Snow depth drives habitat selection by overwintering birds in built-up areas, farmlands and forests.

ABSTRACT:

Aim

Abundances of animals vary according to species-specific habitat selection, but habitats are undergoing rapid change in response to anthropogenic alterations of land use and climate. The long-term decline of snowfall is one of the most dramatic abiotic changes in boreal regions, with potential to alter species communities and shape future ecosystems. However, the effects of snow cover on habitat-specific abundances remain unclear for many taxa. Here we explore whether long-term declines in snow cover affect the abundances of overwintering birds.

Taxon

Fifty bird species.

Location

Finland, Northern Europe.

Methods

We used generalized linear mixed models to analyse citizen-led monitoring data from 196 transects over a 32-year period to assess whether abundanc

SUBMITTER: Deshpande P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9306755 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature