Birds native to the tropical Andes are threatened by increasing agricultural development in the region. A new study combines a meta-analysis of papers on birds across the Andes with five years of fieldwork in Peru, revealing that open farmlands result in up to a 60% decline in the number of species in an area. The study documents how specific species are affected and provides tailored guidance for conservationists trying to protect them.
Birds native to the tropical Andes, many of which cannot be found anywhere else, are threatened by increasing agricultural development in the region. A new study details how the resulting habitat loss affects specific species and lays out possible ways to protect birds from human-driven disturbance.
The different habitats and diets of each species -- like whether a bird forages on the ground for seeds or feeds on insects in the canopy -- means they will have different conservation needs. This paper documents how specific species are affected and provides tailored guidance to conservationists. The researchers combined three sampling techniques: point count surveys, which rely on the ear to listen for bird calls and accounted for 90% of detections; flock surveys, a visual technique that works well for birds that fly in large groups but may not sing much; and mist-netting, which safely catches birds in the understory and works especially well for hummingbirds. These complementary methods paint a fuller picture of the tropical Andes' birds and where they are found.
"Knowing what area to conserve for that species is important information," Newell said."Some of it is known already, anecdotally, but this quantitatively shows that that species uses this type of habitat." In the tropical mountains of Latin America, deforestation is primarily driven by single families trying to support themselves by planting crops and raising livestock. The resulting landscape is a patchwork of forest fragments, shrub habitats, cattle pastures and small homes with vegetable gardens. Ausprey and Newell lived and worked directly with community members and local conservation advocates to gather data and conduct field surveys.
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