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Freshwater wetlands are widely recognized as biodiversity hotspots for many organisms, including birds. Climate change and the projected increased risk of wetland fires may pose a major threat to wetland biodiversity in the future. There is urgent need to assess short- and long-term effect of fires on avian biodiversity and to establish relevant management implications. We analysed the short-term (first 3 months after fire) effect of a large (5 500 ha) spring wildfire on the community of breeding marshland birds in the best-preserved Polish local wetland biodiversity hotspot: Biebrza Valley. We compared the avian community structure and abundance of certain species before and after the fire on the 18 permanent transects located in both burned and unburned habitats. Within first breeding season post fire, fire significantly reduced pooled abundance and species richness of the whole bird community. Three bird species of special conservation concern (including aquatic warbler) temporarily disappeared from burned areas, and the numbers of 11 other species declined. In contrast, only 3 species benefited from the fire, none of which depended on marshes as their primary habitat. Although the reported strong initial fire effect is likely to fade away in subsequent years, its immediate detrimental effects on marshland birds should not be underestimated. We conclude that it is essential to temporarily provide the unburned adjacent refuge areas with additional protection and bird-friendly management and to focus on preventing further degradation of marshes to increase their resilience to fire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abundant citizen science data on species occurrences are becoming increasingly available and enable identifying composition of communities occurring at multiple sites with high temporal resolution. However, for species displaying temporary patterns of local occurrences that are transient to some sites, biodiversity measures are clearly dependent on the criteria used to include species into local species lists. Using abundant opportunistic citizen science data from frequently visited wetlands, we investigated the sensitivity of α‐ and β‐diversity estimates to the use raw versus detection‐corrected data and to the use of inclusion criteria for species presence reflecting alternative site use. We tested seven inclusion criteria (with varying number of days required to be present) on time series of daily occurrence status during a breeding season of 90 days for 77 wetland bird species. We show that even when opportunistic presence‐only observation data are abundant, raw data may not produce reliable local species richness estimates and rank sites very differently in terms of species richness. Furthermore, occupancy model based α‐ and β‐diversity estimates were sensitive to the inclusion criteria used. Total species lists (all species observed at least once during a season) may therefore mask diversity differences among sites in local communities of species, by including vagrant species on potentially breeding communities and change the relative rank order of sites in terms of species richness. Very high sampling effort does not necessarily free opportunistic data from its inherent bias and can produce a pattern in which many species are observed at least once almost everywhere, thus leading to a possible paradox: The large amount of biological information may hinder its usefulness. Therefore, when prioritizing among sites to manage or preserve species diversity estimates need to be carefully related to relevant inclusion criteria depending on the diversity estimate in focus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the decline of natural habitats, there is an ongoing debate about the importance of the urban environment for pollinating insects. Our research assessed patterns in wild bee species composition, as well as α-, β- and γ-diversity patterns and the nestedness structure in urban, suburban and rural areas. For three years bees were collected along 18 sampling transects in the Poznań area in western Poland. The average species diversity (α-diversity) and the average number of specimens per sample (local abundance) did not differ significantly between the three classes of urbanization. The rarefaction analysis, however, was partly contradictory to the results recorded on the local scale. The highest dissimilarity in the species composition among the samples was observed in the rural areas, while the lowest (more homogenous) was in the urban areas. The differences were significant. This resulted in the highest γ-diversity (cumulative number of species) in the rural areas and the lowest in the urban areas. Furthermore, the bee community in the habitats studied was significantly nested, indicating that species-poor sites (sites with high rank) constituted subsets of species-rich sites (sites with low rank) and that this pattern was not random. Samples collected in urban areas had a significantly higher nestedness rank compared to samples from the other two classes of urbanization, thus suggesting that the urban bee community is a subset of the rural bee community. This is an important conclusion, which emphasises that different components of species diversity need to be screened to identify the real biological impact of urbanisation on bee communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Woodpecker diversity is usually higher in natural forests rich in dead wood and old trees than in managed ones, thus this group of birds is regarded as an indicator of forest biodiversity. Woodpeckers excavate cavities which can be subsequently used by several bird species. As a consequence, their abundance indicates high avian abundance and diversity in forests. However, woodpecker-made holes may be also important for other animals, for example, mammals but it has seldom been investigated so far. Here, we examine how well one species, the Great Spotted Woodpecker, predicts species richness, occurrence and acoustic activity of bats in Polish pine forests. In 2011 we conducted woodpecker and bat surveys at 63 point-count sites in forests that varied in terms of stand age, structure and amount of dead wood. From zero to five Great Spotted Woodpeckers at a point-count site were recorded. The total duration of the echolocation calls during a 10-min visit varied from 0 to 542 s and the number of bat species/species groups recorded during a visit ranged between zero to five. The local abundance of the woodpecker was positively correlated with bat species richness (on the verge of significance), bat occurrence and pooled bat activity. The occurrence of Eptesicus and Vespertilio bats and Nyctalus species was positively related with the abundance of the Great Spotted Woodpecker. The activity of Pipistrellus pygmaeus, Eptesicus and Vespertilio bats and a group of Myotis species was not associated with the woodpecker abundance, but echolocation calls of Nyctalus species, P. nathusii and P.pipistrellus were more often at sites with many Great Spotted Woodpeckers. Moreover, the probability of bat presence and the activity of bats was generally higher shortly after dusk and in middle of the summer than in late spring. We suggest that the observed correlations can be driven by similar roosting habitats (e.g., woodpeckers can provide breeding cavities for bats) or possibly by associated invertebrate food resources of woodpeckers and bats. The abundance of Great Spotted Woodpecker seems to be a good positive indicator of bat species richness, occurrence and activity, thus adding a group of relatively cryptic forest species that are indicated by the presence of the Great Spotted Woodpecker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract With the human population increasing there have been losses in biodiversity. A common feature of mankind is religious beliefs with various associated positive and negative consequences for biodiversity. Religion also has associated religious sites, many of which have a long history. The role of churches in benefitting biodiversity has not received attention. To examine the impact of churches we measured the taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity of birds around Christian churches and compared this with matched farmsteads. We surveyed 101 churches and equal number of farmsteads in villages of southern Poland. We measured structural and compositional characteristics (e.g. number of trees, shrubs, number of buildings and height) at both churches and farmsteads. General additive models, ordination and rarefactions methods were used in data analysis. Species richness, abundance and phylogenetic diversity were each higher at churches than at farmsteads. The species composition differed between building types but functional diversity was similar at both types of buildings. Bird species richness and abundance were correlated with the church's age. Previous studies showed village farmsteads supported high species diversity, thus our current findings that churches are richer show they may increase bird diversity in studied villages. We suggest that the green surroundings and tall towers create strong environmental gradient that enhances species richness, functional and phylogenetic diversity. There are over ten thousand churches in Poland, and similar places of worship are present in many religions, thus this habitat may be important for sustaining local taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic biodiversity in different global areas. Highlights • Sacred sites are common feature of many religions and may sustain biodiversity. • Christian churches are landmarks of rural landscape and are specifically managed. • Breeding birds were counted at village churches and compared to active farmsteads. • Species, abundance and phylogenetic diversity were higher at churches than elsewhere. • Churches may be important for conservation of local bird diversity in southern Poland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Riparian habitats are biodiversity hotspots, however, despite their protection (e.g. in Natura 2000 sites) they are drastically transformed, particularly in more developed countries. The least inventoried, monitored and protected are submontane drainages composed of lowland and mountain habitats and species. Effective evaluation and monitoring of riparian habitat quality and species richness in submontane valleys is difficult and time consuming, but could be overcome by using indicator species. In this work, we verify if Goosander Mergus merganser could be considered as indicators of submontane valleys' naturalness and biodiversity. Data about Goosander occurrence in the Raba drainage (Polish Carpathians) were compared with several environmental variables and information about species richness of selected riparian animals. Goosander distribution and abundance depended on "naturalness" variables (high share of alluvia and scarps in river channels and forests on river banks), but association with hydrogeomorphology and the vicinity of humans was not found. Goosander abundance was found to be significantly correlated with bird species richness (both forest- and river-dwellers) and the presence of aquatic mammals (beavers and otters), but not with a richness of fish. Moreover, Goosander allows a high prediction accuracy to be achieved for the presence of aquatic animals (otters, beavers, woodpeckers and river-dwelling birds), among others, species annexed in EU directives. The correlation of Goosander abundance with the richness of riparian vertebrates, as well as with natural riparian habitats makes this bird a good candidate for an umbrella and flagship species. Moreover, using Goosanders as indicators would be a valuable method for preliminary valorization and further monitoring of habitats and species in Natura 2000 sites of Polish Carpathians. The utility of this species as bioindicator in other parts of the Carpathians should be verified after saturation of available areas by its populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Thermal gradients along changes in elevation in mountainous environments are reflected by different biotas. Although there have been studies of elevation variation in bat assemblages in summer, winter changes in the same gradients remain unknown. Methodology/Principal Findings: The objective of this study was to document changes in the species composition of bats hibernating in caves along a temperate elevational gradient. We studied 70 caves between from 300 m to 1,930 m altitude along a slope of the Carpathian Mountains in southern Poland. We recorded changes in bats, including species richness, abundance, altitudinal distribution and dominance during consecutive winters between 2003 and 2009. Similarity of dominance of faunal structure was assessed by using the Bray-Curtis similarity index. We used the generalised additive model and rarefaction to study the variation in species richness, and generalized additive mixed models to examine the effect of abiotic factors on the qualitative and quantitative structure of bat assemblages. During 351 surveys we recorded 13,856 hibernating bats from 15 species. Species richness peaked around mid-elevation (1,100–1,400 m a.s.l.) with richness declining at both higher and lower elevations. Based on the results of a cluster analysis, we could distinguish among four altitudinal zones that differed in species richness and dominance structure. Conclusions/Significance: This is the first study documenting changes in species richness and variation of structure of bats hibernating in caves along an elevational gradient. The most surprising and key finding is the fact that changes in the structure of assemblages of hibernating bats along the altitudinal gradient occurred in jumps, forming zones similar to those observed in the vegetation zones. Moreover, species richness and dominance structure of assemblages of hibernating bats in the mountains depended not only on location above sea level, but also on local geomorphologic conditions which strongly affected the microclimate of the caves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farmland biodiversity have experienced a steep decline over recent decades. Various conservation measures, including EU agri-environmental schemes (AES), have been designed to prevent further biodiversity loss. Despite the AES were criticized for limited benefits for biodiversity, the existing conservation evidence demonstrated some AES, such as seed-rich strips (SRS), can have a positive effect on overall biodiversity. However, evidence of the effectiveness of SRS during winter is largely missing in Eastern Europe or it is based on single-species evaluations. In our study, we investigate the effects of SRS on several taxa typical of the farmland (i.e., farmland birds, European hare, roe deer and small mammals) during winter, when these species may suffer from a lack of food sources. More specifically, we evaluated the effect of spatial location (hedges, forests, and open fields), time in the season (early and late winter), and area (Single Large or Several Small analysis, i.e., "SLOSS analysis") of SRS on species richness and abundance of birds and mammals. SRS showed higher species richness and abundance than control transects, except for roe deer. The largest differences in abundance and species richness of farmland birds between the SRS and the controls were found in the fields. The highest abundance of European hare and small mammals were found in SRS located in the fields. Ordination analysis indicated that several bird species preferred SRS. Moreover, different birds occurred in strips adjacent to open fields, hedges, and forest, indicating that the landscape context of SRS can affect its use by different bird species. We found a significant decrease in the abundance of farmland birds and declining farmland species during late winter in the SRS, but not in the controls, suggesting the SRS may be depleted of seeds towards the end of winter. Finally, the SLOSS analysis indicated there was no clear difference in species richness between small-to-large and large-to-small strips accumulation, but the pooled abundance of all birds and mammals was generally higher at a few large rather than many small patches of the same cumulative size. Our findings suggest that SRS are a simple and cost-effective measure for farmland biodiversity conservation. Even relatively small SRS are used by many species and therefore should be promoted. SRS careful planning (e.g., location of SRS within the landscape and the choice of seed mixtures) can improve their effectiveness for biodiversity conservation. • We estimated effects of seed-rich strips (SRS) on farmland birds and mammals. • SRS had higher abundance and species richness of study species compared to controls. • In-field SRS support more hares and rodents, SRS around hedges host more birds. • Few large and many small SRS host generally similar farmland biodiversity. • Abundance of farmland birds declined in the late winter in SRS, but not in controls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern intensified agriculture has decreased farmland heterogeneity, which has led to strong negative effects on farmland biodiversity. However, partly forested landscapes seem to offer many alternative habitats for open habitat species such as butterflies, since modern forestry and development of infrastructure has created several new environments such as forest road verges and power-line corridors. The aim of the present study was to investigate the importance of power-line corridors (PLCs) as butterfly habitats by testing i) if species richness and abundance of butterflies in PLCs are affected by adjacent habitat composition (i.e. comparisons of PLCs with different adjacent habitats), ii) if PLCs act as source habitat through spill-over of individuals into adjacent forest roads and semi-natural pastures and iii) if species composition differs among the investigated habitat types. To investigate this we censused the butterfly fauna in 23 study landscapes in south-central Sweden. We found support for the hypothesis that PLCs may act as source habitats for butterflies in forest roads and pastures, since species richness and abundance were decreasing with increasing distance to PLC from 0 to 500 m. In addition, the species composition in forest roads and pastures close to and far from PLCs was similar, suggesting that this increase was not due to an increase of PLC specialists in the other two habitats. Thus, we have shown that PLCs in themselves are important butterfly habitats independently of adjacent habitat composition (adjacent mature forest, clear-cuts or arable land), and they contribute to increased species richness and abundance of butterflies in surrounding areas over 10 times larger than their own width. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural intensification led to a transformation of structurally complex agricultural landscapes that resulted in a subsequent loss of landscape heterogeneity. Landscape homogenization is considered a crucial process which influences farmland biodiversity; however, separating the effects of homogenization from other environmental gradients is difficult and rarely tested. This study aimed to compare farmland bird communities in two cross-border regions (Austria and the Czech Republic) across the former Iron Curtain that have a similar share of arable land and non-crop habitats, but markedly differ in landscape homogenization. Due to historical differences in political and socio-economic systems, the farmland in Austria is dominated by small-scale farming, whereas large-scale farming is characteristic of the Czech Republic. Using two independent datasets (i.e., point-counts and transect-counts), we found substantially (ca. 1.5-fold) higher abundance and species richness of farmland birds in Austria compared to the Czech Republic. Most of the farmland bird species (although not all) were significantly more abundant in Austria in comparison to the Czech Republic and none showed a reversed pattern. A positive association between landscape heterogeneity and farmland bird diversity suggests that conservation measures promoting small and fragmented crop fields over large ones and increasing field margins may be an effective measure to increase declining farmland biodiversity. Financial support for the agricultural production of small-scale farming agroecosystems may be an option. • We compared farmland bird community in border regions across the former Iron Curtain. • In contrast to the Czechia, farmland in Austria is dominated by small-scale farming. • Farmland birds had significantly higher abundance and species richness in Austria. • Promoting small-scale farming may be effective tool to support farmland biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wetland creation is a common conservation practice to mitigate biodiversity loss, caused by global wetland destruction. Despite this, there is a lack of large-scale evaluations of how created wetland characteristics and landscape context relate to bird diversity and reproductive success. We inventoried 89 created wetlands (0.2–20 ha) in central Sweden to investigate which local and landscape components were associated with breeding wetland bird species richness, pair abundance and reproductive success. Wetland size was positively associated with species richness, pair abundance and chick abundance. However, several small (1 ha) wetlands taken together were similar to or exceeded individual large wetlands of similar total wetland area, in terms of species richness, pair abundance, and chicks produced. While species richness showed a clear negative relationship with the proportion of the adjacent 50 m buffer composed of forest, pair abundance was positively related to the proportion of flooded grassland area and negatively related to the proportion of emergent water vegetation. Reproductive success measures showed no clear relationships to local habitat characteristics but tended to increase with a decreasing forest at the landscape scale. Our results suggest that breeding wetland bird populations could benefit from creating wetlands with a high flooded area, continuous management to minimise both the area of emergent water vegetation and the establishment of shrubs and trees in the immediate surroundings. We also suggest a practice of creating mainly small wetlands with a few larger ones to facilitate breeding wetland bird communities at the regional scale (gamma diversity). • Bird abundance was higher in wetlands with low proportion of water vegetation. • Birds appeared more diverse in wetlands with high flooded area. • Species richness was higher in wetlands with low proportion of proximate forest. • Adult bird diversity was similar between several small and single large wetland. • The number of young was higher in several small wetlands compared to single large. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]