Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
3.1
2.4
Journals
Diversity
Special Issues
Conservation of Farmland Birds
share announcement

Conservation of Farmland Birds

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Diversity".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2024 | Viewed by 4922

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Rocio Tarjuelo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Sustainable Forest Management Research Institute (iuFOR), Universidad de Valladolid & INIA, 34004 Palencia, Spain
Interests: agroecosystems; animal behaviour; biodiversity conservation; biotic interactions; movement ecology; ornithology; population dynamics; wildlife management
Prof. Dr. Manuel B. Morales

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Ecology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
Interests: agroecosystems; conservation biology; evolutionary biology; farmland and steppe birds; ornithology; population dynamics
Dr. Fabián Casas

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Zoology, Universidad de Granada,18071 Granada, Spain
Interests: wildlife management; biodiversity conservation; ecology; ornithology; hunting management; farmland; animal behaviour

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Farmland birds, species linked to the open grassy habitats composing agricultural systems, are among the most threatened groups of birds in several regions across the globe. Once benefited by humans with the conversion of forest to agricultural land, farmland bird populations initiated steep declines in the Northern Hemisphere around the mid-twentieth century with the intensification of agricultural practices to increase food production after the Second World War. Landscape homogenization, use of agrochemicals, loss of semi-natural habitats, and afforestation or shrub encroachment after the abandonment of low-productivity areas are among the main factors underlying the decline of farmland birds. However, their effects at the individual and population levels are still unknown for many species. Transition toward renewable energy systems constitutes a novel threat to the fragile status of many farmland birds, as agricultural land is often highly suitable to build solar parks. Generalized population declines across species have led to the impoverishment and simplification of bird communities, compromising the health and long-term resilience of agroecosystems.

The increasing food demands of a growing human population and geopolitical conflicts challenge the long-term commitment of governments and society with biodiversity conservation goals. Despite the incorporation of biodiversity-oriented measures within agricultural policies and wildlife conservation programs, farmland bird declines are far from being halted or reversed. This can be caused by ineffective environmental legislation or deficient ecological knowledge on target species. Therefore, this Special Issue welcomes studies advancing knowledge on the proximal and ultimate processes and mechanisms underlying the population decline of farmland birds, particularly from poorly investigated species and regions; individual, population and community level responses of farmland birds to drivers of biodiversity loss; policy drivers of farmland bird loss; novel approaches to the study of farmland bird populations; ecosystem services and disservices provided by farmland birds; and recommendations for recovering declining populations.

Dr. Rocio Tarjuelo
Prof. Dr. Manuel B. Morales
Dr. Fabián Casas
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diversity is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • agricultural intensification
  • agri-environment policy
  • biodiversity conservation
  • climate change
  • community-level responses
  • ecological intensification
  • ecosystem services
  • functional diversity
  • grassland birds
  • landscape structure
  • livestock grazing
  • pesticides
  • population dynamics
  • renewable energy
  • steppe birds
  • sustainable agriculture

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

12 pages, 939 KiB  
Article
Range Contraction and Population Decline of the European Dupont’s Lark Population
by Margarita Reverter, Cristian Pérez-Granados, Germán M. López-Iborra, Amparo García-Mellado, Emilio Aledo-Olivares, Manuel Alcántara, Antonio Aranda, Adrián Barrero, Gerard Bota, Daniel Bustillo-de la Rosa, David Cubero, David Giralt, Julia Gómez-Catasús, Matías de las Heras, José M. Fernández-Palacios, José R. Garrido, Mariano Paracuellos, Miguel A. Rubio, Gema Ruiz, Pedro Sáez-Gómez, Víctor Salvador, Javier Sampietro, Ana Santos-Torres, David Serrano, Julia Zurdo and Juan Trabaadd Show full author list remove Hide full author list
Diversity 2023, 15(8), 928; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15080928 - 14 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1512
Abstract
The Dupont’s lark (Chersophilus duponti) is an endangered passerine typical of Mediterranean shrub-steppes, whose European distribution is restricted to Spain. Here, we update the population size and distribution range of the species at a European scale and evaluate (i) the current [...] Read more.
The Dupont’s lark (Chersophilus duponti) is an endangered passerine typical of Mediterranean shrub-steppes, whose European distribution is restricted to Spain. Here, we update the population size and distribution range of the species at a European scale and evaluate (i) the current status; (ii) the change in population size and distribution range of the species from 2004 to 2009 to the current period (2017–2022); and (iii) the effectiveness of the current network of special protection areas (SPAs) for protecting the Dupont’s lark. The European Dupont’s lark population showed a decrease of 29.9%, declining from ca. 3267 to 2289 territorial males from 2004 to 2009 to the current period. Moreover, the species has suffered a contraction in its distribution range of 35.9%, with only 39.3% of the species’ territories located within the current network of SPAs. Our findings agree with the previously described decline of the Dupont’s lark in Europe. The population decline was even larger in peripheral regions, which suggests that the species is suffering a centripetal process of contraction and extinction. These results indicate that if there is no change in present-day declining forces, several peripheral populations will reach extinction in a few decades and the overall population size of the species will continue decreasing. Our study should be considered as a last call for action and used for implementing urgent conservation measures to protect the species and its habitat. Future studies should focus on analyzing and managing the factors driving the species’ extinction and future actions for the conservation of the species should focus on increasing the percentage of the Dupont’s lark territories within protected areas, since the data are alarmingly low for a species that is facing clear risk of extinction. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation of Farmland Birds)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 1080 KiB  
Article
Responses of Bird Communities to Habitat Structure along an Aridity Gradient in the Steppes North of the Sahara
by Juan J. Oñate, Francisco Suárez, María Calero-Riestra, Jorge H. Justribó, Israel Hervás, Eladio L. García de la Morena, Álvaro Ramírez, Javier Viñuela and Jesús T. García
Diversity 2023, 15(6), 737; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15060737 - 02 Jun 2023
Viewed by 1423
Abstract
We explored the influence of habitat structure on bird density and species richness in the poorly known bird communities in the steppes of Eastern Morocco, along a 200 km long N–S gradient of increasing aridity. The birds were surveyed, and habitat structure was [...] Read more.
We explored the influence of habitat structure on bird density and species richness in the poorly known bird communities in the steppes of Eastern Morocco, along a 200 km long N–S gradient of increasing aridity. The birds were surveyed, and habitat structure was measured in 44 transects regularly distributed along the gradient and during the winter and spring seasons in two consecutive years. After applying a principal component analysis (PCA), five axes were identified, including one related to the latitude–altitude–soil-type gradient and another describing the development of herbaceous vegetation. Generalized linear models were used to explore the relations between bird density and species richness with PCA axes in each season, considering both the entire community and groups of granivorous, insectivorous, and mixed-diet species. More than 90% of the birds were year-round residents, with larks dominating the community in both seasons. We conclude that a distinct multifactorial response can be identified for each functional group of species. In the winter, the community is mainly affected by the structure of the habitat, while aridity (and its assumed relation to primary production) is less influential. In the spring, habitat structure continues to have the greatest explanatory power, but location along the aridity gradient becomes more relevant. These findings reveal the interaction of the negative effects of climatic and anthropogenic changes in the habitat available to these bird communities, with a greater impact expected on birds with diets that include seeds, as well as a general shift of optimal breeding conditions toward more northerly latitudes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation of Farmland Birds)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 597 KiB  
Article
Marked Range Regression and Possible Alteration of Distribution of the Dupont’s Lark Chersophilus duponti in Tunisia: Conservation Consequences of Vanishing Alfa Grass Stipa tenacissima Steppes in North Africa
by Javier Viñuela, Jesus T. García and Francisco Suárez
Diversity 2023, 15(4), 549; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15040549 - 12 Apr 2023
Viewed by 1056
Abstract
The effect of global warming and desertification on bird populations of semi-arid North African ecosystems has been little studied, although ecosystems in those areas are suffering dramatic changes. Dupont’s lark is one of the most endangered passerines in Europe, but it is also [...] Read more.
The effect of global warming and desertification on bird populations of semi-arid North African ecosystems has been little studied, although ecosystems in those areas are suffering dramatic changes. Dupont’s lark is one of the most endangered passerines in Europe, but it is also considered scarce in North Africa, where its range and numbers are only well known for Morocco. We analyzed the current distribution and population size of Dupont’s lark in Tunisia and compared the current figures with older data. To assess the presence of the species in the patches of adequate habitat that we found, we elicited territorial calls by broadcasting the males’ territorial songs during early breeding season (N = 123, ≈40 h). Fieldwork (45 persons/day) and analysis of satellite images were combined to determine the current minimal extent of occurrence and area of occupancy, following IUCN definitions. In the only habitat where we found the species (well-preserved pure or mixed alfa patches in the Feriana-Kasserine region), the extent of occurrence in and effective area of occupancy were small (56.3 and 33.2 km2, respectively), particularly when compared with previous estimates (presence of the species in adequate habitat over ca. 89,000 km2). The species has not been detected at all in a large area in the southern part of its potential range, where additional surveys are urgently needed to locate possible remnant small and isolated populations that could persist, as suggested by two recent records of the species there. The breeding population of Dupont’s lark in Tunisia is estimated to be fewer than 600 song birds (335–577). The drastic reduction of range and numbers of this species must have been caused by the disappearance or degradation of alfa grasslands due to agricultural development, overgrazing, and increased aridity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation of Farmland Birds)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3

Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

Title: Marked range regression and possible alteration of distribution of the Dupont’s lark Chersophilus duponti in Tunisia: conservation consequences of vanishing halfa grass Stipa tenacissima steppes in North Africa
Authors: Viñuela, J.; García, J.T.; Suárez, F.
Affiliation: Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos, IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), Ronda de Toledo 12, 13071 Ciudad Real, Spain; Terrestrial Ecology Group (TEG). Department of Ecology, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain​.​

Back to TopTop