Abstract
Around fifteen thousand fieldworkers annually count breeding birds using standardized protocols in 28 European countries. The observations are collected by using country-specific and standardized protocols, validated, summarized and finally used for the production of continent-wide annual and long-term indices of population size changes of 170 species. Here, we present the database and provide a detailed summary of the methodology used for fieldwork and calculation of the relative population size change estimates. We also provide a brief overview of how the data are used in research, conservation and policy. We believe this unique database, based on decades of bird monitoring alongside the comprehensive summary of its methodology, will facilitate and encourage further use of the Pan-European Common Bird Monitoring Scheme results.
Highlights
Background & SummaryBiodiversity declines have multiple negative implications for entire ecosystems
Datasets that cover long term population changes across species distribution ranges are crucial to capture variability in processes behind recent biodiversity losses and to enable precise targeting of any necessary remedial
Collecting long-term and broad-scale information on population changes for multiple species is challenging for various reasons
Summary
Background & SummaryBiodiversity declines have multiple negative implications for entire ecosystems. Trophic interactions between organisms may be altered, functional diversity reduced and potential vulnerability to biodiversity loss increased due to these negative changes[1]. Despite the importance of biodiversity for human well-being[2] and awareness of this fact by international authorities (https://www.cbd.int/sp/targets/), a recent study shows an ongoing loss of biodiversity in the last few decades[3]. Evaluation of previous conservation efforts as well as the production of robust datasets for future assessments is essential to better understand and reverse these negative trends, and to understand positive trends at the same time. Datasets that cover long term population changes across species distribution ranges are crucial to capture variability in processes behind recent biodiversity losses and to enable precise targeting of any necessary remedial. Collecting long-term and broad-scale information on population changes for multiple species is challenging for various reasons. There are limited financial resources to support such efforts and limited human resources with adequate skills and training in the identification of species and systematic data collection[4]
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