Life in the extreme environment: Structure and species richness of bird assemblages on Yuzhny Island of Novaya Zemlya, Russia

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 ◽  
pp. 46-58
Author(s):  
Vitaly M. Spitsyn ◽  
Yaroslava E. Kogut ◽  
Ivan N. Bolotov
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Bird Assemblages ◽  
Novaya Zemlya ◽  
Snow Bunting ◽  
Marine Habitats ◽  
Recent Climate ◽  
Terrestrial Habitats ◽  
Rocky Habitats

Birds play a vital role in arctic environments, being multi-functional ecosystem engineers, but these animals are heavily impacted by recent climate warming. Bird assemblages on the Arctic Ocean archipelagoes are poorly known, because many such areas are hardly accessible to scientists. Novaya Zemlya, one of the most enigmatic places in the World, was a closed military area from the late 1940s. This gigantic mountainous archipelago can be considered a terra incognita by means of modern faunal, taxonomic, and ecological research. In the present study, we provide the first qualitative data on bird assemblages of the Yuzhny Island of Novaya Zemlya, estimate the diversity of bird species through a range of habitats, and underscore environmental factors determining the spatial distribution of avifauna in the arctic tundra biome. In terrestrial habitats, Tundra Bean Goose (Anser fabalis rossicus), Barnacle Goose (Branta leucopsis) and Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis) were the most abundant species. In freshwater and coastal marine habitats, both these Arctic-breeding goose taxa, and Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla), Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) and Thick-billed Murre (Uria lomvia) were the dominant species. The most species-rich bird assemblages (11-15 species) were associated with willow tundra, freshwater lakes, and coastal sea habitats, while only a few species were recorded in dry rocky habitats, open sea environments, and littoral areas of lakes and the sea. Mountain rocky heathlands covering most of the area of Yuzhny Island were scarcely populated by birds, with only a few species recorded frequently there, such as the Rough-legged Buzzard (Buteo lagopus) and Snow Bunting. Our findings highlight that the bird assemblages on Novaya Zemlya share low species richness and that these assemblages contain a large proportion of sea and shore bird species even in terrestrial habitats. Among the terrestrial birds, only four cold-tolerant, common species successfully colonize these extreme environments during the short summer season.

Does post-mining rehabilitation restore habitat equivalent to that removed by mining? A case study from the monsoonal tropics of northern Australia

2011 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan F. Gould
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Native Forest ◽  
Bird Abundance ◽  
Detection Rates ◽  
Bird Species Richness ◽  
Bird Assemblages ◽  
Mine Rehabilitation ◽  
Forest Sites ◽  
Mining Rehabilitation

Context Rehabilitation is increasingly being promoted as a strategy for minimising and even reversing biodiversity loss. Many rehabilitation strategies that aim to provide habitat focus entirely on establishing vegetation. Successful vegetation establishment, however, does not necessarily provide habitat that is ecologically equivalent to that removed by vegetation clearing. Quantitative understanding of faunal responses to rehabilitation is required if rehabilitation techniques are to be refined and deliver desired biodiversity outcomes. Aims I aimed to assess the extent to which post-mining rehabilitation restores bird habitat equivalent to that removed in the mining process on the Weipa bauxite plateau. Methods The composition, abundance and richness of bird assemblages were compared between native forest sites and a 23-year chronosequence of post-mining rehabilitation sites. Native forest sites were made up of three Weipa bauxite plateau land units, including the land unit that represents pre-mining native forest, and two land units that are considered to be potential analogues for the post-mining landscape. Key results Bird abundance and bird species richness increased with rehabilitation age. Bird species richness in the two oldest age classes of mine rehabilitation was similar to values obtained from pre-mining native forest and post-mining landscape analogue sites. The composition of bird assemblages, however, was significantly different. Of all the bird species observed, 25% occurred exclusively in native forest sites, 19% occurred exclusively in mine-rehabilitation sites, and the remaining 56% were recorded in both native forest and mine-rehabilitation sites. Site bird-detection rates were significantly related to site vegetation structure, with inter-specific differences in bird response. Conclusions Post-mining rehabilitation at Weipa has partially made up for the loss of habitat caused by clearing for mining. Twenty-three years after rehabilitation commenced, however, a clear residual impact on biodiversity remains, with a third of native forest birds absent from mine rehabilitation, including several native forest specialists. Implications Rehabilitation can partially make up for biodiversity losses caused by the initial loss of habitat. There is no evidence, however, that rehabilitation can achieve ‘no net loss’. Reliance on rehabilitation to achieve conservation outcomes does not address the fact that many fauna species require resources that are found only in mature forest.

scholarly journals The Speciation and Biogeography of Birds

2004 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 202
Author(s):  
Jarrad A. Cousin
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
South America ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Geographic Area ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Peregrine Falcon ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
World Species ◽  
The World ◽  
The Tropics

Birds are an ecologically important and conspicuous component of the fauna throughout the world, with more than 9 700 species inhabiting a diverse range of habitats from the tropics and deserts to the Arctic tundra and Antarctic. Bird species are not distributed evenly throughout the world. Species richness is greatest in tropical habitats (especially in South America), decreasing toward the poles. Furthermore, the distribution of birds varies from species with a global distribution (for example, the Peregrine Falcon) to species, such as the Sydney Rock Warbler, which are restricted to a relatively small geographic area.

scholarly journals Bird assemblages in natural and urbanized habitats along elevational gradient in Nainital district (western Himalaya) of Uttarakhand state, India

2011 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 318-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dinesh Bhatt ◽  
Kamal Kant Joshi
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Diversity ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Urban Habitat ◽  
Western Himalayas ◽  
Avian Community ◽  
Elevational Gradients ◽  
Bird Assemblages

Abstract The Indian subcontinent is amongst the biologically better known parts of the tropics and its bird fauna has been well documented. However, avian community composition and diversity along elevational gradients and amongst habitat types remains unclear in India. We attempted to estimate bird assemblages in terms of diversity, species composition, status and abundance in urban and forest habitats of Nainital district of Uttarakhand (350–2450 m asl; 29°N), Western Himalayas. We sampled different elevational gradients and to understand the effect of urbanization and season on avian community composition. Field studies were conducted during January 2005 to January 2007. Results indicated that the forest had more complex bird community structure in terms of higher species richness (14.35 vs 8.69), higher species diversity (Shannon’s index 4.00 vs 3.54), higher evenness (0.838 vs 0.811) and more rare species (17 vs 5) as compared to urban habitat. However, the abundance of 11 species was higher in urban habitats. Bird Species Richness (BSR) varied considerably among study areas (91 to 113 species), was highest (113 species) at mid elevation (1450–1700 m asl) and decreased (22 species) at high elevation (1900–2450 m asl). It seems that high BSR at mid altitudes is not caused by the presence of a group of mid altitude specialists but rather that there is an overlap in the distribution of low land and high elevation specialists at this altitude. BSR and Bird Species Diversity fluctuated across seasons but not habitat type.

scholarly journals Past landscape structure drives the functional assemblages of plants and birds

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucie Lecoq ◽  
Aude Ernoult ◽  
Cendrine Mony
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Landscape Structure ◽  
Plant Traits ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Delayed Response ◽  
Dispersal Capacity ◽  
Bird Species Richness ◽  
Bird Assemblages

AbstractLandscape structure is a major driver of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. However, the response of biodiversity can be delayed after landscape changes. This study aimed to determine the effect of current and past landscape structure on plant and bird assemblages. We used a trait-based approach to understand their responses to landscape simplification and habitat fragmentation. We quantified landscape structure at three different years (1963, 1985, 2000) and sampled current plant and bird assemblages in twenty 1 km2 landscape windows located along the Seine Valley (France). For each window, we calculated plant and bird species richness, Community Weighted Variance (CWV), and Community Weighted Mean (CWM) of five functional traits related to dispersal capacity, reproduction, and life-cycle. We detected non-random patterns of traits for both taxa. Plant and bird species richness was lower in simple landscapes. The functional variance of plant traits was higher in landscapes simple in configuration. Both plant and bird assemblages strongly responded to past landscapes, especially their traits related to reproduction and life-cycle. It suggests that landscapes of the Seine valley will face a functional extinction debt. Further research is needed to better predict the delayed response of biodiversity expected to occur after landscape structure changes.

scholarly journals Long-Term Bird Assemblage Trends in Areas of High and Low Human Population Density

2008 ◽  
Vol 2008 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle Barrett ◽  
Christina M. Romagosa ◽  
Matthew I. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Population Density ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Human Population ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
The United States ◽  
Human Population Density ◽  
Bird Assemblages ◽  
Bird Assemblage ◽  
The Impact

Urban areas are expanding globally, and the impact of high human population density (HHPD) on bird species richness remains unresolved. Studies primarily focus on species richness along an urban-to-rural gradient; however, some studies have analyzed larger-scale patterns and found results that contrast with those obtained at smaller scales. To move the discussion beyond static species richness patterns, we analyzed the effect of HHPD on bird assemblage dynamics (year-to-year extinction probability, turnover, changes in species richness) across the United States over a 25-year period. We found that bird assemblages in both high and low human population density areas changed significantly over the period of record. Specifically, bird assemblages increased in species richness on average. Assemblage change in areas of HHPD was not significantly different from assemblage change in areas with LHPD. These results suggest that human population density alone does not alter the persistence of avian assemblage patterns.

scholarly journals Recent contrasting behaviour of mountain glaciers across the European High Arctic revealed by ArcticDEM data

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jakub Małecki
Keyword(s):  
Climate Models ◽  
Barents Sea ◽  
High Arctic ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Arctic Ecosystems ◽  
Mountain Glacier ◽  
Novaya Zemlya ◽  
Mountain Glaciers ◽  
The Barents Sea ◽  
Recent Climate

Abstract. Small land-terminating mountain glaciers are a widespread and important element of Arctic ecosystems, influencing local hydrology, microclimate, and ecology, among others. Due to little ice volumes, this class of ice masses is very sensitive to climate warming, the latter of which is extremely well manifested in the European sector of the Arctic, i.e. in the Barents Sea area. Archipelagos surrounding the Barents Sea, i.e. Svalbard (SV), Novaya Zemlya (NZ), and Franz Josef Land (FJ), host numerous populations of mountain glaciers, but their response to recent strong warming remains understudied in most locations. This paper aims to obtain a snapshot of their state by utilizing high-resolution elevation data (ArcticDEM) to investigate the recent (ca. 2011–2017) elevation and volume changes of 382 small glaciers across SV, NZ, and FJ. The study concludes that many mountain glacier sites across the Barents Sea have been in a critical imbalance with the recent climate and might melt away within the coming several decades. However, deviations from the general trend exist, e.g. a cluster of small glaciers in north SV experiencing thickening. The findings reveal that near-stagnant glaciers might exhibit contrasting behaviours (fast thinning vs. thickening) over relatively short distances, being a challenge for climate models, but also an opportunity to test their reliability.

scholarly journals Combined effects of bird extinctions and introductions in oceanic islands: decreased functional diversity despite increased species richness

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Filipa Coutinho Soares ◽  
Ricardo Faustino de Lima ◽  
Jorge Mestre Palmeirim ◽  
Pedro Cardoso ◽  
Ana S. L. Rodrigues
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Introduced Species ◽  
Functional Traits ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Oceanic Islands ◽  
Species List ◽  
Extinct Species ◽  
Bird Assemblages ◽  
Functional Richness ◽  
Species Extinctions

Aim: We analyse the functional consequences of the changes in species composition resulting from extinctions and introductions on oceanic island bird assemblages. Specifically, we ask if introduced species have compensated the functional loss resulting from species extinctions. Location: Seventy-four oceanic islands (>100 km2) in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Time period: Late Holocene. Major taxa studied: Terrestrial and freshwater bird species. Methods: We compiled a species list per island (extinct and extant, native and introduced), and then compiled traits per species. We used single-trait analyses to assess the effects of past species extinctions and introductions on functional composition. Then, we used probabilistic hypervolumes in trait space to calculate functional richness and evenness of original versus present avifaunas of each island (and net change), and to estimate functional originality of extinct and introduced species. Results: The net effects of extinctions and introductions were: an increase in average species richness per island (alpha diversity), yet a decline in diversity across all islands (gamma diversity); an average increase in the prevalence of most functional traits (23 out of 35) yet an average decline functional richness and evenness, associated with the fact that extinct species were functionally more original (when compared to extant natives) than introduced species. Main conclusions: Introduced species are on average offsetting (and even surpassing) the losses of extinct species per island in terms of species richness, and they are increasing the prevalence of most functional traits. However, they are not compensating the loss of functional richness due to extinctions. Current island bird assemblages are becoming functionally poorer, having lost original species and being composed of functionally more homogeneous species. This is likely to have cascading repercussions on the functioning of island ecosystems.

scholarly journals Pollinators on the polar edge of the Ecumene: taxonomy, phylogeography, and ecology of bumble bees from Novaya Zemlya

ZooKeys ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 866 ◽  
pp. 85-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grigory S. Potapov ◽  
Alexander V. Kondakov ◽  
Boris Yu. Filippov ◽  
Mikhail Yu. Gofarov ◽  
Yulia S. Kolosova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Arctic Ocean ◽  
Life Cycles ◽  
Bumble Bees ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Bumble Bee ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressure ◽  
Local Fauna ◽  
Novaya Zemlya ◽  
The Arctic Ocean

The High Arctic bumble bee fauna is rather poorly known, while a growing body of recent molecular research indicates that several Arctic species may represent endemic lineages with restricted ranges. Such local endemics are in need of special conservation efforts because of the increasing anthropogenic pressure and climate changes. Here, we re-examine the taxonomic and biogeographic affinities of bumble bees from Novaya Zemlya using historical samples and recently collected materials (1895–1925vs.2015–2017). Three bumble bee species inhabit the Yuzhny (Southern) Island and the southern edge of Severny (Northern) Island of this archipelago:BombusglacialisFriese, 1902,B.hyperboreusSchönherr, 1809, andB.pyrrhopygusFriese, 1902.Bombusglacialisshares three unique COI haplotypes that may indicate its long-term (pre-glacial) persistence on Novaya Zemlya. In contrast,BombushyperboreusandB.pyrrhopygusshare a rather low molecular divergence from mainland populations, with the same or closely related haplotypes as those from Arctic Siberia and Norway. A brief re-description ofBombuspyrrhopygusbased on the newly collected topotypes is presented. Habitats, foraging plants and life cycles of bumble bees on Novaya Zemlya are characterized, and possible causes of extremely low bumble bee abundance on the archipelago are discussed. The species-poor bumble bee fauna of Novaya Zemlya is compared with those in other areas throughout the Arctic. The mean bumble bee species richness on the Arctic Ocean islands is three times lower than that in the mainland Arctic areas (3.1vs.8.6 species per local fauna, respectively). General linear models (GLMs) indicate that this difference can be explained by specific environmental conditions of insular areas. Our findings highlight that the insularity is a significant factor sharply decreasing species richness in bumble bee assemblages on the Arctic Ocean archipelagoes through colder climate (lower summer temperatures), prevalence of harsh Arctic tundra landscapes with poor foraging resources, and in isolation from the mainland.

scholarly journals Structure and Organization of Canopy Bird Assemblages in Central Amazonia

The Auk ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 121 (1) ◽  
pp. 88-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luciano Nicolás Naka
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Forest Canopy ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Community ◽  
Similar Species ◽  
Feeding Guild ◽  
Bird Assemblages ◽  
Second Growth ◽  
Composition Structure ◽  
Study Sites

AbstractI analyzed the species composition, structure, and trophic organization of bird assemblages in the forest canopy around Manaus, Brazil. Using three canopy towers located in primary terra firme forests, I conducted 117 censuses over a 13 month period, recording 160 bird species. The three study sites had similar species richness (between 126 and 128 species), sharing 95 species in common, which accounted for >90% of all individual records. Most species recorded in the canopy (110) belonged to the core canopy avifauna. The other 50 species included migrants (13), species that feed overhead (8), species from lower strata (15), night birds (3), and vagrants or visitors from open areas and second-growth forests (11). Most of those species, however, appeared in very low numbers in the forest canopy, except understory frugivores, which regularly fed on canopy fruits. Among the migratory species were some Nearctic (6), Austral (3), and species probably holding both migratory and resident populations in the area (4). Additionally, I found evidence that two species of parrots perform seasonal movements, leaving the forest canopy around Manaus during the dry season. Frugivores dominated the canopy avifauna in abundance, but contradicting results reported from other Neotropical forest canopies, insectivores and frugivores had equal species richness. The canopy avifauna was highly homogeneous among sites in terms of species richness, distribution among abundance classes, and number of species in each feeding guild, habitat, and microhabitat. As in Costa Rica, the canopy avifauna of Manaus was mostly composed by typical canopy bird species, and not by edge-living species as reported from Panama. I suggest that habitat fragmentation may affect the bird community composition in the forest canopy, allowing a higher influx of opportunistic species.

Functional evenness of bird communities varies along the elevational gradient in Europe: Conservation implications

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Federico Morelli ◽  
Yanina
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Elevation Gradient ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Elevational Gradient ◽  
Negative Association ◽  
Bird Communities ◽  
Breeding Bird ◽  
Bird Species Richness ◽  
Large Spatial Scale ◽  
Functional Evenness

ContextThe negative association between elevation and species richness is a well-recognized pattern in macro-ecology. ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to investigate changes in functional evenness of breeding bird communities along an elevation gradient in Europe. MethodsUsing the bird data from the EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds we estimated an index of functional evenness which can be assumed as a measure of the potential resilience of communities.ResultsOur findings confirm the existence of a negative association between elevation and bird species richness in all European eco regions. However, we also explored a novel aspect of this relationship, important for conservation: Our findings provide evidence at large spatial scale of a negative association between the functional evenness (potential community resilience) and elevation, independent of the eco region. We also found that the Natura2000 protected areas covers the territory most in need of protection, those characterized by bird communities with low potential resilience, in hilly and mountainous areas.ConclusionsThese results draw attention to European areas occupied by bird communities characterized by a potential lower capacity to respond to strong ecological changes, and, therefore, potentially more exposed to risks for conservation.

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