The impact of intensive agriculture on the bird community of a sand dune desert

Khoury, Farès; Alshamlih, Mohammed

doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2005.06.006

Cited by 15 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…The Desert Finch essentially owes its rapid expansion into Jordan and Israel in the last decades to agricultural developments in desert areas (Andrews 1995;Shirihai 1996) and is considered an opportunistic species that avoids true, undisturbed, desert habitats during the breeding season (Cowan 2000;Khoury and Al-Shamlih 2006). The populations involved in this expansion appear to be well-adapted to desert habitats with a marked anthropogenic influence.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nest placement and nesting success in two finch species colonizing a recently established plantation in an arid region

2008

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This study examines variations in nest placement and its effects on nesting success in the Desert Finch (Rhodospiza obsoleta) and the Linnet (Carduelis cannabina) which coexist in a recently established plantation (novel habitat) in a desert region in Jordan. A comparison with other habitats (old plantation in the desert and native, Mediterranean-type, habitat of the Linnet) showed that each species displayed similarity in nest placement patterns across habitats. Nest concealment predicted nesting outcome in the Linnet, whereas nest height predicted nesting outcome in the Desert Finch. Daily survival rates were significantly higher in Desert Finch nests compared to the Linnet's, perhaps because Desert Finches placed nests higher in the novel habitat, which lacked aerial nest predators. In accordance with predation theories of life history evolution, we provide evidence that variation in nest placement among the two species in a novel habitat resulted from previous exposure to different predation risks.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nest placement and nesting success in two finch species colonizing a recently established plantation in an arid region

2008

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“…). However, in some areas of the Near East, it is possible that the species is expanding in the most arid regions tracking human settlements that provide birds with water ad libitum (Cramp & Perrins ; Khoury & Al‐Shamlih ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Refugia, colonization and diversification of an arid‐adapted bird: coincident patterns between genetic data and ecological niche modelling

et al. 2013

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Phylogeographical studies are common in boreal and temperate species from the Palaearctic, but scarce in arid-adapted species. We used nuclear and mitochondrial markers to investigate phylogeography and to estimate chronology of colonization events of the trumpeter finch Bucanetes githagineus, an arid-adapted bird. We used 271 samples from 16 populations, most of which were fresh samples but including some museum specimens. Microsatellite data showed no clear grouping according to the sampling locations. Microsatellite and mitochondrial data showed the clearest differentiation between Maghreb and Canary Islands and between Maghreb and Western Sahara. Mitochondrial data suggest differentiation between different Maghreb populations and among Maghreb and Near East populations, between Iberian Peninsula and Canary Islands, as well as between Western Sahara and Maghreb. Our coalescence analyses indicate that the trumpeter finch colonized North Africa during the humid Marine Isotope Stage 5 (MIS5) period of the Sahara region 125 000 years ago. We constructed an ecological niche model (ENM) to estimate the geographical distribution of climatically suitable habitats for the trumpeter finch. We tested whether changes in the species range in relation to glacial-interglacial cycles could be responsible for observed patterns of genetic diversity and structure. Modelling results matched with those from genetic data as the species' potential range increases in interglacial scenarios (in the present climatic scenario and during MIS5) and decreases in glacial climates (during the last glacial maximum, LGM, 21 000 years ago). Our results suggest that the trumpeter finch responded to Pleistocene climatic changes by expanding and contracting its range.

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“…In temperate and tropical regions, land-use change such as agricultural conversion of natural habitat typically lead to the disruption of bird assemblages and a loss of functional diversity (Tscharntke et al, 2008;Flynn et al, 2009), but initial research suggests that the irrigation associated with agricultural systems and gardens in arid regions can actively increase the functional diversity of plants (Norfolk et al, 2013) and increase the abundance of pollinators (Gotlieb et al, 2011) and birds (Selmi & Boulinier, 2003;Khoury & Al-Shamlih, 2006). Human population growth and land-use change in arid environments are likely to have direct impact upon local bird communities, but may also have implications for the estimated 4 billion birds that make the bi-annual migration across the Saharan-Arabia desert belt, passing between wintering sites in Africa and summering sites in Europe (Frumkin et al, 1995).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Migratory bird species benefit from traditional agricultural gardens in arid South Sinai

Norfolk

Power

Eichhorn

et al. 2015

Journal of Arid Environments

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In temperate and tropical regions agricultural conversion of natural habitat typically has negative impacts upon the diversity and functional complexity of bird communities. In arid environments however, the irrigation associated with agricultural can lead to an increase in local abundances of plant and insect resources, so has the potential to benefit bird communities. South Sinai is a key migratory corridor for many birds making the annual journey from wintering sites in Africa to breeding sites in Europe. We assess the importance of traditional Bedouin agricultural gardens for both resident and migratory species by comparing the density and functional composition of birds within the irrigated gardens to those in the unmanaged desert habitat. Estimated bird densities were significantly higher within the gardens than the unmanaged habitat, with a higher estimated species richness within the gardens. Functional composition of bird communities differed between the two habitats, with gardens supporting a higher proportion of insectivorous and migratory birds in addition to the resident desert species that were associated with the unmanaged habitat.Migratory species were almost entirely absent from the unmanaged habitat, suggesting that this region may not be used as a migratory stop-off if not for the presence of traditional agricultural gardens.Keywords: birds; desert; functional richness; migration; oases IntroductionThe impact of anthropogenic land-use on bird communities has received limited attention in arid regions. In temperate and tropical regions, land-use change such as agricultural conversion of natural habitat typically lead to the disruption of bird assemblages and a loss of functional diversity (Tscharntke et al., 2008;Flynn et al., 2009), but initial research suggests that the irrigation associated with agricultural systems and gardens in arid regions can actively increase the functional diversity of plants (Norfolk et al., 2013) and increase the abundance of pollinators (Gotlieb et al., 2011) and birds (Selmi & Boulinier, 2003;Khoury & Al-Shamlih, 2006). Human population growth and land-use change in arid environments are likely to have direct impact upon local bird communities, but may also have implications for the estimated 4 billion birds that make the bi-annual migration across the Saharan-Arabia desert belt, passing between wintering sites in Africa and summering sites in Europe (Frumkin et al., 1995). In order conserve the migratory routes of these species it is important to understand how birds and humans are interacting in the en route arid environments.Crossing the inhospitable expanse of the Sahara desert can pose a major ecological challenge for birds, one which imposes an exceptional energy demand (Zduniak et al., 2013).Strategies for desert crossing differ between bird groups, with raptors tending to use soaring flight and small passerines flapping flight which allows them to fly through the night and avoid high temperatures (Bruderer, 1994;Chernetsov, 2006). Many passerines m...

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The impact of intensive agriculture on the bird community of a sand dune desert

Cited by 15 publications

References 13 publications

Nest placement and nesting success in two finch species colonizing a recently established plantation in an arid region

Nest placement and nesting success in two finch species colonizing a recently established plantation in an arid region

Refugia, colonization and diversification of an arid‐adapted bird: coincident patterns between genetic data and ecological niche modelling

Migratory bird species benefit from traditional agricultural gardens in arid South Sinai

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