scholarly journals Beyond pattern to process: current themes and future directions for the conservation of woodland birds through restoration plantings

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (6) ◽  
pp. 473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donna J. Belder ◽  
Jennifer C. Pierson ◽  
Karen Ikin ◽  
David B. Lindenmayer
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Loss ◽  
Resource Availability ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Knowledge Gaps ◽  
Woodland Birds ◽  
Conservation Concern

Habitat loss as a result of land conversion for agriculture is a leading cause of global biodiversity loss and altered ecosystem processes. Restoration plantings are an increasingly common strategy to address habitat loss in fragmented agricultural landscapes. However, the capacity of restoration plantings to support reproducing populations of native plants and animals is rarely measured or monitored. This review focuses on avifaunal response to revegetation in Australian temperate woodlands, one of the world’s most heavily altered biomes. Woodland birds are a species assemblage of conservation concern, but only limited research to date has gone beyond pattern data and occupancy trends to examine whether they persist and breed in restoration plantings. Moreover, habitat quality and resource availability, including food, nesting sites and adequate protection from predation, remain largely unquantified. Several studies have found that some bird species, including species of conservation concern, will preferentially occupy restoration plantings relative to remnant woodland patches. However, detailed empirical research to verify long-term population growth, colonisation and extinction dynamics is lacking. If restoration plantings are preferentially occupied but fail to provide sufficient quality habitat for woodland birds to form breeding populations, they may act as ecological traps, exacerbating population declines. Monitoring breeding success and site fidelity are under-utilised pathways to understanding which, if any, bird species are being supported by restoration plantings in the long term. There has been limited research on these topics internationally, and almost none in Australian temperate woodland systems. Key knowledge gaps centre on provision of food resources, formation of optimal foraging patterns, nest-predation levels and the prevalence of primary predators, the role of brood parasitism, and the effects of patch size and isolation on resource availability and population dynamics in a restoration context. To ensure that restoration plantings benefit woodland birds and are cost-effective as conservation strategies, the knowledge gaps identified by this review should be investigated as priorities in future research.

Nest cameras do not affect nest survival in a meadow-nesting shorebird

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
VOLKER SALEWSKI ◽  
LUIS SCHMIDT
Keyword(s):  
Nest Survival ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Survival Models ◽  
Northern Germany ◽  
Term Study ◽  
Long Term Study ◽  
Limosa Limosa ◽  
Study Sites

Summary Identifying the fate of birds’ nests and the causes of breeding failure is often crucial for the development of conservation strategies for threatened species. However, collecting these data by repeatedly visiting nests might itself contribute to nest failure or bias. To solve this dilemma, automatic cameras have increasingly been used as a time-efficient means for nest monitoring. Here, we consider whether the use of cameras itself may influence hatching success of nests of the Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa at two long-term study sites in northern Germany. Annually between 2013 and 2019, cameras were used to monitor godwit nests. In 2014 and 2019, nests were randomly equipped with cameras or not, and nest survival checked independently of the cameras. Nest-survival models indicated that survival probabilities varied between years, sites and with time of the season, but were unaffected by the presence of cameras. Even though predation is the main cause of hatching failure in our study system, we conclude that predators did not learn to associate cameras with food either when the cameras were initially installed or after they had been used for several years. Cameras were thus an effective and non-deleterious tool to collect data for conservation in this case. As other bird species may react differently to cameras at their nests, and as other sets of predators may differ in their ability to associate cameras with food, the effect of cameras on breeding success should be carefully monitored when they are used in a new study system.

New species of Lepidodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from New Guinea and adjacent islands

Zootaxa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4651 (2) ◽  
pp. 305-329
Author(s):  
FRED KRAUS
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Habitat Loss ◽  
New Guinea ◽  
Color Pattern ◽  
Mountain Range ◽  
Small Islands ◽  
Large Island ◽  
Habitat Conversion ◽  
Conservation Concern

I describe five new species of Lepidodactylus from New Guinea or adjacent islands that are members of Brown & Parker’s (1977) phenetic Groups I and II and belong to the clades identified as the L. orientalis, L. pumilus, and L. novaeguineae groups of Oliver et al. (2018a). One of the new species is restricted to an isolated mountain range on New Guinea; the remainder inhabit offshore islands ranging from 3–250 km from New Guinea. These species are distinguished from their congeners primarily by unique combinations of toe lamellar numbers and shape, numbers and distribution of enlarged precloacal/femoral scales and pores, toe webbing, toe width, and color pattern. These clades are ancient, and the ancestor of one of them has been on the East Papuan Composite Terrane for at least 28 MY, highlighting the long-term importance of that former large island in generating regional biodiversity. At least one, and probably three, of the new species are inhabitants of forest interiors; one occupies disturbed coastal areas; and the habitat of the last is currently unsurmisable. All of the new species likely have restricted geographic distributions, with four of them being limited to one or a few small islands. As a result of their small ranges, rapid habitat conversion in the ranges of some of these species, and the threat of further habitat loss in the others, most of these species are of conservation concern although it is uncertain if any of them is under immediate threat. 

Primary Drivers of Reptile Overwintering Habitat Suitability: Integrating Wetland Ecohydrology and Spatial Complexity

BioScience ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (7) ◽  
pp. 597-609
Author(s):  
Chantel E Markle ◽  
Paul A Moore ◽  
James M Waddington
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Habitat Suitability ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Habitat Availability ◽  
Freshwater Turtles ◽  
Wetland Ecosystems ◽  
Winter Conditions

Abstract Identifying ecosystems resilient to climate and land-use changes is recognized as essential for conservation strategies. However, wetland ecosystems may respond differently to stressors depending on their successional state and the strength of ecohydrological feedbacks resulting in fluctuations in habitat availability and suitability. Long-term habitat suitability is necessary for the persistence of wetland-dependent species and a key characteristic of climatic refugia. In the present article, we review and synthesize biogeochemical, thermal, ecological, and hydrological feedbacks and interactions that operate within wetlands and, consequently, regulate overwintering suitability for many freshwater turtles and snakes. We propose that understanding the breadth and interconnected nature of processes controlling temperature, dissolved oxygen, and water table position are vital for the conservation of northern reptile populations that depend on wetlands to survive winter conditions. Finally, we suggest that our integrated framework can guide future research and the management of wetland ecosystems in an era of unprecedented change.

scholarly journals Validation of the Calakmul–Laguna de Terminos corridor for jaguarsPanthera oncain south-eastern Mexico

Oryx ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 292-299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mircea G. Hidalgo-Mihart ◽  
Fernando M. Contreras-Moreno ◽  
Alejandro Jesús de la Cruz ◽  
Rugieri Juárez-López
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Loss ◽  
Camera Traps ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Panthera Onca ◽  
Conservation Units ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Laguna De Terminos ◽  
Regional Conservation

AbstractThe fragmentation of jaguarPanthera oncapopulations as a result of habitat loss is considered to be one of the main challenges for the conservation of the species. Corridors have been proposed as a means of maintaining connectivity and the long-term viability of jaguar populations. The corridor that connects the jaguar conservation units of Calakmul and Laguna de Terminos in Mexico has been considered to be a link for the movement of individuals between these units but its functionality had yet to be verified. During 2012–2014 we divided the corridor into four sections, where we used camera traps to verify the corridor's functionality. We obtained 106 photographs of jaguars, proving the presence of jaguars (including resident jaguars and females) in three of the corridor sections. We did not record any individuals in more than one section of the corridor. The presence of several resident jaguars and females throughout the corridor suggests that portions of the corridor should be incorporated into the Calakmul and Laguna de Terminos jaguar conservation units. Nevertheless, to confirm that the corridor is fully functional it is necessary to obtain evidence of movement of jaguars among the various sections of the corridor. Our results suggest that the area should be included in regional conservation strategies.

scholarly journals Farmland biodiversity: wildflower-sown islands within arable fields and grassy field margins both promote spider diversity

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamara Rischen ◽  
Katharina Geisbüsch ◽  
Daniel Ruppert ◽  
Klaus Fischer
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Landscape ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Conservation Value ◽  
Field Margins ◽  
Farmland Biodiversity ◽  
Power Pole

Abstract Agricultural intensification and the concomitant landscape homogenization is leading to a worldwide decline in farmland biodiversity. Non-crop habitats in agroecosystems may counteract the loss of arthropods such as spiders and thus contribute to sustainable agriculture. However, the effectiveness of field margins and set-aside wildflower-sown patches in maintaining spider diversity is not well understood. Here, we investigated the effects of three different non-crop habitats, namely field margins, set-aside wildflower-sown patches under power poles (‘power pole islands’), and grassland fallows on spider diversity as compared to wheat fields in an agricultural landscape in western Germany. Using pitfall trapping and suction sampling, we show that species richness and overall conservation value were higher in non-crop habitats than in wheat fields. Interestingly, field margins and power pole islands differed from long-term grassland fallows only in conservation value, which was significantly higher in grassland fallows. Species assemblages differed considerably between grassland fallows, field margins and power pole islands, and wheat fields, documenting the added value of using different conservation strategies. Implications for insect conservation Small-scale non-crop habitats adjacent to wheat fields were surprisingly effective in promoting spider diversity in an agricultural landscape, with field margins and power pole islands being equally effective. To maximize overall diversity in agricultural landscapes, we propose a combination of larger long-term fallows and smaller non-crop habitats such as field margins or set-aside wildflower-sown patches.

scholarly journals Threats of environmental mercury to birds: knowledge gaps and priorities for future research

2009 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 112-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHAD L. SEEWAGEN
Keyword(s):  
Egg Production ◽  
Trophic Levels ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Bird Conservation ◽  
Knowledge Gaps ◽  
Life History Stages ◽  
The Past ◽  
Wildlife Populations ◽  
Present Understanding

SummaryAnthropogenic emissions of mercury have doubled over the past two centuries. Mercury is a dangerous neurotoxin that threatens human health and fish and wildlife populations. The effects of mercury on birds have been relatively well-studied in the laboratory and in nature. Several aspects of neurology, physiology, behaviour, and reproduction have been shown to be adversely affected. Many studies have documented ataxia, lethargy, reduced appetite, reduced egg production, poor hatching success, and aberrant parental care in birds exposed to mercury.The majority of the research done to date, however, has been focused on select taxa (waterbirds), trophic levels (piscivores), habitat types (aquatic systems), geographic regions (North America and Europe), and life history stages (reproduction), leaving the assessment of mercury's threats to birds incomplete. Successful bird conservation strategies are dependent on a comprehensive understanding of the threats facing populations. Here, I discuss the significant knowledge gaps that remain and subsequently suggest priorities for future mercury research in birds. Studies of mercury in terrestrial, insectivorous, and/or passerine species, and how mercury affects migration are especially recommended to fill gaps in our present understanding.

Woodland fragmentation is causing the decline of species and functional groups of birds in southeastern Australia

2002 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 261 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Watson ◽  
Alexander Watson ◽  
David Paull ◽  
David Freudenberger
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Complexity ◽  
Patch Size ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Large Species ◽  
Woodland Birds ◽  
Southeastern Australia ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Complexity Assessment

The clearance of woodlands and the simultaneous creation of alien environments have been identified as the primary reasons for the decline of many woodland birds in southeastern Australia. This study measured how the size of woodland remnants and habitat structural complexity affected bird composition and distribution in the northern Australian Capital Territory and bordering areas of New South Wales. Within this region only 8% of the original woodlands remain, embedded as patches in a matrix of pasture and suburbia. Woodland birds were surveyed in 72 woodland remnants of different size and vegetation structural complexity. Avifaunal species richness was found to increase with remnant area and habitat complexity (p < 0.01). Of the 31 resident woodland bird species detected, 22 were significantly affected by woodland patch size reduction and 20 species were significantly affected by habitat complexity loss (p < 0.05). Of the species affected, 19 were affected by both reductions in patch size and vegetation complexity. Seven species (Weebill, Brown Thornbill, Buff-rumped Thornbill, Spotted Pardalote, Grey Shrike-thrush, Scarlet Robin and White-winged Chough) not previously identified as threatened by habitat fragmentation occurred significantly less often in small remnants with low habitat complexity. Assessment of avifaunal guilds based on body size and foraging behaviour showed that all large species (n = 4) and 85% (n = 17) of insectivorous species that foraged above the ground were statistically affected by patch size and/or loss of habitat complexity. The occurrence of three species (50%) of granivores was also significantly affected (p < 0.05) by patch size and/or habitat complexity reduction. These results show that the distribution of many bird species, including some considered "common" and "widespread", is affected by patch size and habitat complexity. There are few, large complex woodland remnants within the study area, which continue to reduce in size and complexity. It is therefore predicted that the decline of woodland bird species will continue unless appropriate habitat conservation strategies are applied.

Characteristics of tree hollows used by Australian birds and bats

2009 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 394 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ross L. Goldingay
Keyword(s):  
Research Effort ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Tree Hollows ◽  
Dead Trees ◽  
Australian Birds ◽  
Absolute Requirement ◽  
Passive Rewarming ◽  
The Many

Many hundreds of species of wildlife worldwide are dependent on tree hollows (cavities) for their survival. I reviewed the published literature for hollow-using Australian birds and microbats to document their tree-hollow requirements and to guide future research and management. Such information is vital to the conservation of these species. The hollow requirements of only 35 of 114 hollow-using bird species and 15 of 42 hollow-using microbat species were documented in some detail. This overall paucity of information limits the ability to manage for the future requirements of species. However, some generalisations can guide management until further studies are conducted. Most species used a variety of available tree species, and the extensive use of dead trees probably reflects the high likelihood of these trees containing hollows. Birds (other than large parrots) and bats chose hollow entrances of a size close to body width. Large parrots require large hollows, with a preference for large vertical spouts and trunk hollows. Few birds or bats demonstrated an absolute requirement for high (>10 m) tree hollows, with most (70%) using some hollows with entrances ≤5 m above ground. Temperature has been postulated to influence roost selection among microbats because it enables passive rewarming from torpor and there is some evidence from Australian bats to support this. Many studies suggest a future shortage of hollow-bearing trees. Currently, artificial hollows appear to be the most likely interim solution to address this. Knowledge of the natural hollow requirements of species can be used to refine artificial-hollow designs. An increase in research effort is needed to address the many gaps in knowledge that currently exist. Priorities for research include (1) many additional studies to document the characteristics of the hollow-bearing trees used by species of microbat, (2) the need to conduct long-term bioregional studies of hollow-bearing tree attrition to help identify where management responses are most needed and (3) investigating whether fire plays a significant role in the creation of tree hollows of a range of size classes and therefore may have a management use. Such information has broad relevance because it will provide ecological insight that can be applied to the management of hollow-using birds and bats elsewhere in the world.

scholarly journals Assessing the bird guild patterns in heterogeneous land use types around Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir, India

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Asha Sohil ◽  
Neeraj Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Habitat Preferences ◽  
Ecological Integrity ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Feeding Guilds ◽  
Guild Structure ◽  
Jammu And Kashmir

Abstract Land-use sprawl in the Himalayas has caused the conversion of natural habitat into human-modified habitats, thus degrading ecosystem health. Adaptation of birds to changing physical environment can be well understood by analyzing their habitat preferences, and foraging dynamics explored to a limited extent in the Himalayan region, as yet. To achieve a comprehensive understanding of avian guild structure, we used multivariate statistical techniques to classify bird species according to their similarities in foraging patterns and habitat preferences. Observations based on habitat and diet affinities accounted for rich avian diversity with a total of 208 bird species (about 15% of country’s avifauna) recorded from six different sites during 1 year survey. Unweighted pair-group average cluster analysis performed on the families revealed ten feeding and fifteen habitat guilds among 63 bird families observed. Subtropical forests harbored more species followed by urban forests and agricultural landscapes. Insectivorous and omnivorous outnumbered other feeding guilds in the study area. Bird assemblages were richer in protected areas and semi-disturbed landscapes and did not show significant variation between the seasons. Results of the study revealed that different functional groups of birds behaved differently, primarily induced by choice of food. The site heterogeneity favored avifaunal persistence by providing favorable foraging, roosting, and nesting opportunities to birds. Composition of avian guilds indicated level of intactness and ecological integrity of ecosystems studied. This outcome thus sets the background for long-term analysis of bird-habitat relationship and their foraging dynamics. The study has the relevance for decision-makers to integrate avian guild structure as an essential ingredient in formulating conservation strategies.

scholarly journals Long-term declines in bird populations in tropical agricultural countryside

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (20) ◽  
pp. 9903-9912 ◽  
Author(s):  
Çağan H. Şekercioğlu ◽  
Chase D. Mendenhall ◽  
Federico Oviedo-Brenes ◽  
Joshua J. Horns ◽  
Paul R. Ehrlich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Tree Cover ◽  
Conservation Value ◽  
Coffee Plantations ◽  
Forest Bird ◽  
Bird Populations ◽  
Capture Rates

Tropical agriculture is a major driver of biodiversity loss, yet it can provide conservation opportunities, especially where protected areas are inadequate. To investigate the long-term biodiversity capacity of agricultural countryside, we quantified bird population trends in Costa Rica by mist netting 57,255 birds of 265 species between 1999 and 2010 in sun coffee plantations, riparian corridors, secondary forests, forest fragments, and primary forest reserves. More bird populations (69) were declining than were stable (39) or increasing (4). Declines were common in resident, insectivorous, and more specialized species. There was no relationship between the species richness of a habitat and its conservation value. High-value forest bird communities were characterized by their distinct species composition and habitat and dietary functional signatures. While 49% of bird species preferred forest to coffee, 39% preferred coffee to forest and 12% used both habitats, indicating that coffee plantations have some conservation value. Coffee plantations, although lacking most of the forest specialists, hosted 185 bird species, had the highest capture rates, and supported increasing numbers of some forest species. Coffee plantations with higher tree cover (7% vs. 13%) had more species with increasing capture rates, twice as many forest specialists, and half as many nonforest species. Costa Rican countryside habitats, especially those with greater tree cover, host many bird species and are critical for connecting bird populations in forest remnants. Diversified agricultural landscapes can enhance the biodiversity capacity of tropical countryside, but, for the long-term persistence of all forest bird species, large (>1,000 ha) protected areas are essential.

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