Trends and patterns in the extinction risk of Australia’s birds over three decades

Emu - Austral Ornithology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 124(1), P. 55 - 67

Published: Jan. 2, 2024

Australia recently committed through the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) to halt human-induced extinction of known threatened species and reduce risk significantly by 2030. We review recent trends in Australian birds provide context for current future conservation efforts. calculate Red List Index (RLI) all as well subsets based on geography, habitat taxonomy. Over period 2010 2020, number taxa reassigned lower categories (n = 20; 1.5% included) was greatly outweighed moved higher owing deteriorating status 93; 7%). This resulted steepest decadal decline RLI since data were first compiled 1990. It chiefly driven rapid population declines migratory shorebirds, loss suitable affected wildfire 2019–2020 and, a lesser extent, abundance upland rainforest birds. To small these losses counterbalanced improvements some bird resulting from local eradication invasive mammals, primarily Macquarie Island. For meet commitments adopted GBF, interventions (and hence funding) will need be scaled up substantially. The is placed monitoring progress towards GBF targets communicating national avifaunas.

Language: Английский

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Declining but not (yet) threatened: a challenge for avian conservation in Australia

Emu - Austral Ornithology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 124(1), P. 123 - 145

Published: Jan. 2, 2024

Threatened species receive much attention in conservation science and practice. Species currently declining, but not yet listed as threatened, also deserve consideration to reduce their risk of sliding towards extinction maintain functional roles ecosystems. Information on declining bird Australia is available from four main sources: national databases, syntheses historical change, regional monitoring programmes summaries for guilds species. Many show evidence decline; declines are occurring nation-wide, they ongoing. Trends individual vary geographically; may be part range stable elsewhere. Common trajectories population decline include: (a) a downward linear trend; (b) marked downturn, sustained at lower level; (c) fluctuations through time associated with episodic events (e.g. drought) incomplete recovery. Ongoing affect ecosystems reduced richness, homogenisation communities, changes interspecific interactions ecosystem services, contributing debt. Improving the outlook requires systematic know where, when how occurring, together protection critical habitats source populations, ambitious restoration, identification effective control threats. Responding offers opportunities community engagement, action local level. New ways needed incorporate such planning environmental regulation scale, give them greater visibility avoid accumulating until taxa become nationally threatened.

Language: Английский

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The climatic drivers of long‐term population changes in rainforest montane birds

Global Change Biology, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 29(8), P. 2132 - 2140

Published: Jan. 19, 2023

Climate-driven biodiversity erosion is escalating at an alarming rate. The pressure imposed by climate change exceptionally high in tropical ecosystems, where species adapted to narrow environmental ranges exhibit strong physiological constraints. Despite the observed detrimental effect of on ecosystems a global scale, our understanding extent which multiple climatic drivers affect population dynamics limited. Here, we disentangle impact different stressors 47 rainforest birds inhabiting mountains Australian Wet Tropics using hierarchical models. We estimate spatiotemporal changes temperature, precipitation, heatwaves, droughts and cyclones between 2000 2016. find warming rainfall patterns across elevational-segregated bird communities, with lowland populations benefiting from increasing temperature while upland show inverse negative response same drivers. Additionally, heatwaves populations, pattern associated distribution these extreme events elevations. In contrast, have marginal suggesting species-specific unrelated elevational gradient. This study demonstrated importance unravelling impacts changes, providing significant insight into mechanisms accelerating climate-induced degradation.

Language: Английский

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Monitoring threats to Australian threatened birds: climate change was the biggest threat in 2020 with minimal progress on its management

Emu - Austral Ornithology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 124(1), P. 37 - 54

Published: Jan. 2, 2024

Most biodiversity monitoring globally tends to concentrate on trends in species' populations and ranges rather than threats their management. Here we review the estimated impact of extent which management is understood implemented for all Australian threatened bird taxa. The assessment reports situation 2020 how this differs from 2010. most marked finding was that climate change has increased greatly over last decade, now surpasses invasive species as threat imposing heaviest load. Climate driven recent massive population declines temperatures tropical montane rainforests fire. For both direct impacts fire management, progress understanding relieve been slow patchy. Consequently, little effective occurred. By comparison, our analysis showed single successful campaign eradicate introduced mammals Macquarie Island relieved total load birds by 5%, more halved oceanic islands. Protection or rehabilitation habitat, particularly islands, also delivered measurable benefit have, longer term, controls longline fishing. Our approach can be used with other taxonomic groups understand research allow quantification potential benefits proposed actions, such national plan.

Language: Английский

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Landscape scale effects of primary productivity on forest bird species occurrence and abundance in Argentina

Landscape Ecology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 40(3)

Published: March 19, 2025

Approaches estimating landscape effects on biodiversity frequently focus a single extent, finding one 'optimal' or use narrow extents. However, species perceive the environment in different ways, select habitat hierarchically, and respond to multiple selection pressures at extents that best predict each pressure. We aimed assess multi-scale relationships between primary productivity occurrences abundances. used approach, called 'scalograms', level of productivity, form Dynamic Habitat Indices (DHIs) abundances 100 Argentinian forest bird species. average DHI values within (3 $$\times$$ 3 101 pixels; 30 m resolution), 11 'scalogram' metrics as environmental inputs occurrence abundance models. Average cumulative 81 pixels (5.9 – 9.2 km2) maximum across were top three predictors (included models for 41% 18% species, respectively). various contributed ~ 1.6 times more predictive power than expected. For abundances, scalogram measures < 2% less model expected, regardless type (cumulative, minimum, variation). occurrences, but not high levels multiple, broad rather extent. Factors other appear be important predicting abundance.

Language: Английский

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Many winners, few losers: stable bird populations on an Afrotropical mountain amidst climate change

Frontiers in Conservation Science, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 6

Published: Feb. 4, 2025

Organisms in mountainous areas are frequently exposed to climatic extremes and among the most vulnerable climate change. Long-term studies on birds along elevational gradients, which vital understanding species dynamics, rare tropical mountains, limits ability understand their population trends face of We modelled local abundances understorey bird (N=18) over a 13-year period (2011–2023) Mt. Kasigau, Kenya, using mist netting data collected an gradient. Our models show relatively stable study period. However, we found two distinct crashes that affected 2015 2022, suggesting changes dynamics may lead heavy declines populations regions. Most had period, but parametric bootstrapping revealed declining trend for few species, including endemic, threatened species. highlight importance regions maintaining global environmental transformation such as posed by change, dynamism across small spatial-temporal variations. While mountain ecosystems viewed potential refugia biodiversity warming climate, further needed drivers short long-term at higher elevations, especially Africa.

Language: Английский

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Climate‐Induced Physiological Stress Drives Rainforest Mammal Population Declines

Global Change Biology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 31(5)

Published: May 1, 2025

ABSTRACT Climate change is a major driver of global biodiversity loss, yet the precise mechanisms linking climate to population declines remain poorly understood. We developed novel, broadly applicable framework that integrates biophysical, nutritional, and modeling capture fundamental physiological constraints on mammalian herbivores applied it investigate causes in ringtail possums Australian Wet Tropics ( Pseudochirops archeri Hemibelideus lemuroides ). Our approach bridges gap between mechanistic (“bottom‐up”) models, which simulate species' responses based solely their traits local microclimates, more common (“top‐down”) statistical infer from occurrence or abundance data standard environmental variables. quantified dynamics over 30‐year period by generating species‐specific estimates temperature water stress, foraging limitations, these with annual monitoring nutritional quality within an open model. findings demonstrate has impacted populations through but manner. Both species have experienced collapses at lower elevations low‐nutritional sites. For P. , we found evidence changes were driven reduced survival due overheating dehydration, alongside diminished recruitment limited foraging. In contrast, our model suggests H. primarily affected constraints, emphasizing importance considering climate‐driven limitations activity addition direct stress. These insights offer foundation for targeted conservation strategies mitigate impacts pressures wild populations.

Language: Английский

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Distributional and behavioral responses of the wintering Oriental Storks to drought in China's largest freshwater lake

Avian Research, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 15, P. 100176 - 100176

Published: Jan. 1, 2024

Extreme droughts are increasing in frequency and severity globally as a result of climate change. Developing understanding species' responses to drought is crucial for their conservation, especially regions experiencing increased aridity. Although numerous studies have investigated birds' drought, the emphasis has primarily been on landbirds. Drought can significantly alter wetland environments that waterbirds inhabit, but response remains understudied. In this study, we surveyed distribution behavior Oriental Storks (Ciconia boyciana) Poyang Lake, which largest freshwater lake China. Results indicate drought-induced catchment areas at lowest water level limited total population size sub-lakes. Sub-lakes with large demonstrated capacity support larger wintering Storks. Over time, exhibited gradual concentration Changhu characterized by catchments, after resource depletion sub-lakes smaller catchments. Additionally, duration Storks' vigilance moving behaviors decreased than observed before drought. After foraging efforts, evidenced presence deeper reaching heads necks into forage, higher search rates, lower rates. accordance area-restricted theory, reductions habitat quality resulting from including extensive fish die-offs, forced increase efforts. Sustaining specific area during preserve availability, conservation Implementing measures such control micro-modification bottoms might mitigate impact piscivorous

Language: Английский

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Evaluation of the vulnerability of wild bird populations during heatwave events: implications for biodiversity conservation

STUDIES IN HEALTH SCIENCES, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 4(4), P. 1483 - 1502

Published: Dec. 6, 2023

Heatwaves, defined as prolonged periods of excessive heat, are becoming more frequent and severe due to global climate change. These extreme heat events can have significant impacts on ecosystems wildlife, particularly avian fauna. Birds, vital components ecosystems, highly susceptible the adverse effects heatwaves. Impacts directly attributable weather changing regimes include a higher risk mortality, reduced breeding success, compromised body condition immunocompetence, declining populations, range changes, potentially maladaptive behavioral adjustments in foraging, parental care, migration. This vulnerability is exacerbated by loss degradation their natural habitats, which hinders ability adapt constantly climatic conditions. Understanding bird populations during heatwaves essential for devising effective conservation strategies. Conservation efforts should focus preserving restoring critical providing access freshwater sources, creating artificial shelters. Additionally, public education plays role raising awareness about importance heatwave broader context In analyzing subject, study aims provide precise information support decisions be made, well guide implementation actions.

Language: Английский

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Trends and lessons from thirty years of Australian threatened bird action plans

Emu - Austral Ornithology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 124(1), P. 1 - 7

Published: Jan. 2, 2024

Language: Английский

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