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Interactive effects of climate and forest canopy cover on Goshawk productivity

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Abstract

In the current scenario of human-induced environmental changes, boreal forest biodiversity appears to be threatened by both deforestation for timber production and climate change. A northern species which has experienced a decline due to ongoing habitat degradation in Finland is the Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), a forest-dwelling avian predator that inhabits mostly mature coniferous forests. In order to uncover possible interactive effects of climate and landscape structure on this species, we tested whether temperature and precipitation affect Goshawk reproductive performance differentially in closed (i.e. forest) or open (mainly forest–farmland mosaics) habitats, accounting for land cover at different distances from nests (250, 500, 1000 and 2500 m). Long-term data on brood size and individual chick weight were used to describe breeding success over an 18 year period. Brood size was negatively associated with March and May temperature and positively with June temperature, but no trends related to landscape structure were identified. Chick body condition was negatively affected by high forest cover closest to the nest (250 m), but negative effects of June precipitation on this variable proved to be significantly greater in open than in closed habitats, with results consistent at different scales, i.e. precipitation had greater negative effects on chick body condition in open than in closed landscapes. Precipitation is forecast to increase in the region as a result of climate change, hence forest cover could exert a positive role in mitigating adverse effects of unfavorable climatic conditions. Outcomes of this study may be used to inform sustainable timber harvest management strategies.

Zusammenfassung

Interaktive Effekte von Klima und Baumkronendichte auf den Fortpflanzungserfolg des Habichts Auf der Palette der von Menschen verursachten Umweltveränderungen scheinen vor allem zwei Faktoren die Biodiversität borealer Wälder zu bedrohen: die Rodung für Nutzholzproduktion und die Klimaveränderung. Der Habicht (Accipiter gentilis) ist eine im Norden vorkommende Art, deren Rückgang in Finnland auf die ständige Verkleinerung ihrer Habitate zurückzuführen ist. Sie sind Raubvögel, die in erster Linie in hohen Koniferen-Wäldern leben. Um mögliche interaktive Effekte von Klima und Landschaftsstruktur auf diese Art aufzudecken, testeten wir, ob Temperatur und Niederschlag die Fortpflanzungsrate des Habichts beeinflussen. Diese Untersuchungen liefen vergleichend in geschlossenen (z.B. Wäldern) und in offenen (überwiegend von Waldflecken durchsetzte Äcker) Lebensräumen und unter Berücksichtigung des Bewuchses in unterschiedlichen Entfernungen vom Nest (250m, 500m, 1000m und 2500m). Über längere Zeitspannen erhobene Daten für die Gelegegrößen und individuellen Kükengewichte dienten als Grundlage für die Feststellung und Beschreibung des Fortpflanzungserfolgs über einen Zeitraum von 18 Jahren. Die Gelegegrößen korrelierten negativ mit der Temperatur in März und Mai und positiv mit der im Juni; ein Zusammenhang mit der Landschaftsstruktur konnte nicht festgestellt werden. Die Körperverfassung der Küken wurde negativ von Wäldern mit hohen Baumkronen in größter Nest-Nähe (250m) beeinflusst; aber für diese Variable stellten sich die negativen Effekte von Niederschlägen im Juni in offenen Habitaten als signifikant größer heraus als in geschlossenen Lebensräumen, wobei diese Ergebnisse über unterschiedliche Größenordnungen hinweg konsistent waren. Das heißt, auf die Körperverfassung der Küken hatten Niederschläge in offenen Landschaften negativere Auswirkungen als in geschlossenen Lebensräumen. Für diese Region werden künftig stärkere Niederschläge als Folge von Klimaveränderungen vorhergesagt. Der Waldbedeckung könnte daher eine positive Rolle dabei zufallen, die entgegengesetzten Auswirkungen ungünstiger Klimabedingungen abzuschwächen. Die Ergebnisse dieser Studie helfen eventuell, im Management von Nutzholz-Anbau zu nachhaltigeren Strategien zu kommen.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Finnish Ministry of Environment for financing monitoring of birds of prey and voluntary bird ringers that conduct the activities every year. We also thank the Finnish Meteorological Institute for providing climatic data and Heidi Björklund for her contribution in data management.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123, Turin, Italy

    Irene Conenna & Dan Chamberlain

  2. Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Pohjoinen Rautatiekatu 13, 00100, Helsinki, Finland

    Irene Conenna & Jari Valkama

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  1. Irene Conenna
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  2. Jari Valkama
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Correspondence to Irene Conenna.

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Communicated by O. Krüger.

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Conenna, I., Valkama, J. & Chamberlain, D. Interactive effects of climate and forest canopy cover on Goshawk productivity. J Ornithol 158, 799–809 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-017-1432-0

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