Assessing habitat quality of farm-dwelling house sparrows in different agricultural landscapes

Post, Maria von; Borgström, Pernilla; Smith, Henrik G.; Olsson, Ola

doi:10.1007/s00442-011-2169-8

Cited by 9 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 43 publications

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“…However, the negative effect of farmstead modernization was strongest for building-nesters and noncrop-nesters (that comprised 83% of the studied bird species), whereas we could not detect an effect on field nesters. Thus, our results do not apply to all groups of birds, stressing that other factors, such as multi-scale habitat heterogeneity or presence of non-farmed habitats (Šálek et al, 2019, 2021Šálek, Hula, et al, 2018;von Post et al, 2012), might play an important role for the abundance, survival and reproductive success of these species. Consequently, factors related to landscape composition should still be taken into consideration in conservation strategies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 70%

Farmstead modernization adversely affects farmland birds

Šálek

Mayer

2022

Journal of Applied Ecology

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Farmland biodiversity is declining at an alarming rate and various conservation measures have been implemented to reverse this negative trend. Farmsteads within agricultural landscapes were recently identified as farmland bird hotspots, so we ask whether the modernization of farmsteads has substantially reduced their conservation potential for farmland birds. We assessed the effect of farmstead modernization on 29 farmland bird species in rural landscapes on 97 dairy farms across the Czech Republic, investigating differences in farmland bird abundance and species richness, as well as nest abundance of declining farmland species breeding in buildings, by comparing new/modernized with old and mixed farmsteads. Additionally, we investigated how farmstead size and environmental variables influenced avian assemblages on farmsteads. Farmland bird abundance was almost 3‐fold lower in new/modernized farmsteads compared to mixed and old farmsteads (this difference was mostly driven by building‐nesters and noncrop‐nesters). Similarly, species richness was higher in old and mixed farmsteads compared to new farmsteads. Old cow sheds hosted more nests (both old and new nests; by a factor of 1.6–21) of house sparrows Passer domesticus, barn swallows Hirundo rustica and house martins Delichon urbicum compared to new cow sheds. Importantly, effects of environmental variables were negligible or smaller compared to the farmstead type, suggesting that bird abundance and species richness on farmsteads was primarily driven by farmstead modernization rather than the structure of surrounding farmland. Synthesis and applications. Farmstead modernization may have strong adverse effects on farmland bird populations due to reducing the availability of critical high‐quality nesting and foraging opportunities. Modernization is largely financed from existing EU funds, which directly conflicts with EU biodiversity strategies aiming at halting biodiversity loss. We therefore recommend (i) including compensatory measures to increase nesting and foraging opportunities for birds during farmstead construction/modernization, (ii) increasing awareness of these problems among critical stakeholders and (iii) increasing support to small‐sized traditional farms to retain and improve habitat conditions for declining farmland species.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 70%

Farmstead modernization adversely affects farmland birds

Šálek

Mayer

2022

Journal of Applied Ecology

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A model for habitat selection and species distribution derived from central place foraging theory

Olsson

Bolin

2014

Oecologia

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We have developed a habitat selection model based on central place foraging theory. An individual's decision to include a patch in its habitat depends on the marginal fitness contribution of that patch, which is characterized by its quality and distance to the central place. The essence of the model we have developed is a fitness isocline which is a function of patch quality and travel time to the patch. It has two parameters: the maximum travel distance to a patch of infinite quality and a coefficient that appropriately scales quality by travel time. Patches falling below the isocline will have positive marginal fitness values and should be included in the habitat. The maximum travel distance depends on the availability and quality of patches, as well as on the forager's life history, whereas the scaling parameter mostly depends on life history properties. Using the model, we derived a landscape quality metric (which can be thought of as a connectivity measure) that sums the values of available habitat in the landscape around a central place. We then fitted the two parameters to foraging data on breeding white storks (Ciconia ciconia) and estimated landscape quality, which correlated strongly with reproductive success. Landscape quality was then calculated for a larger region where re-introduction of the species is currently going on in order to demonstrate how this model can also be regarded as a species distribution model. In conclusion, we have built a general habitat selection model for central place foragers and a novel way of estimating landscape quality based on a behaviorally scaled connectivity metric.

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Effects on rural House Sparrow and Tree Sparrow populations by experimental nest-site addition

Post

Smith

2015

J Ornithol

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Assessing habitat quality of farm-dwelling house sparrows in different agricultural landscapes

Cited by 9 publications

References 43 publications

Farmstead modernization adversely affects farmland birds

Farmstead modernization adversely affects farmland birds

A model for habitat selection and species distribution derived from central place foraging theory

Effects on rural House Sparrow and Tree Sparrow populations by experimental nest-site addition

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