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dc.contributor.authorSokolov, Vasily
dc.contributor.authorEhrich, Dorothee
dc.contributor.authorYoccoz, Nigel
dc.contributor.authorSokolov, Alexander
dc.contributor.authorLecomte, Nicolas
dc.date.accessioned2013-03-13T10:09:49Z
dc.date.available2013-03-13T10:09:49Z
dc.date.issued2012
dc.description.abstractThe ratio of habitat generalists to specialists in birds has been suggested as a good indicator of ecosystem changes due to e.g. climate change and other anthropogenic perturbations. Most studies focusing on this functional component of biodiversity originate, however, from temperate regions. The Eurasian Arctic tundra is currently experiencing an unprecedented combination of climate change, change in grazing pressure by domestic reindeer and growing human activity. Here we monitored bird communities in a tundra landscape harbouring shrub and open habitats in order to analyse bird habitat relationships and quantify habitat specialization. We used ordination methods to analyse habitat associations and estimated the proportions of specialists in each of the main habitats. Correspondence Analysis identified three main bird communities, inhabiting upland, lowland and dense willow shrubs. We documented a stable structure of communities despite large multiannual variations of bird density (from 90 to 175 pairs/km2). Willow shrub thickets were a hotspot for bird density, but not for species richness. The thickets hosted many specialized species whose main distribution area was south of the tundra. If current arctic changes result in a shrubification of the landscape as many studies suggested, we would expect an increase in the overall bird abundance together with an increase of local specialists, since they are associated with willow thickets. The majority of these species have a southern origin and their increase in abundance would represent a strengthening of the boreal component in the southern tundra, perhaps at the expense of species typical of the subarctic zone, which appear to be generalists within this zone.en
dc.identifier.citationPLoS ONE (2012). vol. 7(12): e50335en
dc.identifier.cristinIDFRIDAID 988296
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0050335
dc.identifier.issn1932-6203
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10037/4970
dc.identifier.urnURN:NBN:no-uit_munin_4696
dc.language.isoengen
dc.publisherPublic Library of Science (PLoS)en
dc.rights.accessRightsopenAccess
dc.subjectVDP::Mathematics and natural science: 400::Zoology and botany: 480::Zoophysiology and comparative physiology: 483en
dc.subjectVDP::Matematikk og Naturvitenskap: 400::Zoologiske og botaniske fag: 480::Zoofysiologi og komparativ fysiologi: 483en
dc.subjectVDP::Mathematics and natural science: 400::Zoology and botany: 480::Ecology: 488en
dc.subjectVDP::Matematikk og Naturvitenskap: 400::Zoologiske og botaniske fag: 480::Økologi: 488en
dc.titleBird communities of the Arctic shrub tundra of Yamal: habitat specialists and generalistsen
dc.typeJournal articleen
dc.typeTidsskriftartikkelen
dc.typePeer revieweden


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