Reduced rainfall explains avian declines in an unfragmented landscape: incremental steps toward an empty forest?
Helen C. Stevens A and David M. Watson B C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A 56 Tibuc Road, Coonabarabran, NSW 2357, Australia.
B Institute for Land, Water and Society, Charles Sturt University, PO Box 789, Albury, NSW 2640, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: dwatson@csu.edu.au
Emu 113(2) 112-121 https://doi.org/10.1071/MU12063
Submitted: 7 August 2012 Accepted: 5 February 2013 Published: 7 May 2013
Abstract
Declines of formerly widespread bird species are being increasingly reported, with habitat loss, agricultural intensification and reduced rainfall frequently implicated. We report on temporal changes in the occurrence of birds over 21 years within continuous forest in the Warrumbungle Mountains to evaluate the influence of rainfall variability on changes in the abundance of birds and species occurence. During this period, six common insectivores declined significantly (Superb Fairy-wren, Malurus cyaneus; White-throated Gerygone, Gerygone albogularis; Grey Shrike-thrush, Colluricincla harmonica; Rufous Whistler, Pachycephala rufiventris; Grey Fantail, Rhipidura albiscapa; Eastern Yellow Robin, Eopsaltria australis). Rainfall significantly predicted the abundance of 13 of the 25 most common species, with the rainfall period of both July–December of the previous year and the combined effects of six years of January–June rainfall correlated with changes in the abundance of birds. Prolonged drought has likely driven food shortages (especially of litter-dwelling arthropods), with changes in avian community composition reflecting changes in food availability. Thus, avian declines in southern Australia may reflect the combined effects of habitat fragmentation and other landscape-scale changes in concert with larger-scale ecological processes driven by decreased rainfall. Improved linkages between forested and agricultural landscapes at the regional scale are needed to buffer against local fluctuations in resources.
Additional keywords: agricultural landscape, drought, extinction debt, insectivore, local extinction, productivity.
References
Bennett, A. F., and Watson, D. M. (2011). Declining woodland birds – is our science making a difference? Emu 111, i–vi.| Declining woodland birds – is our science making a difference?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Coates, T., and Harris, K. (2008). Birds of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne. Corella 32, 1–16.
CSIRO (2010). Climate change and variability in south-eastern Australia: a synthesis of findings from Phase 1 of the South Eastern Australian Climate Initiative (SEACI). (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation.) Available at http://www.seaci.org/publications/documents/SEACI-1%20Reports/Phase1_SynthesisReport.pdf [Verified 18 March 2013].
DECC (Department of Environment and Climate Change) (2008). Summary of climate change impacts: Western Region. NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change, Sydney.
Donald, P. F., Green, R. E., and Heath, M. F. (2001). Agricultural intensification and the collapse of Europe’s farmland bird populations. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences 268, 25–29.
| Agricultural intensification and the collapse of Europe’s farmland bird populations.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Durbin, J., and Watson, G. S. (1950). Testing for serial correlation in least squares regression, I. Biometrika 37, 409–428.
| 1:STN:280:DyaG3M%2FjtVKitw%3D%3D&md5=717c568d41d7b718f32af651dcb1d557CAS | 14801065PubMed |
Estes, J. A., Duggins, D. O., and Rathburn, G. B. (1989). The ecology of extinctions in kelp forest communities. Conservation Biology 3, 252–264.
| The ecology of extinctions in kelp forest communities.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Ford, H. A., Barrett, G. W., Saunders, D. A., and Recher, H. F. (2001). Why have birds in the woodlands of southern Australia declined? Biological Conservation 97, 71–88.
| Why have birds in the woodlands of southern Australia declined?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Fuller, R. J., Gregory, R. D., Gibbons, D. W., Marchant, J. H., Wilson, J. D., Baillie, S. R., and Carter, N. (1995). Population declines and range contractions among lowland farmland birds in Britain. Conservation Biology 9, 1425–1441.
| Population declines and range contractions among lowland farmland birds in Britain.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Gaston, K. J., and Fuller, R. A. (2007). Biodiversity and extinction: losing the common and the widespread. Progress in Physical Geography 31, 213–225.
| Biodiversity and extinction: losing the common and the widespread.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Gaston, K. J., and Fuller, R. A. (2008). Commonness, population depletion and conservation biology. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 23, 14–19.
| Commonness, population depletion and conservation biology.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Heatwole, H., and Lowman, M. (1986). ‘Dieback: Death of an Australian Landscape.’ (Reed Books: Sydney.)
Higgins, P. J. (Ed.) (1999). ‘Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Vol. 4: Parrots to Dollarbird.’ (Oxford University Press: Melbourne.)
Higgins, P. J., and Davies, S. J. J. F. (Eds) (1996). ‘Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Vol. 3: Snipe to Pigeons.’ (Oxford University Press: Melbourne.)
Higgins, P. J., and Peter, J. M. (Eds) (2002). ‘Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Vol. 6: Pardalotes to Shrike-thrushes.’ (Oxford University Press: Melbourne.)
Higgins, P. J., Peter, J. M., and Steele, W. K. (Eds) (2001). ‘Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Vol. 5: Tyrant-flycatchers to Chats.’ (Oxford University Press: Melbourne.)
Higgins, P. J., Peter, J. M., and Cowling, S. J. (Eds) (2006). ‘Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Vol. 7: Boatbill to Starlings.’ (Oxford University Press: Melbourne.)
Hnatiuk, R., Tickle, P., Wood, M. S., and Howell, C. (2003). Defining Australian forests. Australian Forestry 66, 176–183.
Jetz, W., Wilcove, D. S., and Dobson, A. P. (2007). Projected impacts of climate and land-use change on the global diversity of birds. PLoS Biology 5, e157.
| Projected impacts of climate and land-use change on the global diversity of birds.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 17550306PubMed |
Karanth, K. K., Nichols, J. D., Karanth, K. U., Hines, J. E., and Christensen, N. L. (2010). The shrinking ark: patterns of large mammal extinctions in India. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences 277, 1971–1979.
| The shrinking ark: patterns of large mammal extinctions in India.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Keast, A. (1959). Australian birds: their zoogeography and adaptations to an arid continent. In ‘Biogeography and Ecology in Australia’. (Eds A. Keast, R. L. Crocker and C. S. Christian.) pp. 89–114. (Junk: The Hague.)
Mac Nally, R., Bennett, A. F., Thomson, J. R., Radford, J. Q., Unmack, G., Horrocks, G., and Vesk, P. A. (2009). Collapse of an avifauna: climate change appears to exacerbate habitat loss and degradation. Diversity & Distributions 15, 720–730.
| Collapse of an avifauna: climate change appears to exacerbate habitat loss and degradation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Marchant, S., and Higgins, P. J. (Eds.) (1993). ‘Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Vol. 2: Raptors to Lapwings.’ (Oxford University Press: Melbourne.)
Maron, M., Main, A., Bowen, M., Howes, A., Kath, J., and Pillette, C. (2011). Relative influence of habitat modification and interspecific competition on woodland bird assemblages in eastern Australia. Emu 111, 40–51.
| Relative influence of habitat modification and interspecific competition on woodland bird assemblages in eastern Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Nias, R. C., and Ford, H. A. (1992). The influence of group size and habitat on reproductive success in the Superb Fairy-wren Malurus cyaneus. Emu 92, 238–243.
| The influence of group size and habitat on reproductive success in the Superb Fairy-wren Malurus cyaneus.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Parsons, B. C., Short, J. C., and Roberts, J. D. (2008). Contraction in the range of Malleefowl (Leipoa ocellata) in Western Australia: a comparative assessment using presence-only and presence–absence data. Emu 108, 221–231.
| Contraction in the range of Malleefowl (Leipoa ocellata) in Western Australia: a comparative assessment using presence-only and presence–absence data.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Radford, J. Q., and Bennett, A. F. (2005). Terrestrial avifauna of the Gippsland Plain and Strzelecki Ranges, Victoria, Australia: insights from Atlas data. Wildlife Research 32, 531–555.
| Terrestrial avifauna of the Gippsland Plain and Strzelecki Ranges, Victoria, Australia: insights from Atlas data.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Redford, K. H. (1992). The empty forest. Bioscience 42, 412–422.
| The empty forest.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Reid, J. R. W. (1999). Threatened and declining birds in the New South Wales Sheep–Wheat Belt: I. Diagnosis, characteristics and management. Consultancy report to NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. CSIRO Wildlife and Ecology, Canberra.
Reid, J. R. W., and Cunningham, R. C. (2008). Statistical analysis of the Cowra Woodland Birds Program’s bird database: trends in individual bird species and composite indices, with brief comments on their relevance to monitoring and evaluation and setting targets for habitat management and restoration. Fenner School (ANU) and CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems, Canberra.
Rowley, I., and Russell, E. (1991). Demography of passerines in the temperate southern hemisphere. In ‘Bird Population Studies: Relevance to Conservation and Management’. (Eds C. M. Perrins, J. D. Lebreton and G. J. M. Hirons.) pp. 22–44. (Oxford University Press: Oxford, UK.)
Rowley, I., and Russell, E. (1993). The Purple-crowned Fairy-wren Malurus coronatus. II. Breeding biology, social organisation, demography and management. Emu 93, 235–250.
| The Purple-crowned Fairy-wren Malurus coronatus. II. Breeding biology, social organisation, demography and management.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Specht, R. L. (1970). Vegetation. In ‘The Australian Environment’, 4th edn. (Ed G. W. Leeper.) pp. 44–47. (Melbourne University Press: Melbourne.)
Stevens, H. C., and Watson, D. M. (2006). Effect of rainfall on breeding of Grey Shrike-thrushes. Corella 30, 16–20.
Szabo, J. K., Vesk, P. A., Baxter, P. W. J., and Possingham, H. P. (2011). Paying the extinction debt: woodland birds in the Mount Lofty Ranges, South Australia. Emu 111, 59–70.
| Paying the extinction debt: woodland birds in the Mount Lofty Ranges, South Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Terborgh, J. (1989). ‘Where Have All the Birds Gone?’ (Princeton University Press: Princeton, NJ.)
Tilman, D., May, R. M., Lehman, C. L., and Nowak, M. A. (1994). Habitat destruction and the extinction debt. Nature 371, 65–66.
| Habitat destruction and the extinction debt.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Watson, D. M. (2004). Comparative evaluation of new approaches to survey birds. Wildlife Research 31, 1–11.
| Comparative evaluation of new approaches to survey birds.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Watson, D. M. (2010). From pattern to process: towards understanding drivers of diversity in temperate woodlands. In ‘Temperate Woodland Conservation and Management’. (Eds D. Lindenmayer, A. Bennett and R. Hobbs.) pp. 159–165. (CSIRO Publishing: Melbourne.)
Watson, D. M. (2011). A productivity-based explanation for woodland bird declines: poorer soils yield less food. Emu 111, 10–18.
| A productivity-based explanation for woodland bird declines: poorer soils yield less food.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Yom-Tov, Y. (1987). The reproductive rates of Australian passerines. Australian Wildlife Research 14, 319–330.
| The reproductive rates of Australian passerines.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Yom-Tov, Y., McCleery, R., and Purchase, D. (1992). The survival rates of Australian passerines. The Ibis 134, 374–379.
| The survival rates of Australian passerines.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Zanette, L., Doyle, P., and Trémont, S. M. (2000). Food shortages in small fragments: evidence from an area-sensitive passerine. Ecology 81, 1654–1666.
| Food shortages in small fragments: evidence from an area-sensitive passerine.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |