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.     

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.     

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。     

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.     

Riparian plant species richness along lateral and longitudinal gradients of water stress and flood disturbance, San Pedro River, Arizona, USA

Diversity theory predicts that species numbers should be highest at intermediate levels of both disturbance and environmental stress. We examined woody and herbaceous plant species richness and cover in the San Pedro River flood plain, along lateral gradients of water availability (ground-water depth), flood disturbance (inundation frequency), and distance from and elevation above the channel, and along longitudinal gradients of water availability (ground-water depth, surface flow permanence, and rainfall) and flood disturbance (total stream power). Herbaceous species were recorded during four sampling periods, and spatial patterns for this group were time-dependent, reflecting temporal variation in limiting factors. During the summer dry season of a dry year, when overall richness was low, richness and cover of herbaceous species declined laterally from the stream channel with increasing ground-water depth, consistent with the idea that low resource levels can limit species richness. Following the summer monsoon rains and floods, when water was less limiting and annuals were seasonally abundant, lateral patterns shifted such that herbaceous species richness and cover increased with increasing plot location above or from the channel. The relationship of herbaceous species richness with tree canopy cover also varied seasonally, shifting from positive (greater richness under canopy) in dry seasons to negative (lesser richness under canopy) in wet seasons. Longitudinally, herbaceous species richness and cover were limited primarily by stream flow and/or ground-water availability during the summer dry season of a dry year. Following the summer monsoon rains and floods, patterns were weighted by the seasonally abundant annuals, and richness increased among sites primarily with distance upstream (and related rainfall gradients). Richness and cover patterns also varied between years with different flood conditions. During the two sampling seasons in the year following a large flood, herbaceous species richness increased with flood disturbance intensity but declined at the few most intensely disturbed sites, consistent with intermediate disturbance theory.For woody species, richness within plant functional groups varied in opposing ways along the lateral gradients: hydromesic pioneer species decreased and hydromesic and xeric competitors increased with distance from or above the channel, with no overall change in species richness. Among sites, woody species richness patterns were related to water availability, but not to flood disturbance. However, richness of woody hydromesic pioneer species increased with both increasing site moisture and flood disturbance. Woody and herbaceous species richness both increased among sites as a function of increasing flood-plain width, likely due to species–area effects. Overall, results indicate that flood disturbance and water availability both influence species richness of riparian plants in the flood plain of this semi-arid region river, with the relative influence of each factor varying among plant groups and over time.     

乌梁素海湿地:迁徙候鸟的重要栖息地(英文)

乌梁素海是干旱半干旱地区典型的湿地。其位于东亚—澳大利西亚及中亚—印度两条迁徙路线上,是迁徙候鸟极其重要的繁殖地和停歇地。从2009到2012年,我们采用样线法和样点法对水鸟及其栖息地进行调查,共记录了98种水鸟,隶属于6目、14科,同时记录到水鸟个体超过100 000个。其中夏候鸟55种(在此繁殖)、旅鸟39种(在此短暂停留),分别占所记录物种数的56.12%和39.80%。对所记录的鸟类及其种群的迁徙规律进行进一步分析,结果表明:春季迁徙期主要为3月上旬到5月中旬,比秋季迁徙期(8月上旬到11月中旬)短。水鸟繁殖的高峰期是4月上旬到5月下旬。重点保护水鸟(包括IUCN红色名录中的受胁物种以及中国重点保护野生动物名录中的Ⅰ、Ⅱ级保护物种)的集中分布时间是4月上旬到5月下旬以及9月上旬到11月上旬;相比春秋迁徙季节,夏季水鸟的群落结构相对稳定。基于研究,我们建议将乌梁素海湿地列入国际重要湿地名录及迁徙路线网络。此外,栖息地管理对鸟类分布的决定作用同样在文中加以讨论。     

Crops,trees, and birds: Biodiversity change under agricultural intensification in Uganda's farmed landscapes

Geografisk Tidsskrift, Danish Journal of Geography 106(2): 115–130, 2006

This paper examines the relationship between the intensity of agricultural land use and the abundance and richness of trees and birds in a humid tropical developing region where natural vegetation is being rapidly converted into farmland under market and population pressures. We analysed survey data on land use, birds and woody plants collected in 14 study sites situated within smallholder cropland and commercial plantations in southern Uganda. Commercial plantations had very few trees and only 10% of the original bird species. Land use intensification in smallholder systems also showed losses in bird abundance and species richness, but not nearly as much as in plantations. In both systems the impact of intensification was much bigger on the specialised and threatened birds compared to the less specialised species. This argues strongly for ‘species-sensitive’ conservation policies combining protected areas with land use regulation in areas undergoing intensification. We also found a much higher loss in bird biodiversity during the first phases of land use intensification (when larger tracts of forest are cleared) than in later phases characterised by clearing of smaller patches of vegetation and improved management of farm trees. This suggests high pay-offs to geographical targeting of conservation efforts in farmed landscapes.     

优势种密度制约及其对森林群落物种多样性维持的影响（英文）

本研究以南亚热带优势树种黄果厚壳桂(Cryptocarya concinna)为研究对象,采用控制实验与样地调查相结合的方法,验证密度制约对群落物种多样性维持的影响。通过在黄果厚壳桂母树周围建立24个成对的1 m×1 m幼苗样方,定期进行幼苗群落调查并做土壤杀菌,分析杀菌处理对黄果厚壳桂幼苗存活率及其幼苗物种丰富度的影响。并通过样地调查进行不同龄级相对多度与群落均匀度的相关分析。结果表明,杀菌处理可显著降低幼苗群落物种丰富度。黄果厚壳桂幼树密度随着离母树距离的增加而增加,其种群占整个群落的相对多度随着树龄呈递减趋势,黄果厚壳桂种群优势地位的减少将直接导致群落均匀度的增加,从而避免单优种群的发生,促进多物种共存。。     

藏北高原高寒草地围栏禁牧和生长季降水对物种丰富度和多样性的影响(英文)

2009和2010年夏天沿藏北高原高寒草地样带调查了高寒草地生态系统(高寒草甸、高寒草原和荒漠草原)在围栏禁牧和自由放牧管理下的物种丰富度和多样性(Shannon-Wiener指数,Simpson优势度指数和Pielou均匀度指数)。研究结果显示:自2006年起藏北高原围栏禁牧在植被类型和区域尺度上没有显著改变物种丰富度和多样性。物种丰富度和多样性主要受生长季降水驱动,超过87%的变异可由生长季降水来解释。物种丰富度和多样性在自由放牧和围栏禁牧2类样地对生长季降水的响应方式一致。物种丰富度随降水呈指数型增长关系,多样性指数则呈现正线性关系。研究结果预示藏北高原地区生长季降水的变化对于物种丰富度和多样性管理至关重要,在未来高寒草地保护研究中应予以重视。     

Bird assemblages of arid Australia: Vegetation patterns have a greater effect than disturbance and resource pulses

Arid birds are known to be highly responsive to spatio-temporal changes in food and water availability, and it is thought that this ‘resource tracking’ will obscure predictable patterns of community structure. Here we examine this resource hypothesis by assessing assemblage structure of birds in relation to landscape-scale environmental variation in the Finke bioregion of arid inland Australia, during an exceptionally high and extended rainfall period. We surveyed 197 sites stratified according to land system, run-off/run-on elements and distance to water, and recorded 106 resident and nomadic species. Cluster analysis produced five assemblages, four of which could be readily linked to a specific habitat type. Constrained ordination (CCA) was carried out using 38 variables that measured environmental gradients, vegetation attributes, food and water availability, and disturbance level. Species patterns correlated most strongly with vegetation variables (woodland, chenopod, grassland, and % mulga cover), and % weed cover. By contrast resource variables (flowering, fruiting, and water proximity), introduced herbivores, and most structural variables were poor predictors of species presence. Thus, we showed that resource availability and grazing disturbance are not major drivers of Australian arid bird assemblage patterns. Instead, patterning relates more to the interaction between bird foraging behaviour and breeding requirements and vegetation assemblages.     

Observations on the diet of the North African houbara bustard during the non-breeding season

The North African houbara bustard (Chlamydotis undulata undulata) is a medium-sized steppeland bird described as omnivorous and opportunistic. Its diet reflects the local abundances of plants and invertebrates. However, comprehensive studies based on both plant and animal materials are lacking to confirm or invalidate this characterization. The diet of the species during the non-breeding season was studied based on the contents of the stomachs of 42 adults collected during 2004, 2006 and 2007 in two regions of eastern Morocco. Taxa were identified to species or genus using a herbarium, a plant epidermis reference collection, an invertebrate reference collection, and an invertebrate fragment reference collection. We analyzed variation in the diet according to sex, region and year. The diet primarily included plant material (66 ± 25% of the dry weight of the stomach contents). The relative proportions of plants and invertebrates did not differ between the sexes but showed variations in space and time. The ingested plant and invertebrate assemblages differed between year and area but not between the sexes. These results suggest that both sexes forage in similar habitats and that their diet reflects spatial and temporal variations in plant and invertebrate availability, as expected for an opportunistic feeder.     

黄河三角洲滩涂湿地夏季大型底栖动物多样性分析

2008年7月,采用野外取样和室内分离、鉴定相结合的方法,对黄河三角洲滩涂湿地底栖动物进行了调查,并利用物种丰富度指数（Margalef）、物种多样性指数（Shannon-Weiner）、均匀度指数及生态优势度指数对该湿地内4个环境梯度带9类典型生境的大型底栖动物多样性进行了分析。结果表明,黄河三角洲滩涂湿地夏季共发现大型底栖动物36种,8纲28科29属,隶属于节肢动物门、软体动物门及环节动物门;其生物量为节肢动物最高,软体动物次之,环节动物最低。随着河口滩涂湿地从水生生境过渡到旱生生境,大型底栖动物MargMef指数和Shannon—Weiner指数均呈减小趋势,表现为潮间淤泥海滩最高,芦苇（Phragmites arustralis）湿地次之,海防林带最小。均匀度指数的变化范围为0．45～1．00,表现为芦苇湿地最高,潮间淤泥海滩次之,海防林带最低。生态优势度表现为海防林带最高,盐碱滩涂次之,而水生生境的潮间淤泥海滩与芦苇湿地最低。     

荒漠植物群落物种多样性及其测度指标比较

多样性指数及其测度指标的选择是群落多样性测度研究的基础,选择反映群落物种多样性、丰富度、优势度和均匀度的10种测定指数,分别以多度、盖度和重要值为测度指标,对克拉玛依农业综合开发区外围荒漠植物群落的物种多样性进行了定量测定,并对所选择的多样性指数进行了相关性分析和主成分分析。分析结果表明：对于荒漠植物群落,以重要值为测度指标的群落物种多样性、丰富度、优势度、均匀度测定结果比以多度和盖度为测度指标的测定结果更为合理;在多样性测定指数中,Shannon-Wiener多样性指数反映的群落多样性更为合理;荒漠植物群落的均匀度指数与多样性指数的相关性比丰富度指数与多样性指数的相关性高,说明物种组成相对稀少的荒漠植物群落其物种多样指数的高低主要取决于物种在群落中的均匀度。     

Population trends in the Slavonian grebe <Emphasis Type="Italic">Podiceps auritus</Emphasis> (L.) and Chironomidae (Diptera) at a Scottish loch

Loch Ruthven holds the largest British population of the rare water-bird Podiceps auritus, the Slavonian or horned grebe. The breeding success of this bird has fluctuated annually since records began in 1970. To investigate whether these trends are linked to the abundance of chironomid midges, which are an important food-source for the grebe chicks, we analysed a sediment core from the lake, which was sliced at 2.5-mm intervals and provided near-annual sampling resolution. We also analysed diatoms and algal pigments in the lake sediments and inferred changes in total phosphorus from the diatom assemblage to determine whether changes in lake productivity have influenced the abundance of chironomids. Trends in grebe productivity, chironomid abundance and algal assemblages were compared against climate data to determine whether climate, specifically, the North Atlantic Oscillation, was the ultimate driver of the trends we recorded. Our results show that grebe breeding success is positively correlated with chironomid abundance and chironomid abundance is positively correlated with diatom-inferred total phosphorus. Lake productivity and chironomid abundance began to rise early in the twentieth century and continued to rise on a steeper trajectory from the mid-twentieth century to the present. Since the mid-1960s, chironomid abundance began to fluctuate erratically and since 1970 was in phase with grebe productivity, with the grebe trends most plausibly lagging by 1 year. These trends appear to correlate with inter-annual fluctuations in diatom-inferred total phosphorus. No correlation was found between grebe productivity or chironomid abundance and climate variables, suggesting that the size of the chironomid population and breeding success of Podiceps auritus at Loch Ruthven is resource-linked.     

Assessment of grazing effect on sheep fescue (Festuca valesiaca) dominated steppe rangelands, in the semi-arid Central Anatolian region of Turkey

In the semi-arid steppe rangelands of Central Turkey, Festuca valesiaca and Thymus sipyleus ssp rosulans have become the dominant species on degraded pastures. We hypothesized that decreases in species richness and abundance are correlated with increasing prevalence of these two species. Therefore, our objectives were to determine whether there are patterns in examined vegetation; how dominant species contribute to these patterns; and how patterns differ between grazed and ungrazed vegetation. We determined that protection from grazing increased species richness. Grazing significantly changed composition through decreasing total plant, forb, grass and F. valesiaca covers, while substantially increasing T. sipyleus cover. Topography, soil and grazing appear to impact the dominance of plant communities where F. valesiaca and T. sipyleus prevail. These two dominant species had a significant effect in shaping vegetation patterns. Based on regression analysis, alterations in species richness with changes in cover of forbs and shrubs were evident, and spatial heterogeneity of F. valesiaca and T. sipyleus indicated unstable vegetative patterns in heavily grazed pastures and successional changes in protected pastures. Our study results identify F. valesiaca and T. sipyleus as indicator species of vegetation suppression in condition assessments of degraded steppe rangelands.     

Temporal and spatial patterns of tenebrionid beetle diversity in NW Patagonia, Argentina

Spatial and temporal variation in abundance, richness and composition of Tenebrionidae beetle assemblages were described for north-western Patagonia. Beetles were collected using 450 pitfall traps arranged in 50 plots across an area of about 22,500 km² representative of the Subantarctic-Patagonian transition of Argentina. The study area included three different habitats: forest, scrub, and steppe. Beetles were trapped at five, eight day sampling periods in spring-summer between November 2004 and March 2006. A total of 30 species and 938 individuals were collected. Total abundance was higher in November and January than in March, and species richness did not change among samplings. Species richness was greater in the steppe than scrub. Assemblages differed between the northern and southern transects. There was little correlation between the measured environmental variables and species composition. Historical factors might explain the observed patterns, but other environmental variables such as soil characteristics may be more informative in explaining the present distribution of tenebrionid species.     

Analysis of survival curves in seasonally mated pastoral goat herds in northern Kenya using logistic regression techniques

In order to assess the effect of controlled seasonal breeding on survival performance of pastoral goat flocks, a systematic breeding programme was initiated in a herd of small East African goats over a period of 4 years in Isiolo District, northern Kenya. This papers presents an analysis of survival rates observed in six different mating seasons. The statistical analysis is based on modelling hazard functions parametrically over time using logistic regression and polynomial spline functions. With respect to kid survival, litter size and parity of dam failed to reach statistical significance after adjustment was made for the effects of birth weight and milk yield until weaning. Highly significant interactions were found between time factors and the effect of mating season, indicating non-proportionality of death risks across mating seasons. Confining mating to the period between June and November is likely to confer a distinctive advantage in terms of young livestock survival. In contrast, joining does during the short dry season leads to kid mortality rates of about 50%, and should therefore be avoided. Doe survival was evaluated in terms of mating season, production cycle, parity, and reproductive status. The ranking of mating season groups with respect to doe survival was similar to that observed in kids, although the differences were much smaller and non-significant. The lowest annual mortality rate was observed when breeding females were mated during the long dry season. It is concluded that confining breeding to the long dry season can be an effective management intervention to reduce mortality rates in pastoral goat flocks.     

Testate amoeba analysis of lake sediments: impact of filter size and total count on estimates of density,species richness and assemblage structure

Testate amoebae are informative about palaeoecological conditions, but the methods generally used for their analyses in lake sediments differ from those used for their analyses in peats, making comparisons difficult. This study examines how filter mesh size and total number of individuals counted affect species richness, Shannon diversity, equitability, density and assemblage structure. We analysed the complete testate amoeba contents of six sediment samples from Lake Lautrey, France. The abundance of testate amoebae was high (1,403–10,870 shells cm⁻³), and species smaller than 63 μm in both length and width represented up to 89% of total abundance and 43% of species richness. A simulation showed that using 47- or 63-μm mesh-size filters reduced inter-sample differences and changed the patterns of abundance, species richness and assemblage structure, causing loss of information and leading to potential erroneous palaeoecological interpretation. Rarefaction analyses suggest that although 170 shells are sufficient to assess the general structure of assemblages, such small sample sizes can underestimate species richness by overlooking taxa with relative abundances <4%. Total counts of 400 shells yield better estimates of assemblage structure and recover at least 50% of total species richness, although species with absolute frequencies below 2% may still be missed. Higher counts are required to obtain reliable estimates of species richness and assemblage structure in samples that have high testate amoeba densities but are dominated by a few small taxa. Further studies should determine the bioindicator value and functional roles of small and/or rare species in lakes and thus to what extent overlooking them affects palaeoecological interpretations.     

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.