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Belder DJ, Pierson JC, Rudder AC, Lindenmayer DB. Ongoing declines of woodland birds: Are restoration plantings making a difference? ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 31:e2268. [PMID: 33237571 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Revised: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Woodland birds are a species assemblage of conservation concern, and their persistence in fragmented agricultural landscapes is dependent on both the preservation of existing woodland remnants and the implementation of restoration plantings. However, little is known about the habitat-use and persistence of birds in fragmented agricultural landscapes. We present a detailed, population-oriented study of woodland birds in temperate eucalypt woodland restoration plantings and remnant woodland patches in the South-west Slopes bioregion of New South Wales, Australia. First, we undertook a 3-yr mark-recapture project to assess annual survival and site fidelity in restoration plantings and woodland remnants. We supplemented our recapture efforts with resightings of color-banded individuals. Second, we tracked individual birds of two species, Superb Fairywren (Malurus cyaneus) and Willie Wagtail (Rhipidura leucophrys), and documented snapshots of their home ranges and movement patterns during the breeding season. Annual survival in the woodland bird assemblage was lower than expected (51%). Home ranges of the Superb Fairywren were positively correlated with patch size, and were constrained by patch edges in linear sites. Superb Fairywrens and Willie Wagtails were more likely to travel longer distances between substrates while foraging in linear sites. Willie Wagtails engaged in significant gap-crossing (up to 400 m) between adjacent habitat patches. Our findings indicate that (1) patch isolation and certain patch configurations place resident birds at an energetic disadvantage, and (2) in our study area, woodland bird populations are continuing to decline. We recommend landscape-scale habitat restoration programs aim to address ongoing population declines. Studies such as ours conducted over longer time periods would provide a deeper understanding of habitat use and population processes of woodland birds in fragmented agricultural landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donna J Belder
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
- National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery Hub, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
- Australian Wildlife Conservancy, PO Box 8070, Subiaco East, Western Australia, 6008, Australia
| | - Jennifer C Pierson
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
- ACT Parks and Conservation Service, Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate, ACT Government, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2602, Australia
| | - Ashwin C Rudder
- Australian Wildlife Conservancy, PO Box 8070, Subiaco East, Western Australia, 6008, Australia
| | - David B Lindenmayer
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
- National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery Hub, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
- Sustainable Farms, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
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Belder DJ, Pierson JC, Ikin K, Lindenmayer DB. Beyond pattern to process: current themes and future directions for the conservation of woodland birds through restoration plantings. WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2018. [DOI: 10.1071/wr17156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Habitat loss as a result of land conversion for agriculture is a leading cause of global biodiversity loss and altered ecosystem processes. Restoration plantings are an increasingly common strategy to address habitat loss in fragmented agricultural landscapes. However, the capacity of restoration plantings to support reproducing populations of native plants and animals is rarely measured or monitored. This review focuses on avifaunal response to revegetation in Australian temperate woodlands, one of the world’s most heavily altered biomes. Woodland birds are a species assemblage of conservation concern, but only limited research to date has gone beyond pattern data and occupancy trends to examine whether they persist and breed in restoration plantings. Moreover, habitat quality and resource availability, including food, nesting sites and adequate protection from predation, remain largely unquantified. Several studies have found that some bird species, including species of conservation concern, will preferentially occupy restoration plantings relative to remnant woodland patches. However, detailed empirical research to verify long-term population growth, colonisation and extinction dynamics is lacking. If restoration plantings are preferentially occupied but fail to provide sufficient quality habitat for woodland birds to form breeding populations, they may act as ecological traps, exacerbating population declines. Monitoring breeding success and site fidelity are under-utilised pathways to understanding which, if any, bird species are being supported by restoration plantings in the long term. There has been limited research on these topics internationally, and almost none in Australian temperate woodland systems. Key knowledge gaps centre on provision of food resources, formation of optimal foraging patterns, nest-predation levels and the prevalence of primary predators, the role of brood parasitism, and the effects of patch size and isolation on resource availability and population dynamics in a restoration context. To ensure that restoration plantings benefit woodland birds and are cost-effective as conservation strategies, the knowledge gaps identified by this review should be investigated as priorities in future research.
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Lindenmayer DB, Mortelliti A, Ikin K, Pierson J, Crane M, Michael D, Okada S. The vacant planting: limited influence of habitat restoration on patch colonization patterns by arboreal marsupials in south‐eastern Australia. Anim Conserv 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- D. B. Lindenmayer
- Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
- National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery Hub Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
| | - A. Mortelliti
- Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
- Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology University of Maine Orono ME USA
| | - K. Ikin
- Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
| | - J. Pierson
- Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
| | - M. Crane
- Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
- National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery Hub Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
| | - D. Michael
- Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
- National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery Hub Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
| | - S. Okada
- Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
- National Environmental Science Program Threatened Species Recovery Hub Fenner School of Environment and Society The Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
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Ansell D, Fifield G, Munro N, Freudenberger D, Gibbons P. Softening the agricultural matrix: a novel agri-environment scheme that balances habitat restoration and livestock grazing. Restor Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.12304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dean Ansell
- The Fenner School of Environment and Society; Australian National University; Linnaeus Way Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Graham Fifield
- Greening Australia (Capital Region); PO Box 538, Jamison Centre Canberra ACT 2614 Australia
| | - Nicola Munro
- The Fenner School of Environment and Society; Australian National University; Linnaeus Way Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
| | - David Freudenberger
- The Fenner School of Environment and Society; Australian National University; Linnaeus Way Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Philip Gibbons
- The Fenner School of Environment and Society; Australian National University; Linnaeus Way Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
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Geddes LS, Lunt ID, Smallbone LT, Morgan JW. Old field colonization by native trees and shrubs following land use change: Could this be Victoria’s largest example of landscape recovery? ECOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT & RESTORATION 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-8903.2011.00570.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Hanspach J, Fischer J, Stott J, Stagoll K. Conservation management of eastern Australian farmland birds in relation to landscape gradients. J Appl Ecol 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2010.01948.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Influence of woody vegetation on pollinator densities in oilseed Brassica fields in an Australian temperate landscape. Basic Appl Ecol 2010. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2010.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Abstract
Global food demand is growing rapidly. Livestock grazing can provide a valuable source of protein, but conventional grazing is often unsustainable. We studied an 800,000-ha section of a threatened ecoregion in southeastern Australia. Conventional management in the region involves continuous livestock grazing with few rest periods and regular fertilizer application. By using remotely sensed data on tree cover and extensive field data on livestock grazing regimes, soil chemistry, tree diameters, and tree regeneration, we show that the region is facing a tree regeneration crisis. Under conventional management, across the region, millions of hectares of land currently supporting tens of millions of trees will be treeless within decades from now. This would have severe negative ramifications for biodiversity and key ecosystem services, including water infiltration and shade provision for livestock. However, we identified an unexpected win-win solution for tree regeneration and commercial grazing. A relatively new practice in the region is fast-rotational grazing, characterized by prolonged rest periods in between short, intensive grazing events. The probability of regeneration under fast-rotational grazing was up to 4-fold higher than under conventional grazing, and it did not differ significantly from the probability of regeneration in ungrazed areas. In addition, trees were more likely to regenerate where soil nutrient levels were low. These findings suggest that the tree regeneration crisis can be reversed by applying low-input, fast-rotational grazing. New policy settings supporting these practices could signal a turning point for the region, from ecological decline to ecological recovery.
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Bryan BA, Crossman ND. Systematic regional planning for multiple objective natural resource management. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2008; 88:1175-89. [PMID: 17643737 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2007.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2006] [Revised: 03/15/2007] [Accepted: 06/13/2007] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
On-ground natural resource management actions such as revegetation and remnant vegetation management can simultaneously affect multiple objectives including land, water and biodiversity resources. Hence, planning for the sustainable management of natural resources requires consideration of these multiple objectives. However, planning the location of management actions in the landscape often treats these objectives individually to reduce the process and spatial complexity inherent in human-modified and natural landscapes. This can be inefficient and potentially counterproductive given the linkages and trade-offs involved. We develop and apply a systematic regional planning approach to identify geographic priorities for on-ground natural resource management actions that most cost-effectively meet multiple natural resource management objectives. Our systematic regional planning approach utilises integer programming within a structured multi-criteria decision analysis framework. Intelligent siting can capitalise on the multiple benefits of on-ground actions and achieve natural resource management objectives more efficiently. The focus of this study is the human-modified landscape of the River Murray, South Australia. However, the methodology and analyses presented here can be adapted to other regions requiring more efficient and integrated planning for the management of natural resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett A Bryan
- Policy and Economic Research Unit, CSIRO Land and Water, PMB 2, Glen Osmond, SA 5064, Australia.
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Dorrough J, Vesk PA, Moll J. Integrating ecological uncertainty and farm-scale economics when planning restoration. J Appl Ecol 2007. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2007.01420.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Briggs SV, Seddon JA, Doyle SJ. Structures of bird communities in woodland remnants in central New South Wales, Australia. AUST J ZOOL 2007. [DOI: 10.1071/zo06064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The overall aim of this study was to investigate structures of bird communities in remnants of fragmented box/cypress pine woodlands in central New South Wales, Australia, to guide habitat rehabilitation. The aims of the study were to: (1) determine how bird densities and species richness varied with remnant category; (2) determine how ranked densities of bird species varied by feeding group with remnant category; and (3) provide information on structures of bird communities in box/cypress pine woodlands to guide restoration. Structures of bird communities varied with remnant category. Large remnants had the most species whereas medium-sized and small remnants in low condition had the fewest. Bird densities increased with decreasing remnant area although densities did not differ significantly between remnant categories. Ranked bird densities varied between remnant categories, with relatively even distributions in large remnants in high condition, and uneven distributions in small remnants in low condition. Densities of small insectivores were much lower in small, low-condition remnants than in large, high-condition remnants. Densities of generalists such as noisy miner and galah showed the reverse pattern. The structures of bird communities in large remnants in good condition provide a reference state for assessing recovery of bird communities.
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Briggs SV, Freudenberger D. Assessment and monitoring of vegetation condition: Moving forward. ECOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT & RESTORATION 2006. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1442-8903.2006.293_5.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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