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Response of avian diversity to habitat modification can be predicted from life-history traits and ecological attributes

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Abstract

Context

Habitat conversion for agriculture is a major driver of global biodiversity loss, partly because of homogeneity within agri-ecosystems. Anthropogenic landscapes can also increase habitat heterogeneity and primary productivity, however, augmenting regional biodiversity, as species that exploit resources associated with human activities expand their ranges into novel ecological regions.

Objectives

We used birds as a model in the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere, South Africa, to ask whether agriculture can add habitat components and bird species complementary to those already present, and whether habitat variables and bird functional traits can be used to identify bird species most likely to respond to such habitat changes.

Methods

We surveyed birds and measured habitat structure in 150 fixed-radius point counts each in natural habitat and mango orchards, and assessed relationships between habitat variables and bird functional traits.

Results

Despite mango orchards having greater vertical height structure because of tall (average 20 m) Casuarina windbreaks, they were missing the low-scrub (1–2 m woody cover) component of natural vegetation. We found that species whose life-history traits and ecological attributes were associated with structures missing from mango orchards were correspondingly absent from the orchards, which translated into the exclusion of 35 % of the bird species; bird assemblages within mango orchards were only a subset of those found in natural habitat.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that knowledge of habitat structure, along with species’ functional traits can provide a predictive framework for effects that anthropogenic habitats may have on regional biodiversity, and allow management to reduce negative effects.

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Acknowledgments

The research was conducted with financial support to the ‘NETWORK’ project from the European Commission Marie Curie International Research Staff Exchange Scheme (IRSES) (Grant agreement: PIRSES-GA-2012-318929). CLS was also financially assisted by DST Financial Assistance agreement DST/CON0054/2013 and NRF Grant 91039. We thank all the farmers involved for providing us access to the sites and D. Henri for statistical guidance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK

    Yvette C. Ehlers Smith & F. J. Frank van Veen

  2. College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science: School of Life Sciences, The University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, 3201, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

    Yvette C. Ehlers Smith

  3. Oxford Brookes University, Gipsy Lane, Headington, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK

    David A. Ehlers Smith

  4. Kirstenbosch Research Centre, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Private Bag X7, Claremont, 7735, South Africa

    Colleen L. Seymour

  5. Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences - Paris, UMR 7618 (UPMC, CNRS, IRD, INRA, UPEC, Paris Diderot), Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 7 quai St Bernard, 75252, Paris Cedex 05, France

    Elisa Thébault

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  1. Yvette C. Ehlers Smith
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  2. David A. Ehlers Smith
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Correspondence to Yvette C. Ehlers Smith.

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Ehlers Smith, Y.C., Ehlers Smith, D.A., Seymour, C.L. et al. Response of avian diversity to habitat modification can be predicted from life-history traits and ecological attributes. Landscape Ecol 30, 1225–1239 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-015-0172-x

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