The reliability of a composite biodiversity indicator in predicting bird species richness at different spatial scales

Several biodiversity features can be linked to landscape heterogeneity, that, in turn, can be informative for management and conservation purposes. Usually, the more the landscape is complex the more the biodiversity increases. Biodiversity indicators can be a useful tool to assess biodiversity status, in function of landscape heterogeneity. In this study, we developed a biodiversity indicator, based on Shannon diversity index and built from distribution maps of protected species. With such an approach, we seek to evaluate the feasibility of using a combination of target species as a surrogate for assessing the status of the whole bird community. Our approach was spread over multiple spatial scales, to determine which was the most informative. We selected four species protected by European regulation and generated a presence-absence map from species distribution modelling. We, therefore, used the FRAGSTATS biodiversity metric to calculate Shannon index for the overlapped presence-absence maps, at two spatial scales (500 m and 1000 m). Then, the relationships with the whole community was assessed through generalised least square models, at the spatial scale of 4 ha, 9 ha and 25 ha. Results showed that the higher rate of variability of community was explained by the biodiversity indicator at 1000 m scale. Indeed, the more informative spatial scale for the whole bird community was 9 ha. In addition, a pattern emerged about the relationships between biodiversity indicator and community richness, that is worth of further research. Our study demonstrates that the usefulness of surrogate species for biodiversity and community assessment can become clear only at a certain spatial scales. Indeed, they can be highly predictive of the whole community, and highly informative for conservation planning. Moreover, their use can optimize biodiversity monitoring and conservation, focusing on a small number of noteworthy species.     

Landscape heterogeneity metrics as indicators of bird diversity: Determining the optimal spatial scales in different landscapes

Species distribution models are often used to study the biodiversity of ecosystems. The modelling process uses a number of parameters to predict others, such as the occurrence of determinate species, population size, habitat suitability or biodiversity. It is well known that the heterogeneity of landscapes can lead to changes in species’ abundance and biodiversity. However, landscape metrics depend on maps and spatial scales when it comes to undertaking a GIS analysis.We explored the goodness of fit of several models using the metrics of landscape heterogeneity and altitude as predictors of bird diversity in different landscapes and spatial scales. Two variables were used to describe biodiversity: bird richness and trophic level diversity, both of which were obtained from a breeding bird survey by means of point counts. The relationships between biodiversity and landscape metrics were compared using multiple linear regressions. All of the analyses were repeated for 14 different spatial scales and for cultivated, forest and grassland environments to determine the optimal spatial scale for each landscape typology.Our results revealed that the relationships between species’ richness and landscape heterogeneity using 1:10,000 land cover maps were strongest when working on a spatial scale up to a radius of 125–250 m around the sampled point (circa 4.9–19.6 ha). Furthermore, the correlation between measures of landscape heterogeneity and bird diversity was greater in grasslands than in cultivated or forested areas. The multi-spatial scale approach is useful for (a) assessing the accuracy of surrogates of bird diversity in different landscapes and (b) optimizing spatial model procedures for biodiversity mapping, mainly over extensive areas.     

Extinction thresholds and negative responses of Afrotropical ant-following birds to forest cover loss in oil palm and agroforestry landscapes

Afrotropical ant-following birds are vulnerable to forest loss and disturbance, but critical habitat thresholds regarding their abundance and species richness in human-dominated landscapes, including industrial oil palm plantations, have never been assessed. We measured forest cover through Landsat imagery and recorded species richness and relative abundance of 20 ant-following birds in 48 plots of 1-km², covering three landscapes of Southwest Cameroon: Korup National Park, smallholder agroforestry areas (with farms embedded in forest), and an industrial oil palm plantation. We evaluated differences in encounter frequency and species richness among landscapes, and the presence of critical thresholds through enhanced adaptive regression through hinges. All species were detected in Korup National Park and the agroforestry landscape, which had similar forest cover (>85%). Only nine species were found in the oil palm plantation (forest cover = 10.3 ± 3.3%). At the 1-km² scale, the number of species and bird encounters were comparable in agroforests and the protected area: mean species richness ranged from 12.2 ± 0.6 in the park and 12.2 ± 0.6 in the agroforestry matrix to 1.0 ± 0.4 in the industrial oil palm plantation; whereas encounters decreased from 34.4 ± 3.2 to 26.1 ± 2.9 and 1.3 ± 0.4, respectively. Bird encounters decreased linearly with decreasing forest cover, down to an extinction threshold identified at 24% forest cover. Species richness declined linearly by ca. one species per 7.4% forest cover lost. We identified an extinction threshold at 52% forest cover for the most sensitive species (Criniger chloronotus, Dicrurus atripennis, and Neocossyphus poensis). Our results show that substantial proportions of forests are required to sustain complete ant-following bird assemblages in Afrotropical landscapes and confirm the high sensitivity of this bird guild to deforestation after industrial oil palm development. Securing both forest biodiversity and food production in an Afrotropical production landscape may be best attained through a combination of protected areas and wildlife-friendly agroforestry.     

The extent of edge effects in fragmented landscapes: Insights from satellite measurements of tree cover

Due to deforestation, intact tropical forest areas are increasingly transformed into a mixture of remaining forest patches and human modified areas. These forest fragments suffer from edge effects, which cause changes in ecological and ecosystem processes, undermining habitat quality and the offer of ecosystem services. Even though detailed and long term studies were developed on the topic of edge effects at local scale, understanding edge effect characteristics in fragmented forests on larger scales and finding indicators for its impact is crucial for predicting habitat loss and developing management options. Here we evaluate the spatial and temporal dimensions of edge effects in large areas using remote sensing. First we executed a neighborhood pixel analysis in 11 LANDSAT Tree Cover (LTC) scenes (180 × 185 km each, 8 in the tropics and 3 in temperate forested areas) using tree cover as an indicator of habitat quality and in relation to edge distance. Second, we executed a temporal analysis of LTC in a smaller area in the Brazilian Amazon forest where one larger forest fragment (25,890 ha) became completely fragmented in 5 years. Our results show that for all 11 scenes pixel neighborhood variation of LTC is much higher in the vicinity of forest edges, becoming lower towards the forest interior. This analysis suggests a maximum distance for edge effects and can indicate the location of unaffected core areas. However, LTC patterns in relation to fragment edge distance vary according to the analyzed region, and maximum edge distance may differ according to local conditions. Our temporal analysis illustrates the change in tree cover patterns after 5 years of fragmentation, becoming on average lower close to the edge (between 50 and 100 m). Although it is still unclear which are the main causes of LTC edge variability within and between regions, LANDSAT Tree Cover could be used as an accessible and efficient discriminator of edge and interior forest habitats in fragmented landscapes, and become invaluable for deriving qualitative spatial and temporal information of ecological and ecosystem processes.     

Mapping multiple plant species abundance patterns - A multiobjective optimization procedure for combining reflectance spectroscopy and species ordination

Nature conservation and ecological restoration crucially depends on the knowledge about spatial patterns of plant species that control habitat conversion and disturbance regimes. Especially, species abundances are capable of indicating early development tendencies for setting habitat management strategies. This study demonstrates the transfer of field spectroscopy to hyperspectral imagery to map multiple plant species abundances in an open dryland area using two imaging spectrometers in two different phenological phases. We show that species abundances can partially be described by multiple gradients forming different coordinates in a contour map. For this purpose, species abundances were projected into an ordination space using non-metric multidimensional scaling and subsequent spatial interpolation. It was demonstrated that different gradients can be modeled in a Partial Least Squares regression framework resulting in distinct spectral features for certain gradient directions. We combine both objectives in a multiobjective NSGA-II procedure to maximize the quantitative determination of species abundance in ordination and spectral predictability in related field spectra, simultaneously. NSGA-II was finally used to select optimal spectral models for n = 35 single species that were transferred to hyperspectral imagery for mapping purpose. We can show that abundance predictabilities can be evaluated on the basis of individual model performances that hold different spectral features for each species in a designated phenological phase. Finally, we present spatially explicit multi-species maps for the best n = 18 and abundance maps for n = 8 models that could be linked to patterns of species richness, coexistence, succession stages and habitat type conditions.     

Determination of priority nature conservation areas and human disturbances in the Yangtze River Basin,China

Because of limitation of manpower, funding, and land available in conservation, the problem of how to select essential regions to establish protection systems for biodiversity maintenance has been widely discussed. In an effort to address the problem, this study has aimed to select a set of priority areas and to determine their priority order by quantifying human disturbances for each area in the Yangtze River Basin (YRB). This basin covers 2.143 million km², or more than 20% of China's territory. The habitats of 627 indicator species were predicted as a proxy for biodiversity. A conservation planning tool, MARXAN, was used to determine the optimal set of planning units, and three different target scenarios were generated. In addition, under the assumption that if two areas have equal value for conservation, the one suffering more severe disturbance needs more urgent protection than the other, priority ranking analysis was carried out using a 6-12-1 BP artificial neural network. Then hierarchical cluster analysis was applied to the classifications of human disturbances to formulate more detailed conservation strategies. By integrating the degree of irreplaceability of each unit, expert experience, and mountain boundaries, 17 biodiversity priority areas containing 33,200 units over an area of 0.83 million km² were defined. These areas also protected 56% of 32 types of rare forest ecosystem and 76.4% of six types of rare grassland ecosystem on average. According to the evaluation of human impact, a priority order and five types of human disturbance areas were generated. Some protection gaps were also identified, such as the northern part of the Wuyi Mountains. Moreover, the determination of priority nature conservation areas on a large scale can be used to influence the building of a well-connected protection network in each individual area, so that effective genetic communication can occur between species or groups of species. Conservation decisions focusing on the dominant impact factors that are threatening biodiversity sustainability are required as well.     

Effects of windthrow disturbance on a forest bird community depend on spatial scale

Community structure is expected to be affected by spatial heterogeneity in a landscape. We examined the spatial-scale-dependent effects of windthrow caused by a large typhoon on a forest bird community. Typhoon events of this magnitude are rare in Hokkaido, Japan, occurring only once or twice a century. To assess the “functional spatial scale” at which bird groups (community, species, body-size class, and foraging guild) specifically responded to landscape heterogeneity, the canopy gap rate (CGR, gap percentage) was evaluated at different spatial scales by varying the radius of a circular landscape sector from 100 to 500 m stepwise by 10 m. We then analysed bird community responses, in terms of species richness and abundance, to CGR. Bird species richness did not significantly depend on CGR. In contrast, abundance was significantly dependent on CGR in many groups (species, body-size class, and foraging guild). The guild-level response was clearer than the species-level response, which suggests that the integration and filtration of species traits by guild can reveal a clear response of bird abundance to the extent of canopy gaps. For example, the scale dependence of responses to disturbance clearly varied among body-size classes, where larger birds had larger functional spatial scales. These results reveal that different groups of organisms have different functional spatial scales at which they respond to habitat heterogeneity. Our results also suggest that monitoring only a small number of species could be misleading for conserving biodiversity at the landscape level.     

The impact of forest encroachment after agricultural land abandonment on passerine bird communities: The case of Greece

Agricultural land abandonment is one of the main drivers of land use change, leading to various responses of farmland ecological communities. In an effort to better understand the effect of agricultural land abandonment on passerine bird communities, we sampled 20 randomly selected sites [1 km × 1 km] in remote Greek mountains, reflecting an abandonment gradient, in terms of forest encroachment. We sampled 169 plots using the point count method of fixed distance (47 passerine species), and we investigated bird diversity and community structure turnover along the gradient. We found that grazing intensity has a beneficial effect hampering forest encroachment that follows progressively land abandonment. Habitat composition changes gradually with forests developing at the expense of open meadows and heterogeneous grasslands. Forest encroachment has a significant negative effect on bird diversity and species richness, affecting in particular typical farmland and Mediterranean shrubland species. Birds form five distinct ecological clusters after land abandonment: species mostly found in pinewoods and cavity-dwelling species; species that prefer open forests forest edges or ecotones; species that prefer shrubland or open habitats with scattered woody vegetation; Mediterranean farmland birds that prefer semi-open habitats with hedges and/or woodlots; and, generalist forest-dwelling or shrubland species. We extracted a set of 22 species to represent the above ecological communities, as a new monitoring tool for agricultural land use change and conservation. We suggest that the maintenance of rural mosaics should be included in the priorities of agricultural policy for farmland bird diversity conservation.     

Improving national habitat specific biodiversity indicators using relative habitat use for common birds

It has recently been stated that the global goal of halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010 has not been met highlighting the urgent need to monitor trends in biodiversity. Our study suggests that existing indicators of bird biodiversity in Denmark are inaccurate and we present a new objective method for accurately assessing trends in specific habitats using common bird species. Bird species were selected for creating habitat specific indicators by calculating their relative habitat use (RHU) in nine different habitat categories. RHU indicates the degree to which a habitat is preferred (RHU > 2) or avoided (RHU < 0.5) by a species, relative to other habitats. Indicator sets were constructed for each habitat type using species with an RHU > 2 and revealed that existing habitat indicators, based on species lists from the Pan-European Common Bird Monitoring Scheme (PECBMS), often included species that did not in fact have preferences for those particular habitats in Denmark. Habitat specific indicators based on the new species selection method showed significant negative trends in three of nine habitat categories: coniferous forest, bog/marsh and heath. Habitat classes were further combined to create overall indicators for forest, farmland and freshwater. A comparison of these indicators with the existing indicators revealed a negative overall trend for forest habitat, which had previously been overlooked, suggesting that species selection is crucial for the development of informative indicators. The habitat specific farmland indicator confirmed the negative trend in the current farmland indicator. The methodology for indicator species selection presented here could potentially be applied for use in a global context for a wider range of taxonomic groups.     

How far a protected area contributes to conserve habitat species composition and population structure of endangered African tree species (Benin,West Africa)

The Pendjari Biosphere Reserve located in the Sudanian zone of Bénin, is a protected area well managed, but mainly aimed at wild animal conservation. This study assessed its effectiveness to conserve habitat species composition and population structure of three endangered African tree species: Afzelia africana Sm., Pterocarpus erinaceus Poir. and Khaya senegalensis (Desv.) A. Juss. We randomly sampled 120 plots in the protected and surrounding unprotected habitats by inventorying plant species. For the three target species, we estimated adult and juvenile densities and recorded size classes. According to floristic composition four habitats groups were recognized in relation to human disturbance, vegetation type, and moisture. These were protected savannas, unprotected savannas, old fallows and gallery forests. The estimated adult densities of A. africana were similar between protected (14 ± 1.2 tree/ha) and unprotected savannas (17 ± 0.9 tree/ha) while for P. erinaceus the adult density was significantly higher in protected (12 ± 3.7 tree/ha) than in unprotected savannas (5 ± 1.9 tree/ha). Estimated adult density of K. senegalensis was also significantly higher in protected gallery forest (40 ± 5.8 tree/ha) than in unprotected one (29 ± 4.8 tree/ha). Juvenile densities of A. africana, K. senegalensis and P. erinaceus were higher in protected habitats than in unprotected ones but the difference was not significant. Skewness coefficient indicated that populations of investigated trees were declining in their protected habitats. However, in the case of A. africana and K. senegalensis populations seemed to be mostly threatened in the protected area. We concluded that although the studied protected area is effective to conserve some habitats species compositions, protection is not sufficient to guarantee future conservation of some threatened tree species.     

Habitat use and sensitivity to fragmentation in America’s smallest wildcat

Fragmentation and human-wildlife conflicts represent severe threats to wildcats such as the kodkod cat (Leopardus guigna), endemic to the heavily impacted Chilean temperate rainforest. Here we assess to which extent this vulnerable forest specialist is able to use altered habitat (agricultural matrix, forest edge, human presence) by studying its home ranges, habitat use, and patch selection in privately owned rainforest remnants. We radio-tracked five individuals over 33–376 days. Mean 95% kernel home ranges were 623 ha, with a mean 50% core area of 191 ha. Ecological-niche and Mahalanobis distance factor analysis confirmed forest-dependency and revealed that the individuals made intensive use of forest edges, close to water. They did not avoid houses. Generalized linear mixed models showed that the monitored kodkods selected elongated woodland patches. We conclude that the kodkods compensated the non-forest space by maintaining larger home ranges and making efficient use of forest edges probably due to higher prey availability. Future studies should identify ecological traps, and describe connectivity and source-sink dynamics in the agricultural matrix to develop long-term conservation efforts for the smallest cat of the Americas.     

Impacts of forest gaps on butterfly diversity in a Bornean peat-swamp forest

Forest degradation is leading to widespread negative impacts on biodiversity in South-east Asia. Tropical peat-swamp forests are one South-east Asian habitat in which insect communities, and the impacts of forest degradation on them, are poorly understood. To address this information deficit, we investigated the impacts of forest gaps on fruit-feeding butterflies in the Sabangau peat-swamp forest, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Fruit-baited traps were used to monitor butterflies for 3 months during the 2009 dry season. A network of 34 traps (n_gap = 17, n_shade = 17) was assembled in a grid covering a 35 ha area. A total of 445 capture events were recorded, comprising 384 individuals from 8 species and 2 additional species complexes classified to genera. On an inter-site scale, canopy traps captured higher species richness than understory traps; however, understory traps captured higher diversity within each site. Species richness was positively correlated with percent canopy cover and comparisons of diversity indices support these findings. Coupled with results demonstrating morphological differences in thorax volume and forewing length between species caught in closed-canopy traps vs. those in gaps, this indicates that forest degradation has a profound effect on butterfly communities in this habitat, with more generalist species being favored in disturbed conditions. Further studies are necessary to better understand the influences of macro-habitat quality and seasonal variations on butterfly diversity and community composition in South-east Asian peat-swamp forests.     

Loss of aboveground forest biomass and landscape biomass variability in Missouri,US

Disturbance regimes and forests have changed over time in the eastern United States. We examined effects of historical disturbance (circa 1813 to 1850) compared to current disturbance (circa 2004 to 2008) on aboveground, live tree biomass (for trees with diameters ≥13 cm) and landscape variation of biomass in forests of the Ozarks and Plains landscapes in Missouri, USA. We simulated 10,000 one-hectare plots using random diameters generated from parameters of diameter distributions limited to diameters ≥13 cm and random densities generated from density estimates. Area-weighted mean biomass density (Mg/ha) for historical forests averaged 116 Mg/ha, ranging from 54 Mg/ha to 357 Mg/ha by small scale ecological subsections within Missouri landscapes. Area-weighted mean biomass density for current forests averaged 82 Mg/ha, ranging from 66 Mg/ha to 144 Mg/ha by ecological subsection for currently forested land. Biomass density of current forest was greater than historical biomass density for only 2 of 23 ecological subsections. Current carbon sequestration of 292 TgC on 7 million ha of forested land is less than half of the estimated historical total carbon sequestration of 693 TgC on 12 million ha. Cumulative tree cutting disturbances over time have produced forests that have less aboveground tree biomass and are uniform in biomass compared to estimates of historical biomass, which varied across Missouri landscapes. With continued relatively low rates of forest disturbance, current biomass per ha will likely increase to historical levels as the most competitive trees become larger in size and mean number of trees per ha decreases due to competition and self-thinning. Restoration of large diameter structure and forested extent of upland woodlands and floodplain forests could fulfill multiple conservation objectives, including carbon sequestration.     

Vertical habitat segregation as a mechanism for coexistence in sympatric rodents

Coexistence has been widely studied in small mammals and frequently is assumed to be facilitated by habitat segregation. Using live trapping and spool-and-line experiments, we analyzed habitat selection and segregation across multiples scales for Peromyscus leucopus and Ochrotomys nuttalli. At the habitat scale of a forest stand (∼1–100s ha) P. leucopus co-occurred at all sites where O. nuttalli was found, and we did not detect evidence of positive or negative associations or habitat segregation. However, O. nuttalli was restricted to early successional forests, and P. leucopus had significantly lower abundances in early successional forests than in other habitats. We found similar patterns at the mesohabitat scale of the study site (400 m²). O. nuttalli abundance increased with increasing shrub and tree densities, while increases in P. leucopus abundance were associated with open understories. At the microhabitat scale of the individual movement trail, we found vertical segregation. Movement trails for O. nuttalli were at significantly higher elevation (mean height = 142.93 ± 37.10 cm) than P. leucopus trails (mean height = 15.4 ± 4.98 cm; F-value = 35.29, p < 0.001). We concluded that microhabitat segregation was driven by differential use of vertical space for movement and foraging. We suggest O. nuttalli is superior to P. leucopus in its ability to acquire food especially in shrubby subcanopies where few acorns are available. However, P. leucopus is superior in its ability to forage and avoid predators.     

Forest-edge utilization by carnivores in relation to local and landscape habitat characteristics in central European farmland

Rapid changes in agricultural landscape structure and composition affect many different farmland biotas, including carnivores, which are a key element of ecosystem stability, yet little is known about their distribution and habitat use. In this study, we evaluated how habitat characteristics on two different spatial scales (local and landscape scale) affected the forest-edge utilization by small and medium-sized carnivores in fragmented central European farmland. Based on an indirect method for detecting carnivores (scent stations), we sampled 212 forest fragments of different sizes (1–7864 ha) during April to May from 2006 to 2009. Our results indicate that carnivore utilization of forest-edge habitats was driven by landscape rather than local characteristics even though the overall extent of explained variation was small. The most important factors that determined response of the carnivore community were the area of farmland and that of urban land on a landscape scale. The corridor connectivity between small forest fragments and other spatial elements played a crucial role in the occurrence of red fox. Our results suggest that comprehensive studies on multi-species carnivore assemblage using scent station might be useful in evaluating species-specific response to habitat characteristics, especially if large numbers of stations visited by carnivores are available.     

Validating bird diversity indicators on farmland in east-central Alberta,Canada

Birds can be used as indicators to monitor success of programs encouraging prairie landowners to increase biodiversity. Using a case study from Alberta, Canada, this paper compares bird diversity measures at the farm scale and examines their consistency across different habitat types to test for design, output, and end use validation. Based on 2005 point count data (two types) from 178 sites at 22 farms, we calculated bird species richness, abundance, Shannon index, and Inverse Simpson index.The 50 m radius data produced species richness and abundance measures about half the size as those produced by the unlimited radius data. The bird diversity measures were consistent across habitat types. The 50 m radius data showed differences among 3–5 habitat types, whereas the unlimited radius data showed differences between only two habitat types. Using any bird diversity measure, the wetland/riparian habitat scored highest, followed by homestead, upland forest, native prairie, tame pasture, and cultivated land habitats.Bird monitoring methods should favor fixed over unlimited radius point counts, because of the former's greater discriminating ability. Given that diversity measures are consistent across habitats and are highly correlated, the species richness measure, which is simple and easy to understand, can be used in conversations with landowners and policy-makers.     

Identifying potential restoration areas of freshwater wetlands in a river delta

Identification of potential restoration areas is significant and important for implementing a sustainable restoration project and maintaining the ecosystem integrity. We established an eco-hydrological approach to identify potential restoration areas of freshwater wetlands that should and can be restored. Our eco-hydrological method identifies potential restoration areas from three dimensions, namely, transverse, longitudinal and vertical directions. Based on transfer matrix analysis between freshwater wetland and other land cover types and bird habitat suitability assessment, we identified the areas that should be restored under the 1989 and 2000 goals were 36,112 ha and 37,230 ha, respectively. Based on hydrological connectivity and balance between ecological water supply (EWS) and ecological water requirements (EWRs), the area can be restored under the 1989 and 2000 goals were 31,165 ha and 33,963 ha, respectively. The approach and results of this study can help in future restoration efforts in the Yellow River Delta and other similar coastal wetlands.     

Balancing conservation and climate change – a methodology using existing data demonstrated for twelve UK priority habitats

Mitigation of climate change (CC) is a regulating ecosystem service provided by priority habitats that is often co-delivered alongside their conservation of biodiversity. Carefully planned conservation management is thought necessary to support biodiversity adaptation to CC, but could also contribute to CC mitigation. This paper presents a methodology for assessing direct emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG: CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O) from 12 UK priority habitats in 26 Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) using readily available data. Background emissions are estimated on the basis of published field research. The contribution of conservation management to GHG emission reduction is estimated using the IPCC GHG accounting methodology and other methods. Management Data Acquisition surveys carried out at selected SACs provided data on management practises for Scotland and Wales. Climate change mitigation actions identified in this study for priority habitats included livestock removal or change in stocking density, with GHG reduction potential of up to 3 tCO₂e/animal/year, afforestation of acid grasslands—up to 19.4 tCO₂e/ha/year, wetland restoration—0.3–0.8 tCO₂e/ha/year and cessation of moorland burning—6.9 tCO₂e/ha/year. Estimated GHG emissions from priority habitats can be used to identify win:win management options that co-deliver GHG mitigation, climate adaptation and conservation benefits for consideration by policy makers and conservation managers.