Using patterns of distribution and diversity of Kenyan birds to select and prioritize areas for conservation

Patterns and environmental correlates of species distributions and richness are identified for Kenyan birds at a quarter degree-square scale. This information is used together with iterative complementarity analyses, which employ species richness, taxonomic dispersion and range-restrictedness, to identify priority areas for possible conservation attention. Bird species apparently not conserved by existing protected areas in Kenya are identified. Six avifaunal zones (and one transitional zone) are distinguished based on distributions of suites of bird species. Variation in biotope diversity (the number of forest and aquatic systems) accounts for 79% of the observed variation in Kenyan bird species richness. Although both rainfall and altitudinal range are significantly correlated with species richness, they only explain an additional 3% of the observed variation. The priority areas identified are situated mainly within highlands and coastal lowlands. Although few priority areas are identified in northern Kenya, this region also constitutes a priority, as it contains a suite of xeric species with habitats that are not represented elsewhere in Kenya. The papyrus yellow warbler, Chloropeta gracilirostris, William's bush lark, Mirafra williamsi, white-winged dove, Streptopelia reichenowi, and Jubaland weaver, Ploceus dichrocephalus, are identified as endemics or near-endemics that are probably not adequately conserved in Kenya at present.     

The importance of Prespa National Park for breeding and wintering birds

The breeding avifauna of Prespa National Park is ofnational and international importance both due to itshigh richness and the internationally importantpopulations of rare species. The latter include theDalmatian (Pelecanus crispus) and Great White(Pelecanus onocrotalus) pelicans and the PygmyCormorant (Phalacrocorax pygmaeus). Populationsof national interest include Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), Greylag Goose (Anseranser), Goosander (Mergus merganser), GreatWhite Egret (Egretta alba) and six otherspecies of ardeids. Among the 261 bird speciesobserved in the area of ca 250 km² since thelate 60s, 164 breed and 41 are very rarely observed.Passage migrants and winter visitors include 91species. Twelve breeding species became extinct in theNational Park during the last 25 years and others areendangered. Raptors and aquatic birds suffered moredue to habitat and land use alterations brought aboutby the construction of an irrigation scheme.Eighty-one species observed in the area are listed asin need of special protection in Annex I of the 79/409EEC Directive and 32 of them breed. Lake Mikri Prespais of virtually no importance for wintering waterfowlsince it is frozen every winter, but the Greek part ofLake Megali Prespa, which never freezes, concentratesamong other species the 20% and 35% respectively ofthe Great Crested Grebes and Tufted Ducks wintering inGreece.     

Symbiotic nesting of birds with formidable animals: a review with applications to biodiversity conservation

Increased predation and parasitism of bird nests has become a major problem in many biological communities altered by human activities, often causing declines in bird populations. To help solve this threat to biodiversity, I propose restoring the abundance of symbiotic nest-protecting animals in habitats where birds face an increased risk from predators and parasites, so that birds there can increase their chances of reproductive success by nesting close to these protectors. The re-establishment of such protective nesting associations to increase avian reproductive success differs from other proposed solutions to this problem in that it involves point defense of bird nests themselves. Rather than diminishing the number of nest predators and brood parasites in the whole habitat or community, as proposed with other approaches, the presence, activity and success of these enemies are reduced only within the microhabitat defended by the protector. The animal protecting the nest need not be larger in size than the predators or brood parasites, and is often many times smaller. In addition, it need not be from a higher trophic position, and in many cases comes from the same or a lower trophic level. Research suggests that an informed and careful use of nest protecting animals by wildlife managers can help reverse or prevent the decline of many bird populations, especially when used in combination with other approaches such as restoration of top predator populations and habitats. Although wildlife biologists have long recognized the important role that plants play in concealing and protecting bird nests from enemies, and regularly recommend manipulation of vegetation to enhance nest survival, they have generally ignored the important role that formidable animals play in protecting bird nests, and failed to incorporate animal protectors into management strategies. Because of this neglect, a host of new studies and experiments are urgently needed to provide managers with the critical information needed to use protective nesting associations effectively in integrated strategies to preserve avian biodiversity.     

Biodiversity surrogate groups and conservation priority areas: birds of the Brazilian Cerrado

The choice of surrogates of biodiversity is an important aspect in conservation biology. The quantification of the coincidence in the spatial patterns of species richness and rarity between different groups and the vulnerability of groups are different approaches frequently considered to accomplish this task. However, a more appropriate approach is to verify the efficiency of priority networks selected using information from one group of organisms to capture the biodiversity of other groups. Using a deconstructive approach, the main purposes of this study were to evaluate the performance of some orders and families of birds in the Cerrado biome (a savanna-like biome) as surrogates of other bird groups, in a pairwise analysis, and to investigate the characteristics of these groups that predict the efficiency in representation of other groups. We used biogeographical data on bird orders or families with more than 10 species that occur in the Brazilian Cerrado. The best surrogate group was the Thamnophilidae. Moreover, this group is not the most specious, favouring further survey efforts that are necessary to verify the conservation value of areas at suitable scales. The majority of the species from this family are dependent on forest habitats, one of the characteristics that most influenced representativeness level, probably due to the spatial distribution of these habitats throughout the Brazilian Cerrado. Beta diversity patterns of the different groups also affected representativeness, and our analyses showed that the networks selected by a surrogate group will be more effective in the representation of other groups of species if their patterns of beta diversity (not richness) are correlated.     

Seasonal variation in diversity and abundance of understorey birds in Bunduki Forest Reserve,Tanzania: evaluating the conservation value of a plantation forest

Plantation forests generally support lower bird diversity than natural forests. However, in some instances the plantations have been found to provide suitable habitat for a number of bird species. In the Eastern Arc Mountains, there is limited knowledge how understorey birds, some of which make seasonal altitudinal movements, use plantations. Using mist netting we assessed seasonal use of the plantation forest by the understorey bird community in Bunduki Forest Reserve in the Uluguru Mountains. Species diversity and capture rates were significantly higher during the cold season than during the hot season possibly due to seasonal altitudinal migration by some species. The use of plantations by those species that make seasonal altitudinal movements shows that plantation forests can enhance indigenous biodiversity by enabling connectivity between two or more natural forest patches. Our findings suggest that in a situation where there is no natural forest, an exotic plantation with suitable indigenous understorey cover can help in protection of birds, including endemic and near-endemic species.     

Local extinction of British farmland birds and the prediction of further loss

1.  The populations of many UK farmland birds declined between 1970 and 1990, frequently accompanied by contractions in breeding ranges. Ornithological atlas data, land use data and environmental data at the scale of 10-km squares were used to investigate the relationship between local extinctions and habitat suitability for six species, and to predict where future losses are most likely.
2.  For each species we tested the hypothesis that local extinctions were concentrated in environments that were inherently less suitable. We also tested the hypothesis that spatial patterns of loss were not independent between species due to their concurrence in the same habitats.
3.  Multivariate analyses (PCA) showed that areas where each species became extinct between 1970 and 1990 were more similar in land use type, climate and topography to areas where a species was never present than those where it was retained; local extinction was more likely in less suitable environments. Multiple logistic regression showed that for five of the six species the environmental gradient best predicting presence or absence in 1970 was also that best predicting loss between 1970 and 1990. For the six species studied, local extinctions were least likely in lowland arable areas.
4.  For any pair of species, local extinctions were more frequent outside the area of overlap of the two species' ranges than inside. Within the area of overlap, species tended to be lost from the same squares. For each species, likelihood of local extinction declined with increasing number of the other five species present.
5.  We used model parameters to map the probability of future local extinctions of the six species considered, allowing the identification of key areas for conservation management at a spatial scale appropriate to agri-economic incentives.     

Long‐term changes in the migration phenology of UK breeding birds detected by large‐scale citizen science recording schemes

The timing of migration is one of the key life‐history parameters of migratory birds. It is expected to be under strong selection, to be sensitive to changing environmental conditions and to have implications for population dynamics. However, most phenological studies do not describe arrival and departure phenologies for a species in a way that is robust to potential biases, or that can be clearly related to breeding populations. This hampers our ability to understand more fully how climate change may affect species’ migratory strategies, their life histories and ultimately their population dynamics. Using generalized additive models (GAMs) and extensive large‐scale data collected in the UK over a 40‐year period, we present standardized measures of migration phenology for common migratory birds, and examine how the phenology of bird migration has changed in the UK since the 1960s. Arrival dates for 11 of 14 common migrants became significantly earlier, with six species advancing their arrival by more than 10 days. These comprised two species, Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla and Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita, which winter closest to Britain in southern Europe and the arid northern zone of Africa, Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus, which winters in the arid zone, and three hirundines (Sand Martin Riparia riparia, House Martin Delichon urbicum and Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica), which winter in different parts of Africa. Concurrently, departure dates became significantly later for four of the 14 species and included species that winter in southern Europe (Blackcap and Chiffchaff) and in humid zones of Africa (Garden Warbler Sylvia borin and Whinchat Saxicola rubetra). Common Swift Apus apus was the exception in departing significantly earlier. The net result of earlier arrival and later departure for most species was that length of stay has become significantly longer for nine of the 14 species. Species that have advanced their timing of arrival showed the most positive trends in abundance, in accordance with previous studies. Related in part to earlier arrival and the relationship above, we also show that species extending their stay in Great Britain have shown the most positive trends. Further applications of our modelling approach will provide opportunities for more robust tests of relationships between phenological change and population dynamics than have been possible previously.     

Microbial diversity: the importance of exploration and conservation

Microbial diversity is fundamental to maintenance and conservation of global genetic resources. As extreme environments are explored, the richness of microbial diversity is increasingly evident. Measures must be taken to estimate, record, and conserve microbial diversity, not only to sustain human health but also to enrich the human condition globally through wise use and conservation of genetic resources of the microbial world. Received 24 April 1996/ Accepted in revised form 07 January 1997     

中国特有植物台湾杉的生物学特性及其保护

本文全面地综述了我国一级国家重点保护植物台湾杉的生物学特性,其中有外部形态特征,内部结构包括苗端、叶片、树皮及木材结构,雌雄配子体与胚胎发育,花粉和染色体。此外还有台湾杉的组织培养、地理分布,生态学与群落学特性等。最后,本文作者还初步分析了台湾杉的濒危原因,并提出了具体保护措施。     

Looking to the past to understand the future of tropical conservation: The importance of collecting basic data

Tropical biodiversity is under threat from a wide variety of anthropogenic stressors. Understanding the effect of major stressors—most notably land use change, over‐harvesting, emergence of novel pathogens, and climate change—is a major goal of tropical biology. However, to do so requires baseline data with which to compare present‐day patterns. Unfortunately, the tropics suffer from a lack of basic historical data; the few studies which have published such data have proven invaluable. In 1989, Fauth et al. described their studies of reptile and amphibian diversity and population demographics across tropical elevational gradients in Costa Rica. Since then, Fauth et al.'s basic ecological data have been widely used to document shifting patterns of species composition and abundance. Here, 30 years later, we argue that (a) collecting foundational ecological data remains incredibly important, especially in the tropics, and especially in those taxa which are generally understudied (e.g., reptiles and amphibians), (b) despite being one of the original goals of the 1989 study, the mechanisms driving biogeographical patterns of diversity remain unclear (both in the tropics and globally), and (c) that revisiting sites of historic biodiversity surveys—particularly those along gradients of environmental change—is incredibly important to our understanding of how tropical diversity is currently, and will continue to be, affected by activities in the Anthropocene. In its simplest terms, there has never been a time where the collection of basic data in the tropics has ever been more important.     

Perspectives and challenges for the use of radar in biological conservation

Radar is at the forefront for the study of broad‐scale aerial movements of birds, bats and insects and related issues in biological conservation. Radar techniques are especially useful for investigating species which fly at high altitudes, in darkness, or which are too small for applying electronic tags. Here, we present an overview of radar applications in biological conservation and highlight its future possibilities. Depending on the type of radar, information can be gathered on local‐ to continental‐scale movements of airborne organisms and their behaviour. Such data can quantify flyway usage, biomass and nutrient transport (bioflow), population sizes, dynamics and distributions, times and dimensions of movements, areas and times of mass emergence and swarming, habitat use and activity ranges. Radar also captures behavioural responses to anthropogenic disturbances, artificial light and man‐made structures. Weather surveillance and other long‐range radar networks allow spatially broad overviews of important stopover areas, songbird mass roosts and emergences from bat caves. Mobile radars, including repurposed marine radars and commercially dedicated ‘bird radars’, offer the ability to track and monitor the local movements of individuals or groups of flying animals. Harmonic radar techniques have been used for tracking short‐range movements of insects and other small animals of conservation interest. However, a major challenge in aeroecology is determining the taxonomic identity of the targets, which often requires ancillary data obtained from other methods. Radar data have become a global source of information on ecosystem structure, composition, services and function and will play an increasing role in the monitoring and conservation of flying animals and threatened habitats worldwide.     

Complex patterns of genetic and phenotypic divergence in an island bird and the consequences for delimiting conservation units

Substantial phenotypic and genetic variation is often found below the species level and this may be useful in quantifying biodiversity and predicting future diversification. However, relatively few studies have tested whether different aspects of intraspecific variation show congruent patterns across populations. Here, we quantify several aspects of divergence between 13 insular populations of an island endemic bird, the Vanuatu white-eye ( Zosterops flavifrons ). The components of divergence studied are mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), nuclear DNA microsatellites and morphology. These different aspects of divergence present subtly different scenarios. For instance, an mtDNA phylogenetic tree reveals a potential cryptic species on the most southerly island in Vanuatu and considerable divergence between at least two other major phylogroups. Microsatellite loci suggest that population genetic divergence between insular populations, both between and within phylogroups, is substantial, a result that is consistent with a low level of interisland gene flow. Finally, most populations were found to be strongly morphologically divergent, but no single population was morphologically diagnosable from all others. Taken together, our results show that, although many measures of divergence are concordant in this system, the number of divergent units identified varies widely depending on the characters considered and approach used. A continuum of divergence and a degree of discordance between different characters are both to be expected under simple models of evolution, but they present problems in terms of delimiting conservation units.     

中国鸡形目鸟类的现状与保护对策

鸡形目是一个与人类关系非常密切的鸟类类群 ,其保护工作受到国际自然保护组织的广泛关注。作为世界上鸡形目鸟类资源最为丰富的国家之一 ,我国加强该类群鸟类的保护工作不仅是野生动物资源保护的一个重要组成部分 ,而且对全球生物多样性的保护具有特别重要的意义。本文结合国家林业局“十五”期间将要实施的《全国野生动植物及自然保护区建设工程总体规划》 ,对我国鸡形目鸟类的多样性、特有性和分布特点进行了阐述 ,对该类群的濒危状况和致危因素进行了分析 ,从就地保护、易地保护以及科学研究三个方面介绍了我国在该类群研究与保护方面所取得的成就 ,探讨了目前保护管理工作中所存在的问题并提出了相应的保护对策