1
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Reif J, Gamero A, Hološková A, Aunins A, Chodkiewicz T, Hristov I, Kurlavičius P, Leivits M, Szép T, Voříšek P. Accelerated farmland bird population declines in European countries after their recent EU accession. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 946:174281. [PMID: 38936735 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
Agricultural intensification is a major driver of global biodiversity loss. In Europe, intensification progressed over the 20th century and was accelerated by instruments of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy. Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries standing outside the EU until the beginning of the 21st century employed less intensive farming and are considered one of the continent's farmland biodiversity strongholds. Their recent EU accession might be either viewed as a threat to farmland biodiversity due to the availability of funds to increase agricultural production or as an opportunity to implement conservation measures aimed to preserve biodiversity. Here we assessed these possibilities using long-term monitoring data on farmland bird populations in seven CEE countries. We tested whether mean relative abundance and population trends changed after countries' EU accession, and whether such changes also occurred in agricultural management and conservation measures. Both agricultural intensity and spending for agri-environmental and climatic schemes increased when the CEE countries joined the EU. At the same time, farmland bird populations started to decline and their relative abundance was lower after than before EU accession. In addition, increases in fertilizer application were negatively associated with annual changes in relative farmland bird population sizes, indicating a negative impact of intensive agriculture. Taken together, these results indicate that despite the great power of the EU's environmental legislation to improve the population status of species at risk, this does not apply to farmland birds. In their case, the adverse impacts of agricultural intensification most likely overrode the possible benefits of conservation measures. To secure this region as one of the continent's farmland biodiversity strongholds, policy and management actions are urgently needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiří Reif
- Institute for Environmental Studies, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia; Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Olomouc, Czechia.
| | - Anna Gamero
- Czech Society for Ornithology/Pan-European Common Bird Monitoring Scheme, Prague, Czechia
| | - Adriana Hološková
- Institute for Environmental Studies, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Ainars Aunins
- Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Latvia, Jelgavas iela 1, Riga LV-1004, Latvia; Latvian Ornithological Society, Skolas iela 3, Riga LV-1010, Latvia
| | - Tomasz Chodkiewicz
- Museum & Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warszawa, Poland; Polish Society for the Protection of Birds (OTOP), Marki, Poland
| | - Iordan Hristov
- Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds/BirdLife Bulgaria, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Petras Kurlavičius
- Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas, Lithuania; Lithuanian Ornithological Society (LOD), Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Meelis Leivits
- Estonian Environment Agency, Nigula Nature Centre, 86107 Reinu village, Estonia
| | - Tibor Szép
- University of Nyíregyháza, Nyíregyháza, Hungary
| | - Petr Voříšek
- Czech Society for Ornithology/European Bird Census Council, Prague, Czechia
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2
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Reif J, Gamero A, Flousek J, Hůnová I. Ambient ozone - New threat to birds in mountain ecosystems? THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 876:162711. [PMID: 36906038 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Mountain ecosystems are inhabited by species with specific characteristics enabling survival at high altitudes, which make them at risk from various pressures. In order to study these pressures, birds represent excellent model organisms due to their high diversity and position at the top of food chains. The pressures upon mountain bird populations include climate change, human disturbance, land abandonment, and air pollution, whose impacts are little understood. Ambient ozone (O3) is one of the most important air pollutants occurring in elevated concentrations in mountain conditions. Although laboratory experiments and indirect course-scale evidence suggest its negative effects on birds, population-level impacts remain unknown. To fill this knowledge gap, we analysed a unique 25-years long time series of annual monitoring of bird populations conducted at fixed sites under constant effort in a Central European mountain range, the Giant Mountains, Czechia. We related annual population growth rates of 51 bird species to O3 concentrations measured during the breeding season and hypothesized (i) an overall negative relationship across all species, and (ii) more negative O3 effects at higher altitudes due to increasing O3 concentration along altitudinal gradient. After controlling for the influence of weather conditions on bird population growth rates, we found an indication of the overall negative effect of O3 concentration, but it was insignificant. However, the effect became stronger and significant when we performed a separate analysis of upland species occupying the alpine zone above treeline. In these species, populations growth rates were lower after the years experiencing higher O3 concentration indicating an adverse impact of O3 on bird breeding. This impact corresponds well to O3 behaviour and mountain bird ecology. Our study thus represents the first step towards mechanistic understanding of O3 impacts on animal populations in nature linking the experimental results with indirect indications at the country-level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiří Reif
- Institute for Environmental Studies, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia; Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Olomouc, Czechia.
| | - Anna Gamero
- Czech Society for Ornithology, Prague, Czechia
| | - Jiří Flousek
- Krkonoše National Park Administration, Vrchlabí, Czechia
| | - Iva Hůnová
- Institute for Environmental Studies, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia; Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, Prague, Czechia
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3
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Effects of diversity on thermal niche variation in bird communities under climate change. Sci Rep 2022; 12:21810. [PMID: 36528749 PMCID: PMC9759529 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26248-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change alters ecological communities by affecting individual species and interactions between species. However, the impacts of climate change may be buffered by community diversity: diverse communities may be more resistant to climate-driven perturbations than simple communities. Here, we assess how diversity influences long-term thermal niche variation in communities under climate change. We use 50-year continental-scale data on bird communities during breeding and non-breeding seasons to quantify the communities' thermal variability. Thermal variability is measured as the temporal change in the community's average thermal niche and it indicates community's response to climate change. Then, we study how the thermal variability varies as a function of taxonomic, functional, and evolutionary diversity using linear models. We find that communities with low thermal niche variation have higher functional diversity, with this pattern being measurable in the non-breeding but not in the breeding season. Given the expected increase in seasonal variation in the future climate, the differences in bird communities' thermal variability between breeding and non-breeding seasons may grow wider. Importantly, our results suggest that functionally diverse wildlife communities can mitigate effects of climate change by hindering changes in thermal niche variability, which underscores the importance of addressing the climate and biodiversity crises together.
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4
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Effects of rainfall and temperature on timing and breeding performances of a threatened large falcon: case study of the lanner falcon (Falco biarmicus feldeggii) in Italy. Biologia (Bratisl) 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11756-021-00875-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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5
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Sætre CLC, Eroukhmanoff F, Rönkä K, Kluen E, Thorogood R, Torrance J, Tracey A, Chow W, Pelan S, Howe K, Jakobsen KS, Tørresen OK. A Chromosome-Level Genome Assembly of the Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus). Genome Biol Evol 2021; 13:6367782. [PMID: 34499122 PMCID: PMC8459166 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evab212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The reed warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) is a long-distance migrant passerine with a wide distribution across Eurasia. This species has fascinated researchers for decades, especially its role as host of a brood parasite, and its capacity for rapid phenotypic change in the face of climate change. Currently, it is expanding its range northwards in Europe, and is altering its migratory behavior in certain areas. Thus, there is great potential to discover signs of recent evolution and its impact on the genomic composition of the reed warbler. Here, we present a high-quality reference genome for the reed warbler, based on PacBio, 10×, and Hi-C sequencing. The genome has an assembly size of 1,075,083,815 bp with a scaffold N50 of 74,438,198 bp and a contig N50 of 12,742,779 bp. BUSCO analysis using aves_odb10 as a model showed that 95.7% of BUSCO genes were complete. We found unequivocal evidence of two separate macrochromosomal fusions in the reed warbler genome, in addition to the previously identified fusion between chromosome Z and a part of chromosome 4A in the Sylvioidea superfamily. We annotated 14,645 protein-coding genes, and a BUSCO analysis of the protein sequences indicated 97.5% completeness. This reference genome will serve as an important resource, and will provide new insights into the genomic effects of evolutionary drivers such as coevolution, range expansion, and adaptations to climate change, as well as chromosomal rearrangements in birds.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Katja Rönkä
- HiLIFE Helsinki Institute of Life Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland.,Research Programme in Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Edward Kluen
- HiLIFE Helsinki Institute of Life Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland.,Research Programme in Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Rose Thorogood
- HiLIFE Helsinki Institute of Life Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland.,Research Programme in Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - James Torrance
- Tree of Life, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Alan Tracey
- Tree of Life, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - William Chow
- Tree of Life, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Pelan
- Tree of Life, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Kerstin Howe
- Tree of Life, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Kjetill S Jakobsen
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Ole K Tørresen
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, University of Oslo, Norway
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6
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Vega ML, Fransson T, Kullberg C. The effects of four decades of climate change on the breeding ecology of an avian sentinel species across a 1,500-km latitudinal gradient are stronger at high latitudes. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:6233-6247. [PMID: 34141214 PMCID: PMC8207436 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Global warming affects breeding phenology of birds differentially with latitude, but there is contrasting evidence about how the changing climate influences the breeding of migrating songbirds at their northern breeding range. We investigate the effect of climate warming on breeding time and breeding success of European pied flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca in Sweden during a period of 36 years using nest reports from bird ringing. To account for the latitudinal variation, we divided Sweden into three latitudinal bands (northern, intermediate, and southern). We applied a sliding window approach to find the most influential period and environment characteristics (temperature, vegetation greenness, and precipitation), using linear mixed models and model averaging. Our results show a long-term advancement of breeding time related to increasing spring temperature and vegetation greenness during a period before hatching. Northern breeders revealed a larger advancement over the years (8.3 days) compared with southern breeders (3.6 days). We observed a relatively stronger effect of temperature and greenness on breeding time in the north. Furthermore, northern birds showed an increase in breeding success over time, while birds breeding at southern and intermediate latitudes showed reduced breeding success in years with higher prehatching temperatures. Our findings with stronger environment effects on breeding time advancement in the north suggest that pied flycatchers are more responsive to weather cues at higher latitudes. Breeding time adjustment and, potentially, low competition help explain the higher long-term success observed in the north. Reduced breeding success at more southerly latitudes suggests an inability to match breeding time to very early and warm springs, a fate that with continued climate change could also be expected for pied flycatchers and other long-distance migrants at their very northern breeding range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Lomas Vega
- Department of ZoologyStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
- Bolin Centre for Climate ResearchStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
| | - Thord Fransson
- Department of Environmental Research and MonitoringSwedish Museum of Natural HistoryStockholmSweden
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7
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Lehikoinen A, Lindström Å, Santangeli A, Sirkiä PM, Brotons L, Devictor V, Elts J, Foppen RPB, Heldbjerg H, Herrando S, Herremans M, Hudson MAR, Jiguet F, Johnston A, Lorrilliere R, Marjakangas EL, Michel NL, Moshøj CM, Nellis R, Paquet JY, Smith AC, Szép T, van Turnhout C. Wintering bird communities are tracking climate change faster than breeding communities. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:1085-1095. [PMID: 33496011 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Global climate change is driving species' distributions towards the poles and mountain tops during both non-breeding and breeding seasons, leading to changes in the composition of natural communities. However, the degree of season differences in climate-driven community shifts has not been thoroughly investigated at large spatial scales. We compared the rates of change in the community composition during both winter (non-breeding season) and summer (breeding) and their relation to temperature changes. Based on continental-scale data from Europe and North America, we examined changes in bird community composition using the community temperature index (CTI) approach and compared the changes with observed regional temperature changes during 1980-2016. CTI increased faster in winter than in summer. This seasonal discrepancy is probably because individuals are less site-faithful in winter, and can more readily shift their wintering sites in response to weather in comparison to the breeding season. Regional long-term changes in community composition were positively associated with regional temperature changes during both seasons, but the pattern was only significant during summer due to high annual variability in winter communities. Annual changes in community composition were positively associated with the annual temperature changes during both seasons. Our results were broadly consistent across continents, suggesting some climate-driven restructuring in both European and North American avian communities. Because community composition has changed much faster during the winter than during the breeding season, it is important to increase our knowledge about climate-driven impacts during the less-studied non-breeding season.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksi Lehikoinen
- Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Åke Lindström
- Department of Biology, Biodiversity Unit, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Andrea Santangeli
- Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Päivi M Sirkiä
- Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Lluís Brotons
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.,InForest Jru (CTFC-CREAF), Solsona, Spain.,CSIC, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Vincent Devictor
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Montpellier, France
| | - Jaanus Elts
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.,Estonian Ornithological Society, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Ruud P B Foppen
- Sovon Dutch Centre for Field Ornithology, GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Animal Ecology & Physiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, GL Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,European Bird Census Council, GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Henning Heldbjerg
- Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Roende, Denmark.,DOF-BirdLife Denmark, Copenhagen V, Denmark
| | - Sergi Herrando
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.,Catalan Ornithological Institute, Natural History Museum of Barcelona, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | | | - Marie-Anne R Hudson
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Frédéric Jiguet
- UMR7204 Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO UMR 7204), MNHN CNRS Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Alison Johnston
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA.,Conservation Science Group, Dept of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Romain Lorrilliere
- UMR7204 Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO UMR 7204), MNHN CNRS Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.,Lab of Ecologie, Systematique & Evolution, UMR CNRS 8079, University Paris-Sud, Paris, France
| | | | | | | | - Renno Nellis
- Birdlife Estonia/Estonian Ornithological Society, Tartu, Estonia
| | | | - Adam C Smith
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Tibor Szép
- University of Nyíregyháza, Nyíregyháza, Hungary.,MME/BirdLife Hungary, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Chris van Turnhout
- Sovon Dutch Centre for Field Ornithology, GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Animal Ecology & Physiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, GL Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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8
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Telenský T, Klvaňa P, Jelínek M, Cepák J, Reif J. The influence of climate variability on demographic rates of avian Afro-palearctic migrants. Sci Rep 2020; 10:17592. [PMID: 33067507 PMCID: PMC7567877 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74658-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Climate is an important driver of changes in animal population size, but its effect on the underlying demographic rates remains insufficiently understood. This is particularly true for avian long-distance migrants which are exposed to different climatic factors at different phases of their annual cycle. To fill this knowledge gap, we used data collected by a national-wide bird ringing scheme for eight migratory species wintering in sub-Saharan Africa and investigated the impact of climate variability on their breeding productivity and adult survival. While temperature at the breeding grounds could relate to the breeding productivity either positively (higher food availability in warmer springs) or negatively (food scarcity in warmer springs due to trophic mismatch), water availability at the non-breeding should limit the adult survival and the breeding productivity. Consistent with the prediction of the trophic mismatch hypothesis, we found that warmer springs at the breeding grounds were linked with lower breeding productivity, explaining 29% of temporal variance across all species. Higher water availability at the sub-Saharan non-breeding grounds was related to higher adult survival (18% temporal variance explained) but did not carry-over to breeding productivity. Our results show that climate variability at both breeding and non-breeding grounds shapes different demographic rates of long-distance migrants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomáš Telenský
- Institute for Environmental Studies, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Benátská 2, 128 01, Praha 2, Czech Republic
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Květná 8, 603 65, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Klvaňa
- Bird Ringing Centre, National Museum, Prague, Hornoměcholupská 34, 102 00, Praha 10, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslav Jelínek
- Bird Ringing Centre, National Museum, Prague, Hornoměcholupská 34, 102 00, Praha 10, Czech Republic
| | - Jaroslav Cepák
- Bird Ringing Centre, National Museum, Prague, Hornoměcholupská 34, 102 00, Praha 10, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Reif
- Institute for Environmental Studies, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Benátská 2, 128 01, Praha 2, Czech Republic.
- Department of Zoology and Laboratory of Ornithology, Faculty of Science, Palacky University in Olomouc, 17. listopadu 50, 771 46, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
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9
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Rushing CS, Rubenstein M, Lyons JE, Runge MC. Using value of information to prioritize research needs for migratory bird management under climate change: a case study using federal land acquisition in the United States. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:1109-1130. [PMID: 32302051 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Revised: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
In response to global habitat loss, many governmental and non-governmental organizations have implemented land acquisition programs to protect critical habitats permanently for priority species. The ability of these protected areas to meet future management objectives may be compromised if the effects of climate change are not considered in acquisition decisions. Unfortunately, the effects of climate change on ecological systems are complex and plagued by uncertainty, making it difficult for organizations to prioritize research needs to improve decision-making. Herein, we demonstrate the use of qualitative value of information analysis to identify and prioritize which sources of uncertainty should be reduced to improve land acquisition decisions to protect migratory birds in the face of climate change. The qualitative value of information analysis process involves four steps: (i) articulating alternative hypotheses; (ii) determining the magnitude of uncertainty regarding each hypothesis; (iii) evaluating the relevance of each hypothesis to acquisition decision-making; and (iv) assessing the feasibility of reducing the uncertainty surrounding each hypothesis through research and monitoring. We demonstrate this approach using the objectives of 3 U.S. federal land acquisition programs that focus on migratory bird management. We used a comprehensive literature review, expert elicitation, and professional judgement to evaluate 11 hypotheses about the effect of climate change on migratory birds. Based on our results, we provide a list of priorities for future research and monitoring to reduce uncertainty and improve land acquisition decisions for the programs considered in our case study. Reducing uncertainty about how climate change will influence the spatial distribution of priority species and biotic homogenization were identified as the highest priorities for future research due to both the value of this information for improving land acquisition decisions and the feasibility of reducing uncertainty through research and monitoring. Research on how changes in precipitation patterns and winter severity will influence migratory bird abundance is also expected to benefit land acquisition decisions. By contrast, hypotheses about phenology and migration distance were identified as low priorities for research. By providing a rigorous and transparent approach to prioritizing research, we demonstrate that qualitative value of information is a valuable tool for prioritizing research and improving management decisions in other complex, high-uncertainty cases where traditional quantitative value of information analysis is not possible. Given the inherent complexity of ecological systems under climate change, and the difficulty of identifying management-relevant research priorities, we expect this approach to have wide applications within the field of natural resource management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clark S Rushing
- Department of Wildland Resources and the Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322, U.S.A.,Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Laurel, MD, 20708, U.S.A
| | - Madeleine Rubenstein
- National Climate Adaptation Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA, 20192, U.S.A
| | - James E Lyons
- Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Laurel, MD, 20708, U.S.A
| | - Michael C Runge
- Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Laurel, MD, 20708, U.S.A
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10
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McLean NM, van der Jeugd HP, van Turnhout CAM, Lefcheck JS, van de Pol M. Reduced avian body condition due to global warming has little reproductive or population consequences. OIKOS 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.06802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nina M. McLean
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National Univ. Daley Road Canberra ACT 0200 Australia
| | - Henk P. van der Jeugd
- Dept of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Inst. of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW) Wageningen the Netherlands
- Vogeltrekstation – Dutch Centre for Avian Migration and Demography, NIOO‐KNAW Wageningen the Netherlands
| | - Chris A. M. van Turnhout
- Sovon Dutch Centre for Field Ornithology Nijmegen the Netherlands
- Dept of Animal Ecology, Inst. for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud Univ. Nijmegen the Netherlands
| | | | - Martijn van de Pol
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National Univ. Daley Road Canberra ACT 0200 Australia
- Dept of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Inst. of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW) Wageningen the Netherlands
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11
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Shave A, Garroway CJ, Siegrist J, Fraser KC. Timing to temperature: Egg‐laying dates respond to temperature and are under stronger selection at northern latitudes. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Joe Siegrist
- Purple Martin Conservation Association Erie Pennsylvania USA
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12
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Chiffard J, Delestrade A, Yoccoz NG, Loison A, Besnard A. Warm temperatures during cold season can negatively affect adult survival in an alpine bird. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:12531-12543. [PMID: 31788195 PMCID: PMC6875669 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Revised: 09/05/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate seasonality is a predominant constraint on the lifecycles of species in alpine and polar biomes. Assessing the response of these species to climate change thus requires taking into account seasonal constraints on populations. However, interactions between seasonality, weather fluctuations, and population parameters remain poorly explored as they require long-term studies with high sampling frequency. This study investigated the influence of environmental covariates on the demography of a corvid species, the alpine chough Pyrrhocorax graculus, in the highly seasonal environment of the Mont Blanc region. In two steps, we estimated: (1) the seasonal survival of categories of individuals based on their age, sex, etc., (2) the effect of environmental covariates on seasonal survival. We hypothesized that the cold season-and more specifically, the end of the cold season (spring)-would be a critical period for individuals, and we expected that weather and individual covariates would influence survival variation during critical periods. We found that while spring was a critical season for adult female survival, it was not for males. This is likely because females are dominated by males at feeding sites during snowy seasons (winter and spring), and additionally must invest energy in egg production. When conditions were not favorable, which seemed to happen when the cold season was warmer than usual, females probably reached their physiological limits. Surprisingly, adult survival was higher at the beginning of the cold season than in summer, which may result from adaptation to harsh weather in alpine and polar vertebrates. This hypothesis could be confirmed by testing it with larger sets of populations. This first seasonal analysis of individual survival over the full life cycle in a sedentary alpine bird shows that including seasonality in demographic investigations is crucial to better understand the potential impacts of climate change on cold ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jules Chiffard
- Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes (EPHE)Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE)UMR 5175Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)PSL Research UniversityMontpellierFrance
| | - Anne Delestrade
- Centre de Recherches sur les Ecosystèmes d'Altitude (CREA)Observatoire du Mont BlancChamonixFrance
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine (LECA)CNRSUniversité Grenoble AlpesUniversité Savoie Mont BlancGrenobleFrance
| | - Nigel Gilles Yoccoz
- Centre de Recherches sur les Ecosystèmes d'Altitude (CREA)Observatoire du Mont BlancChamonixFrance
- Department of Arctic and Marine BiologyUiT The Arctic University of NorwayTromsøNorway
| | - Anne Loison
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine (LECA)CNRSUniversité Grenoble AlpesUniversité Savoie Mont BlancGrenobleFrance
| | - Aurélien Besnard
- Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes (EPHE)Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE)UMR 5175Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)PSL Research UniversityMontpellierFrance
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Saracco JF, Siegel RB, Helton L, Stock SL, DeSante DF. Phenology and productivity in a montane bird assemblage: Trends and responses to elevation and climate variation. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2019; 25:985-996. [PMID: 30506620 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 10/29/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Climate variation has been linked to historical and predicted future distributions and dynamics of wildlife populations. However, demographic mechanisms underlying these changes remain poorly understood. Here, we assessed variation and trends in climate (annual snowfall and spring temperature anomalies) and avian demographic variables from mist-netting data (breeding phenology and productivity) at six sites along an elevation gradient spanning the montane zone of Yosemite National Park between 1993 and 2017. We implemented multi-species hierarchical models to relate demographic responses to elevation and climate covariates. Annual variation in climate and avian demographic variables was high. Snowfall declined (10 mm/year at the highest site, 2 mm at the lowest site), while spring temperature increased (0.045°C/year) over the study period. Breeding phenology (mean first capture date of juvenile birds) advanced by 0.2 day/year (5 days); and productivity (probability of capturing a juvenile bird) increased by 0.8%/year. Breeding phenology was 12 days earlier at the lowest compared to highest site, 18 days earlier in years with lowest compared to highest snowfall anomalies, and 6 d earlier in relatively warm springs (after controlling for snowfall effects). Productivity was positively related to elevation. However, elevation-productivity responses varied among species; species with higher productivity at higher compared to lower elevations tended to be species with documented range retractions during the past century. Productivity tended to be negatively related to snowfall and was positively related to spring temperature. Overall, our results suggest that birds have tracked the variable climatic conditions in this system and have benefited from a trend toward warmer, drier springs. However, we caution that continued warming and multi-year drought or extreme weather years may alter these relationships in the future. Multi-species demographic modeling, such as implemented here, can provide an important tool for guiding conservation of species assemblages under global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- James F Saracco
- The Institute for Bird Populations, Point Reyes Station, California
| | - Rodney B Siegel
- The Institute for Bird Populations, Point Reyes Station, California
| | - Lauren Helton
- The Institute for Bird Populations, Point Reyes Station, California
| | - Sarah L Stock
- Division of Resources Management and Science, Yosemite National Park, El Portal, California
| | - David F DeSante
- The Institute for Bird Populations, Point Reyes Station, California
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