image: This is a singing male Black-Throated Sparrow (Amphispiza billineata). view more
Credit: Chelsea Hofmeier (photographer)
A study explores changes in bird diversity in the Mojave Desert over the last century. Over time, deserts have become warmer and drier more rapidly than other ecological regions in the contiguous United States, an effect linked to climate change. In desert ecosystems, which are prone to climatic extremes, the effects of climate change could lead to the decline of desert birds, which tend to live at their physiological limits. Kelly Iknayan and Steven Beissinger resurveyed historic research sites throughout the Mojave Desert in the southwestern United States to evaluate the effect of climate and habitat change on bird diversity in the region. The authors assessed 61 sites, the majority of which were originally surveyed in the early to mid-1900s. The surveys revealed evidence of community collapse in Mojave birds. On average, sites lost 43% of previously documented bird species; unlike other native species, the common raven was the only bird to expand across survey sites. Climate change, particularly a decrease in precipitation, was associated with the decline in Mojave birds over the past century. Additionally, the presence of surface water was associated with species richness, such that sites with surface water lost fewer species than sites without surface water. According to the authors, the study carries implications for preventing future ecosystem disintegration in the Mojave Desert.
Article #18-05123: "Collapse of a desert bird community over the past century driven by climate change," by Kelly J. Iknayan and Steven R. Beissinger.
MEDIA CONTACT: Kelly J. Iknayan, University of California, Berkeley, CA; tel: 989-370-2616; e-mail: <iknayank@berkeley.edu>; Steven R. Beissinger, University of California, Berkeley, CA; e-mail: <beis@berkeley.edu>
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Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences