Transcript Birds as bio-indicators in Europe (R.D. Gregory)

Wild birds as bio-indicators in Europe
Richard D. Gregory
Chairman, European Bird Census
Council &
Head of Monitoring & Indicators, The
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
World leaders have set ambitious
targets to reduce biodiversity loss
Globally:
• World Summit Sustainable
Development 2002 target:
‘significantly reduce
biodiversity loss by 2010’
Europe:
• Göteborg (EU) & PEBLDS
(pan-Europe) declarations:
‘halt biodiversity loss by 2010’
How can we measure such loss?
We use ‘indicators’
• Headline biodiversity indicators have been agreed at
European & EU levels
• Status and trends of the components of biodiversity is one
major category defined by the Convention on Biological
Diversity (CBD), specifically:
Trends in abundance and distribution of selected species
This is where information on birds and other taxa can
really make a difference & is making a difference!
What is the role of bio-indicators?
 Communicate complex information in a simple
manner
 Help policy & decision makers formulate & review
environmental policies
 Provide the ‘
big’ picture (not all the answers!)
 The tip of a very large ‘iceberg’ of knowledge
Why might birds be good indicators?
Well, there are many good reasons:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Widespread, diverse, mobile - live in most habitats 
Relatively easy to identify, survey & census 
High in food chains –sensitive to land use & climate change 
Long-time series – masses of information available 
Data realistic & inexpensive to collect, analyse & report 
Methods of survey & analysis proven 
Better known than most other taxa 
Popular - have resonance with the public & decision makers alike 
Very useful to raise awareness of biodiversity issues 
Can, in some circumstances at least, faithfully reflect trends in other
biodiversity 
Several studies show parallel declines of
birds & other biodiversity in the countryside
With due care, birds can be good bio-indicators
But birds are not always the very best indicators – we need
caution and we need more monitoring & research
Donald 1998 (invertebrates & plants)
Sotherton & Self 2000 (plants & arthropods)
Benton et al. 2002 (arthropods)
Robinson & Sutherland 2002 (reptiles, amphibians, plants, invertebrates)
Pitkanen & Tiainen 2001 (plants, bees, butterflies)
Thomas et al. 2004 (plants, butterflies)
 van Strien et al. 2004 (butterflies)
Biesmeijer et al. 2006 (bees & hoverflies)
European Bird Census Council/BirdLife
promote a 3-pronged approach to monitoring
Common species
Monitor status of key
habitats using common
and widespread birds
Threatened species
Track changes in the
conservation status
of threatened birds
Pan-European Bird
Monitoring Strategy
SPAs/IBAs
Track changes in the
conservation status
of key sites for birds
Collecting data on widespread birds: the
Pan-European Common Bird Monitoring
Scheme (PECBMS)
• Joint initiative of the European Bird
Census Council (EBCC) & BirdLife
International
• Aims to deliver policy-relevant indicators
to decision makers in Europe
• Started in 2002 with RSPB funding
• Core funding now from EU & RSPB to
Spring 2009
• 1st indicators published in 2003
• 2nd improved set in 2005
• 3rd further improved set in 2007
http://www.ebcc.info
How the PECBMS is organised:
Volunteer counters
( ‘serviced’ by
regional/national
coordinators)
Steering Group
(BLI, EBCC, RSPB,
CSO, SN)
Technical Advisory Group
(RSPB, BTO, CSO,
CBS/Statistics Netherlands,
SOVON, EEA-ETC/BD)
National coordinators
(usually EBCC delegates)
Central coordination unit
(Petr Voříšek, Alena Pazderova)
Annual indices
and reporting
http://www.ebcc.info/pecbm.html
Aims of the common bird indicator:
• State indicator comprising common wild
breeding species
• Composite indicator – reflects the
balance of population trends in a
basket of species
• Species are weighted equally
• Sensitive to a number of different
potential drivers/pressures in the
environment
• To act as a barometer of wider
environmental change in Europe – a
surrogate for changes in nature more
broadly
Most countries have good breeding bird surveys
and new schemes are developing
Dark = Established
breeding bird surveys
Mid = Redesign or new
in last 10 years
Light = Redesign or new
in last 5 years
Orange star = new
scheme pilot or planned
*
*
*
*
* *
**
*
*
*
2007 PECBMS update
Some 20 countries
contributed data –
others will soon be
able to do so
http://www.ebcc.info/pecbm.html
Creating Pan-European wild bird indicators
1. Select the species/habitats
2. Calculate national species trends (in software TRIM)
3. Calculate supranational species trends (in software TRIM)
4. Combine supranational species trends into multi-species
indices (geometric means) = “indicators”
van Strien et al. 2001. Bird Study 48, 200-213; Gregory et al. 2005. Phil. Trans. R.
Soc. Lond. B. 360, 269-288; Gregory 2006. Significance, 3, 106-110; Gregory et al.
2007. Ibis doi: 10.1111/j.1474-919x.2007.00698.x
http://www.ebcc.info/pecbm.html
Species & habitat selection
1. Agricultural and grassland habitats
(~50% land area)
2. Boreal and temperate forests
(~30% land area)
Plan to expand coverage of other
habitats
Based on Tucker, G. M. & Evans, M. I. (1997) Habitats
for birds in Europe: a conservation strategy for the
wider environment. BirdLife International
Latest results from
the 2007 PECBMS
indicator update…
All indicators available freely at: http://www.ebcc.info/pecbm.html
A biodiversity indicator for Europe:
Population trends of common wild birds 2007
Population index (1980=100)
120
-14% Forest (28 species)
100
80
-15% All (124 species)
60
-43% Farmland (33 species)
40
1980
1985
1990
1995
Year
2000
2005
Common farmland birds – trends in
New EU versus Old EU countries
Population index (first year=100)
120
100
-28% New EU (23 species)
80
60
-41% Old EU (33 species)
40
1980
1985
1990
1995
Year
2000
2005
North
South
East
West
Regional trends of common farmland birds
Population index (first year =100)
120
100
-3% South (41 species)
80
-31% West (25 species)
-35% East (20 species)
-38% North (12 species)
60
40
1980
1985
1990
1995
Year
2000
2005
Common forest birds – trends in New
EU versus Old EU countries
Population index (first year=100)
120
+3% New EU (25 species)
100
80
-13% Old EU (28 species)
60
40
1980
1985
1990
1995
Year
2000
2005
Regional trends of common forest birds
Population index (first year=100)
120
+3% East (34 species)
100
-6% West (30 species)
80
-20% North (15 species)
-21% South (29 species)
60
40
1980
1985
1990
1995
Year
2000
2005
What do the new indicators tell us?
• We are some way from achieving the EU’s target for
halting biodiversity loss:
• “Common farmland birds” have declined sharply
• Steep decline 1980-1995; near stability in the last
decade - with some regional variation & declines
• “Common forest birds” have declined modestly
• Regional trends more marked in common forest
birds - with declines in the North
• “All common species” in our sample are in modest
decline
Success of the European wild
bird indicators so far…
 High impact – used in a wide range of environmental
reporting processes in Europe & Globally
 Farmland Bird Index is a European Union Structural and
Sustainable Development indicator & agri-environment
indicator under Rural Development Regulations
 Highlighted the decline of farmland wildlife
 Three sets of indicators published (2003/05/07)
 Good example of international cooperation on biodiversity
research - delivering & communicating
Where next for the PECBMS?
Take five:
1. Improve systems of national & international data
collation, support communication & feedback with the
network & extend geographical coverage
2. Carry out research to understand patterns &
pressures/drivers across Europe
3. Help develop indicators for other taxa & habitats?
Develop impact indicators of climate change?
4. Promote long-term funding & sustainability of
monitoring and indicators at national, and then
international levels?
5. Develop cooperation & agreements with key European
institutions & bodies working on biodiversity
Very special thanks to
many people
•
Norbert Teufelbauer, Michael Dvorak, Christian Vansteenwegen, Anne Weiserbs,
Jean-Paul Jacob, Anny Anselin, Jiri Reif, Karel Stastny, Henning Heldbjerg, Michael
Grell, Andres Kuresoo, Risto Vaisanen, Frederic Jiguet, Johannes Schwarz, Martin
Flade, Tibor Szep, Olivia Crowe, Lorenzo Fornasari, Elisabetta de Carli, Ainars
Aunins, Ruud P. B. Foppen, Magne Husby, Przemek Chylarecki, Dagmara Jawinska,
Geoff Hilton, Juan Carlos del Moral, Ramón Martí, Virginia Escandell, Ake Lindström,
Soren Svensson, Hans Schmid, Andrew Joys, & David G. Noble.
•
The project is supported by the European Commission and the Royal Society for
Protection of Birds, BirdLife Partner in the UK.
•
Thanks for help, advice and support to Lukas Viktora, Lucie Hoskova, Norbert
Schaffer, David W. Gibbons, Ian Burfield, Zoltan Waliczky, Nicola Crockford, Jose
Tavares, Henk Sierdsema, Sergi Herrando, Grégoire Loïs, Dominique Richard, Anne
Teller, Pierre Nadin, Laure Ledoux, EBCC & BirdLife European Partnership.
Key questions for the EIONET-NRC
Biodiversity seminar
1. How can we deliver medium-long-term funding for
biodiversity monitoring & indicators at national levels?
2. How can we deliver medium-long-term funding for
biodiversity monitoring & indicators at international (i.e.
European) levels?
3. How can we share European bird and other biodiversity
datasets more effectively?
4. How can European institutions, bodies, governments
work more closely with the NGO community on
biodiversity?
5. In this context, what can we usefully learn from our
experience working with wild birds?
With growing threats to biodiversity
from all sides - we need urgently to find
ways of working smarter and more
effectively together
Thank you for your attention