Livestock grazing, plateau pikas and the conservation of avian biodiversity on the Tibetan plateau

NWIPB OpenIR

	Livestock grazing, plateau pikas and the conservation of avian biodiversity on the Tibetan plateau
	Arthur, Anthony D. ; Pech, Roger P. ; Davey, Chris ; Jiebu ; Zhang Yanming ; Lin Hui
	2008-08-01
发表期刊	BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION ; Arthur Anthony D.,Pech Roger P.,Davey Chris,Jiebu,Zhang Yanming,Lin Hui. Livestock grazing, plateau pikas and the conservation of avian biodiversity on the Tibetan plateau.BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION,2008,141(8):1972-1981
摘要	On the Qinghai-Tibet plateau increased livestock numbers have resulted in degradation of the grasslands with potential impacts on native biodiversity. Concurrently, perceived increases in populations of native small mammals such as plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae) have led to poisoning programs, with uncertain impacts on species such as ground-nesting birds. We explored the relationships between the local seasonal abundance of small birds and (1) the density of pika burrows; (2) livestock grazing practices; and (3) local poisoning of pikas. Around Naqu prefecture, central Tibet, we used a nested experimental design to collect data from areas rested from grazing over summer, nearby areas with year-round grazing and areas subjected to pika poisoning. Additional data were collected from a site where grazing had not occurred for at least 4 years prior to the study. Poisoning pikas in spring had no detectable effect on the local abundance of birds the following autumn. However, two ground-nesting species, white-rumped and rufous-necked snowfinches, showed positive associations with the density of pika burrows, indicating that long-term 'pika poisoning could reduce the density of these species by reducing the density of pika burrows. Rufous-necked snowfinches and non ground-nesting species including horned larks and common hoopoes showed positive responses to reduced grazing pressure from livestock, particularly in the long-rested site, indicating current grazing levels could be having a negative impact on these species. Conservation of small passerine biodiversity in this system will require changed management practices for livestock and pikas that consider the complex three-way interaction between livestock grazing, pikas and small birds. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.; On the Qinghai-Tibet plateau increased livestock numbers have resulted in degradation of the grasslands with potential impacts on native biodiversity. Concurrently, perceived increases in populations of native small mammals such as plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae) have led to poisoning programs, with uncertain impacts on species such as ground-nesting birds. We explored the relationships between the local seasonal abundance of small birds and (1) the density of pika burrows; (2) livestock grazing practices; and (3) local poisoning of pikas. Around Naqu prefecture, central Tibet, we used a nested experimental design to collect data from areas rested from grazing over summer, nearby areas with year-round grazing and areas subjected to pika poisoning. Additional data were collected from a site where grazing had not occurred for at least 4 years prior to the study. Poisoning pikas in spring had no detectable effect on the local abundance of birds the following autumn. However, two ground-nesting species, white-rumped and rufous-necked snowfinches, showed positive associations with the density of pika burrows, indicating that long-term 'pika poisoning could reduce the density of these species by reducing the density of pika burrows. Rufous-necked snowfinches and non ground-nesting species including horned larks and common hoopoes showed positive responses to reduced grazing pressure from livestock, particularly in the long-rested site, indicating current grazing levels could be having a negative impact on these species. Conservation of small passerine biodiversity in this system will require changed management practices for livestock and pikas that consider the complex three-way interaction between livestock grazing, pikas and small birds. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
文献类型	期刊论文
条目标识符	http://210.75.249.4/handle/363003/15028
专题	中国科学院西北高原生物研究所
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	Arthur, Anthony D.,Pech, Roger P.,Davey, Chris,et al. Livestock grazing, plateau pikas and the conservation of avian biodiversity on the Tibetan plateau[J]. BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION, Arthur Anthony D.,Pech Roger P.,Davey Chris,Jiebu,Zhang Yanming,Lin Hui. Livestock grazing, plateau pikas and the conservation of avian biodiversity on the Tibetan plateau.BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION,2008,141(8):1972-1981,2008.
APA	Arthur, Anthony D.,Pech, Roger P.,Davey, Chris,Jiebu,Zhang Yanming,&Lin Hui.(2008).Livestock grazing, plateau pikas and the conservation of avian biodiversity on the Tibetan plateau.BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION.
MLA	Arthur, Anthony D.,et al."Livestock grazing, plateau pikas and the conservation of avian biodiversity on the Tibetan plateau".BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION (2008).