| 1. |
- Angelstam, Per, et al.
(author)
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Evidence-Based Knowledge Versus Negotiated Indicators for Assessment of Ecological Sustainability : The Swedish Forest Stewardship Council Standard as a Case Study
- 2013
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In: Ambio. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0044-7447 .- 1654-7209. ; 42:2, s. 229-240
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Assessing ecological sustainability involves monitoring of indicators and comparison of their states with performance targets that are deemed sustainable. First, a normative model was developed centered on evidence-based knowledge about (a) forest composition, structure, and function at multiple scales, and (b) performance targets derived by quantifying the habitat amount in naturally dynamic forests, and as required for presence of populations of specialized focal species. Second, we compared the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification standards' ecological indicators from 1998 and 2010 in Sweden to the normative model using a Specific, Measurable, Accurate, Realistic, and Timebound (SMART) indicator approach. Indicator variables and targets for riparian and aquatic ecosystems were clearly under-represented compared to terrestrial ones. FSC's ecological indicators expanded over time from composition and structure towards function, and from finer to coarser spatial scales. However, SMART indicators were few. Moreover, they poorly reflected quantitative evidence-based knowledge, a consequence of the fact that forest certification mirrors the outcome of a complex social negotiation process.
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| 2. |
- Bengtsson, Jan, et al.
(author)
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Agricultural intensification and biodiversity partitioning in European landscapes comparing plants, carabids, and birds
- 2011
-
In: Ecological Applications. - : Wiley. - 1051-0761 .- 1939-5582. ; 21, s. 1772-1781
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Effects of agricultural intensification (AI) on biodiversity are often assessed on the plot scale, although processes determining diversity also operate on larger spatial scales. Here, we analyzed the diversity of vascular plants, carabid beetles, and birds in agricultural landscapes in cereal crop fields at the field (n = 1350), farm (n = 270), and European-region (n = 9) scale. We partitioned diversity into its additive components alpha, beta, and gamma, and assessed the relative contribution of beta diversity to total species richness at each spatial scale. AI was determined using pesticide and fertilizer inputs, as well as tillage operations and categorized into low, medium, and high levels. As AI was not significantly related to landscape complexity, we could disentangle potential AI effects on local vs. landscape community homogenization. AI negatively affected the species richness of plants and birds, but not carabid beetles, at all spatial scales. Hence, local AI was closely correlated to beta diversity on larger scales up to the farm and region level, and thereby was an indicator of farm-and region-wide biodiversity losses. At the scale of farms (12.83-20.52%) and regions (68.34-80.18%), beta diversity accounted for the major part of the total species richness for all three taxa, indicating great dissimilarity in environmental conditions on larger spatial scales. For plants, relative importance of alpha diversity decreased with AI, while relative importance of beta diversity on the farm scale increased with AI for carabids and birds. Hence, and in contrast to our expectations, AI does not necessarily homogenize local communities, presumably due to the heterogeneity of farming practices. In conclusion, a more detailed understanding of AI effects on diversity patterns of various taxa and at multiple spatial scales would contribute to more efficient agri-environmental schemes in agroecosystems.
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| 3. |
- Bengtsson, Jan, et al.
(author)
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Persistent negative effects of pesticides on biodiversity and biological control potential on European farmland
- 2010
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In: Basic and Applied Ecology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1439-1791 .- 1618-0089. ; 11, s. 97-105
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- During the last 50 years, agricultural intensification has caused many wild plant and animal species to go extinct regionally or nationally and has profoundly changed the functioning of agro-ecosystems. Agricultural intensification has many components, such as loss of landscape elements, enlarged farm and field sizes and larger inputs of fertilizer and pesticides. However, very little is known about the relative contribution of these variables to the large-scale negative effects on biodiversity. In this study, we disentangled the impacts of various components of agricultural intensification on species diversity of wild plants, carabids and ground-nesting farmland birds and on the biological control of aphids.In a Europe-wide study in eight West and East European countries, we found important negative effects of agricultural intensification on wild plant, carabid and bird species diversity and on the potential for biological pest control, as estimated from the number of aphids taken by predators. Of the 13 components of intensification we measured, use of insecticides and fungicides had consistent negative effects on biodiversity. Insecticides also reduced the biological control potential. Organic farming and other agri-environment schemes aiming to mitigate the negative effects of intensive farming on biodiversity did increase the diversity of wild plant and carabid species, but - contrary to our expectations - not the diversity of breeding birds.We conclude that despite decades of European policy to ban harmful pesticides, the negative effects of pesticides on wild plant and animal species persist, at the same time reducing the opportunities for biological pest control. If biodiversity is to be restored in Europe and opportunities are to be created for crop production utilizing biodiversity-based ecosystem services such as biological pest control, there must be a Europe-wide shift towards farming with minimal use of pesticides over large areas. (C) 2009 Gesellschaft fur Okologie. Published by Elsevier Gmbh. All rights reserved.
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| 4. |
- Bengtsson, Jan, et al.
(author)
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Taxonomic and functional diversity of farmland bird communities across Europe: effects of biogeography and agricultural intensification
- 2011
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In: Biodiversity and Conservation. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0960-3115 .- 1572-9710. ; 20, s. 3663-3681
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In eight European study sites (in Spain, Ireland, Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Estonia and Sweden), abundance of breeding farmland bird territories was obtained from 500 x 500 m survey plots (30 per area, N = 240) using the mapping method. Two analyses were performed: (I) a Canonical Correspondence Analysis of species abundance in relation to geographical location and variables measuring agricultural intensification at field and farm level to identify significant intensification variables and to estimate the fractions of total variance in bird abundance explained by geography and agricultural intensification; (II) several taxonomic and functional community indices were built and analysed using GLM in relation to the intensification variables found significant in the CCA. The geographical location of study sites alone explains nearly one fifth (19.5%) of total variation in species abundance. The fraction of variance explained by agricultural intensification alone is much smaller (4.3%), although significant. The intersection explains nearly two fifths (37.8%) of variance in species abundance. Community indices are negatively affected by correlates of intensification like farm size and yield, whereas correlates of habitat availability and quality have positive effects on taxonomic and functional diversity of assemblages. Most of the purely geographical variation in farmland bird assemblage composition is associated to Mediterranean steppe species, reflecting the bio-geographical singularity of that assemblage and reinforcing the need to preserve this community. Taxonomic and functional diversity of farmland bird communities are negatively affected by agricultural intensification and positively affected by increasing farmland habitat availability and quality.
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| 5. |
- Bommarco, Riccardo, et al.
(author)
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How Agricultural Intensification Affects Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
- 2016
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In: Advances in Ecological Research. - : Elsevier. - 0065-2504. ; 55, s. 43-97
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- As the world's population continues to grow, the demand for food, fodder, fibre and bioenergy will increase. In Europe, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has driven the intensification of agriculture, promoting the simplification and specialization of agroecosystems through the decline in landscape heterogeneity, the increased use of chemicals per unit area, and the abandonment of less fertile areas. In combination, these processes have eroded the quantity and quality of habitat for many plants and animals, and hence decreased biodiversity and the abundance of species across a hierarchy of trophic levels and spatial scales within Europe. This biodiversity loss has led to profound changes in the functioning of European agroecosystems over the last 50 years. Here, we synthesize the findings from a large-scale pan-European investigation of the combined effects of agricultural intensification on a range of agroecosystem services. These include (1) the persistence of high conservation value species; (2) the level of biological control of agricultural pests and (3) the functional diversity of a number of taxonomic groups, including birds, beetles and arable weeds. The study encompasses a gradient of geography-bioclimate and agricultural intensification that enables the large-scale measurement of ecological impacts of agricultural intensification across European agroecosystems. We provide an overview of the role of the CAP as a driver of agricultural intensification in the European Union, and we demonstrate compelling negative relationships between the application of pesticides and the various components of biodiversity studied on a pan-European scale.
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| 6. |
- Eggers, Sönke, et al.
(author)
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Autumn-sowing of cereals reduces breeding bird numbers in a heterogeneous agricultural landscape
- 2011
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In: Biological Conservation. - : Elsevier BV. - 0006-3207 .- 1873-2917. ; 144, s. 1137-1144
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The switch from spring-sown to autumn-sown cereals and the loss of habitat heterogeneity are often suggested to be key drivers of breeding bird decline on arable farmland. Yet, both factors are interlinked and it remains uncertain whether autumn-sown cereals reduce breeding bird numbers also in the structurally complex arable farmland of northern Europe. We tested whether autumn-sowing of cereals at both local and landscape scales affected the breeding bird community in a heterogeneous agricultural landscape of south-central Sweden. Rotation between sowing types was used as a semi-experiment based on 34 spring- vs. 41 autumn-sown cereal plots centred on infield non-crop islands of similar structure, size and surroundings. Species richness and territory abundance of ground-foraging species were significantly lower in autumn- than in spring-sown cereal plots both in the crop fields and the infield non-crop islands during the breeding season. No such effect was observed among foliage gleaning birds. Species richness in spring-sown cereal plots was less the more autumn-sown crops in the surrounding landscape within a 500 m radius. Average skylark densities did not differ between autumn- and spring-sown cereal plots because habitat preferences changed; densities declined in autumn-sown cereals during the growing season whereas they increased on spring-sown fields which had shorter swards throughout the breeding season. Our results indicate that negative effects of autumn-sown crops on breeding bird numbers spill over into both neighbouring non-crop and crop habitats. We conclude that agri-environmental schemes should place more emphasis on facilitating the value of the cropped area of fields as a foraging and nesting habitat. The retention of various non-crop habitats alone may not provide sufficient food close to nest sites for farmland birds that rely on crop fields for foraging. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 7. |
- Eggers, Sönke, 1968-
(author)
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Behaviour and life-history responses to chick provisioning under risk of nest predation
- 2002
-
Doctoral thesis (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This thesis examines risk management in breeding Siberian jays (Perisoreus infaustus), which is indigenous to the northern taiga. Parent behaviour and the nest are cryptic. A new nest is built each year. It is placed on spruce or pine branches close to the trunk and well insulated with lichens, feathers and reindeer hair.Nest failure rate was the main factor driving annual variations in jay numbers. The probability for nesting attempts to be successful ranged annually between 0.08 and 0.70. Nest predation was rampant and a main cause of nest failure. Nest predators were mainly other corvids (primarily the Eurasian jay Garrulus glandarius). Habitat quality was the main factor determining the risk of predation. The risk for nest failure due to predation was higher in thinned forests with an open structure and with a high abundance of man-associated corvid species (jays, crows, raven). Siberian jay parents show several strategic adjustments in life-history and behaviour to the risk of nest predation. Parents traded reduced feeding rates for a lower predation risk and allocated feeding to low risk situations. Chick provisioning imposes a cost by drawing the attention of visually hunting predators to the location of nests, and parents adjusted their daily routines and avoided exposure by allocating provisioning to times of low activity among nest predators. These strategic adjustments of feeding efforts were estimated to reduce the exposure to nest predators by 26 percent. Also, parents adjusted their reproductive efforts to the perceived presence of predators in a playback experiment. Siberian jays reduced their reproductive investment by laying a smaller clutch size when high risk of nest predation reduced the value of current reproduction, as predicted from life-history theory.
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| 8. |
- Eggers, Sönke, et al.
(author)
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Differential demographic responses of sympatric Parids to vegetation management in boreal forest
- 2014
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In: Forest Ecology and Management. - : Elsevier BV. - 0378-1127 .- 1872-7042. ; 319, s. 169-175
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Large-scale removal of small-diameter trees (i.e. thinning from below) in boreal forest can diminish niche diversity for birds that rely on a well-developed understory for nesting and foraging. Yet, few studies have examined how reduced niche diversity in managed forests affects fitness measures in closely-related species and the ability of competing species to co-exist. We related forest thinning to population trends of the willow tit Poecile montana (declining) and its dominant competitor the crested tit Lophophanes cristatus (stable), and conducted a 3-year comparative study to determine how variation in understory spruce density differentially influences survival and reproduction in these species. In line with our prediction that crested tits would gain resource priority under conditions of reduced forest understory complexity, willow tits and their nestlings suffered a disproportionate decline in both nest and adult survival prospects relative to crested tits as understoiy spruce density declined. Willow tits also had increased numbers of tail feather fault bars with decreasing understory complexity, further supporting the idea that willow tits suffer from food shortage and increased predation risk in areas of reduced understory. The long-term population declines of willow tits in boreal forest appears linked to large scale harvest of small-diameter spruce trees that provide important understory vegetation. A patchy arrangement of different thinning treatments through 'Understory Retention Thinning' (URT) may provide a cost-effective way to restore long-term structural complexity and biodiversity in densely stocked conifer stands. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 9. |
- Eggers, Sönke, et al.
(author)
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Do biodiversity-ecosystem functioning experiments inform stakeholders how to simultaneously conserve biodiversity and increase ecosystem service provisioning in grasslands?
- 2020
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In: Biological Conservation. - : Elsevier BV. - 0006-3207 .- 1873-2917. ; 245
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Two key stakeholders primarily important for nature conservation are farmers (and their lobby groups) and conservationists. Both have substantial inputs into environmental strategies and policies calling for biodiversity conservation aimed to directly increase ecosystem services. The scientific literature concurs that as biological diversity increases so do ecosystem functions and services in grasslands. While the evidence for this is strong, the majority comes from controlled small-scale biodiversity-ecosystem functioning (BEF) experiments. Thus, it is unclear whether the scientific basis for implementing BEF relationships into practice is sufficiently evidenced. Here we explore the applicability of findings from BEF experiments to the conservation and management of temperate grassland, a widespread and potentially highly biodiverse habitat. While we acknowledge that BEF research can reveal insights into fundamental mechanisms, the saturation of biodiversity effects at low levels and unrealistic (management) treatments widely impede the applicability of these experimental results to permanent grasslands. Additionally, the integration of BEF research results into practice is considerably hampered by experimental studies not answering stakeholders' crucial questions, e.g. is there evidence of biodiversity conservation potentials? Thus, stakeholders do not have a strong evidence base for taking decisions for the addressed management goals, except intensive production in (species-poor) temporary grasslands. If BEF work is to inform stakeholders future research needs to overcome unrealistic management, missing stakeholder involvement and ineffective communication. A new generation of applied BEF experiments employing applied, multi-actor approaches is needed to facilitate the relevance of BEF research for nature conservation, agriculture and land management.
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| 10. |
- Eggers, Sönke, et al.
(author)
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Early post-fire bird community in European boreal forest: Comparing salvage-logged with non-intervention areas
- 2019
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In: Global Ecology and Conservation. - : Elsevier BV. - 2351-9894. ; 18
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Salvage logging after disturbances in forests substantially modifies vegetation structure and dead wood availability, but empirical evidence on its impact on biodiversity, especially in European boreal forest, is sparse. In this study we investigated the short-term effect of post-fire salvage logging on species richness and abundance of birds in recently burned mixed coniferous forest. Using point counts we estimated local species composition at 49 salvaged sites and 55 non-intervention sites (burnt forest left for natural regeneration) that were not logged after a fire in south-central Sweden. Local species richness, abundance and Simpson's species diversity index were significantly higher at non-intervention sites compared to salvaged sites. Forest birds that rely on structurally complex forest stands, such as tits (Parus major, Lophophanes cristatus, Poecile montanus), robin (Erithacus rubecula), mistle trush (Turdus viscivorus) and tree-toed woodpecker (Picoides tridactylus) were mainly associated with non-intervention sites, while species that are typically linked to farm- or shrublands, such as whinchat (Saxicola rubetra), white wagtail (Motacilla alba), red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio), and meadow pipit (Anthus pratensis) were more common at salvaged sites. These results are consistent with the idea that post-fire salvage logging has an immediate impact on the bird species composition and abundance in boreal forest. We conclude that although post-fire salvage logging may be beneficial for birds occurring in open landscapes, it has negative effects for forest bird species richness and abundance, at least over the short term. To protect typical forest communities with many forest specialists of high conservation concern, we recommend reducing the extent of post-disturbance salvaging in forests of high conservation value and updating the existing management policy to restore the amount of woody debris and facilitate long-term structural complexity and biodiversity in densely stocked conifer stands. (C) 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
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| 11. |
- Eggers, Sönke, et al.
(author)
-
Ecological restoration in boreal forest modifies the structure of bird assemblages
- 2017
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In: Forest Ecology and Management. - : Elsevier BV. - 0378-1127 .- 1872-7042. ; 401, s. 75-88
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Ecological restoration is increasingly recognised as a useful tool for biodiversity conservation in boreal forests. Most restoration methods in this environment aim to emulate natural disturbances, and thereby promote the development of key ecological structures. However, research about forest ecosystem restoration is still in its infancy and the responses of many boreal species groups remain to be described. We established a large-scale field experiment to evaluate the short-term effects of two restoration treatments - prescribed burning and gap cutting involving the creation of dead wood - on breeding bird assemblages in boreal Sweden. We censused breeding birds using territory mapping during two years in forest stands subjected to the two restoration treatments, in untreated controls and in old-growth references (nature reserves) (n = 10 per treatment). Averaged over the two census years, we found 1145 territories of 36 bird species. Total bird species richness and abundance did not differ among treatments. However, prescribed burning led to clear changes in the structure of the bird assemblages. When dividing species according to four functional categorizations (migration, foraging, nesting and successional stage), we found that the abundance of long-distance migrants, ground breeders, strong cavity excavators and species preferring early-successional habitat was higher in burned stands than in untreated controls and gap-cut stands, as was the species richness of bark feeders and strong cavity excavators. In contrast, abundance of off-ground breeders and species richness of crown feeders were lower following prescribed burning than in the controls. The gap cutting treatment did not have any significant effects on the bird assemblages. Ecological restoration through prescribed burning can be a useful tool for the conservation of boreal forest birds, including the ecologically important strong cavity excavators (i.e. woodpeckers (Picidae)). Forest managers should therefore be encouraged to use prescribed burning as a restoration tool to quickly provide habitat for bird species adapted to natural disturbances in boreal forest. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 12. |
- Eggers, Sönke, et al.
(author)
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Landscape composition influences farm management effects on farmland birds in winter: A pan-European approach
- 2010
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In: Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment. - : Elsevier BV. - 0167-8809 .- 1873-2305. ; 139, s. 571-577
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This study examined the effects of agricultural intensity, various farming practices, landscape composition and vegetation cover on the abundance and species richness of wintering farmland birds, assessed simultaneously across seven European regions.The abundance and species richness of wintering farmland birds were negatively affected by agricultural intensity. The effects of yield and farm type were interlinked. Of the 10 farming practices assessed, mechanical weeding and the amount of organic fertilizer applied negatively affected farmland birds, presumably due to reduced food availability on arable fields. Positive effects of organic farming on farmland birds proved to be limited to simplified landscapes. More farmland birds were observed in areas with more stubble, pasture and green manure crops. Species richness was higher in areas with more pasture.The results of this study show that farm management, vegetation cover and landscape composition all influence wintering farmland birds. Heterogeneous landscapes comprising arable crops as well as grasslands support most species of farmland birds in winter. The effectiveness of organic farming and agri-environment schemes depends on landscape composition. Therefore, different agri-environment schemes should be designed for different landscape types. (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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| 13. |
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| 14. |
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| 15. |
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| 16. |
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| 17. |
- Eggers, Sönke, et al.
(author)
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The multifunctional roles of vegetated strips around and within agricultural fields
- 2018
-
In: Environmental Evidence. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2047-2382. ; 7
-
Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Agriculture can have substantial negative impacts on the environment. The establishment and management of vegetated strips adjacent to farmed fields (including various field margins, buffer strips and hedgerows) are commonly advocated mitigation measures for these negative environmental impacts. However, it may be difficult to obtain reliable evidence on the effects of implementation and management of vegetated strips, even though a substantial body of evidence exists. We describe a systematic map of research relating to vegetated strips in boreo-temperate farming systems to answer the question: What evidence exists regarding the effects of field margins on nutrients, pollutants, socioeconomics, biodiversity, and soil retention in boreo-temperate systems?Methods: We searched 13 bibliographic databases, 1 search engine and 37 websites of stakeholder organisations using a predefined and tested search string focusing on a comprehensive list of English language vegetated strip synonyms. Searches in Danish, Finnish, Spanish, and Swedish were also conducted using web searches. We screened search results at title, abstract and full text levels, recording the number of studies deemed non-relevant (with reasons at full text). A systematic map database of meta-data (i.e. descriptive summary information about the settings and methods) for relevant studies was produced following full text assessment. The systematic map database is provided as an evidence atlas: interactive, web-based geographical information system.Results: Over 31,000 search results were identified, resulting in a total of 1072 relevant primary research studies and 130 evidence reviews. Articles used a variety of terminology to describe vegetated strips, with 'field margin', 'hedge-row', 'shelterbelt' and 'riparian buffer' most common. The volume of primary research is increasing linearly year-by-year, whilst the increase in reviews has tailed off in the last 10 years. The USA and UK were most frequently studied and reviewed. Arable systems were investigated in c. 70% of primary research but 50% of reviews. Some 50% of primary research vegetated strips were field edge and 25% riparian, whilst riparian and field edge strips were roughly equally the focus of around a half of all described strips in reviews. Terrestrial biodiversity, nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) and soil/water loss or retention were the most commonly measured outcomes in primary studies and reviews, although some other outcomes were more common in reviews than research articles (e.g. pesticides).Conclusions: We identified substantial bodies of evidence on particular sets of related outcomes and ecosystem services, which constitute important knowledge clusters/synthesis gaps relating to: strip width, terrestrial biodiversity, nutrient retention, hydrological regimes, toxic substances, erosion protection, pests, carbon sequestration, and soil and biodiversity combined. We also identified key knowledge gaps relating to: climate regulation, freshwater biodiversity, strip harvesting, cultural ecosystem services, long-term impacts, the relationship between pest populations and crop yield, fuel and fibre production, specific regions and countries (e.g. Russia and South America), and multi-use vegetated strips. This systematic map is an important step in identifying what research has been done to date, and what primary and secondary research is needed as the next step for this topic.
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| 18. |
- Eggers, Sönke, et al.
(author)
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The multifunctional roles of vegetated strips around and within agricultural fields. A systematic map protocol
- 2016
-
In: Environmental Evidence. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2047-2382. ; 5
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Agriculture and agricultural intensification can have significant negative impacts on the environment, including nutrient and pesticide leaching, spreading of pathogens, soil erosion and reduction of ecosystem services provided by terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity. The establishment and management of vegetated strips adjacent to farmed fields (including various field margins, buffer strips and hedgerows) are key mitigation measures for these negative environmental impacts and environmental managers and other stakeholders must often make decisions about how best to design and implement vegetated strips for a variety of different outcomes. However, it may be difficult to obtain relevant, accurate and summarised information on the effects of implementation and management of vegetated strips, even though a vast body of evidence exists on multipurpose vegetated strip interventions within and around fields. To improve the situation, we describe a method for assembling a database of relevant research relating to vegetated strips undertaken in boreo-temperate farming systems (arable, pasture, horticulture, orchards and viticulture), according to the primary question: What evidence exists regarding the effects of field margins on nutrients, pollutants, socioeconomics, biodiversity, and soil retention?Methods: We will search 13 bibliographic databases, one search engine and 37 websites for stakeholder organisations using a predefined and tested search string that focuses on a comprehensive list of vegetated strip synonyms. Non-English language searches in Danish, Finnish, German, Spanish, and Swedish will also be undertaken using a web-based search engine. We will screen search results at title, abstract and full text levels, recording the number of studies deemed non-relevant (with reasons at full text). A systematic map database that displays the meta-data (i.e. descriptive summary information about settings and methods) of relevant studies will be produced following full text assessment. The systematic map database will be displayed as a web-based geographical information system (GIS). The nature and extent of the evidence base will be discussed.
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| 19. |
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| 20. |
- Griesser, Michael, et al.
(author)
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Experience buffers extrinsic mortality in a group-living bird species
- 2017
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In: Oikos. - : Wiley. - 0030-1299 .- 1600-0706. ; 126:9, s. 1258-1268
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Extrinsic mortality has a strong impact on the evolution of life-histories, prey morphology and behavioural adaptations, but for many animals the causes of mortality are poorly understood. Predation is an important driver of extrinsic mortality and mobile animals form groups in response to increased predation risk. Furthermore, in many species juveniles suffer higher mortality than older individuals, which may reflect a lower phenotypic quality, lower competitiveness, or a lack of antipredator or foraging skills. Here we assessed the causes of mortality for 371 radio tagged Siberian jays. This sedentary bird species lives in family groups that contain a breeding pair as well as related and unrelated non-breeders. Ninety-five percent of death were due to predation (n = 59 out of 62 individuals) and most individuals were killed by Accipiter hawks. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models showed that non-breeders had a lower survival than breeders, but only in territories in managed forest with little visual cover. Examining breeders, only sex influenced survival with males having a lower survival than females. For non-breeders, juveniles had lower survival than older non-breeders, and those on managed territories had lower survival than those on unmanaged territories. Additionally, a low feather quality reduced the survival probability of non-breeders only. Thus, living on managed territories and having a low feature quality affected only non-breeders, particularly juveniles. These findings add to previous research demonstrating that juvenile Siberian jays acquire critical antipredator skills from experienced group members. Thus, experience can buffer extrinsic mortality, highlighting that group living not only provides safety in numbers, but also provide social opportunities to learn critical life-skills.
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| 21. |
- Griesser, Michael, et al.
(author)
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Impact of forestry practices on fitness correlates and population productivity in an open-nesting bird species
- 2007
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In: Conservation Biology. - : Wiley. - 0888-8892 .- 1523-1739. ; 21:3, s. 767-774
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In the boreal forests of Fennoscandia, over 99% of forest area has been altered by forestry practices, which has created forest with age structures and stand characteristics that differ from primary forest stands. Although many researchers have investigated how forestry affects species abundance, few have assessed how forestry practices affect fitness correlates of species living in altered habitats, and this has negatively affected management efforts. We experimentally addressed the effect of standard forestry practices on fitness correlates of an open-nesting, long-lived bird species typical to boreal forests of Eurasia, the Siberian Jay (Perisoreus infaustus). We used a before-after comparison of reproductive data on the level of territories and found that standard forestry practices had a strong negative effect on the breeding success of jays. Both partial thinning of territories and partial clearcutting of territories reduced future breeding success by a factor of 0.35. Forestry practices reduced territory occupancy. Thus, over the 15 years of the study, productivity of the affected population declined over 50% as a result of territory abandonment and reduced breeding success. Results of previous studies on Siberian Jays suggest that the strong effect of forest thinning on fitness is explained by the fact that most common predators of nests and adults are visually oriented and thus thinning makes prey and nests more visible to predators. The consequences of thinning we observed are likely to apply to a wide range of species that rely on understory to provide visual protection from predators. Thus, our results are important for the development of effective conservation management protocols and for the refinement of thinning practices.
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| 22. |
- Hiron, Matthew, et al.
(author)
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Are farmsteads over-looked biodiversity hotspots in intensive agricultural ecosystems?
- 2013
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In: Biological Conservation. - : Elsevier BV. - 0006-3207 .- 1873-2917. ; 159, s. 332-342
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Farmland biodiversity continues to decline because changes in modern agriculture have led to the degradation and loss of key habitats. One farmland habitat that has received little attention during development of conservation measures is farmsteads. We use bird count data from a survey conducted at over 600 sites in 3725 km(2) agricultural landscapes in southern Sweden to investigate the importance of farmsteads as potential sources of biodiversity in simplified landscapes. We found that farmsteads, on average, had more bird species and individuals than semi-natural pastures and infield infield non-crop islands, probably due to a larger area of non-field habitats at farmstead sites. Presence of farm animals was an important predictor of bird diversity and numbers at farmsteads while variables associated with arable land-use intensification had limited effect. Old farmsteads with no current active farming, on average, had low bird numbers. We found no effect of agricultural intensification at the landscape level on alpha diversity at farmstead sites. Rather, species richness and abundance of birds tended to increase as landscapes became characterized by more intensive agriculture with larger fields. Farmsteads are widespread in simplified agricultural landscapes and may provide habitat to a range of farmland species. Applying conservation measures to farmsteads and local surroundings that increase the availability of safe nest-sites and good foraging grounds for birds could be implemented through publicity driven schemes. This combined with other agri-environment schemes in the surrounding landscape could enhance the amount of critical resources for farmland birds. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 23. |
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| 24. |
- Hiron, Matthew, et al.
(author)
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Hybrid bioacoustic and ecoacoustic analyses provide new links between bird assemblages and habitat quality in a winter boreal forest
- 2021
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In: Environmental and Sustainability Indicators. - : Elsevier BV. - 2665-9727. ; 11
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Resident birds in boreal forests can serve as indicators of habitat quality and are often species of conservation interest, particularly in multifunctional forests also used for timber production. To make informed forest management decisions, we must first understand which structural features provide habitats useful for resident birds. This is particularly true in winter, an understudied and critical season for their survival. The objective of this study was to establish reliable methods for monitoring bird presence and activity during winter, and to use these methods to evaluate the relative importance of stand structural features to make inferences about which features support and increase winter survival potential. Using a hybrid bioacoustic and ecoacoustic approach, we tested the ability of acoustic recordings to identify links between bird diversity and components of structural complexity, and compared these results to those from the traditional point count method. We conducted a vegetation survey, point count surveys and collected acoustic recordings from December 2019–February 2020 in 19 sites in a Swedish boreal forest. First, we compared species richness values derived from point counts and bioacoustic monitoring methods. Bioacoustic species richness was significantly higher than point count richness, although only when the time spent identifying species from recordings exceeded the time spent conducting point counts in the field. Next, we demonstrated that bioacoustic species identification yields additional metrics of bird activity that point counts cannot. We tested the response of these metrics, and point count metrics, to variables of structural heterogeneity and complexity of our sites. Almost all bioacoustic metrics increased significantly with increasing structural complexity, while point count richness and abundance did not, indicating that automated recording is more effective in identifying forest patches of high quality in winter. Lastly, using an ecoacoustic approach, we calculated six of the most common acoustic indices and tested if any could effectively reflect the bird-structure relationships described above. Two indices showed significant positive relationships to bioacoustic metrics, demonstrating their potential as biodiversity assessment proxies that respond to differences in habitat quality. This is the first winter acoustic study to monitor bird assemblages in detail; it employed both bioacoustic and multi-index ecoacoustic approaches, which provided evidence that automated acoustic recording can be an effective and superior method for monitoring resident forest birds.
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| 25. |
- Hiron, Matthew, et al.
(author)
-
The relationship of bird diversity to crop and non-crop heterogeneity in agricultural landscapes
- 2015
-
In: Landscape Ecology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0921-2973 .- 1572-9761. ; 30, s. 2001-2013
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Habitat heterogeneity is often assumed to benefit farmland biodiversity. Increasing heterogeneity of non-crop habitats is often too costly in terms of agricultural production. It has been suggested that increased crop heterogeneity could mitigate the negative effects of intensification on biodiversity while still maintaining high production levels.We investigated if habitat-specific species pools of two groups of farmland birds, field-nesting and non-crop-nesting species, were related to landscape-level heterogeneity of crop and non-crop cover. We analysed total number of species (gamma diversity) and average local species richness (alpha diversity) in landscapes and related these two biodiversity measures to four components of landscape heterogeneity (compositional and configurational heterogeneity of crop and non-crop cover).We selected 30 farmland landscapes (each 25 km(2)) in Sweden that largely broke up correlated relationships between crop and non-crop heterogeneity and between compositional and configurational heterogeneity. Estimates of species richness (alpha and gamma diversity) were calculated with bird survey data from specific habitats within landscapes (farmsteads and arable fields) and then related to measures of landscape heterogeneity.No measure of landscape species richness was associated with landscape-scale crop cover heterogeneities. However, gamma diversity of both bird groups was negatively related to the compositional and configurational heterogeneity of non-crop land-use in the landscapes, respectively.Our results suggest that: (i) crop heterogeneities are not related to habitat-specific richness of farmland birds, (ii) heterogeneity effects of habitat complementarity in general are weak and (iii) relationships between diversity and heterogeneity in landscapes are dependent on the biodiversity measure used.
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| 26. |
- Josefsson, Jonas, et al.
(author)
-
Effects of a coordinated farmland bird conservation project on farmers' intentions to implement nature conservation practices e Evidence from the Swedish Volunteer & Farmer Alliance
- 2017
-
In: Journal of Environmental Management. - : Elsevier BV. - 0301-4797 .- 1095-8630. ; 187, s. 8-15
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- To increase the efficacy of agri-environmental schemes (AES), as well as farmers' environmental engagement, practitioners are increasingly turning to collective forms of agri-environmental manage- ment. As yet, empirical evidence from such approaches is relatively scarce. Here, we examined a farm- land bird conservation project coordinated by BirdLife Sweden, the Swedish Volunteer & Farmer Alliance (SVFA). The key features of the SVFA were farmland bird inventories from volunteering birdwatchers and on-farm visits to individual farmers from conservation advisors for guidance on AES as well as unsub- sidised practices. Using an ex-post application of the theory of planned behaviour across project par- ticipants and a randomly sampled control group of farmers we assessed how SVFA affected behavioural intentions relating to AES and unsubsidised conservation, and how the behaviour was affected by atti- tudes, perceived social norms and perceived behavioural control. We also included a measure of self- identity as a conservationist to assess its importance for behavioural intentions, and if SVFA stimu- lated this self-identity. SVFA farmers reported greater commitment to implementing AES and unsubsi- dised conservation, as compared to the control group. However, greater commitment was associated with more positive attitudes for unsubsidised conservation only and not for AES, underlining the inability of existing AES to prompt intrinsic motivation. There were also differences between farmers within SVFA, where farmers applying to the project were motivated by social influences, while farmers recruited by project managers were motivated by their personal beliefs regarding nature conservation. Finally, farmers' self-perceived ability to perform practices (i.e. perceived behavioural control) was important for their commitment to implementing AES as well as unsubsidised practices. Therefore, increasing farmers' awareness regarding the availability and, not least, practicability of available con- servation options may be the key to successful biodiversity conservation in agricultural systems.
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| 27. |
- Josefsson, Jonas, et al.
(author)
-
Grass buffer strips benefit invertebrate and breeding skylark numbers in a heterogeneous agricultural landscape
- 2013
-
In: Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment. - : Elsevier BV. - 0167-8809 .- 1873-2305. ; 181, s. 101-107
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The loss of non-crop habitat is often suggested to be a key driver of biodiversity decline on arable land. Grass buffer strips on cereal field edges, to reduce erosion and agro-chemical runoff into surface water, could be useful to mitigate this diversity loss as they are often assumed to provide refuge and food for invertebrates, small mammals and birds. Evidence for this idea is, however, scarce and it remains unclear whether densely vegetated buffer strips benefit biodiversity in structurally complex landscapes of North- ern Europe. Here, we examined whether buffer strips affected breeding skylark Alauda avensis numbers and its main food supply (i.e. beetles Coleoptera and spiders Arachnida) on cereal fields in a heteroge- neous agricultural landscape of south-central Sweden. We also examined whether buffer strip effects on skylark density depended on seasonal sward height differences between sowing regimes (spring- vs. autumn-sown) as they presumably influence seasonal invertebrate accessibility. Fields with buffer strips supported on average 0.51 ± 0.26 more skylark territories per hectare up to 100 m into the field and boosted invertebrate activity densities compared to fields without buffer strips. These effects were most apparent early in spring, but persisted throughout the sampling period, and were similar among spring and autumn sown fields. Thus, our results provide evidence to suggest that buffer strips target multiple environmental objectives on cereal fields in heterogeneous farmland. Future research should work to identify buffer strip management practices that further increase their value to biodiversity at the local scale, and investigate how they affect farmland biodiversity in different landscape types at larger spatial scales for more efficient implementation across Europe.
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| 28. |
- Josefsson, Jonas, et al.
(author)
-
Landscape context and farm uptake limit effects of bird conservation in the Swedish Volunteer & Farmer Alliance
- 2018
-
In: Journal of Applied Ecology. - : Wiley. - 0021-8901 .- 1365-2664. ; 55, s. 2719-2730
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- 1. In Europe, agri-environmental schemes (AES) have been unsuccessful in halting biodiversity declines to any great extent. Two shortcomings of AES include the low farm uptake and the modest efficacy of many AES options. Partly in response to these shortcomings, initiatives encouraging farmers to take an active role in biodiversity conservation have gained in popularity. However, almost no evaluations of such initiatives exist.2. We evaluated uptake of conservation advice on farms in the Swedish Volunteer & Farmer Alliance, a BirdLife Sweden-coordinated project aimed at farmland bird conservation, and the response of farmland birds to those actions using farm-level survey data, in a before-after implementation assessment.3. Uptake was higher for unsubsidised (i.e. non-AES) measures than for AES options, and depended mainly on farmers' interest in nature, with farm size and production type having less importance.4. In general, abundances of non-crop nesting and field-nesting bird species declined between inventory years (median interval 3 years). Decreases were more marked in agriculturally marginal regions than in more arable-dominated regions, and declines were stronger on organic than on conventional farms.5. Negative abundance trends among non-crop nesting species were reduced by an increasing number of conservation measures at the farm, but only in the more arable-dominated landscapes. Changes in field-nesting species, or at species level, did not significantly relate to implemented measures, but the power to detect such effects was generally small due to the small sample size of high-uptake farms as well as high inter-farm variability.6. Synthesis and applications. Our results suggest that volunteer farmer alliances and the addition of unsubsidised measures may be successful in changing the local number of non-crop nesting farmland birds, at the farm level, particularly in intensively managed agricultural landscapes. Thus, unsubsidised measures can be a useful addition to the set of agri-environment tools, although their effects on breeding bird numbers are (as with agri-environmental schemes) dependent on landscape context, as well as on ensuring high on-farm uptake of different interventions.
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| 29. |
- Josefsson, Jonas, et al.
(author)
-
Sensitivity of the farmland bird community to crop diversification in Sweden: does the CAP fit?
- 2017
-
In: Journal of Applied Ecology. - : Wiley. - 0021-8901 .- 1365-2664. ; 54, s. 518-526
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- 1. Crop diversification has been introduced as an environmental strategy in the ‘Greening’ of the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for 2015–2020. The primary target of crop diver- sification is soil and ecosystem resilience, but claims for potential benefits for farmland biodi- versity are also common. However, understanding of relationships between the number (compositional heterogeneity) and spatial arrangement (configurational heterogeneity) of crop fields and biodiversity is generally poor, making such claims relatively unfounded. 2. In this study, we monitored crop and farmland bird diversity on 178 farms across Swe- den’s main agricultural areas. From a pre-implementation assessment, we show that >97% of the assessed farms would not be required to change their management under the CAP crop diversification measure (minimum of three crops for farms with 30+ ha), suggesting that this measure has generated little change on Swedish farms. 3. While accounting for non-crop elements and farming system (conventional or organic), we show that crop structural diversity (i.e. the management and vegetation structure of crops) rather than crop diversity senso lato positively affected richness of non-crop breeding bird species with stronger effects in arable, compared with forest-dominated landscapes. No such effects were observed among field-nesting farmland bird species. 4. Organic farming had little influence on farmland birds with positive effects only in the most arable-dominated landscapes and for field-nesting species only. In forest-dominated landscapes, organic farms even held lower field-nester densities compared with conventional farms, possibly due to the dominance of grasslands on organic farms that in these landscapes support lower densities of field-nesting species compared with cereals. 5. Policy implications. Our study illustrates the importance of a consideration of structural instead of species diversity of crops for biodiversity, in this case farmland birds. We also underline the absence of such a distinction in current EU Common Agricultural Policy Greening, while simultaneously setting levels on crop diversification too low resulting in little to no change in landscape-scale crop diversity on Swedish farmland. We recommend that future efforts to manage farmland biodiversity should include ways of increasing the structural diversity of crops at the scale of farms and landscapes.
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| 30. |
- Klein, Julian, et al.
(author)
-
Remotely sensed forest understory density and nest predator occurrence interact to predict suitable breeding habitat and the occurrence of a resident boreal bird species
- 2020
-
In: Ecology and Evolution. - : Wiley. - 2045-7758. ; 10, s. 2238-2252
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Habitat suitability models (HSM) based on remotely sensed data are useful tools in conservation work. However, they typically use species occurrence data rather than robust demographic variables, and their predictive power is rarely evaluated. These shortcomings can result in misleading guidance for conservation. Here, we develop and evaluate a HSM based on correlates of long-term breeding success of an open nest building boreal forest bird, the Siberian jay. In our study site in northern Sweden, nest failure of this permanent resident species is driven mainly by visually hunting corvids that are associated with human settlements. Parents rely on understory nesting cover as protection against these predators. Accordingly, our HSM includes a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) based metric of understory density around the nest and the distance of the nest to the closest human settlement to predict breeding success. It reveals that a high understory density 15-80 m around nests is associated with increased breeding success in territories close to settlements (<1.5 km). Farther away from human settlements breeding success is highest at nest sites with a more open understory providing a favorable warmer microclimate. We validated this HSM by comparing the predicted breeding success with landscape-wide census data on Siberian jay occurrence. The correlation between breeding success and occurrence was strong up to 40 km around the study site. However, the HSM appears to overestimate breeding success in regions with a milder climate and therefore higher corvid numbers. Our findings suggest that maintaining patches of small diameter trees may provide a cost-effective way to restore the breeding habitat for Siberian jays up to 1.5 km from human settlements. This distance is expected to increase in the warmer, southern, and coastal range of the Siberian jay where the presence of other corvids is to a lesser extent restricted to settlements.
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| 31. |
- Klein, Julian, et al.
(author)
-
Short-term experimental support for bird diversity retention measures during thinning in European boreal forests
- 2022
-
In: Forest Ecology and Management. - : Elsevier BV. - 0378-1127 .- 1872-7042. ; 509
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Current levels of forestry expansion in boreal forests threaten to radically reduce biodiversity. For many forest dwelling species the threat is not simply because the forest is used for biomass production, but rather how it is used. Retention forestry practices aim to limit impacts on biodiversity during the final felling stage of a forestry cycle. However, the efficiency of such methods in retaining biodiversity have rarely been studied for intermediate forestry stages (e.g., forest thinning) with experimental approaches entirely absent from boreal forests. Therefore, we conducted a before-after control-impact experiment in Sweden to investigate the short-term response in occurrence of individual bird species, guilds, and population trend groups (positive, stable, or negative population trend), as well as the response in nest box occupancy and in the reproductive success of Parus major to three different thinning treatments. The three treatments were i) conventional thinning at the plot and stand scale, (ii) understory retention thinning, where at least 250 spruces with live branches below 2 m above ground are retained per hectare, and (iii) complete retention plots, where the forest was not thinned on-1 ha plots within conventionally thinned forest stands. We found that conventional forest thinning was likely the cause for observed declines in bird occurrence, with-20% of the species showing clear negative responses. Our results indicate that understory retention thinning with double the retention level as previously suggested and combining conventional thinning with complete retention plots, could largely alleviate the short term negative effects of conventional thinning. This was the case for all guilds, population trend groups and individual bird species, except for Poecile montanus, which responded negatively to complete retention. Among the birds occupying the nest boxes, only Cyanistes caeruleus responded to any of the treatments, with higher nest box occupancy upon understory retention thinning. No thinning treatment affected reproductive success in P. major. Our results clearly show that thinning practices that retain the diversity of forest-dwelling birds are possible. Hence, this study provides a crucial puzzle piece towards more sustainable forestry practices in the boreal region.
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| 32. |
- Klein, Julian, et al.
(author)
-
Tree species identity and composition shape the epiphytic lichen community of structurally simple boreal forests over vast areas
- 2021
-
In: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 16
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Greatly simplified ecosystems are often neglected for biodiversity studies. However, these simplified systems dominate in many regions of the world, and a lack of understanding of what shapes species occurrence in these systems can have consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem services at a massive scale. In Fennoscandia, ~90% of the boreal forest (~21Mha) is structurally simplified with little knowledge of how forest structural elements shape the occurrence and diversity of for example epiphytic lichens in these managed forests. One form of structural simplification is the reduction of the number and frequency of different tree species. As many lichen species have host tree preferences, it is particularly likely that this simplification has a huge effect on the lichen community in managed forests. In a 40–70 years old boreal forest in Sweden, we therefore related the occurrence and richness of all observed epiphytic lichens to the host tree species and beta and gamma lichen diversity at the forest stand level to the stand’s tree species composition and stem diameter. Picea abies hosted the highest lichen richness followed by Pinus sylvestris, Quercus robur, Alnus glutinosa, Betula spp., and Populus tremula. However, P. tremula hosted twice as many uncommon species as any of the other tree species. Stand level beta and gamma diversity was twice as high on stands with four compared to one tree species, and was highest when either coniferous or deciduous trees made up 40–50% of the trees. The stem diameter was positively related to lichen richness at the tree and stand level, but negatively to beta diversity. For biodiversity, these findings imply that leaving a few trees of a different species during forest thinning is unlikely as effective as combining life-boat trees for endangered species with an even tree species mixture.
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| 33. |
- Klein, Julian, et al.
(author)
-
What is good for birds is not always good for lichens: Interactions between forest structure and species richness in managed boreal forests
- 2020
-
In: Forest Ecology and Management. - : Elsevier BV. - 0378-1127 .- 1872-7042. ; 473
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Forestry in the boreal region increasingly replaces natural disturbances in shaping biodiversity. Large-scale removal of small diameter trees (thinning), is ubiquitous in northern European forestry, yet an understanding of how it relates to biodiversity across taxa is lacking. To address this, we examined how two forest structural elements, commonly impacted by forest thinning (i.e. vegetation density in the understory and overstory), are correlated with the species richness of forest-dwelling birds and epiphytic lichens. These taxa were chosen because they likely have opposing habitat demands: epiphytic lichens potentially benefitting from more light in open forests, and birds benefitting from structurally complex forests for foraging, nesting and cover. We used remote sensing tools, already applied in forestry planning, to see if management recommendations could be found that balance the needs of both taxonomic groups within the same forests. Our results show that richness in epiphytic lichens and forest-dwelling birds is not correlated and that a high species richness (similar to 15 birds & similar to 40 epiphytic lichens) in both taxa is only predicted in the same stand under a specific vertical distribution and density of the forest's vegetation: this occurs when the vegetation above 3 m is open (to promote epiphytic lichen richness) and below 3 m is dense (to promote bird richness). Dense vegetation up to 7 m above ground has a diverging effect on forest birds (positive) and epiphytic lichens (negative). A larger stem diameter further increases species richness in both taxa. Our study provides results that are directly implementable in forestry planning over large areas with the help of remote sensing tools (LiDAR).
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| 34. |
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| 35. |
- Low, Matthew, et al.
(author)
-
Habitat-specific differences in adult survival rates and its links to parental workload and on-nest predation
- 2010
-
In: Journal of Animal Ecology. - : Wiley. - 0021-8790 .- 1365-2656. ; 79, s. 214-224
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- P>1. Adult survival rates strongly affect population growth, but few studies have quantified if and why adult survival differs between breeding habitats. We investigated potential causes of habitat-specific adult survival rates for male and female northern wheatears (Oenanthe oenanthe L.) breeding in Swedish farmland.2. We used multistate mark-recapture models based on 1263 breeding records between 1993 and 2007 to estimate survival rates based on habitat-type (SHORT vs. TALL ground vegetation) and breeding-success state parameters. We also used breeding-season observations from 2002 to 2007 and an experimental manipulation of ground vegetation height to identify factors influencing adult mortality.3. Females had lower annual survival than males (0 center dot 42 +/- 0 center dot 02 vs. 0 center dot 50 +/- 0 center dot 02); this difference largely resulted from low female survival in TALL habitats because of higher nest-predation risk and the large proportion of adult females being killed on the nest (> 20%) during nest predation events.4. Among successful breeders, both sexes displayed similar survival rates, but survival was lower for breeders in TALL as compared to SHORT habitats (0 center dot 43 +/- 0 center dot 03 vs. 0 center dot 51 +/- 0 center dot 02). Experimental manipulation of ground vegetation height, controlling for individual and territory quality (n = 132), suggested the cost of rearing young to be higher in TALL habitats (survival of successful breeders in TALL vs. SHORT; 0 center dot 43 +/- 0 center dot 11 vs. 0 center dot 57 +/- 0 center dot 05).5. Detailed observations of food provisioning behaviour during chick rearing revealed a habitat-related difference in parental workload corresponding to the observed habitat differences in adult survival for successful breeders. Adults breeding in TALL habitats were forced to forage further from the nest relative to SHORT-habitat breeders (mean +/- SE; 69 +/- 10 vs. 21 +/- 2 m), which increased the estimated daily workload for adults in TALL vs. SHORT habitats by c. 20%.6. On-nest predation and parental workload during chick rearing combine to largely explain habitat-specific adult survival rates. The results have implications for our understanding of adult sex ratios, causes of source-sink demography and habitat-specific growth rates. Furthermore, it suggests SHORT field margins and other residual habitat elements to be important for the conservation of farmland passerines breeding in cropland plains.
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| 36. |
- Mikusinski, Grzegorz, et al.
(author)
-
Pippi på Nepal
- 2013
-
In: Resurs (Uppsala). - 1653-2058. ; , s. 3-
-
Journal article (pop. science, debate, etc.)
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| 37. |
- Ninkovic, Velemir, et al.
(author)
-
Samodla kornsorter... och minska bladlusangreppen.
- 2017
-
Other publication (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Samodling av specifika sortkombinationer mobiliserar kornets försvar mot bladlöss, vilket kan vara en viktig del av ett förebyggande växtskydd i ekologisk produktion. Men vilka sorter ska man samodla? Ett pågående SLU- och Formasprojekt kommer ge svar.
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| 38. |
- Nystrand, Magdalena, et al.
(author)
-
Habitat-specific demography and source-sink dynamics in a population of Siberian jays
- 2010
-
In: Journal of Animal Ecology. - : Wiley. - 0021-8790 .- 1365-2656. ; 79:1, s. 266-274
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- There are a number of models describing population structure, many of which have the capacity to incorporate spatial habitat effects. One such model is the source-sink model, that describes a system where some habitats have a natality that is higher than mortality (source) and others have a mortality that exceeds natality (sink). A source can be maintained in the absence of migration, whereas a sink will go extinct. 2. However, the interaction between population dynamics and habitat quality is complex, and concerns have been raised about the validity of published empirical studies addressing source-sink dynamics. In particular, some of these studies fail to provide data on survival, a significant component in disentangling a sink from a low quality source. Moreover, failing to account for a density-dependent increase in mortality, or decrease in fecundity, can result in a territory being falsely assigned as a sink, when in fact, this density-dependent suppression only decreases the population size to a lower level, hence indicating a 'pseudo-sink'. 3. In this study, we investigate a long-term data set for key components of territory-specific demography (mortality and reproduction) and their relationship to habitat characteristics in the territorial, group-living Siberian jay (Perisoreus infaustus). We also assess territory-specific population growth rates (r), to test whether spatial population dynamics are consistent with the ideas of source-sink dynamics. 4. Although average mortality did not differ between sexes, habitat-specific mortality did. Female mortality was higher in older forests, a pattern not observed in males. Male mortality only increased with an increasing amount of open areas. Moreover, reproductive success was higher further away from human settlement, indicating a strong effect of human-associated nest predators. 5. Averaged over all years, 76% of the territories were sources. These territories generally consisted of less open areas, and were located further away from human settlement. 6. The source-sink model provides a tool for modelling demography in distinct habitat patches of different quality, which can aid in identifying key habitats within the landscape, and thus, reduce the risk of implementing unsound management decisions.
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| 39. |
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| 40. |
- Rubene, Diana, et al.
(author)
-
Disentangling olfactory and visual information used by field foraging birds
- 2019
-
In: Ecology and Evolution. - : Wiley. - 2045-7758. ; 9, s. 545-552
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Foraging strategies of birds can influence trophic plant-insect networks with impacts on primary plant production. Recent experiments show that some forest insectivorous birds can use herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) to locate herbivore-infested trees, but it is unclear how birds combine or prioritize visual and olfactory information when making foraging decisions. Here, we investigated attraction of ground-foraging birds to HIPVs and visible prey in short vegetation on farmland in a series of foraging choice experiments. Birds showed an initial preference for HIPVs when visual information was the same for all choice options (i.e., one experimental setup had all options with visible prey, another setup with hidden prey). However, if the alternatives within an experimental setup included visible prey (without HIPV) in competition with HIPV-only, then birds preferred the visual option over HIPVs. Our results show that olfactory cues can play an important role in birds' foraging choices when visual information contains little variation; however, visual cues are preferred when variation is present. This suggests certain aspects of bird foraging decisions in agricultural habitats are mediated by olfactory interaction mechanisms between birds and plants. We also found that birds from variety of dietary food guilds were attracted to HIPVs; hence, the ability of birds to use plant cues is probably more general than previously thought, and may influence the biological pest control potential of birds on farmland.
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| 41. |
- Versluijs, Martijn, et al.
(author)
-
Ecological restoration for biodiversity conservation improves habitat quality for an insectivorous passerine in boreal forest
- 2019
-
In: Biological Conservation. - : Elsevier BV. - 0006-3207 .- 1873-2917. ; 237, s. 90-96
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- It is increasingly recognized that successful biodiversity conservation will necessitate active ecological restoration measures. In boreal forests, emulating natural disturbances is commonly used as a restoration tool for improving habitat quality for a range of sensitive species. We assessed the consequences of prescribed burning and artificial gap creation on the demographic parameters of an insectivorous bird, the pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca). This to improve our ability to develop strategies for successful ecological restoration aiming at improving the conservation status of boreal forest birds. Pied flycatchers reproduced equally well in nature reserves, forests subjected to ecological restoration and untreated control stands. Nestling body weight was found to be higher in stands restored through prescribed burning. Considering that nestling condition at the time of fledging is known to be positively related to survival rates after fledging, our results suggest a positive effect of prescribed burning on population dynamics and on local habitat quality. Our findings should encourage forest managers to actively use prescribed burning as a management tool in boreal forests to complement other conservation measures. However, one should be careful with generalizing these results to other bird species as they only are directly applicable to pied flycatchers. Still, they may potentially apply also to other insectivorous bird species with similar habitat requirements. In addition, it should be stressed that to maintain diverse boreal forest bird assemblages, heterogeneous landscapes are needed including both burned and unburned forest of different successional stages.
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| 42. |
- Versluijs, Martijn, et al.
(author)
-
Foraging behavior of the Eurasian three-toed woodpecker (Picoides tridactylus) and its implications for ecological restoration and sustainable boreal forest management
- 2020
-
In: Avian Conservation and Ecology. - 1712-6568 .- 1712-6576. ; 15
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Several studies have shown that the Three-toed Woodpecker (Picoides tridactylus) is strongly favored by large-scale disturbances, including forest fires. However, natural disturbances have largely disappeared from European boreal forests because of modern forestry practices and fire suppression. We currently lack knowledge on the foraging activity and resource use of the Eurasian Three-toed Woodpecker, especially in burned forests, and this restricts our ability to develop strategies for sustainable forest management and ecological restoration aiming at improving the situation of this woodpecker and associated species. In order to fill this knowledge gap, we studied the characteristics of selected foraging substrates and the foraging behavior of the Three-toed Woodpecker during the breeding season in unburned forests and forests that have been subjected to prescribed burning. We used instantaneous sampling during two consecutive springs (2016-2017), where we observed the woodpeckers' foraging behavior during a total of 977 minutes in burned forest and 962 minutes in unburned forests. The preferred foraging substrate for Three-toed Woodpeckers in both burned and unburned forests can be characterized as freshly dead trees with a DBH > 15 cm. However, data on time spent foraging on different substrates suggest that also substrates in the 5-15 DBH range and living trees are important. Additionally, prescribed burnings led to less pronounced selection of tree species, which suggest that fire may reduce differences in abundance of saproxylic insect prey between tree species. This information on substrate selection and foraging time provide complementary knowledge and thus should be used simultaneously when management strategies for improved woodpecker habitat are developed. Our results suggest that both prescribed burning and protecting forests with high density and diversity of dead wood provides habitat opportunities for Three-toed Woodpeckers and using both in management may maximize conservation outcome.
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| 43. |
- Winqvist, Camilla, et al.
(author)
-
Mixed effects of organic farming and landscape complexity on farmland biodiversity and biological control potential across Europe
- 2011
-
In: Journal of Applied Ecology. - : Wiley. - 0021-8901 .- 1365-2664. ; 48, s. 570-579
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- 5. Synthesis and applications. This Europe-wide study shows that organic farming enhanced the biodiversity of plants and birds in all landscapes, but only improved the potential for biological control in heterogeneous landscapes. These mixed results stress the importance of taking both local management and regional landscape complexity into consideration when developing future agri-environment schemes, and suggest that local-regional interactions may affect other ecosystem services and functions. This study also shows that it is not enough to design and monitor agri-environment schemes on the basis of biodiversity, but that ecosystem services should be considered too.
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| 44. |
- Öberg, Meit, et al.
(author)
-
Rainfall during parental care reduces reproductive and survival components of fitness in a passerine bird
- 2015
-
In: Ecology and Evolution. - : Wiley. - 2045-7758. ; 5, s. 345-356
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Adverse weather conditions during parental care may have direct consequences for offspring production, but longer-term effects on juvenile and parental survival are less well known. We used long-term data on reproductive output, recruitment, and parental survival in northern wheatears (Oenanthe oenanthe) to investigate the effects of rainfall during parental care on fledging success, recruitment success (juvenile survival), and parental survival, and how these effects related to nestling age, breeding time, habitat quality, and parental nest visitation rates. While accounting for effects of temperature, fledging success was negatively related to rainfall (days>10mm) in the second half of the nestling period, with the magnitude of this effect being greater for breeding attempts early in the season. Recruitment success was, however, more sensitive to the number of rain days in the first half of the nestling period. Rainfall effects on parental survival differed between the sexes; males were more sensitive to rain during the nestling period than females. We demonstrate a probable mechanism driving the rainfall effects on reproductive output: Parental nest visitation rates decline with increasing amounts of daily rainfall, with this effect becoming stronger after consecutive rain days. Our study shows that rain during the nestling stage not only relates to fledging success but also has longer-term effects on recruitment and subsequent parental survival. Thus, if we want to understand or predict population responses to future climate change, we need to consider the potential impacts of changing rainfall patterns in addition to temperature, and how these will affect target species' vital rates.
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