Trait‐independent habitat associations explain low co‐occurrence in native and exotic birds on a tropical volcanic island
Abstract On oceanic islands, strong human impacts on habitats, combined with introductions of exotic species, modify the composition of terrestrial bird assemblages and threaten their ecological functions. In La Réunion, an oceanic island located in the Madagascan region, a national park was establi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10322 |
| _version_ | 1797357873218453504 |
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| author | Jean‐Yves Barnagaud Olivier Flores Gérard Balent Jacques Tassin Luc Barbaro |
| author_facet | Jean‐Yves Barnagaud Olivier Flores Gérard Balent Jacques Tassin Luc Barbaro |
| author_sort | Jean‐Yves Barnagaud |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract On oceanic islands, strong human impacts on habitats, combined with introductions of exotic species, modify the composition of terrestrial bird assemblages and threaten their ecological functions. In La Réunion, an oceanic island located in the Madagascan region, a national park was established in 2007 to counter the ecosystem‐level effects of three centuries of habitat conversion, native species destruction and exotic species introductions. Here, we investigated how bird assemblages were structured in these human‐modified landscapes, 10 years before the national park set out its first conservation measures. We used a combination of multivariate statistics and generalized additive models to describe variations in the taxonomic and functional composition and diversity of 372 local bird assemblages, encompassing 20 species, along gradients of habitat composition and configuration. We found that native species were tied to native habitats while exotic species were associated with urban areas and man‐modified landscape mosaics, with some overlap at mid‐elevations. Species' trophic preferences were segregated along habitat gradients, but ecological traits had an overall weak role in explaining the composition of species assemblages. Hence, at the time of the survey, native and exotic species in La Réunion formed two spatially distinct species assemblages with contrasting ecological trait suites that benefited from antagonistic habitat compositions and dynamics. We conclude that our results support the analysis of historical data sets to establish reference points to monitor human impacts on insular ecosystems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T14:51:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d4791077442548cc85845ae64a66d2b4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T14:51:43Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-d4791077442548cc85845ae64a66d2b42024-01-11T02:50:02ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582023-07-01137n/an/a10.1002/ece3.10322Trait‐independent habitat associations explain low co‐occurrence in native and exotic birds on a tropical volcanic islandJean‐Yves Barnagaud0Olivier Flores1Gérard Balent2Jacques Tassin3Luc Barbaro4CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE‐PSL University Montpellier FranceUniv de La Réunion, UMR PVBMT Saint‐Pierre FranceDYNAFOR, University of Toulouse, INRAE Castanet‐Tolosan FranceCIRAD, UPR Forêts & Sociétés Montpellier FranceDYNAFOR, University of Toulouse, INRAE Castanet‐Tolosan FranceAbstract On oceanic islands, strong human impacts on habitats, combined with introductions of exotic species, modify the composition of terrestrial bird assemblages and threaten their ecological functions. In La Réunion, an oceanic island located in the Madagascan region, a national park was established in 2007 to counter the ecosystem‐level effects of three centuries of habitat conversion, native species destruction and exotic species introductions. Here, we investigated how bird assemblages were structured in these human‐modified landscapes, 10 years before the national park set out its first conservation measures. We used a combination of multivariate statistics and generalized additive models to describe variations in the taxonomic and functional composition and diversity of 372 local bird assemblages, encompassing 20 species, along gradients of habitat composition and configuration. We found that native species were tied to native habitats while exotic species were associated with urban areas and man‐modified landscape mosaics, with some overlap at mid‐elevations. Species' trophic preferences were segregated along habitat gradients, but ecological traits had an overall weak role in explaining the composition of species assemblages. Hence, at the time of the survey, native and exotic species in La Réunion formed two spatially distinct species assemblages with contrasting ecological trait suites that benefited from antagonistic habitat compositions and dynamics. We conclude that our results support the analysis of historical data sets to establish reference points to monitor human impacts on insular ecosystems.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10322ecological traitshabitat changesinsular birdsMascarenesoceanic islandsspecies introductions |
| spellingShingle | Jean‐Yves Barnagaud Olivier Flores Gérard Balent Jacques Tassin Luc Barbaro Trait‐independent habitat associations explain low co‐occurrence in native and exotic birds on a tropical volcanic island Ecology and Evolution ecological traits habitat changes insular birds Mascarenes oceanic islands species introductions |
| title | Trait‐independent habitat associations explain low co‐occurrence in native and exotic birds on a tropical volcanic island |
| title_full | Trait‐independent habitat associations explain low co‐occurrence in native and exotic birds on a tropical volcanic island |
| title_fullStr | Trait‐independent habitat associations explain low co‐occurrence in native and exotic birds on a tropical volcanic island |
| title_full_unstemmed | Trait‐independent habitat associations explain low co‐occurrence in native and exotic birds on a tropical volcanic island |
| title_short | Trait‐independent habitat associations explain low co‐occurrence in native and exotic birds on a tropical volcanic island |
| title_sort | trait independent habitat associations explain low co occurrence in native and exotic birds on a tropical volcanic island |
| topic | ecological traits habitat changes insular birds Mascarenes oceanic islands species introductions |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10322 |
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