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Habitat fragmentation effects and variations in repertoire size and degree of song sharing among close Dupont’s Lark Chersophilus duponti populations

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Abstract

We describe the song type repertoire variation and degree of song sharing in three isolated and declining Dupont’s Lark (Chersophilus duponti) populations located close to each other in eastern Spain, studied over two years. We found no differences between sites either in song rate or individual repertoire size. We detected great differences in song type diversity at the population level, ranging from five to 18 song types. We used, for the first time, the SIMPROF test, a method that objectively discriminates significant groups resulting from agglomerative clustering methods, to study geographic variation in bird song. We found four microdialects in the study area with a low degree of song sharing among populations, which may be related to the influence of habitat fragmentation and the song learning process and ecology of the species. We detected different patterns of song sharing among sites. All males of two populations shared about 80–100 % of their song types throughout the habitat patch. At the other site, we found two microdialects within the same habitat patch, where song types were only shared among neighbouring males. The high degree of song sharing found can be explained by the reduced dispersal movements of the species. We also detected a high consistency in the song types between years. The creation of corridors and habitat management in potential habitat patches surrounding Dupont’s Lark populations could act as stepping-stones, improving the connection between populations and thereby song transmission between patches.

Zusammenfassung

Habitatfragmentierungseffekte, Variation in der Größe des Gesangsrepertoires und das Ausmaß von gemeinsamen Gesangselementen zwischen nahe beieinanderliegenden Populationen der Dupontlerche (Chersophilus duponti)

Wir beschreiben Variation im Gesangstyprepertoire und das Ausmaß, in dem Männchen dieselben Gesänge benutzen („song sharing“), in drei isolierten und in ihrer Größe abnehmenden Populationen der Dupontlerche (Chersophilus duponti). Diese Populationen liegen nahe beieinander in Ostspanien und wurden über zwei Jahre hinweg untersucht. Wir fanden keine Unterschiede zwischen Standorten in der Gesangsrate oder der individuellen Größe des Gesangsrepertoires. Wir fanden jedoch große Unterschiede auf Populationsebene in der Diversität der Gesangstypen (5–18 verschiedene Gesangstypen). Wir haben zum ersten Mal den SIMPROF-Test angewendet, um geographische Variation in Vogelgesang zu untersuchen. Diese Methode unterscheidet auf objektive Weise signifikante Gruppen, die sich mittels agglomerativer Clustermethoden ergeben. Wir fanden im Untersuchungsgebiet vier Mikrodialekte und ein geringes Maß an „song sharing“, was mit dem Einfluss der Habitatfragmentierung, dem Gesangslernen und der Ökologie der Art zusammenhängen könnte. Wir fanden jedoch unterschiedliche Muster des „song sharing“ zwischen Standorten. Alle Männchen aus zwei Populationen teilten sich etwa 80–100 % ihrer Gesangstypen über die gesamte Habitatfläche hinweg. Am anderen Ende des Spektrums fanden wir zwei Mikrodialekte innerhalb derselben Habitatfläche, und Gesangstypen wurden lediglich von benachbarten Männchen gemeinsam genutzt. Dass wir „song sharing“ in hohem Maße gefunden haben, kann mit dem schwach ausgeprägten Abwanderungsverhalten dieser Art erklärt werden. Wir fanden auch, dass sich die Gesangstypen in beiden Jahren sehr ähnelten. Das Schaffen von Korridoren und Habitatmanagement in potenziellen Habitatflächen, die Dupontlerchen-Populationen umgeben und als Trittsteine wirken könnten, sollten die Anbindung von Populationen und somit die Weitergabe von Gesang zwischen den Habitatflächen verbessern.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Levantina y Asociado de Minerales, S.A., as a part of the project “Estudios de investigación aplicados a la conservación de las poblaciones de alondra ricotí (Chersophilus duponti) en el entorno del municipio de Vallanca”. We wish to thank the Servicio de Vida Silvestre of Conselleria d´Infraestructures, Territori i Medi Ambient (Generalitat Valenciana) for supporting our work. We thank Sarah Young for help with the written English and Paola Laiolo for her collaboration in obtaining the necessary equipment. Also, we thank two anonymous referees whose helpful comments contributed to improving the paper. Our methodology complies with current Spanish laws in the matter of avifauna studies. This research is part of the doctoral thesis of C.P.G. at the University of Alicante.

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Correspondence to Cristian Pérez-Granados.

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Communicated by M. Naguib.

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Pérez-Granados, C., Osiejuk, T. & López-Iborra, G.M. Habitat fragmentation effects and variations in repertoire size and degree of song sharing among close Dupont’s Lark Chersophilus duponti populations. J Ornithol 157, 471–482 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-015-1310-6

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