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- Bakx, Tristan R.M., et al.
(författare)
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Farmland birds occupying forest clear-cuts respond to both local and landscape features
- 2020
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Ingår i: Forest Ecology and Management. - : Elsevier BV. - 0378-1127. ; 478
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Agricultural landscapes have changed fast in Europe, which has led to steep declines in farmland biodiversity. While this has differentially impacted “farmland species”, some of these seem to be able to use alternative man-made open habitats in forests, such as forest clear-cuts and powerline rights-of-way. We investigated the use of clear-cuts by two historically declining farmland birds, the Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella) and the Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio), to determine both local and landscape habitat characteristics of clear-cuts used for breeding. Among 101 clear-cuts visited in Scania, southern Sweden, 27% were occupied by Yellowhammers and 12% by Red-backed Shrikes. Yellowhammer occurrence in clear-cuts was positively related to local spruce cover (the planted tree species). There was also an interaction between clear-cut size and the proportion of farmland in the landscape, such that the positive effect of the proportion of farmland nearby was stronger for larger clear-cuts. Red-backed Shrike occurrence was positively related to clear-cut size and the local presence of piles of forest residues (tops and branches). The relation between occurrence and the proportion of clear-cuts in the landscape was positive for small clear-cuts and negative for larger ones. Yellowhammers and Red-backed shrikes are affected by both the local habitat structure in the clearcut and on the composition of the surrounding landscape, most likely because they use the clear-cut for nesting and the surroundings as complementary feeding habitat. To what extent clear-cuts as complementary breeding habitat to farmland may contribute to the conservation of Yellowhammers and Red-backed shrikes, as well as other farmland birds, is a promising path for future investigations.
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2. |
- Ram, Dafne, et al.
(författare)
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Forest clear-cuts as habitat for farmland birds and butterflies
- 2020
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Ingår i: Forest Ecology and Management. - : Elsevier BV. - 0378-1127. ; 473
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The intensification of agriculture has resulted in more homogeneous landscapes and declines of many species associated with farmland or other semi-natural open habitats. In parallel, forestry has also intensified causing declines in many species associated with old-growth forests. While intensive forestry negatively affects forest species, it inadvertently creates new habitats such as clear-cuts, which attracts some farmland species. To understand the potential of clear-cuts as alternative habitat for farmland species, we need to know what makes clear-cuts attractive and whether they are suitable for reproduction and survival. We reviewed literature on the occurrence of farmland birds and butterflies in forest clear-cuts and synthesise the current knowledge on factors and characteristics affecting their occurrence. Many farmland birds and butterflies do indeed use clear-cuts, and have been found in clear-cuts up to ten years after felling. Clear-cut characteristics of importance include age, size, retention structures, land-use history and landscape composition. However, direct measures of resource abundance such as food and hostplants are often lacking. In addition to the potential benefit of individual clear-cuts, the total clear-cut area in forested regions is often large. Together with the fact that clear-cuts may be occupied by farmland species for several years, the potential of clear-cuts as alternative habitat for farmland biodiversity is substantial. Clear-cuts with a history as meadows, the presence of species of conservation importance, or shorter distance to farmland could for example be motivations for focusing conservation efforts on farmland species instead of forest species. Gaining more knowledge on how farmland species use clear-cuts, and what characteristics they depend on, could help inform management guidelines. We are no advocates for forest clear-cuts, but given their ubiquity in forested landscapes, the potential of clear-cuts as alternative habitats for species suffering from loss of suitable farmland habitats is worth serious attention from a conservation perspective.
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