Farmland practices are driving bird population decline across Europe

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 120(21)

Published: May 15, 2023

Declines in European bird populations are reported for decades but the direct effect of major anthropogenic pressures on such declines remains unquantified. Causal relationships between and population responses difficult to identify as interact at different spatial scales vary among species. Here, we uncover time-series 170 common species, monitored more than 20,000 sites 28 countries, over 37 y, four widespread pressures: agricultural intensification, change forest cover, urbanisation temperature last decades. We quantify influence each pressure its importance relative other pressures, traits most affected find that particular pesticides fertiliser use, is main declines, especially invertebrate feeders. Responses changes species-specific. Specifically, cover associated with a positive growing negative dynamics, while has an dynamics large number populations, magnitude direction which depend species' thermal preferences. Our results not only confirm pervasive strong effects breeding birds, strength these stressing urgent need transformative way inhabiting world if shall have chance recovering.

Language: Английский

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Economic factors underlying biodiversity loss

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 378(1881)

Published: May 29, 2023

Contemporary economic thinking does not acknowledge that the human economy is embedded in Nature; it instead treats humanity as a customer draws on Nature. In this paper, we present grammar for reasoning built error. The based comparison between our demand Nature's maintenance and regulating services her ability to supply them sustainable basis. then used show measuring well-being, national statistical offices should estimate an inclusive measure of their economies' wealth its distribution, GDP distribution. concept 'inclusive wealth' identify policy instruments ought be manage such global public goods open seas tropical rainforests. Trade liberalization without heed paid fate local ecosystems from which primary products are drawn exported by developing countries leads transfer there rich importing countries. Humanity's embeddedness Nature has far-reaching implications way view activities-in households, communities, nations world. This article part theme issue 'Detecting attributing causes biodiversity change: needs, gaps solutions'.

Language: Английский

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Remote sensing reveals scale‐specific effects of forage crop mowing and landscape structure on a declining farmland bird

Journal of Applied Ecology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Jan. 2, 2025

Abstract The effectiveness of agri‐environment schemes (AESs), the largest conservation‐related expenditure for farmland biodiversity conservation within European Union, is often compromised by a limited spatial scale implementation. We focused on multiannual forage crops, surrogate habitat grassland birds, to assess scale‐dependent effects mowing timing and frequency local population size an iconic species, skylark ( Alauda arvensis ). While there much evidence negative impact in‐field activities whether such occur also at broader scales largely unknown. surveyed breeding skylarks in Po Plain (northern Italy) determine (1) association between landscape composition/configuration abundance (2) how affected crop frequency. addressed both questions through optimisation, identifying most influential each covariate. Forage was assessed novel remote sensing algorithm based high‐resolution Sentinel‐2 satellite images. observed strong dependence importance different habitats determining abundance. Abundance increased with increasing cover crops locally (200 m) winter (2600 m), suggesting that species favoured heterogeneous agroecosystems. Locally (150–350 were more abundant when aggregated, being negatively impacted fragmentation caused urbanization seminatural habitats. At (1150 consistent across years, early‐mown areas supporting fewer skylarks. This probably because, over longer temporal scales, patches have or null productivity, eventually limiting size. Synthesis applications . provide new perspective overarching influence driving declining bird urgency designing scale‐effective AESs. should be framed EU Common Agricultural Policy reform operated farmer collectives, whereby management interventions monitored state‐of‐the‐art techniques. These results suggest implementing scale‐optimized AESs could crucial effective conservation.

Language: Английский

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Global monitoring for biodiversity: Uncertainty, risk, and power analyses to support trend change detection

Science Advances, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 10(7)

Published: Feb. 16, 2024

Global targets aim to reverse biodiversity declines by 2050 but require knowledge of current trends and future projections under policy intervention. First, given uncertainty in measurement trends, we propose a risk framework, considering probability magnitude decline. While only 11 198 systems analyzed (taxonomic groups country from the Living Planet Database) showed declining abundance with high certainty, 20% had 70% chance strong declines. Society needs decide acceptable risks loss. Second, calculated statistical power detect trend change using ~12,000 populations 62 currently showing Current hinders our ability assess improvements. Trend is detectable certainty 14 systems, even if thousands are sampled, conservation action reduces net zero immediately, on average. We provide potential solutions improve monitoring progress toward targets.

Language: Английский

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Detecting and attributing the causes of biodiversity change: needs, gaps and solutions

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 378(1881)

Published: May 29, 2023

This issue addresses the multifaceted problems of understanding biodiversity change to meet emerging international development and conservation goals, national economic accounting diverse community needs. Recent agreements highlight need establish monitoring assessment programmes at regional levels. We identify an opportunity for research develop methods robust detection attribution that will contribute assessments guide action. The 16 contributions this address six major aspects assessment: connecting policy science, establishing observation, improving statistical estimation, detecting change, attributing causes projecting future. These studies are led by experts in Indigenous studies, economics, ecology, conservation, statistics, computer with representations from Asia, Africa, South America, North America Europe. results place science context needs provide updated roadmap how observe a way supports action via science. article is part theme ‘Detecting change: needs, gaps solutions’

Language: Английский

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Biodiversity loss and inter-provincial cooperative protection in China based on input-output model

Journal of Cleaner Production, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 450, P. 141830 - 141830

Published: March 21, 2024

Language: Английский

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First report on q-RASTR modelling of hazardous dose (HD ₅ ) for acute toxicity of pesticides: an efficient and reliable approach towards safeguarding the sensitive avian species

SAR and QSAR in environmental research, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown, P. 1 - 17

Published: Feb. 11, 2025

Pesticides are crucial in modern agriculture, significantly enhancing crop productivity by managing pests. It is important to evaluate their toxicity minimize health risks bird species and preserve ecosystem balance. Traditional parameters including lethal concentration (LC50) or median dose (LD50) often underestimate hazards due limited data uncertainty about the most sensitive tested. This limitation can be addressed using extrapolation factors like HD5 accounting for 50% mortality of 5% species. In this research, a QSTR model was developed utilizing diverse set 480 pesticides partial least squares (PLS) regression with 2D descriptors. Additionally, PLS-based quantitative read-across structure-toxicity relationship (q-RASTR) classification based models were constructed. The q-RASTR outperformed traditional approaches, achieving robust statistical performance internal validation metrics r2 = 0.623, Q2 0.569 external Q2F1 0.541, Q2F2 0.540. Key influencing avian identified. used screen Pesticide Properties Database (PPDB) recognize toxic species, aligning well real-world data. work provides more economical ethical alternative conventional vivo testing methods, aiding regulatory bodies industries developing safer, environmentally friendly pesticides.

Language: Английский

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Chronic exposure to tebuconazole impairs offspring growth and survival in farmland birds: an experiment in captive house sparrows.

Environmental Research, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown, P. 121321 - 121321

Published: March 1, 2025

Language: Английский

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Changes in abundance and distribution of European forest bird populations depend on biome, ecological specialisation and traits

Ecography, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: March 6, 2025

Forest bird abundance in Europe has remained stable overall, unlike farmland species which have declined dramatically recent decades. However, this apparent stability may hide large variations among and geographical regions. We aimed to determine if forest with varying life histories biome distributions show different population trends. used functional traits specialisation indices study changes distribution of European populations. For each species, we European‐level estimates total change over the last 40 years two components spatial distribution: range (i.e. area shrinkage or expansion) shift latitudinal adjustments), both 30 years. also considered specialist groups biomes boreal, temperate, Mediterranean generalists) separately. showed that boreal area, while temperate increased range, possibly as result warmer temperatures expansion these The decline from structure composition due forestry practices, increasing colonisation by warm‐dwelling species. Among mixed specialists those preferring a mix broadleaf coniferous trees) most shifted northwards. In contrast, for vertebrate carnivores birds prey), observed an increase southward all Our findings suggest be influenced combined effects land use climate change, impacts across biomes. results highlight need maintaining restoring key habitats (e.g. through protected areas extensive management) halting limiting especially

Language: Английский

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Macroecological rules predict how biomass scales with species richness in nature

Science, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 387(6740), P. 1272 - 1276

Published: March 20, 2025

Despite advances in theory and experiments, how biodiversity influences the structure functioning of natural ecosystems remains debated. By applying new to data on 84,695 plant, animal, protist assemblages, we show that general positive effect species richness stocks biomass, as well much variation strength sign this effect, is predicted by a fundamental macroecological quantity: scaling abundance with body mass. Standing biomass increases when large-bodied are numerically rare but independent size uncoupled. These results suggest law ecological communities impacts changes predictable.

Language: Английский

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