Science at Museo delle Scienze - Museo Tridentino di Scienze ...

The main results and projects 2010-2011
the effect of environmental, spatial and management factors on
the ecology and conservation of birds in farmland and wetland
Section of Vertebrate Zoology
The distribution and abundance of
animal species is affected by many different
factors. Abiotic features, habitat,
interactions, isolation and accessibility
of patches, crop and land management,
all can affect presence and abundance
of animal species. We investigated the
effect of different factors (environmental,
spatial and management) on a set
of conservation-priority bird species and
derived conservation implications. We
mainly considered farmland and wetland
habitats, as the most threatened
bird species in Trentino inhabit those
habitats, which undergo unsuitable dynamics
(intensification and abandonment
in farmland habitats, destruction
and fragmentation in wetlands). Results
led to evaluate the effectiveness of
measures within the Rural development
Programme (PsR) for bird conservation,
and to propose an improvement of the
programme.
The evaluation of the Farmland Bird
Index (FBi) provided a general estimate
of the status of farmland bird communities,
and showed an unfavourable general
status.
specific studies described breeding
ecology, population trend and possible
conservation strategies for Crex crex and
Lanius collurio, two species of high conservation
concern undergoing popula-
tion declines in Trentino.
in collaboration with APoT (Associazione
Produttori ortofrutticoli Trentini), we
investigated the effect of management
of apple orchards on the avian community
breeding in this intensively cultivated
landscape
A study on factors affecting abundance
of Rallus aquaticus and Gallinula
chloropus in the regional wetland system
revealed effects of habitat, spatial
and topographical factors. conserving
or restoring reedbeds and attenuating
isolation could represent the most urgent
strategies for current conservation
of wetland avian species in Trentino.
Brambilla M. & Pedrini P., 2011. intra-seasonal
changes in local pattern of corncrake
Crex crex occurrence require adaptive conservation
strategies in Alpine meadows. Bird Conservation
International, 21: 388-393.
Brambilla M., Rizzolli F. & Pedrini P. (in
press). The effects of habitat and spatial features
of wetland fragments on the abundance
of two rallid species with different degree of
habitat specialization. Bird Study.
ceresa F., Bogliani G., Pedrini P. & Brambilla
M. (in press). The importance of key marginal
habitat features for birds in farmland:
an assessment of habitat preferences of Redbacked
shrikes Lanius collurio in the italian
Alps. Bird Study.
Pedrini P., Rizzolli F., Rossi F. & Brambilla M.
(in press). Population trend and breeding density
of corncrake Crex crex (Aves: Rallidae) in
the Alps: monitoring and conservation implications
of a 15-years survey in Trentino, italy. Italian
Journal of Zoology.
35
1R
2R 2r
3R
4R
5R
6R