Evaluation of NDVI to assess avian abundance and richness along the upper San Pedro River

Remote-sensing models have become increasingly popular for identifying, characterizing, monitoring, and predicting avian habitat but have largely focused on single bird species. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) has been shown to positively correlate with avian abundance and richness and has been successfully applied to southwestern riparian systems which are uniquely composed of narrow bands of vegetation in an otherwise dry landscape. Desert riparian ecosystems are important breeding and stopover sites for many bird species but have been degraded due to altered hydrology and land management practices. Here we investigated the use of NDVI, coupled with vegetation, to model the avian community structure along the San Pedro River, Arizona. We also investigated how vegetation and physical features measured locally compared to those data that can be gathered through remote-sensing. We found that NDVI has statistically significant relationships with both avian abundance and species richness, although is better applied at the individual species level. However, the amount of variation explained by even our best models was quite low, suggesting that NDVI habitat models may not presently be an accurate tool for extensive modeling of avian communities. We suggest additional studies in other watersheds to increase our understanding of these bird/NDVI relationships.     

广州南沙湿地公园鸟类2014—2018年际动态及其对生境变化的响应

为了解广州南沙湿地鸟类迁徙规律,揭示鸟类整体迁徙动态变化,于2014年1月至2018年12月,连续在每月下旬日落前3 h采用样点法和样线法对南沙湿地公园鸟类群落多样性进行调查。结果显示：1) 2014—2018年共记录到鸟类139种,以冬候鸟为主。2）鸟类物种数年际波动较大,丰富度年际变化不明显,即鸟类种类在逐渐增加的同时,个体数量趋于稳定。3）鸟类月度变化呈现明显的候鸟迁徙规律,越冬期急速上升,繁殖期平缓。越冬水鸟迁飞时间有提前的趋势,且在富有食物来源的浅水滩涂地和在无瓣海桑等高大茂盛的红树林群落有更多种类与数量的水鸟分布。最后,建议在注重绿化连续性和整体性的同时,保护和管理鸟类的栖息环境,适当扩大滩涂地面积,增加红树林种植面积以及合理地围垦,科学维持浅水滩涂和红树林种植面积比例,吸引更多越冬候鸟。     

Abundance and diversity of small-bird assemblages in the Monte desert, Argentina

Assemblages of small bird species (<90 g body mass) from the Monte desert in Argentina were studied to analyze spatial and temporal variation in abundance and species richness. Mean species richness was higher during breeding season than in non-breeding season. The same pattern was observed in aerial insectivores, while granivores and substrate insectivores did not differ between breeding and non-breeding seasons. Overall bird abundance was similar across seasons. Species richness was positively correlated with bird abundance and negatively correlated with dominance; bird abundance and dominance were not correlated. These patterns could be explained by distinct responses of functional groups of birds; dominant species were granivores in the non-breeding season and aerial insectivores during the breeding season, and bird abundance in functional groups changed according to food supply. Most species are residents or regular migrants, while there are few nomadic and transient species. Predictable annual fluctuations in rainfall and resource availability should favor a migratory strategy more than nomadic movements. Similarly, breeding is strongly seasonal and most species start breeding when the first summer rains have generally not yet fallen. Finally, concordances in assemblage structure at local and regional scale suggest that similar mechanisms are acting on the local bird assemblages across the Monte.     

Influence of cattle grazing on population density and species richness of granivorous birds (Emberizidae) in the arid plain of the Monte, Argentina

Cattle grazing is an important disturbance in the Monte plain, reducing grass biomass and rates of fruit setting. Grass seeds are the most important food for granivorous birds (Emberizidae) during winter. The objective of this study was to test whether granivorous bird populations (Emberizidae), grass seed production, and vegetation structure differed at sites with different intensities of grazing. Emberizid density and species richness were higher in the ungrazed site than in the two grazed paddocks. Seed abundance was also higher in ungrazed vs. grazed sites. Woody vegetation, that serve as safe nest sites, did not differ among treatments. Granivorous bird populations seemed to be affected by cattle grazing; however, the main mechanisms of this process remain unknown.     

土地覆被变化与管理对土壤动物群落演变的耦合效应

以黑河中游人工绿洲边缘天然草地及其转变的人工梭梭灌木林（21 a）、人工杨树林（28 a）、人工樟子松林（33 a）和农田（开垦27 a和100 a）为研究对象,基于6种研究样地中小型土壤动物群落的调查数据,采用多变量排序和通径分析等方法,研究了土地利用/覆被变化与管理措施对中小型土壤动物群落及其主要类群演变的耦合效应。主要结果是:①将天然草地转变为未实施管理措施的人工梭梭灌木林后并未引起土壤动物群落组成、数量和物种多样性的显著变化,而转变为实施管理措施的杨树和樟子松人工林及农田后,导致了土壤动物群落组成、数量和物种多样性的变异,证实了土地覆被变化对中小型土壤动物群落的作用及其效应受管理措施的强烈调控。②土壤动物群落的演变过程受土地覆被变化与灌溉和施肥管理的共同影响,其中灌溉的贡献率最大,是关键驱动因子。③不同土壤动物类群对土地覆被变化和管理耦合作用的响应不同。灌溉对跳虫、甲螨和革螨的个体数量和物种丰富度的直接影响和总效应最大;施肥对辐螨的个体数量和物种丰富度的直接影响和总效应最大;灌溉和施肥对稀有类群的个体数量和物种丰富度的直接影响和总效应均较大,具同等重要的作用。结论是,土地覆被变化与管理耦合作用通过改变土壤水文和生态环境条件驱动了中小型土壤动物群落的演变过程。     

闽江河口湿地的生物多样性及其可持续发展策略

闽江河口湿地共有鸟类118种,其中有冬 候鸟72种,夏候鸟12种,留鸟19种、旅鸟15种。 属于国家重点保护的珍稀鸟类14种,福建省重点 保护的鸟类21种,并有中日或中澳协定保护的鸟 类104种。共有维管束植物109科294属408种(含 亚种、变种)。有红树林、沙生植被、浅水植被、 沼泽植被4种植被类型和18个群系、22个群丛。有 大型底栖无脊椎动物61种,隶属于4门30科50属, 其中,节肢动物甲壳纲的种类最多,有13科23属 31种,其次为软体动物,有14科24属27种,有 浮游生物176种,其中浮游藻类97种,隶属于5门 45属;浮游动物有79种,隶属于6门62属。根据 闽江河口天然湿地类型,生物多样性的丰度、多 度、生态功能,将其分为3个层次进行保护和开发 利用:即重点保护类;保护性开发类;适度开发 类。     

Can severely fragmented patches of riparian vegetation still be important for arid-land bird diversity?

The vegetation of riparian habitats is often distinct from that of the surrounding landscape, thus representing unique habitat for a variety of biota. Although highly mobile, birds often exhibit distinct species assemblages associated with habitat. Therefore, degradation or removal of riparian habitat, particularly in arid environments, may threaten bird diversity. Along the Vaal River, South Africa, mining and agriculture have reduced natural riparian habitat to ca. 9% of its former extent in the Northern Cape Province. We surveyed bird assemblages within intact riparian, savanna and bush-thickened habitats along the Vaal River to ascertain their importance to bird diversity. Avian abundance and species richness did not differ between the three habitats. Species composition of riparian bird assemblages was significantly different to that of savanna and bush-thickened habitats, however, which were not significantly different from each other, and more species were characteristic of riparian habitat (17 species) than bush-thickened (seven species) or savanna (one species) habitats. Of three species reaching the south-western limit of their African distribution, all occurred in riparian habitat. Thus, despite its fragmented nature, the riparian vegetation on the Vaal still supports an important component of avian diversity, and a landscape-level approach is required to manage this relatively rich, arid-land, river.     

Desertification and animal biodiversity in the desert grasslands of North America

Studies of breeding birds and small mammals were conducted at a series of sites that form a gradient of severity of desertification. Desert grassland sites represented the least changed landscape units and mesquite coppice dunes represented the most severe degradation, an irreversibly degraded landscape unit. The hypothesis that desertification reduces species diversity was not supported by the data. Species richness and diversities (Shannon-Weaver H′) of breeding birds were higher in the desertified areas than in the grassland with one exception. Data from a site dominated by the exotic African grass,Eragrostis lehmanniana, in south-eastern Arizona showed that breeding bird diversity was lower at that site than at a site in the same region that was dominated by native grasses. Species richness, diversity (H′), and abundance of small mammals were also higher in desertified areas than in desert grassland. Most grassland species of birds and mammals persist in the desertified habitats and species that are characteristic of shrublands colonize desertified desert grasslands. This accounts for the increases in species richness. However some species such as the banner-tailed kangaroo rat,Dipodomys spectabilis, are eliminated when grassland degrades to mesquite coppice dune or eroded creosotebush communities. These data suggest that other measures of faunal biodiversity such askeystone speciesmay be better measures of the impact of desertification on animal biodiversity.     

Variations in species richness in hay-meadow vegetation at Voss,west Norway,in relation to long-term management practices

Because of its species-rich hay meadows and old pollards that are traditionally managed, Ulvund in Myrkdalen, Voss, is one of 14 areas in Hordaland county that are considered to be of special interest for cultural landscape conservation. The spatial patterns of species richness were investigated in hay meadows at Ulvund. Two main types of vegetation were recognised in managed meadows. Unfertilised and species-rich areas with a rather short field layer were situated in the steep parts of the meadows. Fertilised and species-poor areas with a high field layer were situated on flat or gently sloping areas. This spatial pattern is recognised in other west Norwegian hay meadows as well and is very likely linked to historical differences in land management; the flatter areas were formerly used as heavily fertilised permanent tilled fields for grain production, while the steep areas were used for hay production. As the conservation value largely lies in small, localized parts of the farms, conservation management actions can also be localized and thus feasible under modern conditions.     

Vegetation impoverishment despite greening: A case study from central Senegal

Recent remote sensing studies have documented a greening trend in the semi-arid Sahel and Sudan zones of West Africa since the early 1980s, which challenges the mainstream paradigm of irreversible land degradation in this region. What the greening trend means on the ground, however, has not yet been explored. This research focuses on a region in central Senegal to examine changes in woody vegetation abundance and composition in selected sites by means of a botanical inventory of woody vegetation species, repeat photography, and perceptions of local land users. Despite the greening, an impoverishment of the woody vegetation cover was observed in the studied sites, indicated by an overall reduction in woody species richness, a loss of large trees, an increasing dominance of shrubs, and a shift towards more arid-tolerant, Sahelian species since 1983. Thus, interpretation of the satellite-derived greening trend as an improvement or recovery is not always justified. The case of central Senegal represents only one of several possible pathways of greening throughout the region, all of which result in similar satellite-derived greening signals.     

Influence of land use on the abundance of wildlife and livestock in the Kalahari,Botswana

Human land use such as pastoralism may be a key determinant of wildlife populations. We studied the influence of land use on wildlife and livestock in south-western Kalahari, Botswana, during the wet and dry seasons. We included two types of livestock areas and two types of wildlife protection areas. Wild and domestic mammals >0.2 kg were sampled by distance technique. Small mammals <0.2 kg were trapped and a vegetation survey was performed. Livestock and some medium-sized wildlife species were most abundant in livestock areas, while large-sized wildlife species were mainly restricted to wildlife areas. Most red-listed species were confined to the national park. The influence of land use on abundances changed moderately between seasons. However, cattle moved into wildlife areas during the wet season. Differences in species richness and diversity were most pronounced during the dry season. The trapping frequency of small mammals was highest in the national park. Differences in vegetation structure included sparser field layer and higher cover of an invasive shrub in livestock areas. Our study shows the importance of protected areas for many wildlife species in the Kalahari. It also shows the value of a multi-species approach for investigating the effects of land use on wildlife communities.     

长果桑果熟期摄食鸟类多样性

鸟类对山地环境的变化敏感，对森林结构和食物资源的反应明显，我们在西双版纳人为影响的热带山林，进一步研究了长果桑果期摄食鸟类种群结构，对人类影响下森林生态系统动植关系及其动态变化有更清楚的了解；一些地区特有的鸟类种和亚种、大中型非雀形目鸟类、以及人们需要重点保护的鸟类，已经随着植被结构的变化和食源的减少而失去了。若不尽早消除干扰、改善植被结构，情况还会越来越严重。只有保护森林自然结构和自然更新，停止对森林结构的破坏性干扰，才可能有效保护鸟类多样性。     

Many a little makes a mickle: Cumulative land cover changes and traditional land use in the Kyrö reindeer herding district,northern Finland

Traditional land use systems are threatened by land use intensification and resulting land cover transitions in northern areas. This article examines cumulative land cover changes and their impacts on reindeer grazing grounds in the Kyrö reindeer herding district in northern Finland. Land cover transitions were studied using Landsat TM and OLI images and topographic maps. The results showed that the herding district has experienced notable land cover changes during the past decades, and most of these changes were directly related to forestry. The proportion of continuous coniferous forests of the total forest cover declined from 92% to 78% between 1987 and 2013. Approximately one third of the forests outside current conservation areas were disturbed by forest management by 2013, and remaining forests were notably more fragmented than forests within conservation areas. The extent of the road and path networks expanded considerably between 1960s and 2010 as a result of increasing logging and tourism. Accumulation of disturbances gradually results in loss of key resources and declined quality of the landscape mosaic from the reindeer herding perspective, which can pose a serious threat to long-term sustainability of the livelihood. Rapid land cover changes in non-protected areas highlight an increasingly important role of conservation areas in maintaining resources for reindeer husbandry in the face of intensifying land use. Sustainable management of resources outside conservation areas requires careful participatory planning and efficient cumulative impact assessment of different land use activities.     

Patterns of Avian Population Density,Habitat Use,and Flocking Behavior in Urban and Rural Habitats During Winter*

This study examined the use of urban and rural habitats by woodland bird species in winter in the vicinity of Athens, Georgia, USA. Population densities of most species on urban sites were either comparable to or greater than those on rural sites, and most species were flexible in their habitat use patterns. On urban sites, only the golden-crowned kinglet consistently avoided vegetation that had been opened either by felling trees or clearing undergrowth. Nuthatches and chickadees flocked together less often at urban than at rural sites.     

Seasonal changes in the relationship between species richness and community biomass in grassland under grazing and exclosure, Horqin Sandy Land, northern China

How species diversity–productivity relationships respond to temporal dynamics and land use is still not clear in semi-arid grassland ecosystems. We analyzed seasonal changes of the relationships between vegetation cover, plant density, species richness, and aboveground biomass in grasslands under grazing and exclosure in the Horqin Sandy Land of northern China. Our results showed that in grazed and fenced grassland, vegetation cover, richness, and biomass were lower in April than in August, whereas plant density showed a reverse trend. Vegetation cover during the growing season and biomass in June and August were higher in fenced grassland than in grazed grassland, whereas plant density in April and June was lower in fenced grassland than in grazed grassland. A negative relationship between species richness and biomass was found in August in fenced grassland, and in grazed grassland the relationship between plant density and biomass changed from positive in April to negative in August. The relationship between the density of the dominant plant species and the total biomass also varied with seasonal changes and land use (grazing and exclosure). These results suggest that long-term grazing, seasonal changes, and their interaction significantly influence vegetation cover, plant density, and biomass in grasslands. Plant species competition in fenced grassland results in seasonal changes of the relationship between species richness and biomass. Long-term grazing also affects seasonal changes of the density and biomass of dominant plant species, which further affects the seasonal relationship between plant density and biomass in grasslands. Our study demonstrates the importance of temporal dynamics and land use in understanding the relationship between species richness and ecosystem function.     

HABITAT USE BY MIGRATORY BIRDS AT A DISTURBED SITE

Migratory and resident birds were censused, and their habitat use quantified, during three fall migration seasons in Georgia, USA. The suburban study site was a large cemetery with patches of lawn and shade trees, deciduous brush, mature hardwood forest, and an open pine grove. The frequency of use of different cover types, perch heights, and perch substrates was measured for five resident and four migrant species. All of the migrants used narrower subsets of the available habitats than most or all of the resident species. Three migrants also used habitats that were relatively unused by other species at the site. The frequency of use of different patches of vegetation was measured for seven residents and five migrants. Four of the migrants used narrow subsets of the available patches that were used relatively infrequently by other species at the site. Although three of the migrants heavily used a cover type (deciduous brush) that might be available at most stop-over sites, the red-eyed vireo heavily used ornamental magnolia trees which are probably unavailable at most sites. The narrow habitat and patch use of migrants might reflect reduced intraspecific competition because of the small numbers of each species using the site simultaneously. [Key words: bird ecology, foraging behavior, habitat, migrant birds, resident birds, Georgia.]     

基诺山林地环境及鸟类分布的变化

随着人类经济活动的增加，自然环境条件也在改变；人与自然的协调发展，保护生物多样性已成为突出的问题。本文分析了基诺山（又称攸乐山）林地及农作区鸟类多样性的变化，以探索地方民族与自然环境的协调发展。     

Urban Biogeographical Analysis of Spontaneous Tree Growth on Stone Retaining Walls

Stone retaining walls in urban Hong Kong provided vertical habitats for spontaneous colonization by a diversified humid-tropical flora with large trees. A citywide survey assessed wall and tree characteristics to understand wall-tree relationships and identify conservation candidates. Nonparametric correlations were computed between 28 wall attributes versus tree count, tree biomass, and species-vegetation factors. Most of the 245 walls, with 1275 trees, were in residential areas. Moraceae dominated the 30 tree species, predominantly genus Ficus, and especially F. microcarpa. Natives formed the overwhelming majority, largely with pioneer and ruderal traits. The positive effect of adjacent built-up land use and negative effect of wall exposure indicated sheltering from wind could facilitate tree growth. Wall height was a key determinant as taller walls furnished more surfaces free from human disturbance and conducive to seed deposition by frugivorous birds and bats. Stone width offered more horizontal microsites for seeds to lodge. Stone roughness operated at the microscale to encourage nonarboreal vegetation. Joint attributes exerted strong influence on tree growth and less so on nontree affiliates. The walls-cum-vegetation, many older than 100 years, presented a precious natural-cum-cultural heritage, deserving protection as an urban ecological asset.     

Monitoring directions and rates of change in trees outside forests through multitemporal analysis of map sequences

This study explores the potential of historical maps to detect, measure and monitor changes of trees outside forests. The main goal is to assess local-level changes of scattered trees and orchards and their land-use determinants in two areas in Southern Germany between 1901/1905 and 2009. Firstly, overall landscape changes are recorded. Secondly, the spatial-temporal trajectories of scattered trees and their land-use determinants are identified. Thirdly, changes in quantity and fragmentation patterns of traditional orchards are analyzed in their relationship to overall land-cover change. The results confirm major losses in scattered trees, mainly due to urbanization, agricultural intensification, and land abandonment. They further reveal that, while orchards have persisted in total area, they have undergone critical changes toward a simplified landscape structure and loss of the traditional land-use mosaic, which is a characterizing feature of high nature value landscapes. Multi-temporal assessment showed that most trends have been continuous and did not change directions over time, but rather accelerated during periods of rapid change (most dramatically in the 1950-1990 period). The case of orchards and scattered trees illustrates a major problem of cultural landscapes in Europe: Semi-natural landscape features of high nature value are threatened by both intensification and abandonment of land uses. This makes their conservation a potentially costly enterprise, as both opportunity costs for lost alternative land uses and for conservation management costs arise.     

Occurrence of polar seabirds at sea in relation to prey concentrations and oceanographic factors

The distribution and abundance of breeding and foraging seabirds is usually a reflection of the availability of prey in the marine ecosystems on which the birds depend. At the scale of hundreds of km, differences in marine communities may be reflected in variation in the species composition of resident seabirds. At small scales, environmental features such as fronts or ice can influence where birds will aggregate to forage. Features at which prey become concentrated near the surface are of particular importance to bird species dependent upon small planktonic organisms. Concentrations of foraging seabirds frequently indicate the presence of such features, or of areas of unusually high prey biomass. The absence of birds does not mean that concentrations of potential prey are absent. "Assembly rules," by which one might predict aspects of the marine environment that birds should use in selecting foraging areas are proposed.