Effects of habitat restoration on peatland bird communities

Abstract

Restoration of damaged ecosystems has become an important tool to slow down biodiversity loss and to maintain ecosystem services. Peatland bird populations have shown a substantial decline during the recent decades in Northern Europe as a consequence of peatland drainage. We studied whether restoration of peatlands drained for forestry affects bird communities. We conducted bird surveys at 11 peatlands in Western Finland, where each of the restored and their pristine counterparts were surveyed before restoration and yearly after restoration during 2010–2018. We used linear mixed effect models to analyze whether restoration affected the number of species and territories of peatland specialist and non‐specialist species and permutational multivariate analysis of variance to analyze the change in community composition. Drained parts of the peatlands had higher number of territories of non‐specialist species before restoration, and restoration seemed to decrease these numbers towards the level of pristine parts. By contrast, restoration did not affect the number of peatland specialists and their territories, which was lower in drained than in pristine parts of the peatlands. Bird communities in restored parts remained different from pristine parts in terms of community composition after restoration. Thus, despite the effect of restoration on non‐specialists, a substantially long time may be required for a recovery of the peatland bird communities. Based on our results, it seems that long‐term monitoring of the restored and pristine peatlands is needed to determine whether restoration is effective in recovering the peatland specialist bird species and bird communities in general.

Avian recolonization of unrestored and restored bogs in Eastern Canada

“…From the ornithological point of view, advances have been made to restore bogs for a few selected species such as the Golden Plover (Plu-vialis apricaria), whose regional decline has been attributed in part to the loss of nesting habitat (Minayeva et al, 2017). Finland presents a particular case, with over 300 km 2 of forested peatlands restored by blocking drainage ditches following agriculture and forestry (Alsila et al, 2021). To our knowledge, the only quantitative assessment of the effectiveness of peatland restoration for birds in northern Europe comes from Alsila et al (2021), who found no response to restoration by peatland specialist birds, based on annual surveys just before restoration and up to 8 y post restoration.…”

“…Finland presents a particular case, with over 300 km 2 of forested peatlands restored by blocking drainage ditches following agriculture and forestry (Alsila et al, 2021). To our knowledge, the only quantitative assessment of the effectiveness of peatland restoration for birds in northern Europe comes from Alsila et al (2021), who found no response to restoration by peatland specialist birds, based on annual surveys just before restoration and up to 8 y post restoration. One key difference in bird life between European and North American bogs, at least in regions where peat extraction occurs, is the prevalence of songbirds and the paucity of ducks and shorebirds in the latter (Desrochers and van Duinen, 2006).…”

A first look into moss living tardigrades in boreal peatlands

“…Our study sites are part of the peatland restoration monitoring network that was established by Metsähallitus Parks & Wildlife Finland and the University of Jyväskylä in 2007 (Elo et al., 2024 ). The peatland restoration network has been a subject of research for over a decade including studies on the effects of drainage and restoration on, for example, peatland hydrology, vegetation, invertebrates, and bird communities (Alsila et al., 2021 ; Elo et al., 2015 ; Haapalehto et al., 2014 ; Maanavilja et al., 2014 ).…”

Restoring Nature's Song: How Habitat Restoration Benefits Avifauna

“…One of the critical roles of understanding the effects of restoration on avifauna lies in tailoring management strategies to meet the specific needs of bird species. Avian responses to restoration efforts are species-specific (Gaines et al, 2007;Johnson and Sandercock, 2010;Alsila et al, 2020), and understanding these nuances allows us to implement targeted approaches that maximize positive outcomes. By taking into account diverse ecological requirements and behaviors of different avian species, management activities can be fine-tuned to create a supportive environment for their survival and growth.…”

“…At the heart of restoration efforts, avifauna stands as a focal point in the quest to reclaim our natural heritage. Over the last few decades, ecologists have increasingly recognized the indispensable role of avian species in restoring ecosystems (Majer, 2009;Alsila et al, 2020). Birds, with their unique abilities to influence critical ecological processes such as pollination, seed dispersal, and decomposition, become the vital threads that interweave the fabric of restored habitats.…”