Impact of land cover and climate change on habitat of Indian birds

Abstract

Birds play an important role in multiple ecosystems and face significant threats from both land-cover and climate change, the effects of which remain insufficiently understood. This study projected the impact of these global changes on habitat suitability of 478 birds in India, which has the 9th highest number of bird species globally, under present conditions (2015) and future scenarios (2100) using an ensemble of machine learning algorithms. The results project the average amount of suitable habitat to decrease for non-forest and non-specialised habitat birds but not for forest birds. Suitable habitat was projected to decrease in desert and xeric shrublands and tropical and subtropical- broadleaf forest and grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biomes. We recommend conservation strategies to focus more than they currently do on non-forest birds as well as desert and xeric shrublands and tropical and subtropical broadleaf forest biomes.