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Htay T, Htoo KK, Røskaft E, Ringsby TH, Ranke PS. Environmental Factors Affecting Spatio-Temporal Distribution of Crop-Exploiting Species: Implications for Coexistence Between Agricultural Production and Avifauna Conservation in Wetlands. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 74:664-683. [PMID: 39097846 PMCID: PMC11393005 DOI: 10.1007/s00267-024-02028-7] [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: 02/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 08/05/2024]
Abstract
Bird communities in agroecosystems bring both ecosystem services (e.g., pollination) and disservices (e.g., crop exploitation) to farmers. However, in the proximity of wetland reserves, farmers disproportionately experience harvest yield loss due to large aggregation of bird species that can utilize various agricultural resources. This often results in negative human-wildlife interactions which lower conservation support among farmers. Knowledge about the distribution of avian species that negatively influence yields, and its environmental drivers is thus fundamental to reconcile crop production and bird conservation. This study aims to examine the spatio-temporal patterns in richness and abundance of bird species known to cause agricultural yield loss as well as species-specific distribution patterns for the six bird species that are most challenging for local farmers. In combination with interview surveys of local farmers (n = 367) and seasonal bird surveys (n = 720), we investigated distribution of crop-exploiting avian species in the Indawgyi wetland ecosystem in Myanmar. Our results showed high richness and abundance of crop-exploiting species in the water habitat across all seasons, with most challenging species exhibiting higher presence closer to these water sources. The crop phenology had positive effect on species richness and abundance during the growing season. The agricultural use of crop-exploiting species was season- and species-specific, where the presence probability in the agricultural habitat was higher in habitat generalists than wetland specialists. Therefore, we suggest improved management of natural wetland habitats (e.g., habitat restoration), sustainable coexistence mechanisms in farms close to water (e.g., bird-friendly rice farming and Ecolabel certification) to reduce avian impacts on the farming communities and, at the same time, to promote bird conservation in wetlands of international importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thazin Htay
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway.
- Nature and Wildlife Conservation Division, Forest Department, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar.
| | - Kyaw Kyaw Htoo
- Division of Forest and Biomaterials Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Eivin Røskaft
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Thor Harald Ringsby
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Peter Sjolte Ranke
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
- BirdLife Norway, Trondheim, Norway
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2
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Cooke SJ, Piczak ML, Singh NJ, Åkesson S, Ford AT, Chowdhury S, Mitchell GW, Norris DR, Hardesty-Moore M, McCauley D, Hammerschlag N, Tucker MA, Horns JJ, Reisinger RR, Kubelka V, Lennox RJ. Animal migration in the Anthropocene: threats and mitigation options. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:1242-1260. [PMID: 38437713 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
Animal migration has fascinated scientists and the public alike for centuries, yet migratory animals are facing diverse threats that could lead to their demise. The Anthropocene is characterised by the reality that humans are the dominant force on Earth, having manifold negative effects on biodiversity and ecosystem function. Considerable research focus has been given to assessing anthropogenic impacts on the numerical abundance of species/populations, whereas relatively less attention has been devoted to animal migration. However, there are clear linkages, for example, where human-driven impacts on migration behaviour can lead to population/species declines or even extinction. Here, we explore anthropogenic threats to migratory animals (in all domains - aquatic, terrestrial, and aerial) using International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Threat Taxonomy classifications. We reveal the diverse threats (e.g. human development, disease, invasive species, climate change, exploitation, pollution) that impact migratory wildlife in varied ways spanning taxa, life stages and type of impact (e.g. from direct mortality to changes in behaviour, health, and physiology). Notably, these threats often interact in complex and unpredictable ways to the detriment of wildlife, further complicating management. Fortunately, we are beginning to identify strategies for conserving and managing migratory animals in the Anthropocene. We provide a set of strategies that, if embraced, have the potential to ensure that migratory animals, and the important ecological functions sustained by migration, persist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J Cooke
- Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Morgan L Piczak
- Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Navinder J Singh
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Faculty of Forest Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, 90183, Sweden
| | - Susanne Åkesson
- Department of Biology, Centre for Animal Movement Research, Lund University, Ecology Building, Lund, 22362, Sweden
| | - Adam T Ford
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, 1177 Research Road, Kelowna, British Columbia, V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Shawan Chowdhury
- Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Dornburger Straße 159, Jena, 07743, Germany
- Department of Ecosystem Services, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Permoserstr, 15, Leipzig, 04318, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstr, 4, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Greg W Mitchell
- Department of Biology and Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Dr, Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5B6, Canada
- Wildlife Research Division, Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 1125 Colonel By Dr, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - D Ryan Norris
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd. E, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Molly Hardesty-Moore
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology and Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Douglas McCauley
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology and Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Neil Hammerschlag
- Atlantic Shark Expeditions, 29 Wideview Lane, Boutiliers Point, Nova Scotia, B3Z 0M9, Canada
| | - Marlee A Tucker
- Radboud Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Radboud University, Houtlaan 4, Nijmegen, 6525, The Netherlands
| | - Joshua J Horns
- Department of Biology, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
| | - Ryan R Reisinger
- School of Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, National Oceanography Center Southampton, University Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Vojtěch Kubelka
- Dept of Zoology and Centre for Polar Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Robert J Lennox
- Ocean Tracking Network, Faculty of Science, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford St, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 3Z1, Canada
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Xu F, Wu W, Wei J, Xin Q, Wielstra B, La Sorte FA, Ma Z, Lei G, Lei J, Wu W, Yang Y, Gong P, Xu B, Si Y. Migratory herbivorous waterfowl track multiple resource waves during spring migration. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20241448. [PMID: 39257318 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.1448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 07/22/2024] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 09/12/2024] Open
Abstract
East Asian herbivorous waterfowl intensively use farmland in spring, next to their natural habitat. Accordingly, they might have expanded their migration strategy from merely tracking the green wave of newly emerging vegetation to also incorporating the availability of post-harvest agricultural seeds (here dubbed the seed wave). However, if and how waterfowl use multiple food resources to time their seasonal migration is still unknown. We test this migration strategy using 167 spring migration tracks of five East Asian herbivorous waterfowl species and mixed-effect resource selection function models. We found that all study species arrived at their core stopover sites in the Northeast China Plain after agricultural seeds became available, extended their stay after spring vegetation emerged and arrived at their breeding sites around the emergence of vegetation. At the core stopover sites, all study species used snowmelt as a cue to track seed availability, although smaller-bodied species tended to arrive later. At the breeding sites, swans tracked the onset of vegetation emergence and geese tracked the mid- or end phases of snowmelt. Our findings suggest that waterfowl track multiple resource waves to fine-tune their migration, highlighting new opportunities for conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Xu
- Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, People's Republic of China
- Department of Earth System Science, Ministry of Education Field Research Station for East Asian Migratory Birds, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100086, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Wu
- Mining College, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou 550025, People's Republic of China
- School of Geography and Planning, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, People's Republic of China
| | - Jie Wei
- Department of Earth System Science, Ministry of Education Field Research Station for East Asian Migratory Birds, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100086, People's Republic of China
| | - Qinchuan Xin
- School of Geography and Planning, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, People's Republic of China
| | - Ben Wielstra
- Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Frank A La Sorte
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Center for Biodiversity and Global Change, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Zhijun Ma
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Coastal Ecosystems Research Station of the Yangtze River Estuary, and Shanghai Institute of Eco-Chongming (SIEC), Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, People's Republic of China
| | - Guangchun Lei
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, People's Republic of China
| | - Jialin Lei
- School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenzhao Wu
- Department of Earth System Science, Ministry of Education Field Research Station for East Asian Migratory Birds, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100086, People's Republic of China
| | - Yongchuan Yang
- Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, People's Republic of China
| | - Peng Gong
- Department of Earth System Science, Ministry of Education Field Research Station for East Asian Migratory Birds, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100086, People's Republic of China
- Department of Geography, Department of Earth Sciences, Institute for Climate and Carbon Neutrality, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Bing Xu
- Department of Earth System Science, Ministry of Education Field Research Station for East Asian Migratory Birds, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100086, People's Republic of China
| | - Yali Si
- Department of Earth System Science, Ministry of Education Field Research Station for East Asian Migratory Birds, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100086, People's Republic of China
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden 2333 CC, The Netherlands
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Şekercioğlu ÇH, Fullwood MJ, Cerling T, Brenes FO, Daily GC, Ehrlich PR, Chamberlain P, Newsome SD. Using stable isotopes to measure the dietary responses of Costa Rican forest birds to agricultural countryside. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1086616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
How human modification of native habitats changes the feeding patterns and nutritional ecology of tropical birds is critical to conserving avian biodiversity, but tropical bird diets are laborious to investigate using the traditional methods of diet analysis. Stable isotope analysis provides a cost-effective and efficient proxy to identify general foraging patterns, especially when dietary shifts spanning multiple trophic levels have occurred due to ecosystem disturbance or transformation. To characterize the diets of forest bird species that persist in tropical agricultural countryside, we compared feather carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope values of four species caught and radio-tracked in a 270 hectare forest reserve, smaller forest remnants (including mature forest, secondary forest, and riparian strips), and coffee plantations in mid-elevation (ca. 800–1,400 m) southern Costa Rica. Bird habitat choice had a significant effect on diet composition as revealed by δ13C and δ15N values. Three of the four species studied showed evidence of significantly reduced consumption of invertebrates in coffee plantations, with the isotope values of two species (Tangara icterocephala and Turdus assimilis) indicating, by comparison, nearly a doubling of invertebrate consumption in forest remnants. Our results suggest that coffee plantations are deficient in invertebrates preferred by forest generalist birds that forage in both native forest remnants and coffee plantations. In this region, typical of mountainous American tropics, small forest remnants and a larger forest reserve provide critical dietary resources for native forest birds that utilize the agricultural countryside.
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Chen Y, Rasool MA, Hussain S, Meng S, Yao Y, Wang X, Liu Y. Bird community structure is driven by urbanization level, blue-green infrastructure configuration and precision farming in Taizhou, China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 859:160096. [PMID: 36372169 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160096] [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: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Land use/land cover (LULC) changes and high urbanization rates are the main drivers of avian habitat loss in developing countries. However, few studies have examined the effects of urbanization intensity on avian diversity distribution and its importance in guiding eco-friendly urban planning. We surveyed bird distribution (n = 67 species) in different seasons using local ecological knowledge (LEK) and transect line methods in Jiangyan District from July 2018 to May 2019. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to assess the effects of urbanization levels on birds relative density and richness during spring-summer (breeding season) and autumn-winter seasons (non-breeding season). Generalized linear models (GLM) were identified for the landscape composition and configuration that drive relative density and richness in native bird communities. Using redundancy analysis (RDA), we identified the landscape composition and configuration factors affecting bird foraging and roosting at urbanization levels. The results showed high dependency of waders and granivores on paddy fields and dry arable land respectively during the breeding season. During non-breeding season, wetland abundance, land cover, connectivity and total area of BGI were important habitat factors in attracting birds. Moreover, the landscape composition and configuration factors of BGI: wetlands as well as farmland habitats, are the main environmental cues that influence bird foraging. Therefore, to increase habitat suitability over landscape matrix, we propose creation of multiple waterbodies and green corridors of variable types and sizes on natural patches to improve the connectivity of ecological network. We also recommend land management interventions in farmland ecosystems, which could contribute to natural habitat restoration and improve bird biodiversity in urban areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixue Chen
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lake of Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
| | | | - Sarfraz Hussain
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lake of Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Shuang Meng
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lake of Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Yipeng Yao
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lake of Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Xue Wang
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lake of Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Yuhong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Regulation and Resource Development on Shallow Lake of Ministry of Education, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China; College of Environment, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China.
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Marcelino J, Franco AMA, Acácio M, Soriano-Redondo A, Moreira F, Catry I. Anthropogenic food subsidies reshape the migratory behaviour of a long-distance migrant. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 858:159992. [PMID: 36356748 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159992] [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: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Bird migratory journeys are often long and hostile, requiring high energetic expenditure, and thus forcing birds to pause between migratory flights. Stopover sites allow migrants to replenish fuel reserves and rest, being crucial for the success of migration. Worldwide, the increasing accumulation of waste on landfills and rubbish dumps has been described to provide superabundant food resources for many bird species not only during the breeding and wintering seasons but also during migration, being used as stopover sites. Using GPS-tracking data of juvenile white storks (Ciconia ciconia) during their first migration from the Iberia Peninsula to the sub-Saharan wintering grounds, we uncover the effects of stopping en route on individual migratory performance. Particularly, we examine the benefits of stopping at artificial sites (landfills and rubbish dumps) when compared to natural stopover sites (wetlands, agricultural or desert areas) and explore the influence of anthropogenic food resources on storks' migratory strategies. Overall, white storks spent up to one-third of the migration in stopovers. We found that birds that stopped for longer periods made more detours, increasing migration duration by half a day for each stopover day. Stopping more often did not reflect on increasing in-flight energetic efficiency nor the likelihood of completing the migration. Juvenile storks used artificial sites in 80 % of the stopover days, spending 45 % less time and 10 % less energy foraging than when using natural stopovers. While stopping in landfills did not translate into differences in migratory performance, individuals in poor body condition possibly rely on these sites to improve body weight before proceeding, enabling them to successfully complete migration. Artificial stopover sites are attractive and likely increase the number and duration of stops for white storks. Even though the consequences of arriving late at the wintering grounds are unknown, it can lead to cascading consequences, influencing individual fitness and population dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Marcelino
- Centre for Applied Ecology "Prof. Baeta Neves" (CEABN-InBIO), School of Agriculture, University of Lisbon, Tapada da Ajuda, Lisboa 1349-017, Portugal.
| | - A M A Franco
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK
| | - M Acácio
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR4 7TJ, UK; School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - A Soriano-Redondo
- Helsinki Lab of Interdisciplinary Conservation Science (HELICS), Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - F Moreira
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; REN Biodiversity Chair, CIBIO/InBIO-UP, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-601 Vairão, Portugal
| | - I Catry
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; REN Biodiversity Chair, CIBIO/InBIO-UP, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, 4485-601 Vairão, Portugal
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Bird Assemblages in a Peri-Urban Landscape in Eastern India. BIRDS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/birds3040026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Urbanization plays an important role in biodiversity loss across the globe due to natural habitat loss in the form of landscape conversion and habitat fragmentation on which species depend. To study the bird diversity in the peri-urban landscape, we surveyed four habitats—residential areas, cropland, water bodies, and sal forest; three seasons—monsoon, winter, and summer in Baripada, Odisha, India. We surveyed from February 2018 to January 2019 using point counts set along line transects; 8 transects were established with a replication of 18 each. During the survey, 6963 individuals of 117 bird species belonged to 48 families and 98 genera in the study area, whereas cropland showed rich avian diversity. Based on the non-parametric multidimensional scale (NMDS) and one-way ANOVA, bird richness and abundance differed significantly among the habitats. Cropland showed higher species richness than other habitats; however, water bodies showed more abundance than others. The similarity of bird assemblage was greater between residential areas and cropland than forest and water bodies based on similarity indices. Among seasons, we observed the highest bird species richness in winter and the highest similarity of species richness in monsoon and summer. In conclusion, our study reported that agricultural and degraded landscapes like cropland play important roles in conserving bird diversity in peri-urban landscapes. Our findings highlighted and identified the problems that affect the local biodiversity (e.g., birds) in the peri-urban landscape. It can assist the local government in urban planning and habitat management without affecting the local biodiversity, including birds.
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Abril-Colón I, Alonso JC, Palacín C, Ucero A, Álvarez-Martínez JM. Factors modulating home range and resource use: a case study with Canarian houbara bustards. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2022; 10:49. [PMID: 36376936 PMCID: PMC9664789 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-022-00346-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The home range of an animal is determined by its ecological requirements, and these may vary depending on many intrinsic and extrinsic factors, which are ultimately driven by food resources. Investigating the effects of these factors, and specifically how individuals use food resources within their home ranges is essential to understand the ecology and dynamics of animal populations, and to establish conservation measures in the case of endangered species. Here, we investigate these questions in the Canarian houbara bustard, an endangered subspecies of African houbara endemic to the Canary Islands. METHODS We analysed GPS locations of 43 houbaras in 2018-2021, using solar GSM/GPRS loggers provided with accelerometers. We assessed (1) the variation in their home range and core area with kernel density estimators in relation to several intrinsic and extrinsic factors and (2) their foraging habitat selection. RESULTS Home ranges were smallest during the breeding season (November-April), when rains triggered a rapid growth of herbaceous vegetation. Displaying males and nesting females had smaller home ranges than individuals not involved in reproduction. Both sexes used almost exclusively non-cultivated land, selecting low density Launaea arborescens shrublands, pastures and green fallows as foraging habitats. Heavier males used smaller home ranges because they spent more time displaying at a fixed display site, while heavier females moved over larger areas during the mating period, probably visiting more candidate mates. During the non-breeding season (May-October), both sexes showed larger home ranges, shifting to high density shrubland, but also partly to cultivated land. They selected sweet potato fields, green fallows, alfalfas, orchards and irrigated fields, which offered highly valuable food resources during the driest months of the year. CONCLUSIONS Our study shows how Canarian houbara, originally a desert-dwelling species that uses mostly shrublands and pastures, has developed the necessary adaptations to benefit from resources provided by current low intensity farming practices in the study area. Maintaining appropriate habitat conditions in the eastern Canary islands should constitute a key conservation measure to prevent the extinction of this endangered houbara subspecies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inmaculada Abril-Colón
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Juan Carlos Alonso
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Palacín
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Alberto Ucero
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - José Manuel Álvarez-Martínez
- IHCantabria - Instituto de Hidráulica Ambiental de La Universidad de Cantabria, PCTCAN, C/Isabel Torres, 15, 39011, Santander, Spain
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Htay T, Ringsby TH, Røskaft E, Ranke PS. Promoting bird conservation in wetland-associated landscapes: Factors influencing avian crop damage and farmers’ attitudes. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02212] [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
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