The importance of an agricultural mosaic for Cirl Buntings <i>Emberiza cirlus</i> in Italy

Brambilla, Mattia; Guidali, F.; Negri, Irene

doi:10.1111/j.1474-919x.2008.00822.x

Cited by 30 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 22 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…There was no significant effect of the variables used to measure heterogeneity of crop mosaic in our models. This suggests that Lesser Kestrel occurrence depend more on the abundance and distribution of particular habitats that on habitat heterogeneity per se, as has been suggested for other farmland bird species (Heikkinen et al 2004;Brambilla et al 2008).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 80%

The role of fallow in habitat use by the Lesser Kestrel during the post-fledging period: inferring potential conservation implications from the abolition of obligatory set-aside

et al. 2009

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

International audienceThe maintenance of fallows has been shown to prevent the loss of farmland biodiversity caused by agricultural intensification. These are mainly introduced as part of both obligatory and voluntary set-aside schemes. However, the obligatory set-aside has recently been abolished by the Common Agricultural Policy Health Check. In this study, we examine the role of fallow in fine-grained habitat use by a threatened farmland bird (Lesser Kestrel) during summer in northwestern Spain. To analyze Lesser Kestrel occurrence, we used generalized linear models, a theoretic-information approach and a hierarchical partitioning analysis. The best AIC-based models explaining occurrence of Lesser Kestrels showed that fallow was the more important habitat type followed, to a lesser extent, by dry cereal stubble and field margin. In contrast, irrigated crops negatively influenced occurrence. Heterogeneity of crop mosaic was not important in explaining occurrence of Lesser Kestrel. Fallows, like dry cereal stubbles and field margins, seem to be suitable for foraging given the abundance of high food resources and their availability due to shorter vegetation cover. The abolition of the obligatory set-aside could reduce the total surface of fallow land (approximately 40.9%), likely affecting habitat use by Lesser Kestrel through an increase of other non-preferred crops (e.g., irrigated crops) or by decreasing food resources. Agri-environment schemes focusing on the maintenance of low-intensive farming systems with a mosaic of crops and semi-natural habitats interspersed should be promoted in premigratory areas to maintain Lesser Kestrel

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 80%

The role of fallow in habitat use by the Lesser Kestrel during the post-fledging period: inferring potential conservation implications from the abolition of obligatory set-aside

et al. 2009

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Finally, the Apennine portion of the area (i.e. the southern corner of the region) holds large woodlands and a biodiversity rich agricultural mosaic, probably representing one of the most important low-intensity agricultural landscapes among the few remaining in northern Italy (Bogliani et al, 2003;Brambilla et al, 2008). Both in the Apennines and in the Alpine area (especially in central pre-Alps) there are wide expanses of pastures and grasslands used for livestock grazing and hay production.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The habitat structure characterising shrike territories (mowed or grazed grasslands with partial shrub cover, hedgerow occurrence, small areas of untilled surfaces) can be suitable to a large number of species, both of birds (Tucker and Evans, 1997) and other taxa (Pykala, 2003). In particular, many other species of high conservation importance show similar habitat preferences in Lombardy and nearby areas, including buntings (Negri et al, 2005;Brambilla et al, 2008) and warblers (Brambilla et al, 2007b).…”

Section: Red-backed Shrike Status and Habitat Preferences In Lombardymentioning

confidence: 99%

GIS-models work well, but are not enough: Habitat preferences of Lanius collurio at multiple levels and conservation implications

Brambilla

Casale

Bergero

et al. 2009

Biological Conservation

Self Cite

102

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

a b s t r a c tSpecies conservation largely depends on knowledge of habitat needs of target species. GIS-models are increasingly used to assess habitat preferences and distribution of target species, but their accuracy is constrained by availability of digital data layers. We developed a two-steps approach aiming at showing pros and cons of landscape (GIS)-and site-level habitat models, identifying key habitat factors for conservation of a threatened bird species, the red-backed shrike Lanius collurio. A spatially explicit GIS-model was generated using landscape variables, and a second model at site level was developed using fine-scale variables measured on the ground. The GIS-based model was then extrapolated to the entire region to obtain a map of distribution of suitable habitats. Positive associations between shrike occurrence and both hedgerow length and partial shrub cover were detected at both scales. Shrikes were also positively associated with grassland cover at landscape level and with partial cover of untilled herbaceous vegetation at the finer scale, and negatively affected by lucerne cover. The GIS-model led to an affordable map of predicted habitat suitability which should help conservationists to focus on different local priorities, but was unable to identify effects of untilled and lucerne cover. Site-level model gave fine details for habitat management, but its application elsewhere requires ground-measurements of factors. Combining the multiscale models could indicate more urgent actions at large scales (e.g. maintaining suitable habitats, or improving connectivity among isolated patches) and draw a detailed figure of the most suitable habitat for the species. Shrike occurrence was associated with a higher number of shrub and tree species: the indicator value of the species should ensure general benefits for biodiversity from dedicated management.

show abstract

“…According to Balmford et al (2009), intensification of farming practices in flat and coastal areas and abandonment of less productive and marginal lands, represent the main threats of agriculture on wildlife. These two opposite trends are rapidly changing friendly-to-wildlife farming systems (Brotons et al, 2004;Brambilla et al, 2008), and they will be even more enhanced, as forecasted by a range of future land-use change scenarios in the EU countries (Rounsevell et al, 2006). Changes in Mediterranean agro-ecosystems are affecting bird communities (Fonderflick et al, 2010;Sirami et al, 2008) and wildlife diversity (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial analysis of lanner falcon habitat preferences: Implications for agro-ecosystems management at landscape scale and raptor conservation

Sarà

2014

Biological Conservation

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

a b s t r a c tSicily hosts the largest European population of the endangered lanner falcon, a poorly known species which needs conservation planning based on habitat preferences. A distribution model on 10 Â 10 km cells of Sicily was described using Generalized Linear Models and variation partitioning methods. This modelling approach extracted explanatory factors, pure and joint effects of greatest influence from subsets of variables controlled for multi-collinearity and spatial autocorrelation. Analytical cartography used the environmental favourability function to assess habitat preferences, and the insecurity index estimated the degree to which lanner falcon occupancy is represented in the Natura2000 networks of Sicily. The lanner population is not randomly distributed across the geographical space as the significant latitudinal effect revealed. The most parsimonious explanatory model suggested traditional agro-ecosystems (i.e. arable lowlands and grasslands, with rugged terrains and cliffs) as the best predictors of lanner occupancy, and gave strong support to the negative effects of land abandonment and intensification (i.e. increase of heterogeneous areas and shrubby vegetation). The variation partitioning method suggested how an alteration of traditional agro-ecosystems might enhance interference competition with the peregrine falcon and limit lanner falcon occupancy. Most of the lanner falcon favourable habitats fall outside the Natura2000 networks, thus the main challenge for its conservation is represented by agri-environmental measures to be taken within the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union. Conservation of traditional agro-ecosystems devoted to top-predators, like the lanner falcon, requires single environmental management agreements for multiple farm units, deployed at landscape scale on a network of favourable areas.

show abstract

The importance of an agricultural mosaic for Cirl Buntings Emberiza cirlus in Italy

Cited by 30 publications

References 22 publications

The role of fallow in habitat use by the Lesser Kestrel during the post-fledging period: inferring potential conservation implications from the abolition of obligatory set-aside

The role of fallow in habitat use by the Lesser Kestrel during the post-fledging period: inferring potential conservation implications from the abolition of obligatory set-aside

GIS-models work well, but are not enough: Habitat preferences of Lanius collurio at multiple levels and conservation implications

Spatial analysis of lanner falcon habitat preferences: Implications for agro-ecosystems management at landscape scale and raptor conservation

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About