Ecosystem Services from Transborder Migratory Species: Implications for Conservation Governance

López‐Hoffman, Laura; Chester, Charles C.; Semmens, Darius J.; Thogmartin, Wayne E.; Rodriguez-McGoffin, Mariana; Merideth, Robert; Diffendorfer, James E.

doi:10.1146/annurev-environ-110615-090119

Cited by 55 publications

(45 citation statements)

References 132 publications

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“…As all vagrant birds are migratory species arriving from northern areas, the results suggest that the strength of this biotic interaction relies on extra‐regional processes affecting the abundance of these birds. In a context of climate warming, it has been reported that the migratory movements to southern areas of many European birds are declining (Visser, Perdeck, Van Balen, & Both, ), which may affect the trans‐border ecosystem services provided by these migratory species (López‐Hoffman et al, ). Thus, despite the fact seed dispersion may be carried out by other vectors (e.g.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Constraints on fruit tracking by birds at the range edge

Tellería

2019

Journal of Biogeography

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Aims Biotic interactions may be disrupted at the range boundary if the involved species are rare in the most distant sectors. This study assesses fruit tracking by seed‐dispersing birds wintering on the border of the Palaearctic, a region where many species become scarcer before reaching the limits of their distribution in the Sahara. As vagrancy improves fruit tracking, this study tests if vagrant birds track fruit resources better than non‐vagrant birds and if their tracking ability is reduced at the range edge. Location The Iberian Peninsula and the Maghreb. Methods Seed‐dispersing passerines (O. Passeriformes) were counted in 134 sampling sites along a 2000‐km‐long latitudinal belt. Relationships between bird numbers and latitude, temperature, shrub cover and fruit abundance were explored by multivariate analyses. In addition, the habitat matching rule was used to assess the ability of birds to track fruit changes along the latitudinal belt. Results Fruit abundance and temperature were the main drivers of the distribution of vagrant birds (all of them migratory species) while for non‐vagrant birds (most of them sedentary species) distribution was weakly correlated to the study variables. Vagrant birds tracked the spatial–temporal variations in fruit abundance but showed a reduced ability to fit numbers to fruit abundance changes in southern sectors. Main conclusions Vagrant are migratory birds responsible for large‐scale tracking of fruit outputs but seems to face some constraints on fruit tracking at the far edge of the Palaearctic. As the movements of these birds southwards are declining due to climate warming effects, these results suggest a future weakening of their role as seed dispersers in the most peripheral areas of the Palaearctic.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Constraints on fruit tracking by birds at the range edge

Tellería

2019

Journal of Biogeography

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“…Continuous, large-scale monitoring using weather radar also has a great potential in mapping key areas for some bat species (Chilson et al 2012b) as well as sites and routes important for migrating moths and butterflies (Stefanescu et al 2013, Krauel et al 2015. Such information is invaluable for the prioritization of conservation measures in migratory systems, where actions in one location are likely to affect the situation at other locations along the route, especially across international borders (López-Hoffman et al 2017). Establishing migratory patterns and the relative importance of paths and stopover sites emerges as more important than ever for conservation now that the connectedness of migratory populations becomes evident (Fraser et al 2012).…”

Section: Conservation Of Migrants and Migrationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The grand challenges of migration ecology that radar aeroecology can help answer

et al. 2018

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Many migratory species have experienced substantial declines that resulted from rapid and massive expansions of human structures and activities, habitat alterations and climate change. Migrants are also recognized as an integral component of biodiversity and provide a multitude of services and disservices that are relevant to human agriculture, economy and health. The plethora of recently published studies reflects the need for better fundamental knowledge on migrations and for better management of their ecological and human‐relevant effects. Yet, where are we in providing answers to fundamental questions and societal challenges? Engaging a broad network of researchers worldwide, we used a horizon‐scan approach to identify the most important challenges which need to be overcome in order to gain a fuller understanding of migration ecology, and which could be addressed using radar aeroecological and macroecological approaches. The top challenges include both long‐standing and novel topics, ranging from fundamental information on migration routes and phenology, orientation and navigation strategies, and the multitude of effects migrants may have on resident communities, to societal challenges, such as protecting or preventing migrant services and disservices, and the conservation of migrants in the face of environmental changes. We outline these challenges, identify the urgency of addressing them and the primary stakeholders – researchers, policy makers and practitioners, or funders of research.

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“…For example, migrant insectivores can provide economically important top‐down control of invertebrate herbivory (López‐Hoffman et al. , ). The life‐history traits of many highly abundant species naturally produce large fluctuations in abundance, but evidence suggests that many species are no longer bouncing back after declines (Cornulier et al.…”

Section: Depletion and Its Consequencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is increasingly being recognized that connectivity across large distances is important for maintaining many ecosystem services (López‐Hoffman et al. ). For example, the Mexican free‐tailed bat ( Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana ) offers pest control (that promotes cotton production) and ecotourism services in parts of the United States that are heavily dependent on maintaining wintering habitat in central and southern Mexico (López‐Hoffman et al.…”

Section: Local Depletion As a Conservation Concernmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, the Mexican free‐tailed bat ( Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana ) offers pest control (that promotes cotton production) and ecotourism services in parts of the United States that are heavily dependent on maintaining wintering habitat in central and southern Mexico (López‐Hoffman et al. , ). Understanding the spatial processes that maintain species’ abundance and identifying spatial location of declines and movement behavior of species is vital for understanding and predicting the distribution of potential effects of depletion and ultimately the wider risk associated with local declines in a species.…”

Section: Local Depletion As a Conservation Concernmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Conserving the abundance of nonthreatened species

Baker

Garnett

O’Connor

et al. 2018

Conservation Biology

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Human modification of the environment is driving declines in population size and distributional extent of much of the world's biota. These declines extend to many of the most abundant and widespread species, for which proportionally small declines can result in the loss of vast numbers of individuals, biomass, and interactions. These losses could have major localized effects on ecological and cultural processes and services without elevating a species' global extinction risk. Although most conservation effort is directed at species threatened with extinction in the very near term, the value of retaining abundance regardless of global extinction risk is justifiable based on many biodiversity or ecosystem service metrics, including cultural services, at scales from local to global. The challenges of identifying conservation priorities for widespread and abundant species include quantifying the effects of species' abundance on services and understanding how these effects are realized as populations decline. Negative effects of population declines may be disconnected from the threat processes driving declines because of species movements and environment flows (e.g., hydrology). Conservation prioritization for these species shares greater similarity with invasive species risk assessments than extinction risk assessments because of the importance of local context and per capita effects of abundance on other species. Because conservation priorities usually focus on preventing the extinction of threatened species, the rationale and objectives for incorporating declines of nonthreatened species must be clearly articulated, going beyond extinction risk to encompass the range of likely harmful effects (e.g., secondary extinctions, loss of ecosystem services) if declines persist or are not reversed. Research should focus on characterizing the effects of local declines in species that are not threatened globally across a range of ecosystem services and quantifying the spatial distribution of these effects through the distribution of abundance. The case for conserving abundance in nonthreatened species can be made most powerfully when the costs of losing this abundance are better understood.

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Ecosystem Services from Transborder Migratory Species: Implications for Conservation Governance

Cited by 55 publications

References 132 publications

Constraints on fruit tracking by birds at the range edge

Constraints on fruit tracking by birds at the range edge

The grand challenges of migration ecology that radar aeroecology can help answer

Conserving the abundance of nonthreatened species

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