2024-02-08 11:45:39
New research shows a worrying decline in steppe bird populations in Europe, even in areas designated as protected.
The study was carried out by a team led by David González del Portillo, from the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM) in Spain.
The fact that steppe bird populations have been alarmingly reduced in Europe, even in protected areas, over recent decades, mainly as a consequence of the intensification of agricultural practices, shows that it is crucial to evaluate the effectiveness of protected areas.
This evaluation involves examining both the population variation of these birds and the quality of the habitat in comparison with unprotected areas, in order to guide effective conservation strategies. The little bustard (Tetrax tetrax), classified as ‘Endangered’ in Spain, is presented as an ideal model for this analysis.
Researchers from the Terrestrial Ecology Group (TEG) of the UAM, the Center for Research in Biodiversity and Global Change (CIBC) of the UAM and the Institute of Research and Hunting Resources (IREC) have developed a habitat favorability model for the little bustard. .
This model, based on topographic characteristics and land use availability, was applied in the Duero basin. The results indicate that, although habitat favorability increased slightly between 2011 and 2020, the species continued to decline, both in unprotected areas and in Special Protection Areas for Birds (SPAs) of the Natura 2000 Network.
However, both habitat favorability and bustard abundance were observed to be higher in protected areas compared to unprotected areas.
Especially notable is the case of the Villafáfila Lagoons Natural Reserve, where much more favorable conditions were maintained for the species, which implies a greater capacity to cushion its decline, compared to SPAs and unprotected areas.
Male little bustard in legumes (rain-fed alfalfa), one of the crops that contributes the most to the favorability of land uses for the little bustard. (Photo: David González del Portillo)
The authors of the study highlight the usefulness of favorability models, which adjust for prevalence bias and provide comparable values between different species, years and areas, as effective tools in monitoring habitat quality. However, they point out the challenge of having environmental information of higher spatial and temporal resolution to refine these models and detect effects not captured by simple land use coverage.
The findings also suggest that SPAs designated for steppe birds are not adequately fulfilling their protective function. Only in spaces with a higher level of protection, such as Natural Reserves, where the management of the territory and habitat is more oriented towards conservation, are optimal conditions maintained for species from agricultural environments such as the little bustard.
The researchers conclude that the complexity of harmonizing current agricultural management with biodiversity conservation has significantly reduced the effectiveness of agricultural SPAs.
The study is titled “Temporal trends of land-use favorability for the strongly declining little bustard: assessing the role of protected areas.” And it has been published in the academic journal PeerJ Life and Environment. (Source: UAM)
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