Fire and Drought Affect Multiple Aspects of Diversity in a Migratory Bird Stopover Community

Drought and high-severity, stand-replacing wildfires can have substantial impacts on the composition of avian communities, including stop-over communities during migration. An inextricable link exists between drought and wildfire, each operating and impacting across different timescales. Many studie...

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Main Authors: Jenna E. Stanek, Chauncey R. Gadek, Sarah E. Milligan, Brent E. Thompson, Keegan A. Tranquillo, Laura L. Trader, Charles D. Hathcock, Stephen M. Fettig
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Biology
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/14/6/597
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author Jenna E. Stanek
Chauncey R. Gadek
Sarah E. Milligan
Brent E. Thompson
Keegan A. Tranquillo
Laura L. Trader
Charles D. Hathcock
Stephen M. Fettig
author_facet Jenna E. Stanek
Chauncey R. Gadek
Sarah E. Milligan
Brent E. Thompson
Keegan A. Tranquillo
Laura L. Trader
Charles D. Hathcock
Stephen M. Fettig
author_sort Jenna E. Stanek
collection DOAJ
description Drought and high-severity, stand-replacing wildfires can have substantial impacts on the composition of avian communities, including stop-over communities during migration. An inextricable link exists between drought and wildfire, each operating and impacting across different timescales. Many studies have found nonlinear avian abundance trends in breeding community time series data that include pre- and post-fire observations, describing an initial decrease in abundance followed by rapid increases that can attenuate over time. Here, we use a fall bird-banding dataset to evaluate shifts in a drought-impacted avian community following wildfire from taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic perspectives. We looked at the community as a whole and also categorized birds as residents, migrants, and breeders to assess potential varying responses at the study site. We observed post-fire shifts in functional and phylogenetic diversity that corresponded to changes in vegetation. An influx of migratory insectivores post-fire drove much of the variation between pre- and post-fire avian communities and toward a more related, less phylogenetically dispersed community. A concurrent monsoon season drought was also associated with functional and phylogenetic diversity, highlighting the intertwined pulse press effects on avian communities. Overall, our results suggest that, although bird communities are immediately impacted by fire-driven resource changes, they can rebound over time, it is unclear how long-term drought may continue to shape the composition of these avian communities.
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spelling doaj-art-8aeb46573bdf430f93ef369a96ff3a332025-08-20T03:27:09ZengMDPI AGBiology2079-77372025-05-0114659710.3390/biology14060597Fire and Drought Affect Multiple Aspects of Diversity in a Migratory Bird Stopover CommunityJenna E. Stanek0Chauncey R. Gadek1Sarah E. Milligan2Brent E. Thompson3Keegan A. Tranquillo4Laura L. Trader5Charles D. Hathcock6Stephen M. Fettig7Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USALos Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USABandelier National Monument, Los Alamos, NM 87544, USALos Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USABandelier National Monument, Los Alamos, NM 87544, USABandelier National Monument, Los Alamos, NM 87544, USALos Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USAU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Sacramento, CA 95825, USADrought and high-severity, stand-replacing wildfires can have substantial impacts on the composition of avian communities, including stop-over communities during migration. An inextricable link exists between drought and wildfire, each operating and impacting across different timescales. Many studies have found nonlinear avian abundance trends in breeding community time series data that include pre- and post-fire observations, describing an initial decrease in abundance followed by rapid increases that can attenuate over time. Here, we use a fall bird-banding dataset to evaluate shifts in a drought-impacted avian community following wildfire from taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic perspectives. We looked at the community as a whole and also categorized birds as residents, migrants, and breeders to assess potential varying responses at the study site. We observed post-fire shifts in functional and phylogenetic diversity that corresponded to changes in vegetation. An influx of migratory insectivores post-fire drove much of the variation between pre- and post-fire avian communities and toward a more related, less phylogenetically dispersed community. A concurrent monsoon season drought was also associated with functional and phylogenetic diversity, highlighting the intertwined pulse press effects on avian communities. Overall, our results suggest that, although bird communities are immediately impacted by fire-driven resource changes, they can rebound over time, it is unclear how long-term drought may continue to shape the composition of these avian communities.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/14/6/597bird bandingdroughtcommunity ecologysouthwestern United Stateswildfire response
spellingShingle Jenna E. Stanek
Chauncey R. Gadek
Sarah E. Milligan
Brent E. Thompson
Keegan A. Tranquillo
Laura L. Trader
Charles D. Hathcock
Stephen M. Fettig
Fire and Drought Affect Multiple Aspects of Diversity in a Migratory Bird Stopover Community
Biology
bird banding
drought
community ecology
southwestern United States
wildfire response
title Fire and Drought Affect Multiple Aspects of Diversity in a Migratory Bird Stopover Community
title_full Fire and Drought Affect Multiple Aspects of Diversity in a Migratory Bird Stopover Community
title_fullStr Fire and Drought Affect Multiple Aspects of Diversity in a Migratory Bird Stopover Community
title_full_unstemmed Fire and Drought Affect Multiple Aspects of Diversity in a Migratory Bird Stopover Community
title_short Fire and Drought Affect Multiple Aspects of Diversity in a Migratory Bird Stopover Community
title_sort fire and drought affect multiple aspects of diversity in a migratory bird stopover community
topic bird banding
drought
community ecology
southwestern United States
wildfire response
url https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/14/6/597
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