Habitat Effects on the Breeding Performance of Three Forest-Dwelling Hawks.
Habitat loss causes population declines, but the mechanisms are rarely known. In the European Boreal Zone, loss of old forest due to intensive forestry is suspected to cause declines in forest-dwelling raptors by reducing their breeding performance. We studied the boreal breeding habitat and habitat...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2015-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4589344?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1819128064655753216 |
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| author | Heidi Björklund Jari Valkama Erkki Tomppo Toni Laaksonen |
| author_facet | Heidi Björklund Jari Valkama Erkki Tomppo Toni Laaksonen |
| author_sort | Heidi Björklund |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Habitat loss causes population declines, but the mechanisms are rarely known. In the European Boreal Zone, loss of old forest due to intensive forestry is suspected to cause declines in forest-dwelling raptors by reducing their breeding performance. We studied the boreal breeding habitat and habitat-associated breeding performance of the northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), common buzzard (Buteo buteo) and European honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus). We combined long-term Finnish bird-of-prey data with multi-source national forest inventory data at various distances (100-4000 m) around the hawk nests. We found that breeding success of the goshawk was best explained by the habitat within a 2000-m radius around the nests; breeding was more successful with increasing proportions of old spruce forest and water, and decreasing proportions of young thinning forest. None of the habitat variables affected significantly the breeding success of the common buzzard or the honey buzzard, or the brood size of any of the species. The amount of old spruce forest decreased both around goshawk and common buzzard nests and throughout southern Finland in 1992-2010. In contrast, the area of young forest increased in southern Finland but not around hawk nests. We emphasize the importance of studying habitats at several spatial and temporal scales to determine the relevant species-specific scale and to detect environmental changes. Further effort is needed to reconcile the socioeconomic and ecological functions of forests and habitat requirements of old forest specialists. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T08:21:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6286e1e1ea844d498d6576eea3a40c9c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T08:21:53Z |
| publishDate | 2015-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-6286e1e1ea844d498d6576eea3a40c9c2022-12-21T18:32:43ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032015-01-01109e013787710.1371/journal.pone.0137877Habitat Effects on the Breeding Performance of Three Forest-Dwelling Hawks.Heidi BjörklundJari ValkamaErkki TomppoToni LaaksonenHabitat loss causes population declines, but the mechanisms are rarely known. In the European Boreal Zone, loss of old forest due to intensive forestry is suspected to cause declines in forest-dwelling raptors by reducing their breeding performance. We studied the boreal breeding habitat and habitat-associated breeding performance of the northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), common buzzard (Buteo buteo) and European honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus). We combined long-term Finnish bird-of-prey data with multi-source national forest inventory data at various distances (100-4000 m) around the hawk nests. We found that breeding success of the goshawk was best explained by the habitat within a 2000-m radius around the nests; breeding was more successful with increasing proportions of old spruce forest and water, and decreasing proportions of young thinning forest. None of the habitat variables affected significantly the breeding success of the common buzzard or the honey buzzard, or the brood size of any of the species. The amount of old spruce forest decreased both around goshawk and common buzzard nests and throughout southern Finland in 1992-2010. In contrast, the area of young forest increased in southern Finland but not around hawk nests. We emphasize the importance of studying habitats at several spatial and temporal scales to determine the relevant species-specific scale and to detect environmental changes. Further effort is needed to reconcile the socioeconomic and ecological functions of forests and habitat requirements of old forest specialists.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4589344?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Heidi Björklund Jari Valkama Erkki Tomppo Toni Laaksonen Habitat Effects on the Breeding Performance of Three Forest-Dwelling Hawks. PLoS ONE |
| title | Habitat Effects on the Breeding Performance of Three Forest-Dwelling Hawks. |
| title_full | Habitat Effects on the Breeding Performance of Three Forest-Dwelling Hawks. |
| title_fullStr | Habitat Effects on the Breeding Performance of Three Forest-Dwelling Hawks. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Habitat Effects on the Breeding Performance of Three Forest-Dwelling Hawks. |
| title_short | Habitat Effects on the Breeding Performance of Three Forest-Dwelling Hawks. |
| title_sort | habitat effects on the breeding performance of three forest dwelling hawks |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC4589344?pdf=render |
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