Species richness of migratory birds is influenced by global climate change

• Published in: Global ecology and biogeography Vol. 16; no. 1; pp. 55 - 64
• Main Authors: Lemoine, Nicole, Schaefer, Hans-Christian, Böhning-Gaese, Katrin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.01.2007; Blackwell Publishing; Blackwell
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Aviculture; Biological and medical sciences; Bird community composition; Birds; Breeding; Climate change; Climate models; Europe; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; future predictions; GCM; General aspects; General aspects. Techniques; Generalities; long-distance migrants; Migrant communities; model validation; Regression analysis; Research Papers; Retirement communities; Species; Synecology; Europe; Community structure; Composition; Long distance; Europe; Bird community composition; Biogeography; Ecology; GCM; future predictions; Vertebrata; model validation; Migratory; Geographic distribution; Animal community; Global change; Planetary scale; Models; Aves; long-distance migrants; Climate modification; Species richness
• ISSN: 1466-822X; 1466-8238
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1466-8238.2006.00252.x

Aim Global climate change is increasingly influencing ecosystems. Long-term Effects on the species richness and composition of ecological communities have been predicted using modelling approaches but, so far, hardly demonstrated in the field. Here, we test whether changes in the composition of bird communities have been influenced by recent climate change. Location Europe. Methods We focus on the proportion of migratory and resident bird species because these groups are expected to respond differently to climatic change. We used the spatial relationship between climatic factors and bird communities in Europe to predict changes in 21 European bird communities under recent climate change. Results Observed changes corresponded significantly to predicted changes and could not be explained by the effects of spatial autocorrelation. Alternative factors such as changes in land use were tested in a first approximation as well but no effects were found. Main conclusions This study demonstrates that global climate change has already influenced the species richness and composition of European bird communities.