Abstract
The dramatic decline of the abundance of farmland bird species can be related to the level of land-use intensity or the land-cover heterogeneity of rural landscapes. Our study area in central Europe (Hungary) included 3049 skylark observation points and their 600 m buffer zones. We used a very detailed map (20 × 20 m minimum mapping unit), the Hungarian Ecosystem Basemap, as a land-cover dataset for the calculation of three landscape indices: mean patch size (MPS), mean fractal dimension (MFRACT), and Shannon diversity index (SDI) to describe the landscape structure of the study areas. Generalized linear models were used to analyze the effect of land-cover types and landscape patterns on the abundance of the Eurasian skylark (Alauda arvensis). According to our findings, the proportions of arable land, open sand steppes, closed grassland patches, and shape complexity and size characteristics of these land cover patches have a positive effect on skylark abundance, while the SDI was negatively associated with the skylark population. On the basis of the used statistical model, the abundance density (individuals/km*) of skylarks could be estimated with 37.77% absolute percentage error and 2.12 mean absolute error. We predicted the skylark population density inside the Natura 2000 Special Protected Area of Hungary which is 0–6 individuals/km* and 23746 ± 8968 skylarks. The results can be implemented for the landscape management of rural landscapes, and the method used are adaptable for the density estimation of other farmland bird species in rural landscapes. According to our findings, inside the protected areas should increase the proportion, the average size and shape complexity of arable land, salt steppes and meadows, and closed grassland land cover patches.
Highlights
IntroductionThere are some regional (country)scale studies that analyze the connection between land-cover types and farmland-bird population data [10,11,12,13,14,15]
The results can be implemented for the landscape management of rural landscapes, and the method used are adaptable for the density estimation of other farmland bird species in rural landscapes
Preferred LULC categories that were considered the habitats of the Eurasian skylark because they showed significant positive relation with skylark abundance were those such as salt steppes and meadows, and closed grasslands in hills and mountains
Summary
There are some regional (country)scale studies that analyze the connection between land-cover types and farmland-bird population data [10,11,12,13,14,15]. These studies have indicated that the abundance of farmland birds is significantly connected with the intensity of agricultural cultivation, crop heterogeneity, and land-use change. The agriculture is the dominant land use (matrix) of the European NATURA 2000 network, where the size and shape characteristics of different LULC patches, and the land cover heterogeneity can be essential for the protection of farmland bird species. Our research can provide important component for achieving the goals of the EU Birds directive [21]
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