Global bird populations steadily declining
Study conclusion mirrors shocking losses previously shown in North
America
Date:
May 5, 2022
Source:
Cornell University
Summary:
Staggering declines in bird populations are taking place around
the world. So concludes a study from scientists at multiple
institutions.
Loss and degradation of natural habitats and direct
overexploitation of many species are cited as the key threats to
avian biodiversity. Climate change is identified as an emerging
driver of bird population declines.
FULL STORY ========================================================================== Staggering declines in bird populations are taking place around the
world. So concludes a study from scientists at multiple institutions,
published today in the journal Annual Review of Environment and
Resources. Loss and degradation of natural habitats and direct
overexploitation of many species are cited as the key threats to avian biodiversity. Climate change is identified as an emerging driver of bird population declines.
==========================================================================
"We are now witnessing the first signs of a new wave of extinctions of continentally distributed bird species," says lead author Alexander
Lees, senior lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University in the
United Kingdom and also a research associate at the Cornell Lab of
Ornithology. "Avian diversity peaks globally in the tropics and it
is there that we also find the highest number of threatened species."
The study says approximately 48% of existing bird species worldwide are
known or suspected to be undergoing population declines. Populations
are stable for 39% of species. Only 6% are showing increasing population trends, and the status of 7% is still unknown. The study authors reviewed changes in avian biodiversity using data from the International Union
for Conservation of Nature's "Red List" to reveal population changes
among the world's 11,000 bird species.
The findings mirror the results of a seminal 2019 study which determined
that nearly 3 billion breeding birds have been lost during the past 50
years across the United States and Canada. The lead author of that study
is also an author on this global status report.
"After documenting the loss of nearly 3 billion birds in North America
alone, it was dismaying to see the same patterns of population declines
and extinction occurring globally," says conservation scientist Ken
Rosenberg from the Cornell Lab, now retired. "Because birds are highly
visible and sensitive indicators of environmental health, we know their
loss signals a much wider loss of biodiversity and threats to human health
and well-being." Despite their findings, study authors say there is
hope for avian conservation efforts, but transformative change is needed.
"The fate of bird populations is strongly dependent on stopping the
loss and degradation of habitats," says Lees. "That is often driven by
demand for resources. We need to better consider how commodity flows can contribute to biodiversity loss and try to reduce the human footprint on
the natural world." "Fortunately, the global network of bird conservation organizations taking part in this study have the tools to prevent further
loss of bird species and abundance," adds Rosenberg. "From land protection
to policies supporting sustainable resource-use, it all depends on the
will of governments and of society to live side by side with nature
on our shared planet." Information is key, and study authors point
out that the growth of public participation in bird monitoring and the
advent of easy-to-use tools, such as the Cornell Lab's eBird database,
make continental-scale breeding bird surveys, distribution atlases,
and abundance models possible and help inform conservation efforts.
This study was conducted by scientists from Manchester Metropolitan
University, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, BirdLife International,
the University of Johannesburg, Pontifical Xavierian University, and
the Nature Conservation Foundation.
========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Cornell_University. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.
========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Alexander C. Lees, Lucy Haskell, Tris Allinson, Simeon B. Bezeng,
Ian J.
Burfield, Luis Miguel Renjifo, Kenneth V. Rosenberg, Ashwin
Viswanathan, Stuart H.M. Butchart. State of the World's
Birds. Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 2022; 47 (1)
DOI: 10.1146/annurev-environ- 112420-014642 ==========================================================================
Link to news story:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/05/220505114633.htm
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