Dupont's Lark (Chersophilus duponti)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eduardo de Juana ◽  
Francisco Suárez
Keyword(s):  
Dupont’S Lark

scholarly journals Fate of unproductive and unattractive habitats: recent changes in Iberian steppes and their effects on endangered avifauna

2006 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 223-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
PAOLA LAIOLO ◽  
JOSÉ L. TELLA
Keyword(s):  
Primary Productivity ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Agricultural Development ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Species Dispersal ◽  
Ecological Value ◽  
Shrub Steppe ◽  
Steppe Birds ◽  
Dupont’S Lark ◽  
The Impact

Steppe ecosystems worldwide are affected by agricultural development and generally unprotected. Spanish shrub-steppes contain endangered avifauna, and this paper analyses their state of habitat conservation, the changes that have occurred in the last decade, primary productivity and its relationship with land exploitation and the richness of threatened birds, and avifauna responses to habitat loss. Fifty steppe remnants distributed throughout Spain and inhabited by Dupont's lark Chersophilus duponti, an endangered passerine representative of shrub steppe-like habitat, were studied. The study fragments were generally affected by agriculture exploitation, and steppe cover had significantly decreased in several isolated patches during the period 1991–1999. Steppe habitat recovered slightly in areas with low plant productivity indices, and decreased in extent in the most productive areas, in line with EU (European Union) agricultural policy recommendations to abandon marginal land of low productivity. The low overall primary productivity of Iberian steppes opened the way to industrial activities (mining, waste collection and wind-farming), which in the study areas occurred more frequently in steppe than in other habitat types that are more attractive to the public (woodland) or more productive (farmland). The emerging wind industry little affected the study plots, but the presence of anemometers suggests that the impact is likely to increase in the near future, especially in the largest steppelands. Dupont's lark was sensitive to the fragmentation of its habitat; crowding occurred in isolated and small fragments, possibly as a consequence of habitat constraints and species dispersal dynamics. Fragments inhabited by Dupont's lark also hosted other steppe birds with a high conservation value; the community of endangered birds, mostly adapted to arid conditions, was richest in the less productive sites. Only four shrub-steppe fragments are given some kind of protection throughout Spain, testifying to the limited public awareness about the value of this habitat. Urgent action is required to restore this habitat through abandonment of less productive farmland, and to create a network of protected and connected steppelands, in order to assure the long-term viability of steppe specialists and the preservation of a habitat that is unique in Western Europe. This should be coupled to an effort to increase social consciousness of the ecological value of steppes and arid landscapes in general.

Autonomous Recording Units as Effective Tool for Monitoring of the Rare and Patchily Distributed Dupont's Lark Chersophilus duponti

Ardea ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 106 (2) ◽  
pp. 139 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Pérez-Granados ◽  
D. Bustillo-de la Rosa ◽  
J. Gómez-Catasús ◽  
A. Barrero ◽  
I. Abril-Colón ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dupont’S Lark

scholarly journals Assessing the distribution, habitat, and population size of the threatened Dupont's lark Chersophilus duponti in Morocco: lessons for conservation

Oryx ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 42 (04) ◽  
pp. 592 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesús T. García ◽  
Francisco Suárez ◽  
Vicente Garza ◽  
Jorge H. Justribó ◽  
Juan J. Oñate ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Size ◽  
Dupont’S Lark

scholarly journals The non-breeding distribution of Dupont's Lark Chersophilus duponti in Spain

2006 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 317-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
FRANCISCO SUÁREZ ◽  
JESÚS T. GARCÍA ◽  
FRANCISCO J. SAMPIETRO ◽  
VICENTE GARZA
Keyword(s):  
Short Distance ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Breeding Period ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Breeding Distribution ◽  
Partial Migrant ◽  
Dupont’S Lark ◽  
Specific Conservation

In this paper, we analyse the non-breeding distribution of Dupont's Lark, one of Europe's most threatened and least known passerines, using breeding and wintering censuses, published and unpublished records of individuals outside their breeding areas, and data on radio-tagged individuals and field observations. Results suggest that most breeding Dupont's Larks remain around the breeding sites during the non-breeding season, including those populations from areas with harsh winter weather conditions. The probability of winter presence of Dupont's Larks in breeding areas was significantly correlated with population size, but the altitude of the locality studied did not influence winter presence. Records outside breeding areas indicate that part of the population moves some distance after breeding, occupying lower sites and principally those with agrarian substrates. We also found several records far from well-known breeding areas during the breeding period. Our results suggest that Dupont's Lark seems to be a partial migrant, wintering in breeding areas in large numbers (probably the adult fraction of the population) but with some part of the populations moving to other areas. The movements are short-distance in most cases, although medium- and long-distance dispersive movements were also detected. We discuss the implications of these results for the design of specific conservation measures for the species.

scholarly journals Current status of the threatened Dupont's lark Chersophilus duponti in Spain: overestimation, decline, and extinction of local populations

Oryx ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
José L. Tella ◽  
Matthias Vögeli ◽  
David Serrano ◽  
Martina Carrete
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Degradation ◽  
Iucn Red List ◽  
European Population ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Isolated Populations ◽  
Local Populations ◽  
Population Sizes ◽  
Line Transects ◽  
Dupont’S Lark

The European population of Dupont's lark Chersophilus duponti, restricted to Spanish steppe, was estimated to be 13,000 pairs in c. 50 populations in 1988. There is, however, recent evidence that this number was overestimated because of the previous use of line transects for estimating population sizes. In 2002–2004 we surveyed 34 previously known local populations in patches of variable size across half of its Spanish distribution. We found 13 (38%) local populations to be extinct, and a total of only 283–339 territories in 17 of the extant populations, seven of which held <5 territories. This census contrasts dramatically with the estimate of c. 3,000 pairs in the same populations in the 1980s. We estimate that the present Spanish population is c. 1,300 pairs. The discrepancy between this and earlier estimates is partly but not entirely due to previous overestimations. Habitat loss due to ploughing, and possibly habitat degradation and the resulting stochastic extinction of small and isolated populations, have contributed to the species' decline. Urgent research is needed to design and manage an adequate network of steppe patches that will ensure the long-term existence of this species. We recommend that Dupont's lark be categorized on the IUCN Red List as Endangered, both globally and nationally within Spain.

A multi-scale analysis of habitat selection in peripheral populations of the endangered Dupont’s Lark Chersophilus duponti

2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 398-413 ◽  
Author(s):  
CRISTIAN PÉREZ-GRANADOS ◽  
GERMÁN M. LÓPEZ-IBORRA ◽  
JAVIER SEOANE
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Geographic Area ◽  
Peripheral Populations ◽  
Multi Scale ◽  
Forested Areas ◽  
Dupont’S Lark ◽  
Conservation Plans ◽  
Patch Scale ◽  
Selection Of

SummaryHabitat selection of endangered species in peripheral populations must be considered when designing effective conservation plans, as these populations tend to occupy atypical habitats where species-environment relationships are not well understood. We examined patterns of habitat use in peripheral populations of the endangered Dupont’s Lark Chersophilus duplonti using a multi-scale approach and assessed the spatiotemporal transferability of these models to test for their generality. Our results show that at microhabitat (circles of 50-m diameter used by the species versus random points) and macrohabitat (occupied/unoccupied squares of 1 ha) scales the species selected flat and non-forested areas, but at the microhabitat scale the cover of small shrubs was also important. Models developed at patch scale (occupied /unoccupied sites) identified only site size as an important predictor of species occurrence. Habitat models transferred successfully among sites and years, which suggests that these models and our recommendations may be extrapolated over a larger geographic area. A multi-scale approach was used for identifying conservation requirements at different spatial scales. At the patch scale our models confirm it is a priority to maintain or enlarge the extent of habitat patches to ensure the viability of the studied metapopulation. At the macrohabitat scale our results suggest that reducing tree density in low slope areas would be the most effective management action. At the microhabitat scale, encouraging the presence of small and medium-sized shrubs, by clearing certain scrubs (e.g. large brooms Genista spp. and rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis) or promoting traditional low-level extensive grazing, should increase the availability of high-quality habitats for the species, and thus the number of potential territories within a patch. These recommendations largely coincide with the ones given for core populations at specific scales elsewhere.

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