1
|
Hořák D, Rivas‐Salvador J, Farkač J, Reif J. Traits and ecological space availability predict avian densities at the country scale of the Czech Republic. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9119. [PMID: 35866025 PMCID: PMC9289119 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9119] [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: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Species' geographical distributions and abundances are a central focus of current ecological research. Although multiple studies have been conducted on their elucidation, some important information is still missing. One of them is the knowledge of ecological traits of species responsible for the population density variations across geographical (i.e., total physical area) and ecological spaces (i.e., suitable habitat area). This is crucial for understanding how ecological specialization shapes the geographical distribution of species, and provides key knowledge about the sensitivity of species to current environmental challenges. Here, we precisely describe habitat availability for individual species using fine-scale field data collected across the entire Czech Republic. In the next step, we used this information to test the relationships between bird traits and country-scale estimates of population densities assessed in both geographical and ecological spaces. We did not find any effect of habitat specialization on avian density in geographical space. But when we recalculated densities for ecological space available, we found a positive correlation with habitat specialization. Specialists occur at higher densities in suitable habitats. Moreover, birds with arboreal and hole-nesting strategies showed higher densities in both geographical and ecological spaces. However, we found no significant effects of morphological (body mass and structural body size) and reproductive (position along the slow-fast life-history continuum) traits on avian densities in either geographical or ecological space. Our findings suggest that ecological space availability is a strong determinant of avian abundance and highlight the importance of precise knowledge of species-specific habitat requirements. Revival of this classical but challenging ecological topic of habitat-specific densities is needed for both proper understanding of pure ecological issues and practical steps in the conservation of nature.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David Hořák
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of ScienceCharles UniversityPragueCzech Republic
| | - Javier Rivas‐Salvador
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of ScienceCharles UniversityPragueCzech Republic
| | - Jan Farkač
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of ScienceCharles UniversityPragueCzech Republic
| | - Jiří Reif
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of ScienceCharles UniversityPragueCzech Republic
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of SciencePalacký UniversityOlomoucCzech Republic
- Czech Society for OrnithologyPragueCzech Republic
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Møller AP, Balbontín J, Dhondt AA, Remeš V, Adriaensen F, Biard C, Camprodon J, Cichoń M, Doligez B, Dubiec A, Eens M, Eeva T, Goodenough AE, Gosler AG, Gustafsson L, Heeb P, Hinsley SA, Jacob S, Juškaitis R, Laaksonen T, Leclercq B, Massa B, Mazgajski TD, Nager RG, Nilsson JÅ, Nilsson SG, Norte AC, Pinxten R, Robles H, Solonen T, Sorace A, van Noordwijk AJ, Lambrechts MM. Effects of interspecific coexistence on laying date and clutch size in two closely related species of hole-nesting birds. J Anim Ecol 2018; 87:1738-1748. [PMID: 30101503 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Accepted: 08/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Coexistence between great tits Parus major and blue tits Cyanistes caeruleus, but also other hole-nesting taxa, constitutes a classic example of species co-occurrence resulting in potential interference and exploitation competition for food and for breeding and roosting sites. However, the spatial and temporal variations in coexistence and its consequences for competition remain poorly understood. We used an extensive database on reproduction in nest boxes by great and blue tits based on 87 study plots across Europe and Northern Africa during 1957-2012 for a total of 19,075 great tit and 16,729 blue tit clutches to assess correlative evidence for a relationship between laying date and clutch size, respectively, and density consistent with effects of intraspecific and interspecific competition. In an initial set of analyses, we statistically controlled for a suite of site-specific variables. We found evidence for an effect of intraspecific competition on blue tit laying date (later laying at higher density) and clutch size (smaller clutch size at higher density), but no evidence of significant effects of intraspecific competition in great tits, nor effects of interspecific competition for either species. To further control for site-specific variation caused by a range of potentially confounding variables, we compared means and variances in laying date and clutch size of great and blue tits among three categories of difference in density between the two species. We exploited the fact that means and variances are generally positively correlated. If interspecific competition occurs, we predicted a reduction in mean and an increase in variance in clutch size in great tit and blue tit when density of heterospecifics is higher than the density of conspecifics, and for intraspecific competition, this reduction would occur when density of conspecifics is higher than the density of heterospecifics. Such comparisons of temporal patterns of means and variances revealed evidence, for both species, consistent with intraspecific competition and to a smaller extent with interspecific competition. These findings suggest that competition associated with reproductive behaviour between blue and great tits is widespread, but also varies across large spatial and temporal scales.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anders Pape Møller
- Ecologie Systematique Evolution, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay Cedex, France
| | - Javier Balbontín
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - André A Dhondt
- Laboratory of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Vladimir Remeš
- Laboratory of Ornithology, Department of Zoology, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Frank Adriaensen
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Clotilde Biard
- IEES-Paris - Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UPEC, Paris, France
| | - Jordi Camprodon
- Àrea de Biodiversitat, Grup de Biologia de la Conservació, Centre Tecnològic Forestal de Catalunya, Solsona, Spain
| | - Mariusz Cichoń
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
| | - Blandine Doligez
- CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, UMR 5558, Université Lyon 1, Université de Lyon, Villeurbanne Cedex, France
| | - Anna Dubiec
- Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marcel Eens
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology & Ecophysiology Group, Campus Drie Eiken, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Tapio Eeva
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Anne E Goodenough
- Department of Natural and Social Sciences, University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham, UK
| | - Andrew G Gosler
- Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology & Institute of Human Sciences, Oxford, UK
| | - Lars Gustafsson
- Department of Animal Ecology, Evolutionary Biolpgy Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Philipp Heeb
- Laboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique, UPS Toulouse III, Toulouse, France
| | | | - Staffan Jacob
- Station d'Ecologie Expérimentale du CNRS à Moulis, USR CNRS 2936, Moulis, France
| | | | - Toni Laaksonen
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | | | - Bruno Massa
- Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, Università di Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Tomasz D Mazgajski
- Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Ruedi G Nager
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Jan-Åke Nilsson
- Department of Biology, Evolutionary Ecology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Sven G Nilsson
- Department of Biology, Biodiversity, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Ana C Norte
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Rianne Pinxten
- Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology & Ecophysiology Group, Campus Drie Eiken, Antwerp, Belgium.,Faculty of Social Sciences, Didactica Research Group, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Hugo Robles
- Evolutionary Ecology Group (GIBE), Faculty of Sciences, University of A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain.,Evolutionary Ecology Group (EVECO), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | | | | | - Marcel M Lambrechts
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, CEFE UMR 5175, Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| |
Collapse
|