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Null models reveal the influence of fragmentation on complex bird communities in Mediterranean habitats

  • Coastal Forest Ecosystem near Rome
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Abstract

The bird communities in the Presidential Estate of Castelporziano (Rome, Italy) were studied to determine their structure in a set of different natural habitats and during the seasons. This study area is a complex ecosystem, formed by a mosaic of different habitats, having a high biodiversity level. Bird communities of Castelporziano are characterized by high degrees of richness and complexity. Null model analyses revealed that the bird community is not randomly organized, but it depends on seasonal resource availability. Based on this study, we did not focus only on conservation level of single habitat for Mediterranean birds, but also on their seasonal importance, creating a new approach where the natural quality is evaluated in different variables.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to express our gratitude to the Segretariato Generale della Presidenza della Repubblica, the Direzione della Tenuta di Castelporziano, the Commissione Tecnico-Scientifica di Castelporziano, the Accademia Nazionale delle Scienze detta dei XL and the Osservatorio Centro Multidisciplinare degli Ecosistemi Costieri Mediterranei for obtaining permission to carry out this study and for the publication of the results. Our thanks to Patricia de Angelis for the English revision.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “Charles Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell’Università, 32, 00185, Rome, Italy

    Roberto Isotti & Alberto Fanfani

  2. Eni spa Environmental Department, Centro di Studi Ambientali Demetra s.r.l, Via Olona 7, 00198, Rome, Italy

    Luca Luiselli

Authors
  1. Roberto Isotti
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  2. Luca Luiselli
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  3. Alberto Fanfani
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Correspondence to Roberto Isotti.

Additional information

This peer-reviewed article is a result of the multidisciplinary project coordinated by the “Accademia Nazionale delle Scienze detta dei XL”, Rome, Italy, in the area of the Presidential Estate of Castelporziano near Rome.

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Isotti, R., Luiselli, L. & Fanfani, A. Null models reveal the influence of fragmentation on complex bird communities in Mediterranean habitats. Rend. Fis. Acc. Lincei 26 (Suppl 3), 399–402 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-015-0405-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-015-0405-6

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