| Description |
Birds are global providers of vital ecosystem services including seed dispersal, insectivory, scavenging, pollination, and nutrient deposition. Birds also provide substantial economic benefits through ecotourism, especially to tropical developing nations. However, global change, in particular habitat loss and climate change, poses serious threats to many bird species. Nevertheless, the global extent of human activity also creates the potential for conservation programs with a broad geographic scope. An understanding of how anthropogenic threats impact bird populations is critical for conservation and the recent and rapid expansion of community science programs may provide valuable information on population viability for the world's avifauna. This dissertation synthesizes several studies on how habitat loss and climate change affect bird populations and how species are responding to these threats. I present the results of a tracking study wherein we identified several regions at risk from habitat destruction critical for birds migrating between the Middle East and the Afrotropics. I show how farmland can be better-managed to provide habitat for migrating birds when natural landscapes have been converted into agriculture. I present evidence that in a community of migratory birds in Turkey many species have advanced the date of their spring migration in response to climate change. Lastly, I describe the results of two studies suggesting that community science data can be effective at monitoring bird populations at national or even global scales. Together, these studies provide information on both the iv negative impacts of human activity on bird populations but also how widespread human presence can be harnessed for the large-scale monitoring and conservation of avian populations. |
