Vegetation structural and compositional heterogeneity as a key feature in Alpine black grouse microhabitat selection: conservation management implications

Patthey, Patrick; Signorell, Natalina; Rotelli, Luca; Arlettaz, Raphaël

doi:10.1007/s10344-011-0540-z

Cited by 53 publications

(62 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…These are primarily intensified agriculture, changes in grazing pressure, afforestation, forest maturation and increased disturbance from leisure activities such as ski-resorts (Storch, 2007). In Swiss alpine populations of black grouse, there are concerns that reduced grazing pressure by domestic livestock along the timberline brought about by the abandonment of traditional farming techniques will lead to shrub encroachment of alpine pastures (Patthey et al, 2012). This may also affect the capercaillie in Switzerland, which selects for open and grazed forests during winter (Sachot et al, 2003).…”

Section: Intensified Land-usementioning

confidence: 99%

Declining reproductive output in capercaillie and black grouse – 16 countries and 80 years

Jahren¹,

Storaas²,

Willebrand³

et al. 2016

Animal Biol

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Declines in populations of capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) and black grouse (Lyrurus tetrix) have been reported from both Central Europe and the continuous boreal forests of Fennoscandia. While intensified land-use is assumed to be the underlying cause of these declines, the mechanisms are not yet understood. Predation is the proximate cause of mortality of eggs, chicks and adults throughout capercaillie and black grouse ranges, but the link between predation and habitat and/or climate change remains unclear. To investigate temporal trends in reproductive output of woodland grouse, we collated previously published and unpublished data of reproduction in capercaillie and black grouse throughout their ranges from 1930 to 2012. We show that, overall, reproductive success has decreased and stabilized at low levels in most regions whilst capercaillie reproductive output in Scotland is still declining. With today's net reproduction, capercaillie and black grouse adult survival is too low to compensate for reproduction declines. Consequently, populations are expected to further decline unless reproductive performances improve. We put our findings in the context of changes in land use, climate and generalist predator numbers. By critically reviewing how these factors limit reproductive success in capercaillie and black grouse, we hope to shed light on the underlying mechanisms causing the decline. Our results imply that measures should be undertaken to reduce mortality of capercaillie and black grouse chicks and eggs. We suggest that future studies should aim to better understand which predators limit capercaillie and black grouse populations and how predation rates are mediated by continuously changing habitat and climate.

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Section: Intensified Land-usementioning

confidence: 99%

Declining reproductive output in capercaillie and black grouse – 16 countries and 80 years

Jahren¹,

Storaas²,

Willebrand³

et al. 2016

Animal Biol

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…MacDonald et al (2000) referred to these changes as 'a loss of landscape heterogeneity and mosaic features, which represents a loss of cultural landscapes'. The encroachment of shrubs and trees represents one of the main threats for the conservation of alpine biodiversity (Anthelme et al 2001; Laiolo et al 2004; Freléchoux et al 2007;Patthey et al 2012; Ascoli et al 2013) and increases the probability of wild-fires (Romero-Calcerrada and Perry 2004; Ascoli et al 2009), erosion, and avalanches (Jewell et al 2007) in the Alps.For these reasons, the conservation and the restoration of semi-natural grasslands have become one of the main agri-environmental issues in Europe. In the last 3 years, the Piedmont Region (south-western Alps) has promoted the use of extensive grazing for the conservation of biodiversity, soil and landscape.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Implementation of a rotational grazing system with large paddocks changes the distribution of grazing cattle in the south-western Italian Alps

et al. 2014

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Continuous grazing systems (CGS) are still widely used for managing cattle herds in the south-western Alps. Recently, Pastoral Plans have been used as a policy tool to improve grazing management. Rotational grazing systems (RGS) with large paddocks (i.e. ~100 ha on average) and stocking rate adjustments based on recommended levels calculated from vegetation surveys have been implemented through Pastoral Plans to improve the uniformity of grazing. A case study was conducted to compare grazing distribution patterns of beef cows during the summer under CGS and RGS on subalpine and alpine pastures within Val Troncea Natural Park in the south-western Alps of Italy. Cows were tracked with global positioning system collars at 15-min intervals under both CGS and RGS. Cattle distribution patterns were aggregated in both grazing systems, but in the RGS concentration of grazing was less clustered and the selection of vegetation communities was more homogeneous than in CGS. Under CGS, cows were attracted (P < 0.05) to salt placements and areas with high forage pastoral values, and they avoided (P < 0.05) steep slopes. In contrast, cows under RGS were not influenced by (P > 0.05) high pastoral value, and they avoided areas farther from water (P < 0.05).Similar to CGS, cows under RGS were attracted (P < 0.05) to salt and avoided (P < 0.05) steep slopes. In the RGS, cows used steeper slopes and areas farther from salt and water in the second half of the grazing period within a paddock compared with the first half, which likely explains the improvement in uniformity of grazing with RGS. Our findings indicate that Pastoral Plans that combine appropriate stocking levels and RGS are valid policy and management tools that have the potential to improve grazing distribution on rough sub-alpine and alpine pastures in the south-western Alps. RJ14043 M. Probo et al. Pastoral Plans in the south-western Italian AlpsAdditional keywords: cattle, GPS-tracking, grazing system, habitat selection, management, mountain pasture. IntroductionLivestock have grazed the Alps for thousands of years (Bätzing 2005). The indigenous forests have been fragmented into a mosaic of forest, shrub and grassland patches (Dullinger et al. 2003), creating cultural landscapes with semi-natural open habitats of high ecological value (Gellrich et al. 2007). Over the past decades, alpine livestock enterprises have become less economically competitive than lowland farms (Mattiello et al. 2002; Erschbamer et al. 2003) and the income differential between farm and non-farm jobs (Gellrich et al. 2007) has led to human depopulation, socioeconomic changes (Tasser and Tappeiner 2002), and a reduction of available manpower in alpine agricultural areas (Camacho et al. 2008). As a result, seminatural grasslands have been abandoned and land use has changed dramatically in several parts of the Alps (MacDonald et al. 2000; Freléchoux et al. 2007; Jewell et al. 2007;Parolo et al. 2011; Garbarino et al. 2013).The south-western Italian Alps are one of the alpine regions more deeply...

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“…Black grouse avoid built-up areas and all kinds of roads (Dmoch 2005;Patthey et al 2012). The adverse effects of transport routes are due to the fragmentation of habitats, and also to the greater level of disturbance resulting from the mere presence of people.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rapid decline of an isolated population of the black grouse Tetrao tetrix: the crisis at the southern limit of the range

Ciach

2015

Eur J Wildl Res

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Over the last century, the numbers and range of black grouse Tetrao tetrix have declined dramatically over most of Europe. The Central-European population is at present divided into small, isolated subpopulations, and Orawa (Carpathians, Poland-Slovakia) was considered until recently to be the most abundant one in the region. In 2002, it was estimated at 146-152 males. Surveys conducted in 2011-2014 showed that only 30-40 males were still present in this region. The total disappearance of leks (13 of 24 known leks have been abandoned) and the decline in overall numbers of males at existing leks (some leks were used by single males only) were recorded. In consequences, the number of lekking males decline by 76 % between 2002 and 2014. The nearest neighbour distance between active leks did not change, but the contraction of the total area used by the population (from 187.3 km 2 in 2002 to 71.5 km 2 in 2014) was recorded. The disappearance of leks was related to the size of the nearest peat bog; leks located close to small peat bogs were abandoned, while those located close to the larger ones remained active. Along with the decline in the numbers of lekking birds and the shrinkage of the range, a decrease in the size of wintering flocks was noted. This rapid fall over a short period of time in the number of black grouse and in the area used by the region's largest population is indicative of a real threat of extinction of isolated populations. Rapid extinction risk should be taken into consideration when planning conservation measures applicable to its entire range of distribution.

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Vegetation structural and compositional heterogeneity as a key feature in Alpine black grouse microhabitat selection: conservation management implications

Cited by 53 publications

References 35 publications

Declining reproductive output in capercaillie and black grouse – 16 countries and 80 years

Declining reproductive output in capercaillie and black grouse – 16 countries and 80 years

Implementation of a rotational grazing system with large paddocks changes the distribution of grazing cattle in the south-western Italian Alps

Rapid decline of an isolated population of the black grouse Tetrao tetrix: the crisis at the southern limit of the range

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