Multi-scale study of bird species distribution and of their response to vegetation change: a Mediterranean example |
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| Authors: | Audrey Coreau Jean-Louis Martin |
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| Institution: | (1) CEFE UMR 5175, 1919 Route de Mende, 34 293 Montpellier Cedex 5, France |
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| Abstract: | Land use changes operate at different scales. They trigger a cascade of effects that simultaneously modify the composition
or structure of the landscape and of the local vegetation. Mobil animals, and birds in particular, can respond quickly to
such multi-scalar changes. We took advantage of a long term study on the response of songbirds to land-use changes on four
Mediterranean islands in Corsica and Sardinia to explore the benefits of a multi-scale analysis of the relationships between
songbird distribution, vegetation structure and landscape dynamics. Field data and aerial photographs were used to describe
the vegetation at three different scales. Birds were censused by point counts. We used statistical variance decomposition
to study how bird distribution and vegetation at various scales were linked. We analysed multi-scale vegetation changes (floristic
composition, plot vegetation type, and landscape structure) and their consequences on bird distribution with multivariate
and non-parametrical tests. The distribution of most species was linked to at least two spatial scales. The weight of a given
scale was consistent with life-history traits for species whose biology was well-known. In the examples studied, vegetation
composition, vegetation type and landscape changes that resulted from land abandonment negatively affected birds depending
on open or heterogeneous areas. Our results emphasize that multi-scale analyses can greatly enhance our understanding of bird
distribution and of their changes. Management of these populations should take into account measures at various spatial scales
depending on the sensitivity of the species. |
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| Keywords: | Scale Land-use change Landscape Terrestrial bird community Variance decomposition Vegetation composition and structure Island |
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