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Global maps illustrating (a) agricultural production areas in brown (Ellis et al. 2010, URL: http://www.ecotope.org) and biodiversity hotspots in blue (© Conservation International 2004, used by permission, URL: www.conservation.org) and (b) primary bird migration routes.
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Earth is home for about 10,000 bird species. They inhabit all continents and interface with agroecosystems worldwide. Bird migrations across continents and nations make birds a truly global phenomenon of broad but complex conservation appeal. Global agricultural expansion during the past 200 years and intensification in the last 50 have been key dr...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... resident birds interact with agroecosystems in different spatial and temporal ways so land-use changes affect migrant and resident populations diffe- rently ( Lima and Zollner 1996). Birds use agricultural habitats for food and cover resources during migration and other non-breeding periods, and for nesting and foraging during the breeding season (Fig. 2). While the former require steady food resources and protection from predation and weather events over a few consecutive months of the year, the latter require these amenities year-round in addition to meeting reproductive needs for raising young. Maintaining species richness of both residents and migrants is facilitated by planning ...
Context 2
... both Europe and North America, and concerns about potential increases in the frequency and intensity of storms that affect migrating birds (Faaborg et al. 2010). Some long-distance migrant birds fly between continents. Nearctic-Neotropical migrants fly between South and North America and Palearctic-Afrotropical migrants between Europe and Africa (Fig. 2b). Other birds migrate shorter distances by shifting closer to the equator during the non-breeding period. Examples include migrants in the United States and Canada that shift from northern latitudes southward to more southern states, or austral (Southern Hemisphere) migrants in southern South America, Australia, and Africa that shift ...
Context 3
... is some evidence that in addition to conserva- tion value, birds in cacao agroforests may be providing ecosystem services to farmers in the form of insect pest control. Vertebrate insectivores reduced large-arthropod density by 45% and herbivory to cacao leaves by 21% in Panama (Van Bael et al. 2007a). ...
Citations
... 38% of the earth's land surface is occupied by agricultural ecosystems, making it one of the most productive ecosystems globally (Foley et al. 2011). This ecosystem harbours a variety of animals, starting from small worms and insects to mammals (Johnson et al. 2011;Pejchar et al. 2018). Among all the animals, birds play a role in the agro-ecosystem by facilitating seed dispersion, pollination, nutrient deposition, and pest control (Whelan et al. 2008;Sekercioglu 2012). ...
... Crop composition and farming intensity can also be a factor to determine the species richness and abundance of birds in the agricultural landscape (Johnson et al. 2011). The Kalyanpur sampling site has a large agricultural patch with more grass-covered areas. ...
Environmental heterogeneity has a significant role in configuring native species diversity. Studies have shown that agricultural crops impact bird diversity in urban and peri-urban areas. This paper has examined how crop heterogeneity influences avian diversity and its trait composition in India's tropical urban and peri-urban agricultural landscape. Eighty sampling points have been selected in four sampling sites (20 × 4) of Bhubaneswar, India, where large agricultural patches are available. Different diversity indices of each site and Relative Diversity Indices (RDI) of all families were computed. A regression analysis was performed to assess whether crop richness affected native bird abundance and richness. The result shows that 11,259 individuals of 135 bird species belonging to 18 orders, 52 families and 42 genera were recorded in 4 sampling sites. The order of population at study sites is OUAT (3382 individuals, 104 species) > Daruthenga (2838 individuals, 95 species) > Kalyanapur (2585 individuals, 75 species) > Sundarpada (2454 individuals, 69 species). The regression analysis showed the crop richness positively influenced avian diversity. This study supports the theory of multi-crop farming lands supporting higher species richness and abundance. Here it is concluded that heterogeneous crop lands have higher species holding capacity than single-crop agricultural lands. Therefore, conserving multi-crop urban agroecosystems will help save urban avian diversity.
... Of all species in Malaysia, 168 species are migrants, 80 species are vagrants and 51 species are regionally endemic birds. Unfortunately, 60% of the bird species on the IUCN red list have declined dramatically due to agricultural land expansion (Johnson et al., 2011), deforestation and anthropogenic activities (Nor Hashim & Ramli, 2013). ...
Documentation of bird composition on the islands around Peninsular Malaysia is scarce and the attention is mainly focused on Malaysia’s Borneo Islands. Therefore, this study aims to fulfil this knowledge gap by documenting the bird composition in Pulau Tinggi. The study was conducted from March to August 2019 using mist-netting and direct observation methods. A total of 39 bird species belonging to 24 families were recorded. Among these, 28 species were residents, four species were residents migrants and seven were migrants. Migrant species include Wood sandpipers (Tringa glareola), Common Sandpipers (Actitis hypoleucos), Malay Hawk-cuckoo (Hierococcyx fugax), Arctic- Warbler (Phylloscopus borealis), Brown Shrike (Lanius cristatus), Siberian Blue Robin (Luscinia cyane) and Common Tern (Sterna hirundo). Regarding conservation status, only one species was listed as Near Threatened: The White-chested Babbler (Trichastoma rostratum). Our result shows that the coastal area is more diverse (H=2.252) than the forest area (H=1.933). However, birds in the forest area were more evenly distributed with an evenness index score (forest = 0.5759) over (coastal=0.3806). Thus, we conclude that despite its small size, Pulau Tinggi accommodates a variety of bird species, where the conservation action plan for the continued survival of birds on this island needs to be implemented.
... Rice fields may be left fallow after the harvest, or the field may be used for winter crops. Therefore, the agricultural landscape is a mosaic of different land use and land cover features, including cultivated land, fallow land, wetland, pastures, grassland, scattered trees, orchards, or small forest patches (Johnson et al., 2011;Katuwal et al., 2020;Koju et al., 2019;Sundar and Kittur, 2012). The heterogeneity created by those landscape features affects the bird community composition (Duflot et al., 2014;Ranganathan et al., 2010;Redlich et al., 2018). ...
Farmland birds are declining globally due to anthropogenic activities, with particularly few studies in Asian agricultural landscapes. Various studies have examined the impacts of landscape heterogeneity on farmland bird composition, but few have considered seasonal changes in bird diversity and examined functional feeding guild assemblages. Here, we disentangle the impact of seasonal variation (summer, monsoon, and winter), cropping practice (mixed crop, monocultural-crop, and fallow land), crop type (rice, wheat, maize, sugarcane, and other crops), landscape heterogeneity, and the number of houses and trees on the richness and abundance of farmland birds and their feeding guilds conducted within human-dominated agricultural landscapes of lowland Nepal. We established 116 transects (farmland = 100, forest = 8, and river = 8), and each transect was visited nine times from April 2018 to December 2019, with forests and river transect to test the dissimilarities in bird composition between those habitats and farmlands. We recorded 201 bird species in farmland, 133 in the forest, and 131 in river habitats. Bird composition on farmlands showed more dissimilarity with forest than river transects. We recorded nine globally, and 26 nationally threatened birds in farmlands. Seasonal variation and cropping practice significantly influenced the richness of all farmland birds and resident birds only, whereas species abundances vary by season only. We recorded higher species richness in the winter season and mixed crop fields but greater abundance in the monsoon and monoculture crop fields. Farmland bird richness increased with increasing tree numbers but decreased with increasing house numbers. Sugarcane fields had the highest bird richness within crop species, whereas rice fields had the greatest abundance. Seasons and cropping practice also shaped the assemblages of feeding guilds differently. In the context of increasing crop intensification globally, our study suggests that the governments in this region should encourage farmers to cultivate mixed crops and simultaneously restrict the urbanization of farmlands to protect bird diversity. Seasonality should be factored into analyses aimed at understanding bird diversity in agricultural landscapes.
... Restoring habitat quality in these areas may be accomplished using herbicide to remove invasive plants and native seeding to replace them (Barnes 2004). However, few studies have explored how herbicide-induced changes to vegetation affect avian breeding success (Johnson et al. 2011;Lindenmayer et al. 2017; but see Rivers et al. 2019). Understanding the impacts of herbicide on birds will help managers consider the costs and benefits of managing invasive plants that reduce avian habitat quality. ...
... Given the growing evidence that tall fescue has negative ecological impacts (Barnes et al. 2013;Maresh Nelson et al. 2019), efforts to restore native-dominated grasslands hold promise for improving avian habitat quality (Hall et al. 2012). However, there is an urgent need to assess the potential for short-term negative impacts of herbicide (Sullivan & Sullivan 2003;Johnson et al. 2011;Lindenmayer et al. 2017), especially for rapidly declining grassland bird species. Although previous studies show that bird abundance increases after restoration of invaded grasslands (Osborne & Sparling 2013), restoration activities may still create ecological traps (Dybala et al. 2014), especially in the short term as native vegetation recovers after herbicide or seeding treatments. ...
Tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus) is a widespread invasive grass in the U.S. that degrades habitat quality for biodiversity. Herbicide followed by seeding of native plants reduces tall fescue and is predicted to restore habitat quality over time, but little is known about short‐term (1‐2 year) impacts on native species. We conducted a landscape‐scale controlled experiment to assess the short‐term effects of herbicide and seeding on the reproduction of an obligate grassland bird, the dickcissel (Spiza americana). In 2014, four sites in southern Iowa were each subdivided into three patches (mean 7 ha). One patch in each site was treated with glyphosate herbicide (spray‐only), one with herbicide and native seeding (spray‐and‐seed), with the third serving as a control. Two sites were grazed by cattle from April‐July and two sites were ungrazed. We monitored dickcissel reproduction in 2016, finding that they were more abundant, built more nests, experienced less cowbird parasitism, had increased nest survival, and produced more fledglings on spray‐only and spray‐and‐seed treatments compared to control patches. Dickcissels nested infrequently on grazed sites—especially grazed control patches. We did not detect any impacts on clutch size, provisioning rates, or nestling mass, but Araneae (spiders) and Lepidoptera larvae (caterpillars) may have been smaller on sprayed patches. Positive responses by dickcissels were likely due to successful reduction of tall fescue and improved access to suitable nest sites through increased vegetation heterogeneity. Our results indicate that using herbicide and seeding to restore tall fescue‐dominated sites improves habitat quality for this grassland bird, shortly after restoration. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
... Also, agroecosystems present a combination of bird species with different habitat preferences, but some of them are occasionally found at native forests as well (e.g., Mionectes olivaceus, Pheugopedius sclateri, or Saltator atripennis). Those species may be using agroecosystems as corridors to move among native forest patches [80]. ...
Agricultural systems have increased in extension and intensity worldwide, altering vertebrate functional diversity, ecosystem functioning, and ecosystemic services. However, the effects of open monoculture crops on bird functional diversity remain little explored, particularly in highly biodiverse regions such as the tropical Andes. We aim to assess the functional diversity differences of bird guilds between monoculture crops (coffee, cocoa, and citrus) and secondary forests. We use four functional diversity indices (Rao Q, Functional Richness, Functional Evenness, and Functional Divergence) related to relevant morphological, life history, and behavioral traits. We find significant differences in functional diversity between agroecosystem and forest habitats. Particularly, bird functional diversity is quite homogeneous among crop types. Functional traits related to locomotion (body weight, wing-chord length, and tail length), nest type (closed), and foraging strata (canopy and understory) are dominant at the agroecosystems. The bird assemblages found at the agroeco-systems are more homogeneous in terms of functional diversity than those found at the secondary forests, as a result of crop structure and management. We recommend promoting more diverse agroecosystems to enhance bird functional diversity and reduce their effects on biodiversity.
... Grassland and farmland bird populations worldwide have declined steeply for decades [1][2][3], warranting urgent conservation action. In North America, grassland birds evolved alongside American bison (Bison bison; hereafter, bison), until overhunting drove bison to near extinction in the late 19th century. ...
Among the most rapidly declining birds in continental North America, grassland birds evolved with American bison (Bison bison) until bison nearly became extinct due to overhunting. Bison populations have subsequently rebounded due to reintroductions on conservation lands, but the impacts of bison on grassland nesting birds remain largely unknown. We investigated how bison reintroduction, together with other land management and climate factors, affected breeding populations of a grassland bird species of conservation concern, the Bobolink (Dolichonyx oryzivorus). We quantified population changes in Bobolinks over an 18-year period in conservation grasslands where bison were reintroduced, compared with adjacent grasslands grazed by cattle and where hay was harvested after the bird breeding season. Four years after bison reintroduction, the bison population in the study area had doubled, while Bobolink abundance declined 62% and productivity declined 84%. Our findings suggest that bison reintroduction as a conservation strategy may be counterproductive in grassland fragments where overgrazing, trampling, and other negative impacts drive declines in grassland breeding birds. Where bird conservation is an objective, small grassland reserves may therefore be inappropriate sites for bison reintroduction. To maximize conservation benefits to birds, land managers should prioritize protecting grassland birds from disturbance during the bird breeding season.
... The protection of stopover habitats may also benefit resident species using the same location (Bayly et al., 2018;Faaborg et al., 2010;Johnson et al., 2011). For example, protecting habitats at mid elevations (700-1700 m) in the Neotropics could be beneficial for migratory and resident birds because the species richness and abundance of birds with different life histories peak within those regions (Gómez et al., 2015). ...
... Strategies that can incorporate small stopover habitats for birds into planning for urban or agricultural areas could be vital for these species (e.g., Urban Bird Treaty, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2020). Conservation strategies that are amenable to human-dominated landscapes include protecting and/or restoring natural habitats, green spaces, and riparian corridors, promoting sustainable building elements like green roofs, facilitating conservation easements, and encouraging wildlife-friendly farming practices (Amaya-Espinel and Hostetler, 2019;Archer et al., 2019;Greco and Airola, 2018;Johnson et al., 2011;Partridge and Clark, 2018;Stodola et al., 2014;Wilcoxen et al., 2018). In some cases, conservation strategies may focus on time-specific restrictions related to human disturbance, such as construction activities, off-leash pet activity, noise, and light during migration seasons (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2020). ...
... In some cases, conservation strategies may focus on time-specific restrictions related to human disturbance, such as construction activities, off-leash pet activity, noise, and light during migration seasons (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2020). Some croplands in the center of North America may convert to grassland because of abandonment (Johnson et al., 2011;van Asselen and Verburg, 2013). Abandoned farms and pastures might benefit some bird species due to the reduced human disturbances and increased habitat complexity (Johnson et al., 2011) and studies have revealed that some forest breeding migratory birds use early successional habitats during the post breeding season (Burke et al., 2017). ...
Efforts to conserve migratory species have been challenged by a poor understanding of their temporally-dynamic distributions over large geographies. Consequently, most conservation plans have focused on the stationary periods despite the importance of migratory periods for overall population dynamics and fitness. Strategies that identify stopover sites for migratory species during migration and examine the potential for those sites to protect resident species may offer an efficient approach to enhance the conservation of both groups. Using crowd-sourced data (i.e., eBird), we identified priority stopover sites (PSSs) that target protection of 30% of the seasonal average abundance of over 400 Nearctic-Neotropical migratory bird species in the Americas during spring and fall migratory periods. We then calculated the proportion of global abundance of 158 resident bird species including 27 imperiled species, that were captured on those sites, analysed the extent to which sites were protected , and forecast changes in land use. Around half or less of PSSs were shared between spring (52-54%) and fall (23-32%), indicating that planning efforts should be season-specific. Less than 10% of PSSs were protected, while 30-46% were in human modified landscapes. Even though our spatial algorithms targeted 30% of the abundance of migratory birds, comparable proportions of resident bird populations were also captured (36% of resident and 42% of imperiled bird populations in fall, 22% and 31% respectively in spring). Our findings demonstrate that protecting stopover sites for migrating species can provide co-benefits for resident and imperiled species.
... Many of the recent bird population declines throughout the world have been driven by agricultural expansion and intensification, which have caused the loss and fragmentation of natural and semi-natural vegetation that birds use to forage, nest and shelter (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 2005, Johnson et al. 2011, Partners in Flight 2017. In particular, grassland and grassland-shrubland bird species have been seriously impacted by this human-driven process (Askins 1993, Herkert 1994, Brennan & Kuvlesky 2005. ...
... However, in comparison to grassland birds, they have received much less conservation attention and are less likely to be the focus of research. As a result, there are still large gaps in our understanding of the habitat requirements of nesting shrubland birds (McClure et al. 2013) and how they interact with agricultural landscapes (Johnson et al. 2011). ...
Loss and fragmentation of natural and semi-natural vegetation caused by agricultural intensification are related to many declines in shrubland bird populations, but they have received little conservation attention and research effort. In the Llanos de Ojuelos, a semiarid agricultural landscape in Mexico, patches of natural shrubland and nopal (or prickly pear) Opuntia spp. orchards harbour 60% of the regional avifauna, but prior to this study their value as nesting habitat for birds has not been assessed. In 2014 we recorded 143 nests of 25 species, 45% of which were of Mourning Doves Zenaida macroura. The nesting birds recorded account for 38% of all species known to use these habitats in this region and the number of nesting species is larger than in other North American semiarid and arid shrublands. Shrublands and orchards were not different in any habitat attributes measured, nor in the densities of nests found in them, but there were significantly more species nesting in shrublands. Nest height and visibility were not different between habitats, except for Mourning Doves, which nested at a lower height in orchards. Neither attribute affected nest success, except for in Black-chinned Sparrow Spizella atrogularis for whom successful nests were less visible. The assemblages of nesting birds might be explained better by particular plants used as nest substrate than by habitat attributes. Catclaws Mimosa aculeaticarpa var. biuncifera, Huisaches Vachellia farnesiana and V. schaffneri and nopal plants supported 56% of all nests, the latter being particularly important for Mourning Doves, while scarce Central-Mexico Yucca Yucca decipiens trees supported 40% of nesting species. There were interspecific differences in the phenology of nesting, which matched the feeding requirements of the young. Nopal orchards seem to provide abundant complementary food for birds that nest in shrubland patches. Nopal orchards and shrubland patches dotting the landscape may make the dominant agricultural matrix of the southern part of the Central Plateau of Mexico less detrimental to shrubland birds. Our study supports the idea that small patches of secondary shrubland can aid in biodiversity conservation in anthropized landscapes, a role that in this region is provided by shrubland remnant patches as well as nopal orchards.
... Most research dealing with long-distance migrants wintering in anthropogenic habitats in the Neotropic found that diversity and abundance are higher in agroforestry systems than in unshaded monocultures or in natural habitats (reviewed by Johnson, Jedlicka, Quinn, & Brandle, 2011). Less is known about the condition and survival of the millions of birds wintering in these habitats in the Neotropic (Faaborg et al., 2010). ...
... Natural habitat in Mexico, however, has been converted to agriculture at an annual rate of 150,000 ha over the last 20 years (FAO, 2015). The most widespread crops in Mexico are corn and sorghum, with 8.1 and 1.7 million ha planted respectively (Johnson et al., 2011). The most productive areas for both crops are the lowlands (SIAP, 2017). ...
... Population declines of several migratory songbird species have been attributed to the loss and degradation of winter habitat (Chandler & King, 2011;Rappole et al., 2003;Townsend, Rimmer, McFarland, & Goetz, 2012). Agricultural habitats that have a similar structure to natural habitats (e.g., coffee plantations) can constitute high quality winter habitat for Neotropical migrants (Bakermans et al., 2009;Johnson et al., 2011). Here, we show that even agricultural land that has been heavily modified and is annually cropped can provide relatively high quality winter habitat for a Neotropical migrant. ...
Migratory birds can spend 8 months of the year on their wintering grounds and the conversion of natural habitats to agriculture in Latin America has been implicated in population declines of several Neotropical migrants. Despite this, few studies have directly assessed the value of agricultural habitat for wintering migrants. We compared the condition and survival of Yellow Warblers (Setophaga petechia) occupying natural (riparian forest, scrub‐mangrove) and agricultural habitat (annually cropped sorghum, corn, and chili‐peppers separated by hedgerow) in western Mexico. We assessed condition with five metrics (daily and seasonal changes in size‐adjusted body mass, leukocyte profiles, rectrix regrowth rate, rectrix quality, and dates of departure on spring migration). We used Cormack–Jolly–Seber models fitted to mark‐resighting data collected over 4 years (2012–2015) to estimate January–May monthly survival rates. We found that birds occupying agricultural habitat and riparian forest had higher monthly apparent survival between January and May than birds in scrub‐mangrove. Birds in agricultural habitat also grew higher quality feathers (i.e., rectrices with a higher barbule density) than those in natural habitat. In contrast, birds in agricultural habitat were lighter than those in riparian habitat. We found no detectable effect of winter habitat use on daily or season changes in size‐adjusted mass and H/L ratios, although the effect of winter habitat use on departure rates differed for males and females. Our results demonstrate that agricultural habitat may provide suitable winter habitat for a long‐distance migrant and suggest that feather quality can be an indicator of winter habitat quality.
... Breeding success is the main driver of population growth of small birds (Chalfoun et al., 2002;Johnson, 2007) but breeding success is declining in many landscapes worldwide (Haskell, 1995;Hoover et al., 1995;Cox et al., 2012b;Okada et al., 2017). In agricultural landscapes, ecosystems are subject to multiple threatening processes that can change species assemblages (Johnson et al., 2011). Small woodland birds are in particular decline (Ford, 2011) (but see Ikin et al. (2018)). ...
Culling of overabundant and invasive species to manage their ecological impacts on target species is widely practised but outcomes are unpredictable and monitoring of effectiveness often poor. Culling must improve ecosystem function, so clear, measurable goals, such as improved breeding potential of target species, are necessary. Many overabundant and invasive species are also nest predators and nest predation is the principal cause of breeding failure of many birds of conservation concern. It is important for managers to know the likely effects on nest predation when culling one species among a suite of nest predatory species.
We tested the effect of culling a hyperaggressive, overabundant bird and known nesting disruptor, the noisy miner (Manorina melanocephala), on artificial nest predation rates in remnant eucalypt woodlands in a highly fragmented agricultural landscape of eastern Australia. Culling of noisy miners is already practised to manage this key threatening process, but evidence of improved breeding outcomes for target species is lacking.
We found no significant change in artificial nest predation rates following the treatment, despite a 28% reduction in noisy miner abundance in treatment compared to control sites. We identified five other nest predatory bird species, the noisy miner being responsible for 18.3% of total predation.
Our findings suggest a compensatory nest predation model, which is problematic for management. It means that, where culling is done with a view to improving breeding potential of target species by reducing nest predation, removing one nest predatory species may not result in a commensurate reduction in nest predation.
