Abstract
Riparian habitats in arid landscapes are recognised for their structurally diverse vegetation and diverse bird species assemblages. In the extensive semi-arid and arid centre of Australia, riparian woodland habitats are impacted by pastoral land-use which may negatively influence vegetation structure and avian species composition. However, pastoralism has promoted the establishment of artificial water bodies, so that additional riparian vegetation may occur in the landscape. In this study, we surveyed the importance of different water regimes (i.e. artificial lakes, natural waterholes, desert sites) together with their associated vegetation on avian species richness in north-western New South Wales, Australia. Our results show that bird species richness was highest at water locations, in particular at artificial lakes. Avian species richness was negatively associated with distance to water bodies, both in desert vegetation types and in the riparian vegetation type along dry creeks. Moreover, riparian habitats supported larger avian assemblages and especially those of sedentary bird species compared to the surrounding shrub-steppe landscape. This indicates that artificial water bodies may be of significance for arid zone bird species and might gain in importance with changing water availabilities due to climatic changes.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Australian Bureau of Meterology (2006) Climate data for Fowlers Gap Station. Online available at: http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/cdo/about/supply.shtml
Carini D, Hughes JM, Bunn SE (2006) The role of waterholes as ‘refugia’ in sustaining genetic diversity and variation of two freshwater species in dryland river systems (Western Queensland, Australia). Freshw Biol 51:1434–1446
Chan K (2001) Partial migration in Australian land birds: a review. Emu 101:281–292
Clarke KR, Gorley RN (2001) Primer v5: user manual/tutorial. Primer-E Ltd, Plymouth
Cockburn A (2003) Cooperative breeding in oscine passerines: does sociality inhibit speciation? Proc R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 207:2207–2214
Cody ML (1981) Habitat selection in birds: the roles of vegetation structure, competitors, and productivity. Bioscience 31:107–113
Cunningham GM, Mulham WE, Milthorpe PL, Leight JH (1981) Plants of western new South Wales. NSW Government Printing Office
Dean WRJ (1997) The distribution and biology of nomadic birds in the Karoo, South Africa. J Biogeogr 24:769–779
Dean WRJ (2004) Adaptations of desert organisms – desert birds. Springer, Berlin
Dean WRJ, Milton SJ (2001) Responses of birds to rainfall and seed abundance in the southern Karoo, South Africa. J Arid Environ 47:101–121
Fisher CD, Lindgren E, Dawson WR (1972) Drinking patterns and behaviour of Australian desert birds in relation to their ecology and abundance. Condor 74:111–136
Freudenberger DO, Noble J (1997) Consumption, regulation and off-take: a landscape perspective on pastoralism. In: Ludwig JA, Tongway DJ, Freudenberger DO, Noble JC, Hodgkinson KC (eds) Landscape ecology function and management, principles from Australia’s rangelands. CISRO, Collingwood, pp 35–47
Hawkins BA, Porter EE, Diniz-Filho JAF (2003a) Productivity and history as predictors of the latitudinal diversity gradient of terrestrial birds. Ecology 84:1608–1623
Hawkins BA, Field R, Cornell HV, Currie DJ, Guégan J-F, Kaufman DM, Kerr JT, Mittelbach GG, Oberdorff T, O’Brien EM, Porter EE, Turner JRG (2003b) Energy, water and broad-scale geographic patterns of species richness. Ecology 84:3105–3117
Hawkins BA, Diniz-Filho JAF, Soeller SA (2005) Water links the historical and contemporary components of the Australian bird diversity gradient. J Biogeogr 32:1035–1042
Hughes L (2003) Climate change and Australia: trends, projections and impacts. Aust Ecol 28:423–443
James CD, Landsberg J, Morton SR (1999) Provision of watering points in the Australian arid zone: a review of effects on biota. J Arid Environ 41:87–121
Jansen A, Robertson AI (2001) Riparian bird communities in relation to land management practices in floodplain woodlands of south-eastern Australia. Biol Conserv 100:173–185
Kingsford RT, Wong PS, Braithwaite LW, Maher MT (1999) Waterbird abundance in eastern Australia, 1983–92. Wildl Res 26:351–366
Kingston MB (2005) Riparian and upslope influences on the regional avifauna of the semi-arid Mulga lands of South West Queensland. Dissertation, Griffith University, Australia
Knopf FL, Samson FB (1994) Scale perspectives on avian diversity in western riparian ecosystems. Conserv Biol 8:669–676
Kodric-Brown A, Brown JH (1993) Highly structured fish communities in Australian desert springs. Ecology 74:1847–1855
Landsberg J, James CD, Morton SR, Hobbs TJ, Stol J, Drew A, Tongway H (1997) The effects of artificial sources of water on rangeland biodiversity. Final report to the Biodiversity Convention and Strategy Section of the Biodiversity Group, Environment, Australia
Mabbutt JA (1973) Historical background of Fowlers Gap Station. In: Mabbutt JA, Sullivan ME (eds) Lands of Fowlers Gap Station New South Wales. Fowlers Gap Arid Zone Research Station, Research Series no. 3, University of New South Wales, Sydney, pp 1–23
MacArthur RH (1964) Environmental factors affecting bird species diversity. Am Nat 98:387–397
MacArthur RH, MacArthur JW (1961) On bird species diversity. Ecology 42:594–598
MacArthur RH, Recher H, Cody M (1966) On the relation between habitat selection and species diversity. Am Nat 100:319–332
Mac Nally R, Parkinson A, Horrocks G, Conole L, Tzaros C (2001) Relationship between terrestrial vertebrate diversity, abundance and availability of coarse woody debris on south-eastern Australian floodplains. Biol Conserv 99:191–205
Martin TG, McIntyre S (2007) Impacts of livestock grazing and tree clearing on birds of woodland and riparian habitats. Conserv Biol 21:504–514
Martin TG, Possingham HP (2005) Predicting the impacts of livestock grazing on birds using foraging height data. J Appl Ecol 42:400–408
Martin TG, McIntyre S, Catterall CP, Possingham HP (2006) Is landscape context important for riparian conservation? Birds in grassy woodland. Biol Conserv 127:201–214
Mendelsohn MB, Boarman WI, Fisher RN, Hathaway SA (2007) Diversity of terrestrial avifauna in response to distance form the shoreline of the Salton Sea. J Arid Environ 68:574–587
Moore PD, Chapman SB (1986) Methods in plant ecology. Blackwell, Oxford
Mueller-Dombois D, Ellenberg H (1974) Aims and methods of vegetation ecology. Wiley, New York
Nicholls N (2006) Detecting and attributing Australian climate change: a review. Aust Meteorol Mag 55:199–211
Palmer GC, Bennett AF (2006) Riparian zones provide for distinct bird assemblages in forest mosaics of south-east Australia. Biol Conserv 130:447–457
Robbins CS (1981) Effect of time of day on bird activity. Stud Avian Biol 6:275–286
Robertson AI, Rowling RW (2000) Effects of livestock on riparian zone vegetation in an Australian dryland river. Regul Rivers: Res Manag 16:527–541
Root TJ, Price JT, Hall KR, Schneider ST, Rosenzweig C, Pounds JA (2003) Fingerprints of global warming on wild animals and plants. Nature 421:57–60
Roshier DA, Robertson AI, Kingsford RT, Green DG (2001) Continental-scale interactions with temporary resources may explain the paradox of large populations of desert waterbirds in Australia. Landsc Ecol 16:547–556
Roshier DA, Robertson AI, Kingsford RT (2002) Responses of water birds to flooding in an arid region of Australia and implications for conservation. Biol Conserv 106:39–411
Saab V (1999) Importance of spatial scale to habitat use by breeding birds in riparian forests: a hierarchical analysis. Ecol Appl 9:135–151
Sánchez-Zapata JA, Anadón JD, Carrete M, Giménez A, Navarro J, Villacorta C, Botella F (2005) Breeding water birds in relation to artificial pond attributes: implications for the design of irrigation facilities. Biodivers Conserv 14:1627–1639
Schodde R (1982) Origin, adaptation and evolution of birds in arid Australia. In: Barker WR, Greenslade PJM (eds) Evolution of the flora and fauna of arid Australia. Peacock, Frewville, pp 191–224
Shurcliff KS (1980) Vegetation and bird community characteristics in an Australian arid mountain range. J Arid Environ 3:331–348
Simmons RE, Bernard P, Dean WRJ, Midgley GF, Thuiller W, Hughes G (2004) Climate change and birds: perspectives and prospects from southern Africa. Ostrich 75:295–308
Simpson K, Day N (2004) Field guide to the birds of Australia. Penguin Group (Australia), Camberwell
Skagen SK, Melcher CP, Howe WH, Knopf FL (1998) Comparative use of riparian corridors and oases by migrating birds in Southeast Arizona. Conserv Biol 12:896–909
Smyth AK, James CD (2004) Characteristics of Australia’s rangelands and key design issues for monitoring biodiveristy. Aust Ecol 29:3–15
Szaro RC, Jakle MD (1985) Avian use of a desert riparian island and its adjacent scrub habitat. Condor 87:511–519
van Rensburg BJ, Chown SL, Gaston KJ (2002) Species richness, environmental correlates, and spatial scale: a test using South African birds. Am Nat 159:566–577
Vickery JA, Tallowin JR, Feber RE, Asteraki EJ, Atkinson PW, Fuller RJ, Brown VK (2001) The management of lowland natural grassland in Britain: effects of agricultural practices on birds and their food resources. J Appl Ecol 38:647–664
Wakelin-King GA, Webb JA (2007) Threshold-dominated fluvial styles in an arid-zone mud-aggregate river: the uplands of Fowlers Creek, Australia. Geomorphology 85:114–127
Willson MF (1974) Avian community organization and habitat structure. Ecology 55:1017–1029
Woinarski JCZ, Brock C, Armstrong M, Hempel C, Cheal D, Brennan K (2000) Bird distribution in riparian vegetation in the extensive natural landscape of Australia’s tropical savanna: a broad-scale survey and analysis of a distributional data base. J Biogeogr 27:843–868
Acknowledgements
We thank David Croft for technical support on Fowlers Gap Station and Margarethe Koop for help in the field. Tomas Pärt, Katharine Bowgen, Matt Low and an anonymous reviewer gave valuable comments on the manuscript. This study was funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation to M. G.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Appendix 1
Appendix 1
Relative abundance of bird species recorded during point counts at the three different types of water regime
Common name | Scientific name | Lakes | Waterholes | Desert sites | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mean | SE | Mean | SE | Mean | SE | ||
Spiny-cheeked honeyeater | Acanthagenys rufogularis | 3.50 | 0.54 | 3.50 | 0.31 | 3.67 | 0.34 |
Chestnut-rumped thornbill | Acanthiza uropygialis | 0.50 | 0.20 | – | – | 0.33 | 0.14 |
Collared sparrowhawk | Accipiter cirrhocephalus | 0.33 | 0.14 | 0.67 | 0.07 | – | – |
Brown goshawk | Accipiter fasciatus | – | – | 0.17 | 0.07 | – | – |
Chestnut teala | Anas castanea | 0.33 | 0.14 | – | – | – | – |
Grey teala | Anas gracilis | 50.67 | 4.85 | 3.17 | 0.07 | – | – |
Australasian shovelera | Anas rhynchotis | 1.00 | 0.24 | – | – | – | – |
Pacific black ducka | Anas superciliosa | 0.83 | 0.34 | – | – | – | – |
Dartera | Anhinga melanogaster | 1.00 | 0.41 | – | – | – | – |
Australian pipit | Anthus australis | 0.33 | 0.14 | – | – | 1.67 | 0.41 |
Southern whiteface | Aphelocephala leucopsis | – | – | – | – | 2.50 | 0.82 |
Wedge-tailed eagle | Aquila audax | – | – | 0.33 | 0.14 | 0.33 | 0.07 |
Black-faced woodswallow | Artamus cinereus | 0.67 | 0.27 | – | – | 2.33 | 0.48 |
White-breasted woodswallow | Artamus leucorhynchus | 1.50 | 0.20 | 0.50 | 0.12 | – | – |
White-browed woodswallow | Arthamus superciliosus | 0.83 | 0.34 | – | – | – | – |
Hardheada | Aythya australis | 2.83 | 0.60 | – | – | – | – |
Australian ringneck | Barnardius zonarius barnardi | 5.50 | 0.94 | 6.67 | 1.14 | – | – |
Musk ducka | Biziura lobata | 2.17 | 0.88 | – | – | – | – |
Little corella | Cacatua sanguinea | 19.83 | 5.96 | 26.00 | 4.28 | 1.67 | 0.49 |
Sharp-tailed sandpipera | Calidris acuminata | 0.67 | 0.27 | – | – | – | – |
Pied honeyeater | Certhionyx variegantus | – | – | – | – | 0.50 | 0.20 |
Horsfield’s bronze-cuckoo | Chalcites basalis | – | – | 0.17 | 0.07 | – | – |
Australian wood ducka | Chenonetta jubata | 1.33 | 0.07 | 1.67 | 0.36 | – | – |
White-backed swallow | Cheramoeca leucosternus | 1.00 | 0.20 | – | – | 1.67 | 0.41 |
Whiskered terna | Chlidonias hybridus | 0.50 | 0.20 | 1.67 | 0.68 | – | – |
Rufous songlark | Cinclorhamphus mathewsi | – | – | 0.17 | 0.07 | – | – |
Rock doveb | Columbia livia | 0.17 | 0.07 | – | – | – | – |
Black-faced cuckoo-shrike | Coracina novaehollandiae | 0.50 | 0.12 | 2.00 | 0.20 | – | – |
Australian raven | Corvus coronoides | 5.50 | 0.35 | 6.00 | 0.12 | 2.17 | 0.38 |
Pied butcherbird | Cracticus nigrogularis | 0.50 | 0.20 | 0.67 | 0.18 | – | – |
Grey butcherbird | Cracticus torquatus | 2.00 | 0.12 | 2.33 | 0.45 | 0.17 | 0.07 |
Mistletoebird | Dicaeum hirundinaceum | 0.50 | 0.12 | 2.00 | 0.24 | – | – |
Emu | Dromaius novaehollandiae | 2.17 | 0.48 | – | – | – | – |
White-faced herona | Egretta novaehollandiae | 0.67 | 0.14 | 0.50 | 0.12 | – | – |
Black-fronted dotterela | Elseyornis melanops | 8.67 | 1.36 | – | – | – | – |
Galah | Eolophus roseicapilla | 29.17 | 4.73 | 27.33 | 4.02 | 3.17 | 1.29 |
Red-kneed dotterela | Erythogonys cinctus | 0.33 | 0.14 | – | – | – | – |
Nankeen kestrel | Falco cenchroides | 1.00 | 0.12 | 0.50 | 0.12 | 0.83 | 0.25 |
Australian hobby | Falco longipennis | 0.17 | 0.07 | – | – | – | – |
Peregrine falcon | Falco peregrinus | – | – | 0.33 | 0.07 | – | – |
Black falcon | Falco subniger | – | – | 0.17 | 0.07 | – | – |
Eurasian coota | Fulica atra | 85.00 | 34.39 | – | – | – | – |
Black-tailed native-hena | Gallinula ventralis | 0.83 | 0.25 | – | – | – | – |
Peaceful dove | Geopelia placida | 0.33 | 0.07 | 4.17 | 1.41 | – | – |
Magpie-lark | Grallina cyanoleuca | 8.17 | 0.98 | 3.00 | 0.42 | – | – |
Australian magpie | Gymnorhina tibicen | 8.00 | 0.82 | 3.33 | 0.14 | 2.83 | 0.60 |
Little eagle | Hieraaetus morphnoides | – | – | 0.17 | 0.07 | – | – |
Welcome swallow | Hirundo neoxena | 14.83 | 1.00 | – | – | 1.83 | 0.30 |
White-plumed honeyeater | Lichenostomus penicillatus | 9.50 | 1.98 | 8.83 | 1.11 | – | – |
Singing honeyeater | Lichenostomus virescens | 3.00 | 0.92 | 1.00 | 0.12 | 1.00 | 0.24 |
Pink-eared ducka | Malacorhynchus membranaceus | 9.33 | 1.94 | – | – | – | – |
Variegated fairy-wren | Malurus lamberti | 1.50 | 0.42 | 0.33 | 0.14 | – | – |
White-winged fairy-wren | Malurus leucopterus | – | – | 0.33 | 0.14 | 3.50 | 0.54 |
Yellow-throated miner | Manorina flavigula | – | – | 1.00 | 0.24 | – | – |
Hooded robin | Melanodryas cucullata | – | – | – | – | 0.67 | 0.27 |
Rainbow bee-eater | Merops ornatus | 0.67 | 0.27 | 3.50 | 1.33 | – | – |
Jacky winter | Microeca fascinans | – | – | 0.17 | 0.07 | 0.83 | 0.34 |
Black kite | Milvus migrans | 0.33 | 0.14 | 0.50 | 0.00 | 0.17 | 0.07 |
Restless flycatcher | Myiagra inquieta | 0.83 | 0.34 | 0.17 | 0.07 | – | – |
Blue bonnet | Northiella haematogaster | 3.33 | 1.36 | – | – | – | – |
Cockatiel | Nymphicus hollandicus | 0.33 | 0.14 | – | – | – | – |
Crested pigeon | Ocyphaps lophotes | 9.50 | 1.24 | 5.83 | 0.34 | 2.67 | 0.58 |
Rufous whistler | Pachycephala rufiventris | – | – | 0.17 | 0.07 | – | – |
Striated pradalote | Pardalotus striatus | – | – | 0.17 | 0.07 | – | – |
Tree martin | Petrochelidon nigricans | 52.50 | 2.28 | 47.50 | 1.43 | 4.00 | 1.25 |
Little pied cormoranta | Phalacrocorax melanoleucos | 6.00 | 2.45 | – | – | – | |
Little black cormoranta | Phalacrocorax sulcirostris | 2.33 | 0.95 | – | – | – | – |
Common bronzewing | Phaps chalcopter | – | – | 0.33 | 0.14 | – | – |
Yellow-billed spoonbilla | Platalea flavipes | 1.00 | 0.41 | – | – | – | – |
Hoary-headed grebea | Poliocephalus poliocephalus | 2.17 | 0.53 | – | – | – | – |
Chestnut-crowned babbler | Pomatostomus ruficeps | 8.17 | 3.33 | – | – | 0.50 | 0.20 |
Mulga parrot | Psephotus varius | 1.17 | 0.30 | 2.00 | 0.20 | – | – |
Chirruping wedgebill | Psophodes cristatus | 2.00 | 0.72 | 0.67 | 0.14 | 1.83 | 0.25 |
Willie wagtail | Rhipidura leucophrys | 7.00 | 0.42 | 4.17 | 0.45 | 0.50 | 0.20 |
Weebill | Smicrornis brevirostris | – | – | 2.00 | 0.42 | – | – |
Freckled ducka | Stictonetta naevosa | 1.33 | 0.54 | – | – | – | – |
Apostlebird | Struthidea cinerea | 3.17 | 0.92 | 5.83 | 1.26 | – | – |
Australasian grebea | Tachybaptus novaehollandiae | 3.67 | 0.95 | – | – | – | – |
Zebra finch | Taeniopygia guttata | 0.17 | 0.07 | – | – | – | – |
Red-backed kingfisher | Todiramphus pyrrhopygia | 0.17 | 0.07 | – | – | 0.33 | 0.14 |
Sacred kingfisher | Todiramphus sanctus | – | – | 0.33 | 0.14 | – | – |
Common greenshanka | Tringa nebularia | 0.17 | 0.07 | – | – | – | – |
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Schneider, N.A., Griesser, M. Influence and value of different water regimes on avian species richness in arid inland Australia. Biodivers Conserv 18, 457–471 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-008-9501-6
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-008-9501-6