广东连州风电场鸟类多样性及其对风机的响应

风力发电作为绿色新能源在近年来快速发展的同时,其对周边环境的影响尤其是对鸟类的影响成为研究的热点。为探究鸟类对风电场风机的响应,2019年1、3、4、5月,采用样线法对广东省连州风电场的鸟类多样性进行了4次调查。共设置样线32条,根据样线离风机的距离分为4个梯度,其中,100～300 m样线6条,300～500 m 13条,500～700 m 8条,700 m 5条。结果显示:1)共记录鸟类112种,隶属于12目37科,目、科数量最多的分别为雀形目Passeriformes(78种)、画眉科Timaliidae(12种);2)鸟类物种、属和科的丰富度随着离风机距离的增加而呈增加趋势:在500 m以内无显著性差异,500 m外显著增加;种-属比率也呈现出相似的增加趋势。本研究结果表明,风力发电机对鸟类的影响主要在距离500 m的范围,这种影响可能与风机产生的噪音、直接或间接的栖息地改变等有关。     

功能、谱系多样性在机场鸟类群落研究中的应用——以扬州泰州国际机场为例

随着航空业的发展,野生动物与飞机之间的冲突愈发密集,机场鸟类群落多样性研究引起了大量关注。研究鸟类群落对生境类型的使用状况,可以掌握生境类型与鸟击风险的潜在关系,为机场环境改造提供理论依据。本研究于2019年7月至2021年11月,采用样点法对扬州泰州机场及周边8 km范围内的农田、湿地、林地和城镇4种生境中30个样点的鸟类群落进行调查。利用鸟类群落多样性指数,包括丰富度、多度、香农威纳多样性指数、辛普森多样性指数以及均匀度指数来表征群落的物种多样性,以及功能和谱系多样性,阐明机场周边4种生境的鸟类群落多样性差异。同时,基于多度加权的平均成对功能距离（MFD）和平均成对谱系距离（MPD）来表征群落的功能和谱系结构,探究群落构建机制,量化各多样性指标间的相关性。研究共记录扬州泰州国际机场鸟类88种,分别隶属于14目36科,目、科中数量最多的为雀形目（Passeriformes）和鹬科（Scolopacidae）。谱系和功能多样性在生境间差异显著,功能分散度在农田最高,城镇最低;谱系多样性指数在城镇最高,湿地最低。标准化效应值分析表明,随机生态过程影响了湿地鸟类群落功能和谱系的构建过程,农...     

澳门城市栖息地斑块中鸟类群落功能和谱系多样性

了解群落构建过程是生态学的核心和基本问题,这对于解释物种共存和物种多样性的维持,完善生物多样性保护政策至关重要。与传统的物种多样性相比,功能和谱系多样性能够提供更多的信息,特别是在群落构建过程方面提供深刻见解。2014年5月—2017年1月,采用样线法对澳门地区5个城市栖息地斑块中(生态一区、鹭鸟林、赛马场滩涂、关闸口岸滩涂和莲花桥侧红树林)的鸟类进行繁殖季和越冬季的调查,共调查14次。利用鸟类丰富度和多度来表征群落的物种多样性,其中多度以最大值保留法计;功能和谱系多样性分别采用功能丰富度(functional richness:FRic)和Faith'PD。同时,利用基于多度加权的平均成对功能距离(mean pairwise functional distance,MFD)和平均成对谱系距离(mean pairwise phylogenetic distance,MPD)来表征群落的功能和谱系结构。结果表明:共记录98种鸟类,隶属于14目32科,目、科、种中数量最多的依次为,雀形目鸟类最多为47种,鹭科物种数为11种,白鹭多度为849只;鸟类物种丰富度(68种)和PD在生态一区最高,多度在莲花桥侧红树林最高为2940只,MFD和FRic在赛马场滩涂最高,MPD在生态一区最高;斑块面积在鸟类丰富度、多度、FRic和PD中具有普遍重要性,植被面积和滩涂面积则分别强烈影响着MFD和MPD;关闸口岸滩涂和莲花桥侧红树林的鸟类群落SES.MFD显著低于随机值(P <0. 05),鹭鸟林和赛马场滩涂的鸟类群落SES. MPD显著低于随机值(P<0.05),表明关闸口岸滩涂和莲花桥侧红树林鸟类群落功能聚集(functional clustering),可能与生境过滤驱动群落构建有关。栖息地斑块的特征差异导致了鸟类群落构建机制的不同,这是仅仅考虑物种多样性难以提供的信息,说明了研究群落构建机制时考虑多维度多样性的必要性。     

海南岛3个林区热带云雾林植物多样性变化

以分布在海南岛西部(霸王岭国家级自然保护区, 21个样方)、西南部(尖峰岭国家级自然保护区, 12个样方)和中部(黎母山省级自然保护区, 15个样方)的热带云雾林为研究对象, 研究α及β物种多样性、功能多样性、谱系多样性的变化, 为植物多样性的保护提供科学依据。结果表明: 尖峰岭群落树木个体多度、物种丰富度最大, 黎母山群落树木个体多度、物种丰富度最小; 黎母山群落间物种组成差异最大, 霸王岭群落间物种组成差异最小, 海南岛霸王岭(西部)、尖峰岭(西南部)和黎母山(中部) 3个林区热带云雾林物种多样性差异可能与空气温度和相对湿度有关。尖峰岭群落内功能丰富度、Rao’s二次熵最低, 功能均匀度最高, 群落间平均成对性状距离最小, 反映群落构建主要受环境筛影响; 霸王岭群落Rao’s二次熵最高, 功能均匀度最低, 群落间平均成对性状距离最大, 反映群落构建主要受限制相似性影响; 黎母山群落内功能丰富度最高, 群落间平均最近性状距离最大, 表明限制相似性在黎母山热带云雾林群落构建中的作用更重要。霸王岭群落内谱系多样性、物种间平均最近相邻谱系距离均较大, 反映物种间谱系关系趋于发散; 黎母山群落内谱系多样性、物种间平均成对谱系距离及群落间平均成对谱系距离均最小, 反映物种间谱系关系趋于聚集; 而尖峰岭群落内物种间平均成对谱系距离、群落间平均成对谱系距离最大, 但物种间平均最近相邻谱系距离最小, 反映物种间谱系关系既具有发散又具有聚集的共存格局。因此, 海南岛热带云雾林群落植物多样性变化格局与环境及物种间相互作用有关。     

澳门城市栖息地斑块中鸟类群落功能和谱系多样性

了解群落构建过程是生态学的核心和基本问题,这对于解释物种共存和物种多样性的维持,完善生物多样性保护政策至关重要。与传统的物种多样性相比,功能和谱系多样性能够提供更多的信息,特别是在群落构建过程方面提供深刻见解。2014年5月—2017年1月,采用样线法对澳门地区5个城市栖息地斑块中(生态一区、鹭鸟林、赛马场滩涂、关闸口岸滩涂和莲花桥侧红树林)的鸟类进行繁殖季和越冬季的调查,共调查14次。利用鸟类丰富度和多度来表征群落的物种多样性,其中多度以最大值保留法计;功能和谱系多样性分别采用功能丰富度(functional richness:FRic)和Faith'PD。同时,利用基于多度加权的平均成对功能距离(mean pairwise functional distance,MFD)和平均成对谱系距离(mean pairwise phylogenetic distance,MPD)来表征群落的功能和谱系结构。结果表明:共记录98种鸟类,隶属于14目32科,目、科、种中数量最多的依次为,雀形目鸟类最多为47种,鹭科物种数为11种,白鹭多度为849只;鸟类物种丰富度(68种)和PD在生态一区最高,多度在莲花桥侧红树林最高为2940只,MFD和FRic在赛马场滩涂最高,MPD在生态一区最高;斑块面积在鸟类丰富度、多度、FRic和PD中具有普遍重要性,植被面积和滩涂面积则分别强烈影响着MFD和MPD;关闸口岸滩涂和莲花桥侧红树林的鸟类群落SES.MFD显著低于随机值(P 0. 05),鹭鸟林和赛马场滩涂的鸟类群落SES. MPD显著低于随机值(P0.05),表明关闸口岸滩涂和莲花桥侧红树林鸟类群落功能聚集(functional clustering),可能与生境过滤驱动群落构建有关。栖息地斑块的特征差异导致了鸟类群落构建机制的不同,这是仅仅考虑物种多样性难以提供的信息,说明了研究群落构建机制时考虑多维度多样性的必要性。     

澳门生态一区和二区水鸟谱系多样性的季节变化

季节变化是鸟类群落的重要特征之一,其引起的环境变化决定着鸟类群落构建过程中不同驱动因子的作用力。因此,了解鸟类群落结构的季节变化,对于全面认识生物群落结构具有重要意义,尤其利用谱系多样性来探讨鸟类的季节性变化和推断群落聚集规律越来越受到关注。2018年1—12月,采用样线法对澳门生态一区和二区2块湿地进行逐月调查,记录水鸟的物种丰富度和多度,并分析水鸟谱系多样性的季节动态。结果显示,1)共记录水鸟37种,隶属于6目9科,目、科、种中数量最多的依次为:鸻形目Charadriiformes物种数为15种,鹭科Ardeidae物种数为11种,白鹭Egretta garzetta多度为540只。2)生态一区和二区水鸟的物种丰富度在冬季最高,其次为秋季;生态一区和二区的物种多度分别在秋季和冬季最高;谱系多样性和平均成对谱系距离的季节变化规律与物种丰富度的相似。3)生态一区和二区的鸟类群落分别在春、秋、冬季和秋季趋向于谱系发散,而在其他时间大多呈现出谱系聚集。谱系发散可能表明了种间竞争在群落构建中作用更大,而谱系聚集则表明了环境过滤对繁殖季水鸟群落构建具有重要作用。结果表明,湿地水鸟群落的驱动因子存在季节变化,考虑这些变化是全面认识群落结构的前提。     

地理距离及环境差异对云南元江干热河谷植物群落beta多样性的影响

beta多样性反映了群落间物种组成的差异, 是生物多样性研究的热点之一。本研究通过对云南元江干热河谷41个植物群落样方进行调查, 用Jaccard相异系数表征物种beta多样性, 用样方之间的最近谱系距离(mean nearest taxon distance, MNTD)及平均谱系距离(mean pairwise distance, MPD)表征谱系beta多样性, 采用基于距离矩阵的多元回归和方差分解方法, 探讨了该区域干热河谷典型植物群落的物种beta多样性和谱系beta多样性与样方间环境差异(主要是气候)及地理距离之间的关系。结果表明: (1)群落间的地理距离和年平均温度差异对干热河谷植物群落的物种beta多样性和谱系beta多样性有显著影响; (2)地理距离对物种beta多样性和MNTD的影响最大; 地理距离和年平均温度差异对MPD的影响均较大; (3)样方间年平均温度与年平均降水量的差异和地理距离能够解释群落间beta多样性及谱系beta多样性11-13%的变异。以上结果表明, 生态位分化和扩散限制对该地区植物群落的beta多样性均有显著影响, 其中扩散限制的影响可能更大。此外, 人类活动等其他因素也很可能对元江干热河谷的群落组成具有非常重要的影响。     

山西关帝山森林群落物种、谱系和功能多样性海拔格局

探索和揭示生物多样性的空间格局和维持机制是生态学和生物地理学研究的热点内容, 但综合物种、系统进化和功能属性等方面的多样性海拔格局研究很少。该文以关帝山森林群落为研究对象, 综合物种、谱系和功能α和β多样性指数, 旨在初步探讨关帝山森林群落多样性海拔格局及其维持机制。研究结果表明: 随着海拔的升高(1 409-2 150 m), 关帝山森林群落物种丰富度指数(S)、谱系多样性指数(PD)和功能丰富度指数(FRic)整体上表现出上升的趋势, 特别是海拔1 800 m以上区域。随着海拔的升高, 总β多样性(β_total)和更替(β_repl)上升趋势明显, 而丰富度差异(β_rich)则逐渐下降。不同生活型植物的物种、谱系和功能多样性海拔格局差异较大。随着海拔的升高, 草本植物S和物种多样性指数(H′)上升趋势高于木本植物。影响草本植物S分布的主要因素是地形因子, 而影响木本植物S分布的主要因素是历史过程。随着海拔的升高, 木本植物β_total上升趋势要比草本植物明显。随着海拔的升高, 木本植物β_repl和β_rich分别表现出单峰格局和“U”形格局, 而草本植物β_repl和β_rich则分别表现出单调递增和单调递减的格局。随着环境差异和地理距离的增加, 群落间物种、谱系和功能β多样性显著增加。环境差异(环境过滤)对木本植物的β多样性具有相对较强的作用; 而环境差异(环境过滤)和地理距离(扩散限制)共同作用于草本植物的β多样性。     

扬州泰州国际机场鸟类多样性及鸟击防控

鸟类群落多样性研究对机场鸟击防控有重要意义。国内机场现今均采用物种丰富度和均匀度等传统物种多样性指标来评价机场周边地区的鸟类群落, 该方法缺乏物种的生态系统功能和系统发育相关信息。为阐明机场鸟类群落多样性特点, 本文以扬州泰州国际机场为研究区域, 进行为期一年的调查, 从物种多样性、功能多样性、谱系多样性三个层次来研究。本研究共记录鸟类71种, 隶属13目33科, 雀形目鸟类物种数最多, 其次为鸻形目。从居留型看, 候鸟较多; 从区系上看, 广布种鸟类最多, 古北界和东洋界鸟类都较少。春季的FRic高于其他季节, 春、夏季的FEve和FDis高于秋冬季。FDiv在季节间无显著性差异, 群落物种的离散程度差异较小, 季节变化对FRic、FEve、FDis具有显著影响。各生境的FRic、FEve、FDiv无显著差异, FDis在湿地与草坪间存在显著性差异。栖息地类型的交错分布支持多种功能性状的鸟类, 使得各生境的鸟类功能分布无显著差异。谱系多样性分析发现, 鸟类群落呈现谱系发散趋势。结合鸟类多样性指数、分布系数及重要值, 严重危险鸟类有6种, 包括斑嘴鸭(Anas zonorhyncha)、珠颈斑鸠(Spilopelia chinensis)、夜鹭(Nycticorax nycticorax)、喜鹊(Pica pica)、家燕(Hirundo rustica)、八哥(Acridotheres cristatellus)。结合季节和生境的群落多样性特征, 机场需针对性地开展机场生态环境治理, 以应对危险鸟类在机场区域的活动。     

湖南浏阳大围山繁殖期鸟类物种多样性的动态分析

繁殖期是鸟类生活史的重要阶段,掌握繁殖期鸟类的物种多样性及其种群动态对鸟类保护具有重要意义。2016—2020年,采用样线法在湖南浏阳大围山于每年5月和7月分别开展1次系统的鸟类物种多样性调查。期间共记录到鸟类100种,隶属于10目38科。其中,留鸟73种、夏候鸟22种、冬候鸟2种、旅鸟3种;国家一级重点保护鸟类有1种,即白颈长尾雉(Syrmaticus ellioti),国家二级重点保护鸟类有白鹇(Lophura nycthemera)、黑冠鹃隼(Aviceda leuphotes)、红嘴相思鸟(Leiothrix lutea)等12种。2016—2020年依次记录到鸟类64种、68种、63种、56种和57种。鸟类群落的Shannon-Wiener指数在2018年最高(3.421),在2020年最低(3.062)。年际间鸟类物种组成周转率呈逐年上升趋势,依次为77.27%、81.68%、84.87%和94.69%。调查期内5月的鸟类群落各项多样性指数均值略高于7月。常绿-落叶阔叶混交林、针阔混交林、常绿阔叶林和灌丛是大围山繁殖鸟类最主要的生境,其中常绿-落叶阔叶混交林鸟类群落的Sha...     

The role of landscape in shaping bird community and implications for landscape management at Nanjing Lukou International Airport

Understanding the patterns of bird diversity and its driving force is necessary for bird strike prevention. In this study, we investigated the effects of landscape on phylogenetic and functional diversity of bird communities at Nanjing Lukou International Airport (NLIA). Bird identifications and counting of individuals were carried out from November 2017 to October 2019. Based on the land-cover data, the landscape was divided into four main types, including farmlands, woodlands, wetlands, and urban areas. Bird phylogenetic and functional diversity were strongly affected by landscape matrix types. Species richness and Faith's phylogenetic distance were highest in woodlands, while mean pairwise distance (MPD), mean nearest-taxon distance (MNTD), and functional dispersion (FDis) were highest in wetlands. Based on the feeding behavior, carnivorous birds had the lowest species richness but had the highest FDis, which implied that carnivorous birds occupied most niches at the NLIA. Moreover, bird assemblages exhibited phylogenetic and functional clustering in the four kinds of landscapes. A variety of landscape attributes had significant effects on species diversity, phylogenetic and functional diversity. Landscape-scale factors played an important role in the shaping of bird communities around NLIA. Our results suggest that landscape management surrounding airports can provide new approaches for policymakers to mitigate wildlife strikes.     

The role of farm structure on bird assemblages around a Kenyan tropical rainforest

Although it is clear that the farmlands neighbouring fragmented forests are utilized by some forest birds, it is not clear how birds in general respond to farmland habitat mosaic. An effort was made to determine how bird density and foraging assemblages were influenced by farm structural characteristics and distance from forest edge. Thirty farms up to a distance of 12 km around Kakamega forest in western Kenya were studied. Farm structure entailed size, hedge volume, habitat heterogeneity, woody plant density, plant diversity and crop cover. Birds were surveyed using line transects and DISTANCE analyses and classified into six feeding guilds and three habitat associations. Size of farms increased away from the forest, as woody plant density, plant diversity, indigenous trees and subsistence crop cover declined. The most important farm structure variable was hedge volume, which enhanced bird species richness, richness of shrub‐land bird species and insectivorous bird density (R = 0.58, P < 0.01). Bird density increased with tree density while indigenous trees were suitable for insectivores and nectarivores. There were very few forest bird encounters. Agricultural practices incorporating maintenance of hedges and sound selection of agroforestry trees can enhance conservation of birds on farmland, though, not significantly for forest species.     

Different evolutionary histories underlie congruent species richness gradients of birds and mammals

Aim The global species richness patterns of birds and mammals are strongly congruent. This could reflect similar evolutionary responses to the Earth’s history, shared responses to current climatic conditions, or both. We compare the geographical and phylogenetic structures of both richness gradients to evaluate these possibilities. Location Global. Methods Gridded bird and mammal distribution databases were used to compare their species richness gradients with the current environment. Phylogenetic trees (resolved to family for birds and to species for mammals) were used to examine underlying phylogenetic structures. Our first prediction is that both groups have responded to the same climatic gradients. Our phylogenetic predictions include: (1) that both groups have similar geographical patterns of mean root distance, a measure of the level of the evolutionary development of faunas, and, more directly, (2) that richness patterns of basal and derived clades will differ, with richness peaking in the tropics for basal clades and in the extra‐tropics for derived clades, and that this difference will hold for both birds and mammals. We also explore whether alternative taxonomic treatments for mammals can generate patterns matching those of birds. Results Both richness gradients are associated with the same current environmental gradients. In contrast, neither of our evolutionary predictions is met: the gradients have different phylogenetic structures, and the richness of birds in the lowland tropics is dominated by many basal species from many basal groups, whereas mammal richness is attributable to many species from both few basal groups and many derived groups. Phylogenetic incongruence is robust to taxonomic delineations for mammals. Main conclusions Contemporary climate can force multiple groups into similar diversity patterns even when evolutionary trajectories differ. Thus, as widely appreciated, our understanding of biodiversity must consider responses to both past and present climates, and our results are consistent with predictions that future climate change will cause major, correlated changes in patterns of diversity across multiple groups irrespective of their evolutionary histories.     

Bird communities and wind farms: a phylogenetic and morphological approach

The undeniable environmental benefits of wind energy are undermined by the negative effects of wind farms on bird populations through mortality by collision with the energy-generating structures. Studies have documented morphological, ecological, and behavioral traits associated with vulnerability to wind turbines. However, practically all studies have concentrated on the effects on particular populations, and community-level analyses are lacking. Here we assess the susceptibility of species on the basis of their morphology, and examine the effect of selective mortality on the topology and dispersion of phylogenies, and on the structure and volume of the ecological morphospace of bird assemblages. Using an extensive database of bird occurrences and fatalities in a wind farm located in southern Mexico, and performing null models to establish statistical significance, we compared sets of affected and unaffected species in terms of their wing morphology and position in a phylogeny. We found that birds more likely to fly in the risk zone tend to be smaller, with longer wings, and with heavier wing loadings. Within this group, species more likely to collide with blades and die are smaller, with short wings, and supporting lighter wing loadings. These patterns determine that the set of species less affected distribute in morphospace leaving noticeable holes (morphologies not represented). Birds flying in the risk zone tend to be related to each other, but species that actually collide with turbines belong to several separate clades. These differential effects on morphology and phylogenetic diversity pose important and complex challenges to the conservation of birds in areas where wind farms are being established.     

南四湖沉水植物物种多样性和功能多样性对水深梯度的响应

从物种多样性和功能多样性探讨沉水植物群落对水深的响应可深刻揭示水深对群落构建的影响机制。以南四湖不同水深沉水植物群落为研究对象,对比分析了群落的9个加权功能性状（株高、茎分支数、茎节数、茎直径、根长、根围直径、生物量分配比、比叶面积、植物体磷含量）、5个物种多样性指数（Berger-Parker生态优势度指数、Margalef丰富度指数、Simpson多样性指数、Shannon-Wiener多样性指数和Pielou均匀度指数）和5个功能多样性指数（功能丰富度FRic指数、功能均匀度FEve指数、功能离散度FDiv指数、功能分散度FDis指数和二次熵Rao指数）以及物种多样性和功能多样性关系对水深的响应规律。研究结果表明：（1）水深可显著改变群落株高、根长、根围直径、比叶面积、生物量分配比和植物体磷含量6个加权功能性状;群落茎分支数、茎节数和茎直径3个加权功能性状对水深变化无显著响应;（2）水深可显著影响群落物种多样性和功能多样性,中等水深处沉水植物群落具有较高的Margalef丰富度指数、Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、Berger-Parker生态优势度指数、Pielou均匀度指数以及功能丰富度FRic指数、功能均匀度FEve指数、功能离散度FDis指数、二次熵Rao指数;（3）水深可改变5个物种多样性指数与功能丰富度FRic指数、功能均匀度FEve指数、功能离散度FDiv指数3个功能多样性指数间的相关关系,但对5个物种多样性指数与功能离散度FDis指数、二次熵Rao指数2个功能多样性指数间的相关关系无显著影响。研究结论为：群落不同测度的物种多样性和功能多样性指数及其相关关系对水深变化的响应迥异,在探讨水深对沉水植物群落构建的影响机制时应从多个方面综合考量。     

Functional diversity of urban bird communities: effects of landscape composition,green space area and vegetation cover

In this study, we aim to gain a better insight on how habitat filtering due to urbanization shapes bird communities of Vienna city parks. This may help to derive implications for urban planning in order to promote and maintain high diversity and ecosystem function in an increasing urbanized environment. The structure of wintering bird communities of 36 Vienna city parks – surveyed once a month in January 2009, December 2009, December 2012, and January 2013 – was described by species richness and the functional diversity measurements FRic (functional richness), FEve (functional evenness), and FDiv (functional divergence). Environmental filtering was quantified by park size, canopy heterogeneity within the park, and the proportion of sealed area surrounding each park. Species richness, FRic, and FDiv increased with increasing park size. Sealed area had a strong negative effect on species richness and FDiv. Canopy heterogeneity played a minor role in explaining variance in FDiv data. FEve did not respond to any of these park parameters. Our results suggest a loss of species richness and functional diversity, hence most likely indicate a decline in ecosystem function, with decreasing park size and increasing sealed area of the surrounding urban landscape matrix.     

Impacts of an invasive willow (Salix × rubens) on riparian bird assemblages in south‐eastern Australia

We explored how a woody plant invader affected riparian bird assemblages. We surveyed 15 200‐m‐long transects in riparian zones in a much‐changed landscape of eastern Victoria, Australia. Abundance, species‐richness, foraging‐guild richness and composition of birds were compared in transects in three habitat types: (i) riparian zones dominated by the invasive willow Salix × rubens; (ii) riparian zones lined with native woody species; and (iii) riparian zones cleared of almost all woody vegetation. We also measured abundance and richness of arthropods and habitat structure to explore further the effects of food resources and habitat on the avifauna. We observed 67 bird species from 14 foraging guilds. Native riparian transects had more birds, bird species and foraging guilds than willow‐invaded or cleared transects. Habitat complexity increased from cleared to willow‐invaded to native riparian transects, as did abundance of native and woodland‐dependent birds. Native shrub and trees species had more foliage and branch‐associated arthropods than did willows, consistent with a greater abundance and variety of foraging guilds of birds dependent on this resource. Willow spread into cleared areas is unlikely to facilitate greatly native bird abundance and diversity even though habitat complexity is increased. Willow invasion into the native riparian zone, by decreasing food resources and altering habitat, is likely to reduce native bird biodiversity and further disrupt connectivity of the riparian zone.     

Effects of livestock grazing on an Afromontane grassland bird community in the Bale Mountains of Ethiopia

Livestock grazing has been considered to be one of the major causes for biodiversity degradation worldwide. In this study, we examined this effect on Afromontane grassland birds by comparing their diversity between ungrazed and grazed grassland sites in the northern Bale Mountains, Ethiopia. We counted birds and recorded vegetation height and cover along 28 (14 in each land‐use type) 1 km transects. We used six different diversity measures (richness, evenness, Shannon diversity, taxonomic diversity and taxonomic distinctness) to express bird diversity and explored which of these measures better reveal the diversity pattern. Vegetation structure differed significantly between the two sites; the first two principal components accounted for 78% of the variation. Discriminant function analysis (DFA) showed bird diversity to differ significantly between the two sites; taxonomic diversity (Delta) contributed the most to the difference between the two sites, while species richness contributed the least. The results of ANOVA indicated that all diversity measures, except species richness, were significantly higher in the protected site compared to the unprotected site. In general, this study showed that grazing had negatively affected bird diversity in the study area and the use of taxonomic diversity measures had enabled us to reveal the impact better.     

Woody elements benefit bird diversity to a larger extent than semi-natural grasslands in cereal-dominated landscapes

Increasing landscape complexity can mitigate negative effects of agricultural intensification on biodiversity by offering resources complementary to those provided in arable fields. In particular, grazed semi-natural grasslands and woody elements support farmland birds, but little is known about their relative effects on bird diversity and community composition. In addition, the relative importance of local habitat versus landscape composition remains unclear. We investigated how the presence of semi-natural grasslands, the number of woody elements and the composition of the wider agricultural landscape affect bird species richness, true diversity (exponential Shannon diversity) and species composition. Bird communities were surveyed four times on 16 paired transects of 250 m each with 8 transects placed between a crop field and a semi-natural grassland and 8 transects between two crop fields with no semi-natural grasslands in the vicinity. The number of woody elements around transects was selected as an important predictor in all models, having a positive effect on species richness and true diversity, while the local presence of semi-natural grasslands was not selected in the best models. However, species richness and true diversity increased with increasing cover of ley and semi-natural grasslands, whereas species composition was modified by the coverage of winter wheat at the landscape scale. Furthermore, bird species richness, true diversity and species composition differed between sampling dates. As bird diversity benefited from woody elements, rather than from the local presence of semi-natural grasslands as such, it is important to maintain woody structures in farmland. However, the positive effect of grassland at the landscape scale highlights the importance of habitat variability at multiple scales. Because species richness and true diversity were affected by different landscape components compared to species composition, a mosaic of land-use types is needed to achieve multiple conservation goals across agricultural landscapes.