT OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE CASE STUDY: MANUFACTURING ENTERPRISES IN KOSOVO

Verslas teorija ir praktika ◽

10.3846/btp.2020.12001 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

pp. 222-229

Author(s):

Arta Jashari ◽

Enver Kutllovci

Keyword(s):

Resource Management ◽

Human Resource Management ◽

Organizational Performance ◽

Human Resource ◽

Management Practices ◽

Positive Association ◽

Manufacturing Firms ◽

Hrm Practices ◽

Human Resource Management Practices ◽

The Impact

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of human resource management practices on organizational performance. In this study a total of 100 managers of manufacturing firms in Kosovo from public and private sectors have responded to the survey. The survey questionnaire had contained 39 items covering selected HRM practices and organizational performance. Our empirical results show that managers of manufacturing firms in Kosovo recognize the importance of employees in their organization and apply practices to manage them effectively. The outcome of correlation analysis provides evidence that HRM practices positively and significantly influence organizational performance. Recruitment and selection practices show the strongest positive association with organizational performance (rho = 0.905) compared to other practices. Regarding to our findings we suggest that with a good recruiting and selection, the organization will fill with a group of potentially qualified candidates. Also, companies should continuously train and develop and involve their employees as they are viewed as the most important resources source of competitive advantage.

Download Full-text

Impacts of reindeer grazing on soil properties on Finnmarksvidda, northern Norway

Rangifer ◽

10.7557/2.24.4.1726 ◽

2004 ◽

pp. 83-91 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Christian Uhlig ◽

Tore E. Sveistrup ◽

Ivar Schjelderup

Keyword(s):

Soil Fertility ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Plant Cover ◽

Grazing Intensity ◽

Organic Layer ◽

Organic C ◽

Northern Norway ◽

Available Water ◽

Lichen Cover ◽

Plant Available Water

Numerous investigations have documented changes in vegetation due to reindeer grazing in Finnmark County, Northern Norway. However, rather few studies have focused on impacts of reindeer grazing on soil properties. The aim of this investigation was to identify possible changes in physical and chemical soil properties due to reindeer grazing. Furthermore, root distribution was detected. At four different locations on Finnmarksvidda three sample sites each were selected subjectively according to lichen and plant cover: A) ample, B) reduced, and C) poor lichen and plant cover. It was supposed that differences in lichen and plant cover were due to differences in reindeer grazing intensity. Results showed that the organic layer beneath ample lichen cover had an about 20% higher CEC and a 30—50% higher concentration of plant available Ca and Mg and total Mg compared to those beneath reduced ones. At sites with poor lichen and plant cover, an organic layer was mostly missing. The exposed mineral Eh-horizons at these sites had a significant (P<0.05) higher organic C content, higher CEC, concentrations of total P, Ca and K, and plant available K, when compared to E-horizons beneath better lichen covers. Rooting depth and amounts of plant available water in the rooting zone were lower at sites with reduced and poor lichen cover. A relation was found between soil organic C and CEC for all soil samples, indicating that soil organic matter is an essential key factor for soil fertility at the investigate sites on Finnmarksvidda. Assuming that differences in lichen and plant cover are related to differences in grazing intensity, results indicate that overgrazing by reindeers can cause a significant degradation of the organic layer, followed by significant losses of essential plant nutrients, a reduction in plant available water and consequently soil fertility.

Download Full-text