Moderate sheep grazing increases arthropod biomass and habitat use by steppe birds
Entity
UAM. Departamento de EcologíaPublisher
ElsevierDate
2023-05-13Citation
10.1016/j.agee.2023.108556
Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 354 (2023): 108556
ISSN
0167-8809 (print)DOI
10.1016/j.agee.2023.108556Funded by
This study was partially supported by the European Commission (Life Ricotí project LIFE15-NAT-ES-000802) and the BBVA Foundation (BBVA-Dron Ricotí project). JGC was funded through a Postdoc grant by the Education and Research Department of Madrid Autonomous Region Government (REMEDINAL TE; S2018/EMT4338), and this paper contributes to project REMEDINAL TE-CM (P2018/ EMT4338)Project
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/CINEA/LIFE15 NAT/ES/000802Editor's Version
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2023.108556Subjects
Dupont's lark; Extensive sheep grazing; Grazing intensity; Historical land-uses; Insectivorous birds; Land abandonment; Space use; Steppe biodiversity; Medio AmbienteRights
© 2023 The AuthorsEsta obra está bajo una licencia de Creative Commons Reconocimiento-NoComercial-SinObraDerivada 4.0 Internacional.
Abstract
Open semi-natural ecosystems have been historically shaped by anthropogenic land-use, and the abandonment or intensification of these activities implied a detrimental alteration of their landscapes. Extensive sheep grazing has gradually decreased during the 20th century in Mediterranean steppes, triggering changes across all taxa. Here, we address the effect of sheep grazing on both arthropod biomass and space use by insectivorous steppe birds, using an endangered passerine as a model species. We found that biomass of different arthropod groups peaked at intermediate levels of grazing, and that both short-term grazing (affecting arthropod biomass) and long-term grazing (affecting vegetation structure) explain space use by insectivorous birds, whereas only long-term processes are decisive for bird territory establishment. Our results emphasise the role of sustained moderate grazing intensity in the conservation of steppe biodiversity. In the current decline context of extensive sheep grazing, agricultural policies should prioritise these practices to ensure the persistence of open semi-natural ecosystems
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Google Scholar:Gómez Catasus, Julia
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Reverter Cid, Margarita
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Bustillo de la Rosa, Daniel
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Barrero, Adrián
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Pérez Granados, Cristian
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Zurdo Jordá, Julia
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Traba Díaz, Juan
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