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Predation risk profoundly shapes how animals behave and is one of the main forces driving the formation or maintenance of groups. For some species, group living may be facultative, and individuals may live solitarily or aggregate with conspecifics or heterospecifics, but the advantages of each strategy are still poorly known. Here, we investigated whether a predominantly solitary breeding species, the European roller, Coracias garrulus, acquires antipredator benefits from nesting in mixed-species colonies dominated by lesser kestrels, Falco naumanni. We compared the risk-taking behaviour of solitary rollers and rollers breeding in colonies by conducting two experiments. First, we investigated rollers’ latency to resume incubation when presented with a novel object, and second assessed their latency to resume chick provisioning and their investment in mobbing behaviour towards a predator model. We additionally compared the breeding performance and nest predation rate of rollers in each social context (solitary versus colonial) using data from 300 breeding attempts across 6 years. We found that rollers breeding in colonies returned to their nests sooner during the presentation of both the novel object and the predator model and attacked the predator model less frequently than solitary rollers, suggesting they can use heterospecifics as cues in deciding whether it is safe to return to their nests. In addition, rollers in colonies suffered less nest predation than solitary ones, but this did not translate into a higher productivity. Future studies should investigate whether breeding in colonies provides other advantages to rollers, such as increased adult survival or fitness.

Context: Analyze the multiple dimensions of biodiversity under a local and landscape lens in natural habitats, such as Amazonian savannas, is fundamental for the conservation of species and ecosystems. Objectives: We aim to explore how landscape forest cover and patch-level variables affect the patterns of species abundance, functional traits, and taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic α-diversity of Phyllostomid bats in forest patches of the Savannas of Amapá, in both the wet and dry seasons. Methods: We used mist nets to survey bats in 26 forest patches. We also quantified forest cover in buffers of 500, 1000, 1500, 2000 and 2500 m around each patch, and tree height, basal area, canopy cover, and vegetation clutter in the understorey at the patch level. We used hierarchical partitioning to relate the different indices with our predictor variables. Results: Taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity in the wet season increased with the proportion of forest cover in the 2500 m buffer. Vegetation clutter was negatively related to taxonomic and functional diversity in the wet season. In the dry season, average tree height positively affected taxonomic and functional diversity. Patch-level variables were more important than forest cover in explaining the average functional traits in both seasons. Conclusion: We found seasonal variation in the relationships between components of bat diversity and different drivers. Since both forest cover in the landscape and patch-level variables are important for Phyllostomid bat diversity, conservation plans should consider forest conservation at the landscape level and maintenance of forest patch quality, Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. Part of the data used in this study was supported by Neotropical Grassland Conservancy (01098803-5), National Geographic Society (EC59186R-19 and NGS-83254R-20), Bat Conservation International (2434131) and Ruford Foundation (25585-1)

Humans are quickly reshaping species assemblages through the loss and gain of species at multiple scales. Extinctions and introductions are non-random events known to be contributing to taxonomic homogenization. However, it is not yet clear if they also promote functional homogenization. Here, we assess whether extinctions and introductions are leading to taxonomic and functional homogenization of 64 oceanic island bird assemblages, belonging to 11 archipelagos. Based on island lists of extinct and extant, native and introduced species and on species traits, we use probabilistic hypervolumes in trait space to calculate functional beta-diversity before and after extinctions and introductions. Bird extinctions and introductions promoted taxonomic and functional homogenization on most oceanic islands. These results follow our expectations, considering previous studies on taxonomic homogenization, the predictable link between taxonomic and functional diversity, and the trait similarity of many introduced species, often adapted to anthropogenic habitats, linked to the non-randomness of bird introductions on islands. Taxonomic homogenization was more common across than within archipelagos, also corroborating previous studies describing stronger homogenization on islands that are further apart and thus had distinctive native assemblages. Surprisingly, the widespread loss of species with similar traits, namely large flightless birds, often led to functional differentiation across archipelagos. However, this differentiation effect tended to be offset by the homogenizing effect of introductions. Functional homogenization increases the vulnerability to global changes, by reducing the variability of responses to disturbance and thus the resilience of ecosystem services, posing a threat to human societies on islands. Our results highlight subtle variations in taxonomic and functional beta-diversity of bird assemblages in oceanic islands, providing important insights to allow a better assessment of how anthropogenic changes might alter ecosystem functioning, which is vital to develop effective long-term conservation strategies. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Although successful at recovering endangered populations, conservation actions based on nest provisioning seldom consider how they shape the composition of communities and alter interspecific interactions. Specifically, the extent to which dietary overlap within these communities may affect the conservation of target species has rarely been assessed. In Southern Europe, sites of large-scale nest-site provisioning aimed at recovering Lesser Kestrels Falco naumanni populations have attracted non-target bird species, resulting in mixed breeding assemblages that might promote interspecific competition for resources during breeding. Here we used stable isotope analysis (δ 15N and δ 13C) to assess inter- and intraspecific dietary segregation in these assemblages and investigate the mechanisms allowing species coexistence. We examined resource partitioning and trophic niche overlap among Lesser Kestrels, Common Kestrels Falco tinnunculus, European Rollers Coracias garrulus, Western Barn Owls Tyto alba, Little Owls Athene noctua and Spotless Starlings Sturnus unicolor; and within species between parents and their offspring. Similar isotope ratios and highly overlapped niches, particularly among Lesser Kestrels, Rollers and Starlings, suggest limited dietary segregation and use of similar prey. Within species, parent–offspring segregation was marked across all species. Our results indicate that species breeding in these assemblages occupy similar ecological niches, despite a potential increase in competition. High resource availability in the area may permit coexistence but the viability of mixed-species groups may be compromised in areas with limited resources, which are predicted to expand with ongoing human- and climate-induced changes. Conservation practices based on nest provisioning should consider the ecological niches of target and non-target species as well as their interactions.

Context Human-modified landscapes are globally ubiquitous. It is critical to understand how habitat loss and fragmentation impact biodiversity from both a local habitat context and landscape-scale perspective to inform land management and conservation strategies. Objectives We used an experimentally fragmented landscape in the Brazilian Amazon to investigate variation in aerial insectivorous bat diversity in response to local habitat and wider landscape characteristics, applying a multiscale approach. Methods We conducted bat acoustic surveys at 33 sites, comprising old secondary forests and fragments of primary forest. Taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity facets were calculated within a Hill numbers framework. We analysed responses to fragment size, interior-edge-matrix gradients, as well as local vegetation structure, continuous forest cover, edge density and patch density across five spatial scales (0.5−3 km) surrounding detector locations. Results Compared with continuous forest, secondary forest matrix around the smallest fragments harboured lower diversity. The overall negative effect of the matrix became less pronounced with increasing fragment size. In contrast, forest edges generally contained higher taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity. We found subtle scale-sensitive associations for functional diversity, responding positively to forest cover (at the 1 km scale) and negatively to edge (1 km scale) and patch density (2.5 km scale). Conclusions Despite a low-contrast matrix of tall secondary forest surrounding fragments after ~ 30 years of forest recovery, aerial insectivorous bat diversity is not comparable to continuous primary forest. Assemblage functional diversity responds to compositional and configurational landscape characteristics at scales deserving further evaluation at guild and species level.

ContextIdentifying how species richness (or diversity) changes with different proportions of natural and anthropized environments in the landscape is important for landscape management for conservation. ObjectivesHere we propose a new method to assess biodiversity changes in landscapes with varying proportions of habitat types. MethodsOur method copes with two or more habitat types in the landscape and works with taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversities. We tested our method and a previous approach developed by Chao et al. using eight different simulated scenarios and one empirical dataset to assess whether they behaved as expected. ResultsOur method performed as expected in all scenarios and in the empirical dataset (considering also the functional and phylogenetic diversities in this latter case). The alternative method by Chao et al. conformed with the predictions only in two out of eight scenarios and provided counterintuitive results in all other scenarios and in the empirical dataset. ConclusionsWe showed that our method is a reliable tool to assess biodiversity changes in the context of landscape planning. The possibility of working with more than two habitat types and with different dimensions of diversity (i.e. functional and phylogenetic diversity) are also major advances of our method.

Hydroelectric power plants are the principal source of electricity in Brazil. Small hydroelectric plants (SHPs), which generate less than 30 MW, are important components of the national grid, and have been installed in the country at an increasing rate over the past 20 years. Operations of this type are regulated by environmental agencies, which require preliminary studies of environmental impact and posterior monitoring for the mitigation of potential impacts. The present study evaluated the impact of a SHP on the structure and dynamics of the local bat community in central Brazil. The study was based on the capture of bats in mist nets during eight field campaigns, four of which were conducted prior to the impoundment of the river, and four after the formation of the reservoir. Seventeen bat species were identified. The occurrence of species shifted following the impoundment, reflecting considerable changes in the structure of the local bat community caused by the installation of the dam, with negative effects on both species richness and bat abundance. The study also discusses specific aspects of the impacts of the dam on the different bat guilds.

Aim Few bird extinctions on oceanic island have been attributed to competition with non-native species, even though it might be an overlooked driver of biodiversity loss. We evaluate the potential competition between native and non-native island bird species, identifying species and island characteristics that enhance it and may promote future extinctions. Location Seventy-three (>100 km2) oceanic islands worldwide. Methods We compiled a species list for each island and used single-trait meta-analyses to assess differences between native and non-native species. Then, we used single-trait beta regression models to identify species traits linked to potential competition. Finally, we used a trait-based approach to calculate the potential competition between native and non-native species on each island and identify island characteristics linked to potential competition. Results Native bird species tended to be smaller forest dwellers, that were either carnivore, frugivore or insectivore, and that foraged in flight, in the canopy or at mid-height. In contrast, non-native birds tended to be open habitat granivores, that were either ground or unspecialized foragers. Potential competition tended to be higher for native species with typical non-native traits and forest-dwelling unspecialized non-native species. Potential competition between native and non-native birds was consistently higher in islands that were larger, had more non-native birds or were drier. Main conclusions Niche differentiation of native and non-native species may explain the scarcity of reported competition-driven extinctions since non-natives clearly tend to favour and are better adapted to anthropogenic environments. However, the few non-native birds that occur in native ecosystems may be problematic. The loss of native ecosystems coupled with the introduction of species that might outcompete native species may enhance the relevance of competition in future island extinctions.

SummaryThe increasing pressure of anthropogenic development in areas with high natural value poses a huge challenge for wildlife conservation worldwide. The Tagus estuary in southern Portugal is among the most important wetlands for migratory shorebirds in the East Atlantic Flyway (EAF). However, in 2020 the Portuguese government approved the construction of the new Lisbon international airport at the heart of the Tagus estuary. Intense aircraft traffic, flying at low altitudes during both approach and take-off, is expected to cross the estuary, overlapping to a great extent the important intertidal foraging areas. Here, we aim to quantify the potential loss of conservation value of the intertidal areas of the Tagus estuary for shorebirds resulting from the disturbance (noise) caused by overflying aircraft. Using a comprehensive dataset of wintering shorebird abundance and distribution in the whole intertidal estuarine area we first identified priority areas for conservation using a spatial prioritization approach. We then performed a replacement cost analysis by excluding the areas likely to become unsuitable or severely underused by birds due to intense air traffic noise. Our results suggest that the implementation of the new Lisbon airport may lead to a loss of up to 30% of the conservation value of the Tagus estuary in terms of intertidal feeding areas of wintering birds alone. The global impact will likely be greater when effects on supratidal roosts, as well as on passage birds, are also considered. The Tagus estuary, which is internationally important for six of the 10 species included in our analysis, is just one of a network of already depleted sites along the EAF. Thus, negative impacts on bird populations on the Tagus estuary will have repercussions and undermine conservation efforts elsewhere. The plight of shorebirds at the Tagus estuary is thus a matter of international conservation concern.

Coloniality in birds is often associated with an increase in parasite burden, but whether the co-occurrence of several host species influences the prevalence and abundance of ectoparasites and their relationship with colony size or density remains poorly known. Here, we studied mixed-species breeding colonies formed after the provision of artificial breeding structures for restoring the lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) population in Portugal, to investigate the influence of colony traits on ectoparasite infestation. We sampled four groups of ectoparasites (carnid flies, haematophagous mites, louse flies and chewing lice) in four hosts: lesser kestrels, European rollers (Coracias garrulus), feral pigeons (Columba livia) and spotless starlings (Sturnus unicolor). Each host species had a distinct infracommunity of ectoparasites, regardless of colony traits such as size, density or host richness. The abundance of the most common ectoparasite, Carnus hemapterus, was influenced by colony composition – number of nests of each host species – rather than by colony size or density, with its abundance being diluted with increasing numbers of less suitable hosts such as starlings. The increased contact between multiple species of hosts in breeding colonies may complexify host–parasite interactions and challenge our current knowledge on the ecological relationships between host sociality and parasitism.

AimWe analyse the functional consequences of the changes in species composition resulting from extinctions and introductions on oceanic island bird assemblages. Specifically, we ask if introduced species have compensated the functional loss resulting from species extinctions.LocationSeventy-four oceanic islands (>100 km2) in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans.Time periodLate Holocene.Major taxa studiedTerrestrial and freshwater bird species.MethodsWe compiled a species list per island (extinct and extant, native and introduced), and then compiled traits per species. We used single-trait analyses to assess the effects of past species extinctions and introductions on functional composition. Then, we used probabilistic hypervolumes in trait space to calculate functional richness and evenness of original versus present avifaunas of each island (and net change), and to estimate functional originality of extinct and introduced species.ResultsThe net effects of extinctions and introductions were: an increase in average species richness per island (alpha diversity), yet a decline in diversity across all islands (gamma diversity); an average increase in the prevalence of most functional traits (23 out of 35) yet an average decline functional richness and evenness, associated with the fact that extinct species were functionally more original (when compared to extant natives) than introduced species.Main conclusionsIntroduced species are on average offsetting (and even surpassing) the losses of extinct species per island in terms of species richness, and they are increasing the prevalence of most functional traits. However, they are not compensating the loss of functional richness due to extinctions. Current island bird assemblages are becoming functionally poorer, having lost original species and being composed of functionally more homogeneous species. This is likely to have cascading repercussions on the functioning of island ecosystems.

Collision with power lines is a major cause of mortality for many bird species. Understanding the biotic and abiotic factors that increase collision risk is therefore important for implementing mitigation measures to minimize mortality, such as power line rerouting or wire marking. Here, we used collision events registered during 2003–2015 along 280 km of transmission power lines in southern Portugal to analyse spatio-temporal patterns and collision risk factors in two sympatric, threatened, and collision-prone species: the great bustard Otis tarda and the little bustard Tetrax tetrax. The occurrence of collisions was not uniform across space and time, and variations could be explained by the species' ecological requirements, distribution patterns and behaviour. Although both species fly considerable distances between areas of suitable habitat, collisions were far more likely in power line sections with > 20% (for the little bustard) or > 50% (for the great bustard) of open farmland habitat in the surroundings. Power line configuration was also important: taller pylons and those with a higher number of wire levels posed a higher risk for both species. Wire marking had a small but significant effect for the little bustard, reducing collisions risk. There was, however, no similar effect for the great bustard, possibly a result of limited data. Mitigation measures should be implemented to prevent bustard collisions, including adequate route planning, ideally avoiding areas with > 20% of open habitat. Line configuration and wire marking are particularly important where such localities cannot be avoided and power lines cross areas with a high proportion of bustard habitat, including outside protected areas.

The oceanic islands of the Gulf of Guinea (Príncipe, São Tomé, and Annobón) are an exceptional centre of endemism for flora and fauna. Remarkable progress has been made in biological research during the last few decades: from species being described and reported for the first time, to general patterns of species-habitat associations found across terrestrial, coastal, and marine taxa. Despite this increase in knowledge, key aspects of Gulf of Guinea species ecology remain poorly understood. This chapter reviews existing knowledge on the biodiversity of the islands, focusing on species distributions, population abundance estimates, traits, habitat associations and interactions. To promote these islands as ecological models, and to ensure the future of their endemic-rich biodiversity, it is essential to overcome current knowledge gaps and reduce existing taxonomic, spatial, and temporal biases in the information available. Therefore, future studies should favour systematic island-wide surveys and prioritize understudied areas and taxonomic groups. Moreover, long-term monitoring studies are urgently needed to assess biodiversity trends and to advise conservation actions. The future of ecological research and conservation of the unique biodiversity of these islands must increasingly rely on the development of local biodiversity-focused scientific expertise, through outreach, capacity building, and advanced training, paired with international collaborations and the development of local organizations.

Oceanic islands are usually difficult for mammals to colonize; consequently, the native mammal fauna is typically species-poor, often consisting of just a few species of bats. The oceanic islands of the Gulf of Guinea are no exception to this pattern. Still, the known mammal richness is relatively high for the small size of the islands. Out of a total of 13 native species, including 11 bats and 2 shrews, at least 7 species and 3 subspecies are single-island endemics. In addition to native species, at least 6 other wild mammals have been introduced to the islands purposely or accidentally by humans. Some of these are among the world’s most notorious invasive species and cause damage to native species, ecosystems, and humans. Predation by exotic species can threaten native island mammals, which are especially sensitive due to their small populations and limited ranges. These impacts are likely worsened by other threats, such as forest degradation and climate change, and a general lack of knowledge about the natural history of most species also hampers the implementation of conservation measures. Therefore, fostering further research on the endemic-rich mammal fauna of these islands is vital to ensure their persistence.

Throughout the tropics, regenerating secondary forests occupy vast areas previously cleared for agriculture and cattle ranching. However, despite the importance of regenerating forests in mitigating the pervasive negative consequences of forest loss and fragmentation on forest-associated biodiversity, longitudinal studies on species' phylogenetic responses to matrix regeneration are rare.\ud We surveyed bats in continuous primary forest, primary forest fragments and in the regenerating secondary forest matrix of a whole-ecosystem Amazonian fragmentation experiment, ~15 and ~30 years after forest clearance, to investigate how changes in matrix quality through forest recovery affect phylogenetic α- and β-diversity.\ud We found that temporal changes in phylogenetic α-richness were more marked in the secondary forest matrix than in forest fragments and continuous forest, evidencing a significant increase in total evolutionary history over time. However, when the effects of species richness were accounted for, the phylogenetic structure of each assemblage was reduced close to zero, evincing a random pattern of lineages in all habitat types. Temporal differences in phylogenetic β-diversity were driven mainly by βreplacement in secondary forest and continuous forest ~30 years after forest clearance. Both habitats also clustered together in terms of βrichness, indicating similar levels of evolutionary heritage. Consequently, regenerating secondary forest showed a reduction in the extinction probability of lineages over time.\ud Synthesis and applications. Approximately 30 years of secondary forest regeneration were sufficient for phylogenetic richness to recover to levels similar to those observed in continuous forest. Promoting forest succession on degraded land through a combination of natural and active restoration, while ensuring the long-term protection of secondary forests regardless of their age, is of key importance for conserving tropical bat diversity and their associated ecosystem services. Such restoration measures would stimulate the recolonization of fragments and matrix habitats by evolutionarily distinct bat species, safeguarding phylogenetically diverse assemblages and ecological functions. Our study suggests that forest restoration in tropical degraded areas should be encouraged and secondary forests be protected by law, especially in countryside ecosystems with high primary forest cover, and in the surroundings of protected areas.

Biological invasions are a major threat to global biodiversity with particularly deleterious consequences on oceanic islands. The introduction of large terrestrial animals – generally absent on islands – can disrupt important ecosystem functions, such as the dispersal of native seeds. However, while the consequences of plant invasions received much attention, the potential of introduced animals to change insular seed dispersal networks remains largely unknown. Here, we collated evidence from five sampling methods to assemble qualitative and quantitative, multi-guild seed dispersal network for the island of São Tomé (Gulf of Guinea) and explore whether native and introduced seed dispersers consistently differ in their topological roles, in their gape width and in the size of the dispersed seeds. Our network included 428 interactions between 23 dispersers (14 birds, 2 bats, 1 snake and 6 non-flying mammals) and 133 plant species. Each method (direct observations, identification of seeds in droppings and stomachs, questionnaires and literature review) was particularly informative for a small group of dispersers, thus rendering largely complementary information. Native and introduced dispersers did not differ in their topological position in either qualitative or quantitative networks (linkage level, specialization d' and species strength). However, introduced dispersers tend to have much larger gape widths and to disperse significantly larger seeds. Our results point to a general upsizing of the seed dispersal network in the island of São Tomé driven by the recent arrival of large, introduced animals. We argue that this pattern is likely common on other oceanic islands where introduced dispersers might counteract the general pattern of seed dispersal downsizing resulting from the selective extinction of larger animals.

Wood-pastures are socio-ecological systems covering vast areas in Europe. Although used for grazing and production of various forest goods, wood-pastures harbour a rich biodiversity and are usually considered as High Nature Value Farmlands. However, socio-economic pressures are driving the transformation of these valuable landscapes from multi-functional, heterogeneous habitats to homogeneous areas through either intensification or land abandonment. We investigated how changes in management intensity influence the taxonomic diversity, functional diversity and functional composition of birds in these landscapes using generalized linear models. In contrast to taxonomic diversity, functional diversity decreased significantly towards shrub-dominated and less heterogeneous areas related to the abandonment of grazing and/or understory management practices. Grassland and generalist species, and associated guilds such as granivores, ground-nesters and ground-foragers are almost absent less managed areas. On the other hand, shrub-dominated areas favour forest species, particularly understory/canopy foragers and arboreal nesters, although the forest guild is still well-represented in actively managed, heterogeneous areas. Our results indicate the abandonment of wood-pasture management affects the prevalence of grassland and generalist species, leading to functional diversity loss and potentially reduced ecosystem functioning. We suggest non-intensive, active management is needed to maintain habitat heterogeneity and canopy openness, enhancing trait diversity in wood-pastures.

Reproductive rates in bats are higher when there is a greater availability of food, and when temperatures and rainfall are higher. Along elevational gradients, variation in these factors occurs over a small area, making them ideal natural laboratories for studies that aim to describe reproductive patterns and to identify possible vertical migrations for reproduction. We characterized the seasonal and elevational variation in reproductive rates of female and male Artibeus spp., Carollia perspicillata, and Sturnira lilium in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We sampled bats with mist nets at 13 sites in southeastern Brazil, between 23° and 24° of latitude, at elevations between 60 and 1,800 m a.s.l. The reproductive patterns of Artibeus spp. and S. lilium were seasonal, with higher reproductive rates in the period with higher rainfall, temperatures, and, consequently, greater availability of food. Moreover, elevation influenced reproductive activity in all study species. Reproductive rates for females of Artibeus spp. were higher at intermediate elevations (between 501 and 1,000 m a.s.l.), and for females of S. lilium at high elevations (above 1,000 m a.s.l.) with a less evident peak at intermediate elevations. Similarly, the proportions of reproductively active male Artibeus spp. and S. lilium were greater at intermediate and high elevations, respectively. In the dry season, reproductive rates of all females increased with local abundance of all females. Differences in reproductive rates along elevational gradients could influence population dynamics, and therefore entire elevational ranges should be protected to ensure conservation of the best reproductive habitats for a variety of bat species. Public policies are needed to ensure effective conservation of biodiversity, biological processes, and the ecosystem services provided by local fauna from the lower lands to the mountain peaks.

1 . Wind energy production has expanded to meet climate change mitigation goals, but negative impacts of wind turbines have been reported on wildlife. Soaring birds are among the most affected groups with alarming fatality rates by collision with wind turbines and an escalating occupation of their migratory corridors. These birds have been described as changing their flight trajectories to avoid wind turbines, but this behaviour may lead to functional habitat loss, as suitable soaring areas in the proximity of wind turbines will likely be underused. 2 . We modelled the displacement effect of wind turbines on black kites ( Milvus migrans ) tracked by GPS . We also evaluated the impact of this effect at the scale of the landscape by estimating how much suitable soaring area was lost to wind turbines. 3 . We used state-of-the-art tracking devices to monitor the movements of 130 black kites in an area populated by wind turbines, at the migratory bottleneck of the Strait of Gibraltar. Landscape use by birds was mapped from GPS data using dynamic Brownian bridge movement models, and generalized additive mixed modelling was used to estimate the effect of wind turbine proximity on bird use while accounting for orographic and thermal uplift availability. 4 . We found that areas up to approximately 674 m away from the turbines were less used than expected given their uplift potential. Within that distance threshold, bird use decreased with the proximity to wind turbines. We estimated that the footprint of wind turbines affected 3%–14% of the areas suitable for soaring in our study area. 5 . We present evidence that the impacts of wind energy industry on soaring birds are greater than previously acknowledged. In addition to the commonly reported fatalities, the avoidance of turbines by soaring birds causes habitat losses in their movement corridors. Authorities should recognize this further impact of wind energy production and establish new regulations that protect soaring habitat. We also showed that soaring habitat for birds can be modelled at a fine scale using publicly available data. Such an approach can be used to plan low-impact placement of turbines in new wind energy developments. aerial habitat , avoidance behaviour , migration , orographic uplift , raptor , thermal uplift , wind farms

During the post-fledging dependence period, young raptors are particularly vulnerable as they are still developing flying, hunting and social skills, and collecting spatial environmental information required for emancipation. We studied the use of space during this critical period by the highly threatened Spanish Imperial Eagle Aquila adalberti, using high temporal and spatial resolution tracking devices. Ten juveniles from four different nests were tracked throughout their dependence period with GPS/GSM tags. This period lasted until a median age of 137 days (93–153). Juveniles remained within a stable home range with a median of 232 ha, but when 90–100 days old began making exploratory movements that became more frequent and extensive with the approach of emancipation. These movements had a median of 22.2 km and were usually completed within the same day, but this exploratory behaviour proved to be quite plastic, as one movement was 1291 km long and lasted 4.5 days. Moreover, three individuals that were apparently forced to emancipate particularly early seem to have virtually skipped the exploratory phase. The length of the movements varied among years within the same nest, and those of females were about twice those of males. Most movements were towards the NW, and the outgoing flight was usually against the wind. This behaviour may keep animals from flying so far from the nest that they are then unable to return. The high spatial and time resolution provided by GPS tracking resulted in data that highlight the conservation importance of the nest site until well after fledging. Measures to minimize nest disturbance should thus be extended until early October. Moreover, data show that so much of the activity of the still inexperienced juveniles is concentrated in the small pre-emancipation range that is critical to protecting its habitats and eliminating all anthropogenic sources of mortality.

Migratory decisions, such as the selection of stopover sites, are critical for the success of post‐breeding migratory movements and subsequent survival. Recent advances in bio‐logging have revealed the stopover strategies of many long‐distance migrants, but far less attention has been given to short‐distance migrants. We investigated the stopover ecology of an endangered grassland bird, the Little Bustard Tetrax tetrax, a short‐distance migrant in Iberia. Using high‐resolution spatial GPS/GSM data, 27 male Little Bustards breeding in southern Portugal were tracked between 2009 and 2011. We studied post‐breeding movements using Dynamic Brownian Bridge models to identify the main stopover sites, and generalized linear mixed models to examine habitat selection in stopovers. During their post‐breeding movements, males were essentially nocturnal migrants, making frequent stopovers while maintaining a relatively fast pace to reach more productive agricultural post‐breeding areas. Stopovers occurred in most post‐breeding movements (83%) regardless of the total distance covered (average 64.3 km), and most stopovers (84%) lasted less than 24 h. Birds used mostly agricultural non‐irrigated and irrigated croplands as stopover sites and avoided other land uses and rugged terrain. There was a negative relationship between stopovers and the proximity to roads, but not to power lines. The high frequency of stopovers during post‐breeding movements, despite the short distances travelled, together with the nocturnal migratory behaviour of bustards, may impose additional risks to a bird mainly threatened by collision with power lines in non‐breeding areas. We also conclude that even for short‐distance migrants, habitat connectivity between breeding and post‐breeding areas is likely to be a key conservation concern.

Mammals are threatened worldwide, with ~26% of all species being included in the IUCN threatened categories. This overall pattern is primarily associated with habitat loss or degradation, and human persecution for terrestrial mammals, and pollution, open net fishing, climate change, and prey depletion for marine mammals. Mammals play a key role in maintaining ecosystems functionality and resilience, and therefore information on their distribution is crucial to delineate and support conservation actions. MAMMALS IN PORTUGAL is a publicly available data set compiling unpublished georeferenced occurrence records of 92 terrestrial, volant, and marine mammals in mainland Portugal and archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira that includes 105,026 data entries between 1873 and 2021 (72% of the data occurring in 2000 and 2021). The methods used to collect the data were: live observations/captures (43%), sign surveys (35%), camera trapping (16%), bioacoustics surveys (4%) and radiotracking, and inquiries that represent less than 1% of the records. The data set includes 13 types of records: (1) burrows | soil mounds | tunnel, (2) capture, (3) colony, (4) dead animal | hair | skulls | jaws, (5) genetic confirmation, (6) inquiries, (7) observation of live animal (8), observation in shelters, (9) photo trapping | video, (10) predators diet | pellets | pine cones/nuts, (11) scat | track | ditch, (12) telemetry and (13) vocalization | echolocation. The spatial uncertainty of most records ranges between 0 and 100 m (76%). Rodentia (n=31,573) has the highest number of records followed by Chiroptera (n=18,857), Carnivora (n=18,594), Lagomorpha (n=17,496), Cetartiodactyla (n=11,568) and Eulipotyphla (n=7008). The data set includes records of species classified by the IUCN as threatened (e.g., Oryctolagus cuniculus [n=12,159], Monachus monachus [n=1,512], and Lynx pardinus [n=197]). We believe that this data set may stimulate the publication of other European countries data sets that would certainly contribute to ecology and conservation-related research, and therefore assisting on the development of more accurate and tailored conservation management strategies for each species. There are no copyright restrictions; please cite this data paper when the data are used in publications.

During the last decades, the use of bioacoustics as a non‐invasive and cost‐effective sampling method has greatly increased worldwide. For bats, acoustic surveys have long been known to complement traditional mist‐netting, however, appropriate protocol guidelines are still lacking for tropical regions. Establishing the minimum sampling effort needed to detect ecological changes in bat assemblages (e.g., activity, composition and richness) is crucial in view of workload and project cost constraints, and because detecting such changes must be reliable enough to support effective conservation management. Using one of the most comprehensive tropical bat acoustic datasets, collected in the Amazon, we assessed the minimum survey effort required to accurately assess (1) the completeness of assemblage inventories and (2) habitat selection in fragmented forest landscapes for aerial insectivorous bats. We evaluated a combination of 20 different temporal sampling schemes, which differed regarding: (i) number of hours per night, (ii) number of nights per site and (iii) sampling only during the wet or dry season, or both. This was assessed under two different landscape scenarios: (a) in primary forest fragments embedded in a matrix of secondary forest, and (b) in the same forest fragments, but after they had been re‐isolated through clearing of the secondary forest. We found that the sampling effort required to achieve 90% inventory completeness varied considerably depending on the research aim and the landscape scenario evaluated, averaging ~80 and 10 nights before and after fragment re‐isolation, respectively. Recording for more than four hours per night did not result in a substantial reduction in the required number of sampling nights. Regarding the effects of habitat selection, except for assemblage composition, bat responses in terms of richness, diversity, and activity were similar across all sampling schemes after fragment re‐isolation. However, before re‐isolation, a minimum of four to six sampling hours per night after dusk and three to five nights of sampling per site were needed to detect significant effects that could otherwise go unnoticed. Based on our results, we propose guidelines that will aid to optimize sampling protocols for bat acoustic surveys in the Neotropics.

Habitat loss and fragmentation rank high amongst the most pressing threats to biodiversity. Understanding how variation in functional traits is associated with species vulnerability in fragmented landscapes is central to the design of effective conservation strategies. Here, we used a whole-ecosystem ecological experiment in the Central Amazon to investigate which functional traits of aerial-hawking insectivorous bats best predict their sensitivity to forest fragmentation. During 2014, bats were surveyed using passive bat recorders in six continuous forest sites, eight forest fragments, eight fragment edges, and eight forest clearings. The interaction between functional traits, environmental characteristics, and species distribution was investigated using a combination of RLQ and fourth-corner analyses. Our results showed that echolocation call structure, vertical stratification, and wing aspect ratio were the strongest predictors of sensitivity to forest fragmentation. Frequency of maximum energy, body mass, and relative wing loading did not show any correlation with the environmental variables. Bat species with constant-frequency calls were associated with high vegetation density, being more susceptible to forest fragmentation than species with frequency-modulated calls. Vertical stratum preference was also correlated with vegetation structure, indicating that understory species were more sensitive to forest loss than canopy species. Finally, species with high aspect ratio wings were linked to forest edges and clearings. Our findings suggest that species functional traits determine the vulnerability of aerial-hawking insectivorous bats toward fragmentation and, similarly, environmental conditions determine if a species is likely to become locally extinct due to fragmentation. Preserving structurally complex forests will be crucial to ensure the long-term persistence of the most sensitive and vulnerable species of this bat ensemble in fragmented landscapes across the Neotropics. © Copyright © 2019 Núñez, López-Baucells, Rocha, Farneda, Bobrowiec, Palmeirim and Meyer.

European grassland birds are experiencing major population declines, mainly due to changes in farmland management. We analyzed the role of habitat availability, grazing management and linear infrastructures (roads and power lines) in explaining spatial and temporal variation in the population density of little bustards (Tetrax tetrax) in Portugal, during a decade in which the species population size halved. We used data from 51 areas (totaling ca. 1,50,000 ha) that were sampled in two different periods (2003–2006 and 2016). In 2003–2006, when the species occurred at high densities, habitat availability was the only factor affecting spatial variation in bustard density. In the 2016 survey, variation in density was explained by habitat availability and livestock management, with reduced bird numbers in areas with higher proportions of cattle. Population declines across the study period were steeper in areas that initially held higher densities of bustards and in areas with a higher proportion of cattle in the total stocking rate. Areas with higher densities of power lines also registered greater density declines, probably due to avoidance behavior and to increased mortality. Overall, our results show little bustards are currently lacking high quality grassland habitat, whose persistence depends on extensive grazing regimes and low linear infrastructure densities.

Assessing progress towards achieving conservation targets is required for all countries committed to the Convention on Biological Diversity. The Natura 2000 network is the largest protected area network in the world and was created to protect Europe's threatened species and habitats, often requiring active management. This study assesses the effectiveness of areas classified under the EU Birds Directive at protecting Western Europe's agro-steppes, the last remnants of suitable habitat for several endangered bird species. We quantify agro-steppe habitat change in the last 10 years using high-resolution aerial images of 21 Special Protection Areas and surrounding areas. The selected SPAs hold one third of the global population of great bustards Otis tarda, a flagship conservation species. Agro-steppe area losses occurred across all sites surveyed but were 45% lower inside Natura 2000 compared to non-protected areas. Natura 2000 sites still lost over 35,000 ha of agro-steppe habitat in 10 years, an area that could hold more than 500 great bustards. These low yield farmlands are being converted predominately to permanent and irrigated crops. At the current rate of habitat conversion, agro-steppes could be reduced to 50% of the present area during the next century. Moreover, the greater conversions outside protected sites may transform the remaining agro-steppes into isolated “islands” with low population connectivity. Our study on agro-steppes illustrates the relevant contribution of Natura 2000 at protecting Europe's key habitats, but also highlights crucial insufficiencies that still need to be addressed to achieve the CBD conservation targets and halt biodiversity loss.

Wood-pastures are grazed systems, widespread across Europe, where natural and economic values often co-exist. Social and economic changes in Europe generate both threats and opportunities to these systems, calling for new or improved management strategies. We studied the potential of increasing the biodiversity of wood-pastures through the promotion of small-scale habitat diversification. More specifically, we evaluated the impact of protecting very small shrubby patches within large Mediterranean wood-pastures. We sampled species assemblages of plants, lichens and coleopterans in 13 small patches (252–3000 m2) with a well developed shrub layer, and 11 plots in the adjacent matrix of virtually shrub free wood-pasture. Despite their very small size, patches had clearly distinct assemblages of all the studied taxa and their presence greatly enhanced the species richness of the studied wood-pasture landscapes. The presence of shrubby patches increased species richness in wood-pastures by 42% for plants, 27% for lichens and 29% for coleopterans (average over two study areas), a very substantial gain considering that patches covered less than 0.5% of the studied wood-pastures. Our results indicate that the protection and promotion of even small shrubby patches is a promising low-cost nature-based strategy to increase the biodiversity value of wood-pasture landscapes, without substantially affecting the economic value of this silvopastoral system, which is an old and important part of the natural and cultural heritage of Europe., doctoral and post-doctoral grants: (PD/BD/106044/2015), (SFRH/BPD/88056/2012), (SFRH/BPD/118635/2016), and (SFRH/BPD/101983/2014).

AIM: This study aims to contribute to the identification of ecological determinants of tropical moist forest montane biodiversity, analysing changes in the structure of bat assemblages along an elevational gradient and testing the role of species traits shaping those assemblages. LOCATION: Mountain ranges in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. METHODS: We compiled a dataset with the composition of phyllostomid bat assemblages at 32 forested sites, ranging from 60 m to 1,960 m a.s.l. We quantified how abundance and diversity changed along this elevational gradient, and assessed the capacity of each species to be present and abundant at each elevation, identifying traits that may influence that capacity. RESULTS: Abundance and species diversity declined markedly with increasing elevation. Tolerance to low temperatures, low habitat specialization and cave roosting facilitated success at higher elevations. Owing to trait filtering, and to changes in resource availability with elevation, assemblages were progressively dominated by a smaller number of mostly generalist species as elevation increased. Higher elevations harbour only a subset of the species that are present in the lowland forest, with no mountain specialized species. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: High mountains harbour phyllostomid assemblages that are impoverished subsets of those at lower elevations. Phyllostomids have a tropical origin and may thus have a low potential to adapt to montane forest environments, which possibly explains the observed climatic trait filtering. Habitat filtering is also important, keeping forest specialists mostly at lowest elevations. Protected areas in the Atlantic Forest are mostly limited to mountains. While these areas are clearly important to protect biodiversity, including phyllostomid assemblages, it is now critical to protect and restore the few remnants of lower elevation Atlantic Forest where higher productivity and resource levels, increased complexity of vertical structure, and fewer climatic constraints favour the success of a wider range of phyllostomid bat species of tropical origin.

Owing to major technological advances, bioacoustics has become a burgeoning field in\ud ecological research worldwide. Autonomous passive acoustic recorders are becoming widely\ud used to monitor aerial insectivorous bats, and automatic classifiers have emerged to aid\ud researchers in the daunting task of analyzing the resulting massive acoustic datasets.\ud However, the scarcity of comprehensive reference call libraries still hampers their wider\ud application in highly diverse tropical assemblages. Capitalizing on a unique acoustic dataset\ud of more than 650,000 bat call sequences collected over a 3-year period in the Brazilian\ud Amazon, the aims of this study were (a) to assess how pre-identified recordings of free-flying\ud and hand-released bats could be used to train an automatic classification algorithm (random\ud forest), and (b) to optimize acoustic analysis protocols by combining automatic classification\ud with visual post-validation, whereby we evaluated the proportion of sound files to be postvalidated\ud for different thresholds of classification accuracy. Classifiers were trained at species\ud or sonotype (group of species with similar calls) level. Random forest models confirmed the\ud reliability of using calls of both free-flying and hand-released bats to train custom-built\ud automatic classifiers. To achieve a general classification accuracy of ~85%, random forest\ud had to be trained with at least 500 pulses per species/sonotype. For seven out of 20 sonotypes,\ud the most abundant in our dataset, we obtained high classification accuracy (>90%). Adopting\ud a desired accuracy probability threshold of 95% for the random forest classifier, we found that\ud the percentage of sound files required for manual post-validation could be reduced by up to\ud 75%, a significant saving in terms of workload. Combining automatic classification with\ud manual ID through fully customizable classifiers implemented in open-source software as\ud demonstrated here shows great potential to help overcome the acknowledged risks and biases\ud associated with the sole reliance on automatic classification.

Secondary forests and human-made forest gaps are conspicuous features of tropical landscapes. Yet, behavioral responses to these aspects of anthropogenically modified forests remain poorly investigated. Here, we analyze the effects of small human-made clearings and secondary forests on tropical bats by examining the guild- and species-level activity patterns of phyllostomids sampled in the Central Amazon, Brazil. Specifically, we contrast the temporal activity patterns and degree of temporal overlap of 6 frugivorous and 4 gleaning animalivorous species in old-growth forest and second-growth forest and of 4 frugivores in old-growth forest and forest clearings. The activity patterns of frugivores and gleaning animalivores did not change between old-growth forest and second-growth, nor did the activity patterns of frugivores between old-growth forest and clearings. However, at the species level, we detected significant differences for Artibeus obscurus (old-growth forest vs. second-growth) and A. concolor (old-growth forest vs. clearings). The degree of temporal overlap was greater than random in all sampled habitats. However, for frugivorous species, the degree of temporal overlap was similar between old-growth forest and second-growth; whereas for gleaning animalivores, it was lower in second-growth than in old-growth forest. On the contrary, forest clearings were characterized by increased temporal overlap between frugivores. Changes in activity patterns and temporal overlap may result from differential foraging opportunities and dissimilar predation risks. Yet, our analyses suggest that activity patterns of bats in second-growth and small forest clearings, 2 of the most prominent habitats in humanized tropical landscapes, varies little from the activity patterns in old-growth forest.

Habitat loss and non-native species are two key drivers of biodiversity decline. The importance of their interactions is widely recognized, but remains poorly understood. We used the endemic-rich bird assemblage of São Tomé Island to study this type of interactions. We built species-specific binomial generalized linear models for 33 terrestrial bird species, based on presence–absence data from 2398 sampling points. Meta-analysis techniques revealed that land use was more important in explaining distribution than topographic variables, rainfall, or distance to coast for the studied bird species. Native species were more likely to occur in remote rainy forests at higher altitudes, whereas non-native species were more likely to occur in non-forested ecosystems, being associated with humanized lowland areas in the drier flat regions of São Tomé. The susceptibility of anthropogenic ecosystems to the establishment of non-native birds suggests that disturbance favours these species. An analysis of species feeding guilds further suggests that these habitat associations might be linked to resource availability, as a large proportion of non-native species rely on seeds, which are clearly more available outside the best-preserved forests. Contrarily, very few native birds seem to be using this resource, and instead rely on more complex ecological interaction, such as carnivory and frugivory. This difference may reduce the chance of negative interactions between native and non-native species (e.g. competition), but this should not be misunderstood for a lack of negative effects of the latter. Our results indicate that land-use intensification is the key driver of biodiversity changes on São Tomé, potentially facilitating the expansion of non-native species and demoting ecological complexity. Therefore, protecting the best-preserved forests is the single most important measure to ensure the conservation of native species.

Science-based sustainable management of agroforestry and silvopastoral systems is essential for their maintenance in a changing world. Using bibliometric and network analyses, we characterized how research is addressing the ecological and socio-economic dimensions of sustainable management of cork oak (Quercus suber) silvo pastoral systems, Mediterranean ecosystems of high nature conservation and socio-economic value. We retrieved publications on cork oak from the Web of Science. More than 60 countries contributed with research on this system. Retrieved papers addressed a great diversity of topics and were published in a variety of journals, highlighting the multidisciplinary character of cork oak research. Research grew exponentially after the 1990’s, possibly stimulated by the establishment of the European Forest Ecosystem Research Network. Our analysis shows that most research priorities identified for the Mediterranean region are being well addressed in cork oak systems, although research on the interactions between ecological and socio-economic components remains underrepresented. Less research has been published in North Africa compared to Europe, which is worrisome because it hosts a large area of cork oak that faces major sustainability challenges, often different from those prevailing in Europe. Our study shows that, despite constraints, the global scientific community is contributing to fill relevant knowledge gaps on the sustainability of cork oak systems across their range. Bibliographic and network analyses proved effective to uncover patterns, gaps, and potential constraints on cork oak scientific research and can be easily used to analyze research in other agroforestry and silvopastoral systems worldwide.

SummaryThe Little Bustard Tetrax tetrax (Linnaeus, 1758) is a medium-sized, ‘Near Threatened’ steppe bird, whose Iberian population has been alarmingly declining over recent decades. Although this population loss has been mainly attributed to agricultural intensification, there is no information on Little Bustard adult mortality levels and their drivers. Based on a joint effort combining all the tracking data on adult Little Bustards collected over a period of 12 years by all research teams working with the species in Iberia, we found that annual anthropogenic mortality is likely to have a critical impact on the species, with values almost as high as the mortality attributed to predation. Collision with power lines was found to be the main anthropogenic threat to the adult population (3.4–3.8%/year), followed by illegal killing (2.4–3%/year), which had a higher impact than initially foreseen. Our work shows how poorly understood and previously unknown threats are affecting the survival of the most important Little Bustard population in Europe.

Even though leks have been widely used by biologists as a model to study sexual selection, we still do not understand how lekking individuals use space, interact and socially progress over time. This study aimed to provide new insights into lekking breeding dynamics using a high temporal and spatial resolution data set derived from the GPS tracking of adult male little bustards, Tetrax tetrax , collected over a 4-year period. We found the lekking system was dynamic at both intra- and interseasonal scales. Smaller ranges were consistent with territorial behaviour. Using Bayesian latent cluster analysis, based on the movements of each individual, we were able to distinguish between breeding behavioural modes, territorial and floating, within the breeding season. Surprisingly, only 27% of the males were found to be constantly territorial within the same year. The remaining birds showed predominantly floating behaviour or shifted between the two behavioural modes, floating and territorial, possibly indicating male turnover. Birds that were tracked for more than 1 year tended to return to the same breeding range. Floating males between years reduced their ranges within the same area and became territorial, indicating a trend for rank progression with increasing adult age. The combination of territorial site fidelity and male rank ascent based on age can explain the temporal persistence of leks within stable habitats.

Miniopterus schreibersii is a cave-dwelling bat species with a wide distribution in the western Palearctic spanning southern and central Europe, North Africa, Anatolia, the Middle East, and the Caucasus. We investigated the social structure and its effects on the genetic makeup of this species, using 10 nuclear microsatellite markers and a partial fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. Samples were examined from the species' entire circum-Mediterranean range. Local structuring that was previously detected among populations of M. schreibersii using mitochondrial markers was not observed for microsatellite markers, indicating male-biased dispersal for the species. Some support was found for postglacial expansions in Europe, with Anatolia potentially acting as the primary refugium during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). However, support for this hypothesis is not as strong as that previously detected using mitochondrial DNA markers. This is likely due to the diminishing effect of male-mediated dispersal, replenishing the nuclear diversity faster than the mitochondrial diversity in regions that are relatively far from the glacial refugia.

Wooded grasslands, usually grazed, cover vast areas in Southern Europe and Northern Africa. They host rich resident bird communities and, in winter, receive large numbers of migrants from Central and Northern European woodlands. Many species are partly or entirely dependent on ground foraging, and since in winter food is often the most limiting factor for birds, maintaining suitable ground habitat is crucial. \ud To study how grazing influences suitability of winter ground habitat for birds, we carried out an experiment in a wooded grassland in Southern Iberia, whereby grazing was controlled in 12 purposely fenced two-hectare plots (4 x 15 sheep/ha, 4 x 3 sheep/ha and 4 x no grazing). We quantified ground habitat features, food abundance and intensity of use by ground-foraging birds in each of these 12 plots. In addition, we made focal observations of birds feeding on the ground and compared the habitat of 1m2 foraging patches with those of nearby control patches. \ud We found that virtually all birds prefer to forage in patches with short ground vegetation and high food abundance. Measurements of these parameters in the experimental plots showed that while grazing shortens vegetation it decreases food availability, and thus has opposing effects on important determinants of habitat suitability. Nevertheless, the numbers of birds foraging in the plots indicate that, overall, grazing benefits the assemblage of ground-feeding birds, presumably because for most species the advantages of foraging in less cluttered habitats more than compensate the lower abundance of prey. However, arboreal bird species that make short foraging forays to the ground had lower numbers in grazed plots.\ud Most bird species that forage on the ground benefited from grazing, and although they can forage under a broad range of grazing levels, some showed clear preferences along the gradient of grazing intensity. Such preferences should be taken into consideration by managers. In general, grazing should be maintained at a level sufficient to open up ground vegetation, increasing the area occupied by patches of short vegetation, in which almost all bird species prefer to forage. At moderate levels, grazing is thus a valuable management tool to promote winter bird habitat quality in Mediterranean wooded grasslands, while increasing the economic value of these threatened landscapes.

SummarySão Tomé holds 20 endemic bird species, including the little known and ‘Critically Endangered’ Dwarf Olive IbisBostrychia bocagei, São Tomé FiscalLanius newtoniand São Tomé GrosbeakNeospiza concolor. We conducted a systematic survey of the core forest area, performing 1,680 point counts and compiling occasional observations, which enabled the identification of new areas of occurrence for the target species. MaxEnt distribution modelling suggested that the ibis and fiscal have roughly half of the potential area of occurrence that had been assumed (127 and 117 km2, respectively), while it more than doubled that of the grosbeak (187 km2). The south-west central region of the island, most of which is included in the São Tomé Obô Natural Park, has the highest potential for the Critically Endangered birds. We confirmed the association of all target species with native forest. The ibis preferred high tree density, while the fiscal selected low tree density and intermediate altitudes. Despite very restricted ranges, population sizes seem to be larger than previously assumed. These results suggest that the fiscal and grosbeak might be better classified as ‘Endangered’, while the ibis should maintain its status under different criteria, due to a very restricted range during the breeding season. This work provides vital ecological knowledge to support conservation action focusing on these species and their habitats, highlighting the need to improve the effectiveness of the São Tomé Obô Natural Park in protecting its unique biodiversity.

Context\ud Habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation are widespread drivers of biodiversity decline. Understanding how habitat quality interacts with landscape context, and how they jointly affect species in human-modified landscapes, is of great importance for informing conservation and management.\ud \ud Objectives\ud We used a whole-ecosystem manipulation experiment in the Brazilian Amazon to investigate the relative roles of local and landscape attributes in affecting bat assemblages at an interior-edge-matrix disturbance gradient.\ud \ud Methods\ud We surveyed bats in 39 sites, comprising continuous forest (CF), fragments, forest edges and intervening secondary regrowth. For each site, we assessed vegetation structure (local-scale variable) and, for five focal scales, quantified habitat amount and four landscape configuration metrics.\ud \ud Results\ud Smaller fragments, edges and regrowth sites had fewer species and higher levels of dominance than CF. Regardless of the landscape scale analysed, species richness and evenness were mostly related to the amount of forest cover. Vegetation structure and configurational metrics were important predictors of abundance, whereby the magnitude and direction of response to configurational metrics were scale-dependent. Responses were ensemble-specific with local-scale vegetation structure being more important for frugivorous than for gleaning animalivorous bats.\ud \ud Conclusions\ud Our study indicates that scale-sensitive measures of landscape structure are needed for a more comprehensive understanding of the effects of fragmentation on tropical biota. Although forest fragments and regrowth habitats can be of conservation significance for tropical bats our results further emphasize that primary forest is of irreplaceable value, underlining that their conservation can only be achieved by the preservation of large expanses of pristine habitat.

Agro-silvo-pastoral systems occupy much of the Mediterranean region. Promoting landscape heterogeneity in these systems is a potentially valuable management strategy to enhance woodland biodiversity. We evaluated the effects on birds of managing patches of olive groves and riparian galleries to promote heterogeneity of these systems in Portugal. For a large cork oak woodland we (i) used nesting season bird density estimates and habitat descriptors to generate suitability models for each studied species; (ii) identified areas suitable to establish new patches of riparian galleries and olive groves, and used this information to (iii) generate scenarios maps with different levels of cover of both habitats. Finally, (iv) the model of each bird species was applied over the future scenarios to estimate potential changes in its distribution and abundance. Future scenarios with greater availability of riparian vegetation resulted in major increases in projected populations of seven of the 21 studied species, but gains with increases of olive groves were predicted in just three species. Bird species predicted to increase the most with the recovery of riparian vegetation are presently among the least abundant in the region. Restoring riparian galleries would be highly beneficial for birds, whereas promoting traditional olive groves would have lower conservation implications. The methodology used proved helpful to select areas particularly appropriate for habitat management, generate simulated landscapes incorporating this management, and predict the population and spatial responses of species to these simulated scenarios, thus having a good potential to guide conservation management. Moreover, our results indicate that simple management measures should have substantial positive effects on the bird community of oak woodlands, without compromising the essential economic return of the system.

Wood-pastures are grazed systems resulting from a long-term use of natural woodlands by humans. These social-ecological systems, covering vast areas of Europe and other temperate regions, have both high biodiversity and economic values, so many are classified as High Nature Value Farmlands. However, in some regions a loss of spatial heterogeneity threatens this natural value. We investigated the potential contribution of tiny shrubby patches to increase spatial heterogeneity and functional diversity in wood-pasture landscapes. Specifically, we compared functional composition (Community Weighted Means) and functional diversity (Functional Dispersion and Functional Evenness) of assemblages of plants, beetles and lichens in those patches (252–3000 m2) and in the wood-pasture matrix. We found that shrubby patches and matrix harbour species assemblages with very distinct functional compositions in all studied taxonomic groups. Evergreen, woody, broad-leafed and fleshy-fruited are better represented in the patches. In beetles, the main differences were a greater prevalence of small-sized and fungivore species in the patches. Shrubby patches also mostly harboured lichens with fruticose- and foliose-broad growth forms, a greater humidity preference, and lower eutrophication tolerance. Moreover, the two indexes used to quantify functional diversity (Functional Dispersion and Functional Evenness) show that, overall, diversity is greater in patches than in the matrix; in patches Functional Dispersion is statistically higher for plants, and Evenness is statistically higher for beetles and lichen. These differences are all consistent with the very distinct ecological conditions in the matrix and patches. The greater overall functional diversity of shrubby patches, and the major differences in functional composition between patches and matrix, observed for all taxa, indicate that these patches greatly enhance the functional diversity of species assemblages in wood-pasture landscapes. Consequently, preserving and promoting tiny shrubby patches is a potentially valuable low-cost management tool to increase biodiversity and improve ecosystem functioning in wood-pasture landscapes., Doctoral and post-doctoral grants: (PD/BD/106044/2015), (SFRH/BPD/88056/2012), (SFRH/BPD/118635/2016), and (SFRH/BPD/101983/2014).

The Caatinga of north-eastern Brazil is the largest and most diverse seasonally dry tropical forest in the Americas and is home to numerous endemic species. However, only 1.2% of the area is under full protection, and given the ongoing decline of this biome there is an urgent need to expand the protected area network. The Endangered Caatinga howler monkey Alouatta ululata is almost endemic to the Caatinga, and is a potential umbrella species for the protection of its biodiversity. Using all available distribution data and our own surveys we applied Maxent and Zonation spatial modelling to identify the range of A. ululata, and priority conservation areas for the species, maximizing habitat quality and connectivity, and minimizing conservation constraints. The top 10% priority areas cover 34,400 km2 and mostly coincide with good remnants of Caatinga. Only priority areas in the northern part of the species’ range are protected, so it is essential to create new protected areas in the centre and south of the range. Maxent modelling indicates that the species depends on good tree cover, but even inside protected areas we observed recent deforestation, illustrating the urgency to improve management. Maxent also indicated that aridity limits the species' range, and therefore the ongoing aridification of the Caatinga is a threat to its future. The protection of A. ululata requires establishing new protected areas in priority locations and improving management of existing protected areas. Preservation of priority areas for the Caatinga howler monkey also represents an opportunity for the conservation of other important biodiversity in the region.

Scientific investigations on the mammals of Angola started over 150 years ago, but information remains scarce and scattered, with only one recent published account. Here we provide a synthesis of the mammals of Angola based on a thorough survey of primary and grey literature, as well as recent unpublished records. We present a short history of mammal research, and provide brief information on each species known to occur in the country. Particular attention is given to endemic and near endemic species. We also provide a zoogeographic outline and information on the conservation of Angolan mammals. We found confirmed records for 291 native species, most of which from the orders Rodentia (85), Chiroptera (73), Carnivora (39), and Cetartiodactyla (33). There is a large number of endemic and near endemic species, most of which are rodents or bats. The large diversity of species is favoured by the wide range of habitats with contrasting environmental conditions, while endemism tends to be associated with unique physiographic settings such as the Angolan Escarpment. The mammal fauna of Angola includes 2 Critically Endangered, 2 Endangered, 11 Vulnerable, and 14 Near-Threatened species at the global scale. There are also 12 data deficient species, most of which are endemics or near endemics to the country info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

“Conservation-reliant species” – those fully dependent on continued management actions – are booming and, with limited conservation budgets, securing funds to sustain their long-term viability is becoming overwhelming. This study assesses the degree of dependence on conservation actions of two obligatory cavity-nesters, the Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni and the European Roller Coracias garrulus, whose populations in Europe were recently recovered through artificial nest-site provisioning. Using long-term monitoring data and population surveys conducted in their main Portuguese stronghold, we examined temporal changes in the availability and use of semi-natural (cavities in rural abandoned buildings) and artificial nest-sites. We further assessed the financial costs of nest-site provisioning and evaluated the potential use of tourism revenues as a conservation funding source. Following the implementation of conservation projects, the Lesser Kestrel and Roller populations have been increasing but more than 65% of all breeding pairs currently nest in artificial nest-sites. Semi-natural nest-sites remain suitable for approximately 30 years and are expected to disappear by the end of this century. Lesser Kestrels and Rollers will thus become fully dependent on artificial nest-sites and sustaining their current population sizes is estimated to cost 4500€ per year. This represents less than 1% of the region’s lodging income, largely supported by nature-based tourism. Our findings suggest that reactive conservation measures can be very effective at recovering endangered populations but can make them fully reliant on the perpetuation of those measures. This demands long-term funding, which can be alleviated by tourism revenues in areas with high nature capital values.

Climate change will impact forest ecosystems, their biodiversity and the livelihoods they sustain. Several adaptation and mitigation strategies to counteract climate change impacts have been proposed for these ecosystems. However, effective implementation of such strategies requires a clear understanding of how climate change will influence the future distribution of forest ecosystems. This study uses maximum entropy modelling (MaxEnt) to predict environmentally suitable areas for cork oak (Quercus suber) woodlands, a socio-economically important forest ecosystem protected by the European Union Habitats Directive. Specifically, we use two climate change scenarios to predict changes in environmental suitability across the entire geographical range of the cork oak and in areas where stands were recently established. Up to 40 % of current environmentally suitable areas for cork oak may be lost by 2070, mainly in northern Africa and southern Iberian Peninsula. Almost 90 % of new cork oak stands are predicted to lose suitability by the end of the century, but future plantations can take advantage of increasing suitability in northern Iberian Peninsula and France. The predicted impacts cross-country borders, showing that a multinational strategy, will be required for cork oak woodland adaptation to climate change. Such a strategy must be regionally adjusted, featuring the protection of refugia sites in southern areas and stimulating sustainable forest management in areas that will keep long-term suitability. Afforestation efforts should also be promoted but must consider environmental suitability and land competition issues.

The increasing frequency and severity of drought spells in southern Europe has been associated with reduced growth and increased defoliation and mortality of several tree species, consequently affecting woodland productivity, structure and associated biodiversity. However, topographic variation and associated microclimatic features may buffer against the negative effects of drought at a local level. Here, we aimed to evaluate the influence of topographic variation on oak woodland communities along an aridity gradient. For this, we quantified cork oak woodland structure, bird species richness, abundance, and caterpillar biomass on north- and south-facing slopes along an aridity gradient across the south-western Iberian Peninsula. Drier microclimates on south-facing slopes had lower tree cover and bird richness and abundance than north-facing slopes, and the magnitude of these differences increased markedly from wetter (tree cover and woodland bird abundance ∼5–15% lower on south facing slopes) to drier regions (∼50–60% lower). This reduction in woodland bird richness and abundance is mainly driven by tree foraging species and likely a response to lower tree cover and resource availability, as caterpillar abundance was also ∼50% lower on south-facing slopes. The topographic complexity of the Mediterranean Basin seems to be shaping woodland community-level and trophic chain responses to increasing aridity in Southern Europe. Our results suggest that topographic and microclimatic conditions on north-facing slopes can potentially act as refugia for the high biodiversity characteristic of cork oak woodlands and other Mediterranean landscapes. We discuss cork oak woodland management measures needed to help maximize the resiliency of these Mediterranean socio-ecological systems in the face of climate change.