Responses of steppe birds to habitat fragmentation: Insights from niche specialization and functional traits
Habitat fragmentation poses a significant threat to bird communities, especially those in open and semi-open ecosystems such as steppes. This study investigates how steppe birds adapt to and utilize fragmented habitats by combining niche modeling with ecological trait analysis. We conducted standard...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
2025-09-01
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| Series: | Avian Research |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2053716625000362 |
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| author | Zheng Han Xi Yang Lishi Zhang Piotr Tryjanowski Frédéric Jiguet Haitao Wang |
| author_facet | Zheng Han Xi Yang Lishi Zhang Piotr Tryjanowski Frédéric Jiguet Haitao Wang |
| author_sort | Zheng Han |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Habitat fragmentation poses a significant threat to bird communities, especially those in open and semi-open ecosystems such as steppes. This study investigates how steppe birds adapt to and utilize fragmented habitats by combining niche modeling with ecological trait analysis. We conducted standardized point surveys to examine the habitat preferences of 32 bird species in Inner Mongolia, China, and quantified their habitat niche parameters using the Outlying Mean Index (OMI). Our results reveal distinct habitat preferences among species, with some thriving in intact environments while others are better adapted to fragmented areas. Grassland species showed high specialization along the fragmentation gradient, while others exhibited adaptability to varying levels of fragmentation. Using a Generalized Additive Model (GAM), we identified three key traits influencing habitat occupancy: hand-wing index, body mass, and range size. Specifically, species with medium hand-wing indices, moderate body mass, and larger range sizes were more likely to occupy heavily fragmented habitats. These findings provide empirical evidence on how habitat fragmentation affects bird species in steppe ecosystems. The study highlights the importance of functional traits in understanding avian responses to habitat fragmentation and offers a foundation for developing effective conservation strategies to preserve biodiversity in fragmented landscapes. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0dce38fbcf6b42d49b679088edbbf2ce |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2053-7166 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-09-01 |
| publisher | KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Avian Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-0dce38fbcf6b42d49b679088edbbf2ce2025-08-20T02:47:25ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Avian Research2053-71662025-09-0116310025710.1016/j.avrs.2025.100257Responses of steppe birds to habitat fragmentation: Insights from niche specialization and functional traitsZheng Han0Xi Yang1Lishi Zhang2Piotr Tryjanowski3Frédéric Jiguet4Haitao Wang5School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China; Corresponding author.School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China; College of Agricultural, Hulunbuir University, Hulunbuir, 021000, ChinaAnimal's Scientific and Technological Institute, Agricultural University of Jilin, Changchun, 130118, ChinaDepartment of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, PL60-625, Poznan, PolandCESCO, UMR7204 MNHN-CNRS-Sorbonne Université, CP135, 43 Rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, FranceSchool of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China; Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resource Conservation and Utilization, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China; Jilin Engineering Laboratory for Avian Ecology and Conservation Genetics, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China; Corresponding author. School of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China.Habitat fragmentation poses a significant threat to bird communities, especially those in open and semi-open ecosystems such as steppes. This study investigates how steppe birds adapt to and utilize fragmented habitats by combining niche modeling with ecological trait analysis. We conducted standardized point surveys to examine the habitat preferences of 32 bird species in Inner Mongolia, China, and quantified their habitat niche parameters using the Outlying Mean Index (OMI). Our results reveal distinct habitat preferences among species, with some thriving in intact environments while others are better adapted to fragmented areas. Grassland species showed high specialization along the fragmentation gradient, while others exhibited adaptability to varying levels of fragmentation. Using a Generalized Additive Model (GAM), we identified three key traits influencing habitat occupancy: hand-wing index, body mass, and range size. Specifically, species with medium hand-wing indices, moderate body mass, and larger range sizes were more likely to occupy heavily fragmented habitats. These findings provide empirical evidence on how habitat fragmentation affects bird species in steppe ecosystems. The study highlights the importance of functional traits in understanding avian responses to habitat fragmentation and offers a foundation for developing effective conservation strategies to preserve biodiversity in fragmented landscapes.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2053716625000362ConservationFunctional traitsHabitat fragmentationNiche positionResponseSteppe birds |
| spellingShingle | Zheng Han Xi Yang Lishi Zhang Piotr Tryjanowski Frédéric Jiguet Haitao Wang Responses of steppe birds to habitat fragmentation: Insights from niche specialization and functional traits Avian Research Conservation Functional traits Habitat fragmentation Niche position Response Steppe birds |
| title | Responses of steppe birds to habitat fragmentation: Insights from niche specialization and functional traits |
| title_full | Responses of steppe birds to habitat fragmentation: Insights from niche specialization and functional traits |
| title_fullStr | Responses of steppe birds to habitat fragmentation: Insights from niche specialization and functional traits |
| title_full_unstemmed | Responses of steppe birds to habitat fragmentation: Insights from niche specialization and functional traits |
| title_short | Responses of steppe birds to habitat fragmentation: Insights from niche specialization and functional traits |
| title_sort | responses of steppe birds to habitat fragmentation insights from niche specialization and functional traits |
| topic | Conservation Functional traits Habitat fragmentation Niche position Response Steppe birds |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2053716625000362 |
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