Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Landscape effects on large scale abundance patterns of turtle doves Streptopelia turtur in Portugal

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
European Journal of Wildlife Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The European turtle dove is both a highly valued game species and a species of conservation concern, which is declining due probably to a combination of habitat degradation and unsustainable hunting. Although declines seem to be less severe in the Mediterranean region, it remains uncertain the extent to which ongoing land use changes will negatively affect this species. This study examined this issue, by estimating the effects of landscape composition on the broad scale abundance pattern of breeding turtle doves in continental Portugal. Turtle doves were surveyed in the breeding seasons of 2002 and 2003, from 3160 point counts spaced at about 1-km intervals along 158 transects of about 20 km, evenly covering the country. The frequency of occurrence of turtle doves at each transect was used as a proxy of species abundance, and related using GAM modelling to 21 variables describing land cover and woody linear features (e.g., hedgerows and riparian galleries). Turtle doves were most abundant in north- and central-eastern Portugal, with high abundances also recorded in the regions around Lisbon and along the Guadiana valley. Abundances were positively related to forest cover, particularly by broadleaved forests and by pine stands without woody understory, to cover by permanent crops, and to the density of woody linear habitats. Results suggest that conservation of Mediterranean turtle doves requires policies and management strategies reversing the pervasive trends of forest management neglect and agricultural abandonment, while preserving hedgerows and riparian galleries in more intensive agricultural landscapes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • APA (2012) Atlas do Ambiente. Agência Portuguesa de Ambiente. http://sniamb.apambiente.pt/webatlas. Accessed 19 June 2012

  • Atlas E (ed) (2008) Atlas das aves nidificantes em Portugal (1999–2005). Assirio & Alvim, Lisboa

    Google Scholar 

  • Aubineau J, Boutin JM (1998) L’impact des modalités de gestion du maillage bocager sur les colombidés nicheurs dans l’ouest de la France. Gibier Faune Sauvage. Game Wildl Science 15 (Hors série Tome 1):55–63

  • Bahn V, McGill BJ (2007) Can niche-based distribution models outperform spatial interpolation? Global Ecol Biogeogr 16:733–742

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bakaloudis DE, Vlachos CG, Chatzinikos E, Bontzorlos V, Papakosta M (2009) Breeding habitats preferences of the turtledove (Streptopelia turtur) in the Dadia-Soufli National Park and its implications for management. Eur J Wild Res 55:597–602

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barbaro L, Rossi J-P, Vetillard F, Nezan J, Jactel H (2007) The spatial distribution of birds and carabid beetles in pine plantation forests: the role of landscape composition and structure. J Biogeogr 34:652–664

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Besnard A, Novoa C, Gimenez O (2010) Hunting impact on the population dynamics of Pyrenean grey partridge Perdix perdix hispaniensis. Wildl Biol 16:135–143

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bibby CJ, Burgess ND, Hill DA, Mustoe SH (2000) Bird census techniques, 2nd edn. Academic Press, London

    Google Scholar 

  • BirdLife International (2004) Birds in the European Union: A status assessment. Wageningen, BirdLife International

    Google Scholar 

  • Bjornstad O (2009) ncf: spatial nonparametric covariance functions. R package version 1.1-3. http://CRAN.R-project.org/package = ncf. Accessed 20 April 2010

  • Bjornstad O, Falck W (2001) Nonparametric spatial covariance functions: estimation and testing. Environ Ecol Stat 8:53–70

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boukhemza-Zemmouri N, Belhamra M, Boukemza M, Doumandji S, Voisin JF (2008) Biologie de reproduction de la Tourterelle des bois Streptopelia turtur arenicola dans le Nord de l’Algérie. Alauda 76:207–222

    Google Scholar 

  • Boutin JM, Barbier L, Roux D (2001) Suivi des effectifs nicheurs d’Alaudidés, colombidés et Turdidés en France: le programme ACT. Alauda 69:53–61

    Google Scholar 

  • Bro E, Reitz F, Clobert J, Migot P, Massot M (2001) Diagnosing the environmental causes of the decline in Grey Partridge Perdix perdix survival in France. Ibis 143:120–132

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Browne SJ, Aebischer NJ (2003) Habitat use, foraging ecology and diet of Turtle Doves Streptopelia turtur in Britain. Ibis 145:572–582

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Browne SJ, Aebischer NJ (2004) Temporal changes in the breeding ecology of Turtle Doves Streptopelia turtur in Britain, and implications for conservation. Ibis 146:125–137

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Browne SJ, Aebischer NJ (2005) Studies of West Palaearctic birds: turtle dove. Brit Birds 98:58–72

    Google Scholar 

  • Bugalho MN, Caldeira MC, Pereira JS, Aronson JJ, Pausas JG (2011) Mediterranean cork oak savannas require human use to sustain biodiversity and ecosystem services. Front Ecol Environ 9:278–286

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buruaga MF, Onrubia A, Fernandez-Garcia JM, Campos MA, Canales F, Unamuno JM (2012) Breeding habitat use and conservation status of the turtle dove Streptopelia turtur in Northern Spain. Ardeola 59:291–300

    Google Scholar 

  • Calladine J, Buner F, Aebischer NJ (1999) Temporal variations in singing activity and the detection of turtle doves Streptopelia turtur: implications for surveys. Bird Study 46:74–80

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Camprodon J, Brotons L (2006) Effects of undergrowth clearing on the bird communities of the Northwestern Mediterranean coppice holm oak forest. Forest Ecol Manag 221:72–82

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Catry P, Costa H, Elias G, Matias R (2010) Aves de Portugal. Ornitologia no território Continental, Assirio & Alvim, Lisboa

    Google Scholar 

  • Direcção Nacional de Gestão Florestal (2010) Relatório Final do 5º Inventário Florestal Nacional. Autoridade Florestal Nacional. http://www.icnf.pt/portal/florestas/ifn. Accessed 27 December 2012

  • R Development Core Team (2011) R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing. http://www.R-project.org. Accessed 24 September 2011

  • Dias S, Fontoura AP (1996) A dieta estival da rola-brava (Streptopelia turtur) no sul de Portugal. Revista Florestal 9:227–241

    Google Scholar 

  • Dolton DD, Rau RD (2005) Mourning dove breeding population status, 2005. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Laurel

  • Dunn JC, Morris AJ (2012) Which features of UK farmland are important in retaining territories of the rapidly declining Turtle dove Streptopelia turtur? Bird Study 59:394–402

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eraud C, Boutin J-M, Riviere M, Brun J, Barbraud C, Lormé H (2009) Survival of turtledoves Streptopelia turtur in relation to western Africa environmental conditions. Ibis 151:186–190

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ESRI (2005) ArcGis 9.1 – Environnental Systems Research Institute Red Lands, California

  • Feranec J, Jaffrain G, Soukup T, Hazeu G (2010) Determining changes and flows in European landscapes 1990–2000 using CORINE land cover data. Appl Geogr 30:19–35

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fernandes P, Rigolot E (2007) The fire ecology and management of maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.). Forest Ecol Manag 241:1–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fontoura AP, Dias S (1996) Productivity of a turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur) population in the northwest of Portugal. In: Botev N (ed) The game and the man. Proceedings of the XXII Congress of the IUGB, Sofia, Bulgaria, pp 1–6

    Google Scholar 

  • Freire S, Santos T, Tenedório JA (2009) Recent urbanisation and landuse/land cover change in Portugal – the influence of coastline and costal urban centers. J Coast Res 56:1499–1503

    Google Scholar 

  • Goovaerts P (1997) Geostatistics for natural resources evaluation. Oxford University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanane S (2012) Do age and type of plantings affect turtle dove Streptopelia turtur nest placement in olive agro-ecosystems? Ethol Ecol Evol 24:284–293

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hanane S, Baamal L (2011) Are Moroccan fruit orchards suitable breeding habitats for Turtle Doves Streptopelia turtur? Bird Study 58:57–67

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hermant D, Frochot B (1997) Habitat de reproduction et densité de Turdinae et de Columbidae en Côte-D’Or (France). Gibier Faune Sauvage 14:49–64

    Google Scholar 

  • Hinsley SA, Bellamy PE (2000) The influence of hedge structure, management and landscape context on the value of hedgerows to birds: a review. J Environ Manage 60:33–49

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • INE (2010) Recenseamento agrícola 2009: dados preliminares. Instituto Nacional de Estatística. http://www.ine.pt. Accessed 26 December 2012

  • Jarry G (1994) Turtle dove Streptopelia turtur. In: Tucker GM, Heath MF (eds) Birds in Europe: Their conservation status. Birdlife International, Cambridge, pp 320–321

    Google Scholar 

  • Legendre P, Legendre L (1998) Numerical ecology, 2nd edn. Elsevier, Amsterdam

    Google Scholar 

  • Lutz M, Jensen FP (2007) Management Plan for turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur). 2007–2009. Technical Report-007-2007. Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, Luxembourg

  • Machado AL, Brito JC, Medeiros V, Leitão M, Moutinho C, Jesus A, Ferrand Y, Gonçalves D (2008) Distribution and habitat preferences of Eurasian woodcock Scolopax rusticola in S. Miguel island (Azores) during the breeding season. Wildl Biol 14:129–137

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martinez B (2004) Tortola, Streptopelia turtur. In: Madroño A, Gonzalez C, Atienza JC (eds) Libro rojo de las aves de España. Dirección General para a Biodiversidad. SEO/Birdlife, Madrid, pp 281–285

    Google Scholar 

  • Maurer BA (1994) Geographical population analysis: Tools for the analysis of biodiversity. Blackwell Science, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Moreira F, Russo D (2007) Modelling the impact of agricultural abandonment and wildfires on vertebrate diversity in Mediterranean Europe. Landscape Ecol 22:1461–1476

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moreira F, Ferreira S, Rego F, Bunting S (2001) Landscape changes and breeding bird assemblages in northwestern Portugal: the role of fire. Landscape Ecol 16:175–187

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Moreira F, Viedma O, Arianoutsou M, Curt T, Koutsias N, Rigolot E, Barbati A, Corona P, Vaz P, Xanthopoulos G, Mouillot F, Bilgili E (2011) Landscape–wildfire interactions in southern Europe: implications for landscape management. J Environ Manage 92:2389–2402

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nankinov D (1994) The breeding biology of the turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur) in Bulgary. Gibier de Faune Sauvage 11:156–165

    Google Scholar 

  • PECBMS (2009) The state of Europe’s common birds, 2008. CSO/RSPB, Prague

    Google Scholar 

  • Peiró V (1990) Aspectos de la reproducción de la Tórtola Común (Streptopelia turtur) en Madrid. Mediterránea Ser Biol 12:89–96

    Google Scholar 

  • Porto M, Correia O, Beja P (2011) Long-term consequences of mechanical fuel management for the conservation of Mediterranean forest herb communities. Biodiv Cons 20:2669–2691

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reino L, Beja P, Osborne PE, Morgado R, Fabião A, Rotenberry JT (2009) Distance to edges, edge contrast and landscape fragmentation: interactions affecting farmland birds around forest plantations. Biol Cons 142:824–838

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reino L, Beja P, Araújo MB, Dray S, Segurado P (2013) Does local habitat fragmentation affect large-scale distributions? The case of a specialist grassland bird. Divers Distrib 10.1111/ddi.12019

  • Rey-Benayas JM, Galván I, Carrascal LM (2010) Differential effects of vegetation restoration in Mediterranean abandoned cropland by secondary succession and pine plantations on bird assemblages. Forest Ecol Manag 260:87–95

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rocha G, Hidalgo SJ (2002) La tórtola común Streptopelia turtur — análisis de los factores que afectan a su status. Servicio de Publicaciones de Universidad de. Extremadura, Cáceres

    Google Scholar 

  • Rouxel R (2000) La tourterelle des bois (Streptopelia turtur): synthèse de donnés bibliographiques en Europe orientale. Bulletin de liaison et d’information d’OMPO Octobre 22:5–15

    Google Scholar 

  • Santana J, Porto M, Reino L, Beja P (2011) Long-term understory recovery after mechanical fuel reduction in Mediterranean cork oak forests. Forest Ecol Manag 261:447–459

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Santana J, Porto M, Gordinho L, Reino L, Beja P (2012) Long-term responses of Mediterranean birds to forest fuel management. J Appl Ecol 49:632–643

    Google Scholar 

  • Santos T, Tellería JL, Carbonell R (2002) Bird conservation in fragmented Mediterranean forest of Spain: effects of geographical location, habitat and landscape degradation. Biol Cons 105:113–125

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sauer JR, Hines JE, Fallon JE, Pardieck KL, Ziolkowski Jr DJ, Link WA (2011) The North American Breeding Bird Survey, Results and Analysis 1966–2010. Version 12.07.2011 USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/. Accessed 25 November 2012

  • Seoane J, Bustamante J, Diaz-Delgado R (2004) Competing roles for landscape, vegetation topography and climate in predictive models of bird distribution. Ecol Model 171:209–222

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Silva J, Vaz P, Moreira F, Catry F, Rego F (2011) Wildfire as a major driver of landscape dynamics in three fire-prone areas of Portugal. Landscape Urban Plan 101:349–358

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stoate C, Báldi A, Beja P, Boatman ND, Herzon I, van Doorn A, de Snoo GR, Rakosy L, Ramwell C (2009) Ecological impacts of early 21st century agricultural change in Europe – a review. J Environ Manage 91:22–46

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Triviño M, Thuiller W, Cabeza M, Hickler T, Araújo MB (2011) The contribution of vegetation and landscape configuration for predicting environmental change impacts on Iberian birds. PLoS One 6:e29373. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0029373

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Verdasca MJ, Leitão AS, Santana J, Porto M, Dias S, Beja P (2012) Forest fuel management as a conservation tool for early successional species under agricultural abandonment: the case of Mediterranean butterflies. Biol Cons 146:14–23

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Webster R, Olivier M (2001) Geostatistic for environmental scientists. John Wiley and Sons, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Wood SN (2006) Generalized additive models: An introduction with R. Chapman and Hall/CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL

    Google Scholar 

  • Zuur AF, Ieno EN, Walker NJ, Saveliev AA, Smith GM (2009) Mixed effects models and extensions in ecology with R. Springer, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study was funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), through the project POCTI/BSE/41067/2001, and grants to LG (SFRH⁄BD⁄64645⁄2009) and LR (SFRH⁄BPD⁄62865⁄2009). Thanks are due to António Barreto, António Melo, José Filipe Barreto, Miguel Rodrigues, Elsa Fernandes, Ana Delgado, Pedro Rocha and Gonçalo Pessoa for help in the field work. Rui Borralho and David Gonçalves provided useful comments for the design of this study. We thank the thoughtful comments to the manuscript by Pelayo Acevedo and three anonymous referees.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Ecologia Aplicada Prof. Baeta Neves, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda, 1349-017, Lisbon, Portugal

    Susana Dias, Francisco Moreira, Mariana Carvalho & Francisco Rego

  2. CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-601, Vairão, Portugal

    Pedro Beja, Luís Gordinho, Luís Reino & Vanessa Oliveira

  3. ERENA SA, Ordenamento e Gestão de Recursos, Rua Robalo Gouveia 1-1A, 1900-392, Lisbon, Portugal

    Luís Gordinho

Authors
  1. Susana Dias
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Francisco Moreira
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Pedro Beja
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Mariana Carvalho
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Luís Gordinho
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Luís Reino
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Vanessa Oliveira
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Francisco Rego
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Susana Dias.

Additional information

Communicated by C. Gortazar

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

ESM 1

(DOCX 13 kb)

ESM 2

(DOCX 938 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Dias, S., Moreira, F., Beja, P. et al. Landscape effects on large scale abundance patterns of turtle doves Streptopelia turtur in Portugal. Eur J Wildl Res 59, 531–541 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-013-0702-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-013-0702-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation