Collapse of an avifauna: climate change appears to exacerbate habitat loss and degradation
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Aim We characterized changes in reporting rates and abundances of bird species over a period of severe rainfall deficiency and increasing average temperatures. We also measured flowering in eucalypts, which support large numbers of nectarivores characteristic of the region. Location A 30,000‐km 2 region of northern Victoria, Australia, consisting of limited amounts of remnant native woodlands embedded in largely agricultural landscapes. Methods There were three sets of monitoring studies, pitched at regional (survey programmes in 1995–97, 2004–05 and 2006–08), landscape (2002–03 and 2006–07) and site (1997–2008 continuously) scales. Bird survey techniques used a standard 2‐ha, 20‐min count method. We used Bayesian analyses of reporting rates to document statistically changes in the avifauna through time at each spatial scale. Results Bird populations in the largest remnants of native vegetation (up to 40,000 ha), some of which have been declared as national parks in the past decade, experienced similar declines to those in heavily cleared landscapes. All categories of birds (guilds based on foraging substrate, diet, nest site; relative mobility; geographical distributions) were affected similarly. We detected virtually no bird breeding in the latest survey periods. Eucalypt flowering has declined significantly over the past 12 years of drought. Main conclusions Declines in the largest woodland remnants commensurate with those in cleared landscapes suggest that reserve systems may not be relied upon to sustain species under climate change. We attribute population declines to low breeding success due to reduced food. Resilience of bird populations in this woodland system might be increased by active management to enhance habitat quality in existing vegetation and restoration of woodland in the more fertile parts of landscapes.
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In the forests of Victoria, Australia, Mac Nally et al. documented major declines in the resident avifauna regardless of spatial scale, disturbance level, species conservation status, or foraging guild.
“In the forests of Victoria, Australia, Mac Nally et al. (98) documented major declines in the resident avifauna regardless of spatial scale, disturbance level, species conservation status, or foraging guild.”
From Climate-driven declines in arthropod abundance restructure a rainforest food web (2018) · cites this paper as [98]
Mac Nally et al. attributed the ongoing declines to the impact of increasing temperatures and decreasing rainfall on arthropods and other food resources.
“They attributed the ongoing declines to the impact of increasing temperatures and decreasing rainfall on arthropods and other food resources.”
From Climate-driven declines in arthropod abundance restructure a rainforest food web (2018) · cites this paper as [98]
In many studies of passerine declines, insectivores are often the group exhibiting the largest decreases in abundance, as appears to be the case in the Luquillo forest.
“We also note that in many studies of passerine declines, such as Mac Nally et al. (98), insectivores are often the group exhibiting the largest decreases in abundance, as appears to be the case in the Luquillo forest.”
From Climate-driven declines in arthropod abundance restructure a rainforest food web (2018) · cites this paper as [98]
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- Authors
- Mac Nally, R., Bennett, A. F., Thomson, J. R., Radford, J. Q., Unmack, G., Horrocks, G., & Vesk, P. A.
- Affiliations
- Deakin University (AU)
- Monash University (AU)
- Bush Heritage Australia (AU)
- The University of Melbourne (AU)
- Venue
- Diversity and Distributions
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2009-06-10
- Volume
- 15
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 720-730
- ISSN
- 0967-9952 (ISSN-L)
- 1366-9516
- 1472-4642
- OpenAlex
- W2039024850
- Cited by
- 195
- References
- 68
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 18 · 2014: 21 · 2013: 15 · 2012: 16
- FWCI
- 17.84
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Diversity and Distributions (publishedVersion)
- Own your potential (DEAKIN) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Australian Research Council (LP0560518, DP0343898, LP0560309)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Avian ecology and behavior
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecological Modeling › Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Keywords
- climate change, drought, habitat loss, habitat degradation, bird population decline, nectarivores, reserve system, breeding success, food availability, bird guilds, habitat restoration
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