Article
Soil Science
A. Sandhage-Hofmann, S. Angombe, L. Kindermann, A. Linstaedter, R. Moerchen
Summary: Nature conservation in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly focused on elephants, has led to increases in soil organic carbon stocks due to the input of decaying wood and dung. This study found that the increasing densities of elephants were associated with rising contents of lignin-derived phenols in the soil, indicating the accumulation of plant residues. However, agricultural intensification had the opposite effect. The input of woody residues into soil by browsing elephants is an important mechanism for controlling soil organic carbon supply in the context of wildlife conservation.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Rocio Tarjuelo, Elena D. Concepcion, Irene Guerrero, Ana Carricondo, Yolanda Cortes, Mario Diaz
Summary: Agri-environment schemes (AES) play an important role in conserving declining farmland birds in Europe. This study evaluated the impact of AES on taxonomic and functional responses of farmland birds in Spain, showing that an increased proportion of food prescriptions led to higher species richness and Shannon diversity, while balanced AES increased bird abundance. The length of field boundaries increased both taxonomic and functional diversity, while the proportion of herbaceous crops decreased diversity.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Gerardo Jimenez-Navarro, Javier Rodriguez-Perez, Nereida Melguizo-Ruiz, Bruno Silva, Sasha Vasconcelos, Pedro Beja, Francisco Moreira, Rui Morgado, Silvia Barreiro, Jose M. Herrera
Summary: Assessing the impact of agricultural intensification on species and communities is crucial for biodiversity conservation. This study investigated the seasonal effects of olive grove intensification on birds and bats at both local and landscape scales. The findings showed that olive grove intensification had a negative impact on the abundance of the majority of species analyzed, especially birds, and the effect varied across seasons.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Natalia Revilla-Martin, David Giralt, Ana Sanz-Perez, Gerard Bota, Francesc Sarda-Palomera
Summary: The decline of fallow areas has led to the decline of steppe bird populations in Europe. The potential of fallows to support steppe birds varies depending on factors at both the landscape and field level. This study analyzed data from managed fallow lands in Spain to identify characteristics that maximize their conservation value for steppe bird species. Field characteristics and landscape context were found to have a significant impact on the occurrence and abundance of steppe bird species, in addition to fallow management. Conserving steppe birds through fallows should involve optimizing field selection, which could be implemented in local or targeted conservation plans.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Vicente Garcia-Navas, Carlos Martinez-Nunez, Ruben Tarifa, Antonio J. Manzaneda, Francisco Valera, Teresa Salido, Francisco M. Camacho, Jorge Isla, Pedro J. Rey
Summary: This study examined the effects of landscape complexity and intensive management practices on the functional and phylogenetic diversity of animal communities inhabiting olive groves. The results showed that landscape complexity increased ant functional diversity, while intensive management practices led to increased functional diversity in bird communities.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Jerome Moreau, Karine Monceau, Gladys Gonnet, Marie Pfister, Vincent Bretagnolle
Summary: This study found that organic farming has a positive impact on the behavior of passerine birds compared to conventional farming, regardless of species. These findings suggest that observing the behavior of passerine birds can provide valuable insights into the state of the environment and serve as an early warning for specific environmental changes in agricultural areas.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Ecology
David Gonzalez del Portillo, Beatriz Arroyo, Guillermo Garcia Simon, Manuel B. Morales
Summary: Agricultural intensification poses a threat to farmland bird populations by decreasing food resources. The study found that different agricultural habitats impact the availability of key food resources for farmland birds, with dry alfalfa fields playing a crucial role during critical times of the breeding season. The management of alfalfa fields and stubbles is essential for the breeding success of the little bustard.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Shantanu Kundu, Tanoy Mukherjee, Ah Ran Kim, Soo-Rin Lee, Abhishek Mukherjee, Won-Kyo Jung, Hyun-Woo Kim
Summary: This study reveals lower genetic diversity and more fragmented habitats in India compared to Sri Lanka for the star tortoise, Geochelone elegans. The findings highlight the need for genetic screening, strict measures against wildlife trafficking, and urgent habitat restoration to protect this highly-threatened species.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Szabolcs Lengyel, Mate Toth, Gabor Meszaros, Csaba P. Nagy, Edvard Mizsei, Marton Szabolcs, Bela Mester, Thomas O. Mero, Nagy Gergo
Summary: The decline of farmland bird populations since the 1980s has led to extensive research on farmland biodiversity conservation in Europe. However, surprisingly, there has been no direct focus on farmland birds in the landscape-scale restoration of grassland ecosystems on former croplands. Through a comparative study, it was found that grassland restoration positively influenced farmland bird species richness and diversity, while extensive cropland cultivation only increased species richness. Such findings suggest that landscape-scale grassland restoration can be an effective tool in reversing regional farmland bird declines and conserving farmland biodiversity.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Mike Image, Emma Gardner, Yann Clough, Henrik G. Smith, Katherine C. R. Baldock, Alistair Campbell, Mike Garratt, Mark A. K. Gillespie, William E. Kunin, Megan McKerchar, Jane Memmott, Simon G. Potts, Deepa Senapathi, Graham N. Stone, Felix Wackers, Duncan B. Westbury, Andrew Wilby, Tom H. Oliver, Tom D. Breeze
Summary: The study found that participation in agri-environment schemes led to significant increases in the populations of ground-nesting bumblebees and ground-nesting solitary bees, but not for other pollinator guilds. Recommendations for future schemes include prioritizing nesting resource provision alongside floral resource provision, catering better for the needs of specialized species, and promoting more contiguous patches of semi-natural habitat to support solitary bee visitation.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Review
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Anjaharinony A. N. A. Rakotomalala, Anoush M. Ficiciyan, Teja Tscharntke
Summary: Agricultural land use has a significant impact on biodiversity decline globally, but adopting sustainable farming practices like intercropping can help restore or maintain biodiversity and associated ecosystem services. A systematic review and meta-analysis of data from 18 countries and 63 articles found that intercropping significantly increased the overall abundance, density, and species richness of beneficial arthropods compared to monoculture. Intercropping also reduced the abundance and density of arthropod pests, while their species richness remained unaffected. Different crop combinations and spatial arrangements of intercropping had varying effects on beneficial arthropods and pest control.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Lionel R. Hertzog, Sebastian Klimek, Norbert Roeder, Claudia Frank, Hannah G. S. Boehner, Johannes Kamp
Summary: Fallow agricultural land plays an important role in supporting threatened and declining farmland biodiversity. The relationship between farmland biodiversity and fallow area is influenced by landscape factors and varies among species.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Ecology
Teja Tscharntke, Ingo Grass, Thomas C. Wanger, Catrin Westphal, Peter Batary
Summary: Organic farming is not the only alternative for harnessing biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. Successful agricultural measures such as diversifying crops and reducing field size are crucial for enhancing biodiversity. Creating a landscape level mosaic of natural habitat patches and crop diversification is key for promoting large-scale biodiversity in both conventional and organic agriculture.
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Robert Huber, Astrid Zabel, Mirjam Schleiffer, Willemijn Vroege, Julia M. Brandle, Robert Finger
Summary: This study analyzed how spatial factors influence the uptake of an agglomeration bonus scheme in a Swiss mountain region, finding that parcels farther from the farm and with steeper slopes are more likely to enter the scheme. Additionally, the collaborative process increased the enrollment of parcels cultivated by larger farmers managing their land more intensively.
ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Shakeel Ahmad, Romaan Hayat Khattak, Liwei Teng, Khansa Kaneez, Zhensheng Liu
Summary: This study predicted the distribution of the steppe eagle in Pakistan and identified highly suitable habitats in specific regions. Factors such as human population density, chicken density, temperature seasonality, and rivers were found to affect the habitat distribution of the species.
Article
Ecology
Guillermo Blanco, Carolina Bravo, Daniel Chamorro, Adam Lovas-Kiss, Fernando Hiraldo, Jose L. Tella
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Juan C. Alonso, Inmaculada Abril-Colon, Carlos Palacin
Summary: The study found that male African houbara bustards display more frequently under moonlight, possibly to detect predators and visually communicate with females. Moonlight also facilitates males combining booms with visual signals from white neck feathers, making multimodal signals more efficient.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alec P. Christie, David Abecasis, Mehdi Adjeroud, Juan C. Alonso, Tatsuya Amano, Alvaro Anton, Barry P. Baldigo, Rafael Barrientos, Jake E. Bicknell, Deborah A. Buhl, Just Cebrian, Ricardo S. Ceia, Luciana Cibils-Martina, Sarah Clarke, Joachim Claudet, Michael D. Craig, Dominique Davoult, Annelies De Backer, Mary K. Donovan, Tyler D. Eddy, Filipe M. Franca, Jonathan P. A. Gardner, Bradley P. Harris, Ari Huusko, Ian L. Jones, Brendan P. Kelaher, Janne S. Kotiaho, Adria Lopez-Baucells, Heather L. Major, Aki Maki-Petays, Beatriz Martin, Carlos A. Martin, Philip A. Martin, Daniel Mateos-Molina, Robert A. McConnaughey, Michele Meroni, Christoph F. J. Meyer, Kade Mills, Monica Montefalcone, Norbertas Noreika, Carlos Palacin, Anjali Pande, C. Roland Pitcher, Carlos Ponce, Matt Rinella, Ricardo Rocha, Maria C. Ruiz-Delgado, Juan J. Schmitter-Soto, Jill A. Shaffer, Shailesh Sharma, Anna A. Sher, Doriane Stagnol, Thomas R. Stanley, Kevin D. E. Stokesbury, Aurora Torres, Oliver Tully, Teppo Vehanen, Corinne Watts, Qingyuan Zhao, William J. Sutherland
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2020)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Guillermo Blanco, Pedro Romero-Vidal, Martina Carrete, Daniel Chamorro, Carolina Bravo, Fernando Hiraldo, Jose L. Tella
Summary: The study highlights the important role of burrowing parrots as seed dispersers in the Monte Desert, Argentina. They have a high abundance and are crucial in spreading seeds by preying on them and dispersing them around plants. Their nomadic movements and long flights lead to the dispersal of large amounts of seeds across large areas, suggesting they play a unique and significant role in the ecosystem.
Article
Ornithology
Mario Diaz, Elena D. Concepcion, Manuel B. Morales, Juan Carlos Alonso, Francisco M. Azcarate, Ignacio Bartomeus, Gerard Bota, Lluis Brotons, Daniel Garcia, David Giralt, Jose Eugenio Gutierrez, Jose Vicente Lopez-Bao, Santiago Manosa, Ruben Milla, Marcos Minarro, Alberto Navarro, Pedro P. Olea, Carlos Palacin, Begona Peco, Pedro J. Rey, Javier Seoane, Susana Suarez-Seoane, Christian Schob, Rocio Tarjuelo, Juan Traba, Francisco Valera, Elena Velado-Alonso
Summary: Based on the best scientific evidence, Spain should identify regional biodiversity targets, ensure criteria across environmental instruments like enhanced conditionality, and invest in biodiversity monitoring to evaluate the achievement of goals. Direct assessments of environmental objectives are feasible and beneficial for improving the environmental effectiveness of CAP measures.
ARDEOLA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY
(2021)
Editorial Material
Ecology
Mario Diaz, Elena D. Concepcion, Manuel B. Morales
Article
Ornithology
Inmaculada Abril-Colon, Juan Carlos Alonso, Carlos Palacin, Jose Manuel Alvarez-Martinez, Alberto Ucero
Summary: The Canarian Houbara Bustard is a short-distance, partial migratory bird species. After the breeding season, more than one-third of the individuals migrate from their breeding territories to non-breeding areas with higher vegetation productivity. Most individuals exhibit fidelity to their breeding and non-breeding areas across years.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Juan C. Alonso, Carlos Palacin
Summary: The global population of Great Bustards has been decreasing, with significant declines in China, European Russia, Portugal, and Spain. However, increases have been recorded in Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Romania. Urgent conservation actions are needed to halt the negative trends and ensure the survival of the species.
BIRD CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Carolina Bravo, Mathieu Sarasa, Vincent Bretagnolle, Olivier Pays
Summary: This study aims to investigate the relationship between depredation rate, nest camouflage and concealment in ground-nesting birds of farmlands and their predators. The study found that nests in vegetation higher than 30 cm had a drastic reduction in depredation rates by corvids. Management of vegetation structure is a key tool to mitigate depredation risk.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Juan C. Alonso, Inmaculada Abril-Colon, Carlos Palacin, Alberto Ucero, Jose M. Alvarez-Martinez
Summary: Males of the houbara bustard species strategically use multiple display sites instead of just one to maximize sexual signal transmission, with the number of sites chosen based on display intensity and the visibility provided by the main display site. The use of supplementary display sites is to supplement the viewshed provided by the principal display site and increase sexual signal transmission.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Alberto Ucero, Juan C. Alonso, Carlos Palacin, Inmaculada Abril-Colon, Jose M. Alvarez-Martinez
Summary: We investigated the factors influencing display site selection in the Canarian houbara bustard, including visibility, female and male distribution, microhabitat, and distance to human infrastructure. Our findings suggest that the bustards prefer display sites with higher visibility, devoid of vegetation and stones, and located farther away from human disturbance sources. Male bustards are particularly attracted to sites with better viewsheds and a higher number of visible females at both short and long distances.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Jose L. Horreo, Alberto Ucero, Carlos Palacin, Alfonso Lopez-Solano, Inmaculada Abril-Colon, Juan C. Alonso
Summary: The Canarian houbara is an endangered subspecies of the African houbara bustard, endemic to the Canary Islands. Its population has decreased due to hunting and egg collection, and although it recovered in some islands, it is now on the brink of extirpation in Fuerteventura. Genetic analysis revealed high variability but reduced heterozygosity, with distinct genetic units identified among the islands. Conservation measures should focus on recovering the population in Fuerteventura and preserving genetic flow to prevent further decline and extirpation.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Luis. M. Bautista-Sopelana, Paula Bolivar, Maria Teresa Gomez-Munoz, Rafael. A. Martinez-Diaz, Maria Fe Andres, Juan Carlos Alonso, Carolina Bravo, Azucena Gonzalez-Coloma
Summary: Plants not only serve as energy and nutrient resources for herbivores, but also possess activity against parasites and pathogens. However, the medicinal role of plants in wild animals is under-reported. This study explored the activity of extracts and essential oils from Papaver rhoeas and Echium plantagineum against laboratory pathogens, and found activity against nematodes and trichomonads. The bioactivity of these plants may explain the foraging behavior of stressed animals.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Carolina Bravo, Daniel Chamorro, Fernando Hiraldo, KarMa Speziale, Sergio A. Lambertucci, Jose L. Tella, Guillermo Blanco
JOURNAL OF PLANT ECOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Carolina Bravo, Olivier Pays, Mathieu Sarasa, Vincent Bretagnolle
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2020)