1
|
Ko JCJ, Chang AY, Lin RS, Lee PF. Deforestation within breeding ranges may still drive population trends of migratory forest birds in the East Asian Flyway. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14007. [PMID: 37635179 PMCID: PMC10460791 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-40626-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The East Asian Flyway (EAF) is the most species diverse of global flyways, with deforestation in its migratory landbird's non-breeding range suspected to be the main driver of population decline. Yet range-wide habitat loss impact assessments on EAF migratory landbirds are scarce, and seasonal variation in habitat preference of migratory species further increases the complexity for conservation strategies. In this study, we reviewed population trends of migratory forest breeding birds in the EAF along with their seasonal habitat preference from the literature and assessed the impact of forest cover change in species' breeding and non-breeding ranges on population trends. We found that 41.3% of the bird species with trend data available are declining, and most have higher forest preference in the breeding season. Despite 93.4% of the species experienced deforestation throughout their annual cycle, forest cover change in the non-breeding range was not identified as the main driver of population trend. However, forest cover change in species' regional breeding range interacts positively with the degree of breeding season forest preference in predicting population trends. We therefore stress that regional breeding habitat protection may still be important while following the call for cross-border collaboration to fill the information gap for flyway conservation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jerome Chie-Jen Ko
- Taiwan Biodiversity Research Institute, Nantou, 552002, Taiwan
- Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106216, Taiwan
| | - An-Yu Chang
- Taiwan Biodiversity Research Institute, Nantou, 552002, Taiwan
| | - Ruey-Shing Lin
- Taiwan Biodiversity Research Institute, Nantou, 552002, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Fen Lee
- Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106216, Taiwan.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Heim W, Antonov A, Kunz F, Sander MM, Bastardot M, Beermann I, Heim RJ, Thomas A, Volkova V. Habitat use, survival, and migration of a little-known East Asian endemic, the yellow-throated bunting Emberiza elegans. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10030. [PMID: 37153014 PMCID: PMC10154376 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10030] [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: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Basic information on the ecology of species is key for their conservation. Here we study the ecology of the little-known yellow-throated bunting Emberiza elegans based on a multi-year study on its breeding grounds in the Russian Far East. For the first time in this species, we quantified breeding habitat parameters, calculated sex-specific apparent survival, and determined individual nonbreeding locations using light-level geolocation. We found that the habitat around song posts of male yellow-throated buntings is characterized by tree and shrub layers on richly littered moist ground. Habitat use overlaps with co-occurring Tristram's Buntings Emberiza tristrami and Black-faced Buntings E. spodocephala, but territories differ especially in tree cover and litter cover. Based on 4 years of color-ringing data of 72 individuals, we calculated an apparent survival rate of 36%, with higher survival estimates for male than for female yellow-throated buntings. We found no effect of carrying a geolocator on survival. We retrieved six geolocators from males. All birds migrated south-westward during autumn and spent the nonbreeding season at locations in China 700-1700 km away from their breeding sites. At least two individuals spent the boreal winter outside of the known range in northern or central China. Birds left the breeding area between early October and early November and returned between mid-March and mid-April. Our data on habitat use, survival rate, and migratory connectivity will help to assess threats to the populations of this enigmatic species, which might include habitat loss due to forest fires on the breeding grounds, and unsustainable harvest for consumption during the nonbreeding season.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wieland Heim
- Institute of Landscape EcologyUniversity of MünsterMünsterGermany
- University of TurkuTurkuFinland
- Swiss Ornithological InstituteSempachSwitzerland
| | | | - Friederike Kunz
- Institute of Landscape EcologyUniversity of MünsterMünsterGermany
- Independent ResearcherMuensterGermany
| | - Martha Maria Sander
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems BiologyUniversity of TurinTurinItaly
- NABU (Naturschutzbund Deutschland) e.V.BerlinGermany
| | | | - Ilka Beermann
- Institute of Landscape EcologyUniversity of MünsterMünsterGermany
- EuroNatur FoundationRadolfzellGermany
| | - Ramona Julia Heim
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental StudiesUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | | | - Vera Volkova
- State budgetary educational institution of additional education of the city of Moscow "Zelenograd Palace of Creativity for Children and Youth"ZelenogradRussia
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Yan R, Lu M, Zhang L, Yao J, Li S, Jiang Y. Effect of sex on the gut microbiota characteristics of passerine migratory birds. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:917373. [PMID: 36118231 PMCID: PMC9478027 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.917373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The gut microbiota, considered the “invisible organ” in the host animal, has been extensively studied recently. However, knowledge about the gut microbiota characteristics of passerine migratory birds during migration is limited. This study investigated the gut microbiota characteristics of three dominant migratory bird species (namely orange-flanked bluetail Tarsiger cyanurus, yellow-throated bunting Emberiza elegans, and black-faced bunting Emberiza spodocephala) in the same niche during spring migration and whether they were bird sex-specific. The compositions of gut microbiota species in these three migratory bird species and their male and female individuals were found to be similar. The main bacterial phyla were Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes, and the main genera were Lactobacillus, Acinetobacter, Rickettsiella, and Mycobacterium; however, their relative abundance was different. Moreover, some potential pathogens and beneficial bacteria were found in all the three bird species. Alpha diversity analysis showed that in T. cyanurus, the richness and diversity of the gut microbiota were higher in male individuals than in female individuals, while the opposite was true for E. elegans and E. spodocephala. The alpha diversity analysis showed significant differences between male and female individuals of E. elegans (p < 0.05). The beta diversity analysis also revealed that the gut microbial community structure differed significantly between the male and female individuals of the three migratory bird species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rongfei Yan
- College of Animal Science and Technology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
| | - Meixia Lu
- School of Life Sciences, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
| | - Lishi Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
| | - Jiyuan Yao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
| | - Shi Li
- College of Animal Science and Technology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
| | - Yunlei Jiang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
- *Correspondence: Yunlei Jiang,
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Ko JC, Chang A, Lin R, Lee P. Effects of breeding habitat loss on a threatened East Asia migratory forest bird. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jerome Chie‐Jen Ko
- Endemic Species Research Institute Jiji 552 Nantou Taiwan
- Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology National Taiwan University Taipei 106 Taiwan
| | - An‐Yu Chang
- Endemic Species Research Institute Jiji 552 Nantou Taiwan
| | - Ruey‐Shing Lin
- Endemic Species Research Institute Jiji 552 Nantou Taiwan
| | - Pei‐Fen Lee
- Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology National Taiwan University Taipei 106 Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Yong DL, Heim W, Chowdhury SU, Choi CY, Ktitorov P, Kulikova O, Kondratyev A, Round PD, Allen D, Trainor CR, Gibson L, Szabo JK. The State of Migratory Landbirds in the East Asian Flyway: Distributions, Threats, and Conservation Needs. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.613172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
With nearly 400 migratory landbird species, the East Asian Flyway is the most diverse of the world’s flyways. This diversity is a consequence of the varied ecological niches provided by biomes ranging from broadleaf forests to arctic tundra and accentuated by complex biogeographic processes. The distribution and migration ecology of East Asian landbirds is still inadequately known, but a recent explosion in the number of studies tracking the migration of raptors, cuckoos, kingfishers and passerines has greatly increased our knowledge about the stopover and wintering ecology of many species, and the migratory routes that link northeast Eurasia and the Asian tropics. Yet the East Asian Flyway also supports the highest number of threatened species among flyways. Strong declines have been detected in buntings (Emberizidae) and other long-distance migrants. While the conservation of migratory landbirds in this region has largely focused on unsustainable hunting, there are other threats, such as habitat loss and increased agro-chemical use driven directly by land cover change and climate-related processes. Important knowledge gaps to be addressed include (1) threats affecting species in different parts of their annual cycle, (2) range-wide population trends, (3) ecological requirements and habitat use during the non-breeding season, and (4) the conservation status of critical wintering sites (including understudied farming landscapes, such as rice fields) and migration bottlenecks along the flyway.
Collapse
|
6
|
Kim H, Mo Y, Choi CY, McComb BC, Betts MG. Declines in Common and Migratory Breeding Landbird Species in South Korea Over the Past Two Decades. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.627765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Population declines in terrestrial bird species have been reported across temperate regions in the world and are attributed to habitat loss, climate change, or other direct mortality sources. North American and European studies indicate that long-distance migrants, common species, and species associated with grasslands and agricultural lands are declining at the greatest rates. However, data from East Asia on avian population trends and associated drivers are extremely sparse. We modeled changes in occupancy of 52 common breeding landbird species in South Korea between 1997–2005 and 2013–2019. Thirty-eight percent of the species showed evidence of declines, and seven of these were declining severely (46–95%). Occupancy of Black-capped Kingfisher (Halcyon pileata) populations have dropped the most precipitously over the study period. Among declining species, long-distance migrants (9/20) and common species (14/20) showed more rapid declines than other groups. Declines of five species were associated with climate change, and two species appeared to be affected by land-cover change. However, causes of change in occupancy of other species (46/52) remains cryptic. Based on our results, we suggest an immediate re-evaluation of species’ conservation status and legal protection levels for seven severely declining species in South Korea, and a dedicated survey design and analysis effort for the continued monitoring landbird populations. Because many species exhibiting declines migrate from beyond national boundaries, international collaborations will be required to better quantify population trends across the full annual cycle, and to understand mechanisms for these declines.
Collapse
|
7
|
Heim W, Chan S, Hölzel N, Ktitorov P, Mischenko A, Kamp J. East Asian buntings: Ongoing illegal trade and encouraging conservation responses. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Wieland Heim
- Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster Münster Germany
| | - Simba Chan
- BirdLife International Tokyo Office Tokyo Japan
| | - Norbert Hölzel
- Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster Münster Germany
| | - Pavel Ktitorov
- Institute of Biological Problems of the North, Far‐Eastern Branch of Russian Academy of Science Magadan Russian Federation
- Birds Russia Yuzhno‐Sakhalinsk Russian Federation
| | - Alexander Mischenko
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences Moscow Russian Federation
| | - Johannes Kamp
- Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster Münster Germany
- Department of Conservation Biology University of Göttingen Göttingen Germany
| |
Collapse
|