2 results
2 - Avian Adaptations to High Mountain Habitats
- Edited by Dan Chamberlain, University of Turin, Aleksi Lehikoinen, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Kathy Martin, University of British Columbia, Vancouver
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- Book:
- Ecology and Conservation of Mountain Birds
- Published online:
- 30 June 2023
- Print publication:
- 20 July 2023, pp 35-89
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- Chapter
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Summary
Alpine birds face many challenges to live in habitats characterized by low temperatures, high winds, short growing seasons and delayed breeding schedules. Breeding in alpine environments is always a race against time due to the shortened egg laying period and frequent storms that may result in delayed development or reproductive failure. Since daily temperatures in the alpine zone can range from below freezing to >450C, developing embryos may require cooling as well as heating to maintain homeothermy. To cope with such conditions, birds breeding in alpine habitats have developed physiological, morphological and behavioural adaptations, and have adopted a slower lifestyle where they may produce fewer offspring each year compared to populations at low elevations, but may live longer. In the northern hemisphere, only a few birds live exclusively in the alpine zone, with many mountain species breeding in both alpine and lower elevation habitats, while in the Southern Andes, most alpine birds breed exclusively above the treeline. In summary, there may be high ecological costs to living in open habitats at high elevations. However, alpine birds likely experience lower levels of interspecific competition, habitat degradation and parasites and diseases than birds living at lower elevations.
3 - Global Bird Communities of Alpine and Nival Habitats
- Edited by Dan Chamberlain, University of Turin, Aleksi Lehikoinen, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Kathy Martin, University of British Columbia, Vancouver
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- Book:
- Ecology and Conservation of Mountain Birds
- Published online:
- 30 June 2023
- Print publication:
- 20 July 2023, pp 90-136
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- Chapter
- Export citation
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Summary
Alpine grassland and nival zones are characterized by variable environmental conditions, compressed breeding seasons, and limited resources such as food and nest site availability. As a result, high elevation habitats around the world contain an impressive diversity of unique bird species, highly specialized to thrive in challenging environmental conditions with limited breeding opportunities. In this chapter, we highlight the global diversity of alpine habitats and avifaunal communities. We first define general features of alpine and nival zones, before providing an overview of these habitats across 10 major regions around the world. Assembling a global list of alpine breeding birds, we then summarize what makes alpine avifauna unique and how communities vary regionally. Specifically, we focus on traits that characterize how species interact with their environment: i) alpine specialization and endemism, ii) nesting strategies, and iii) migration behaviour. Finally, we address some of the main eco-evolutionary drivers that shape these alpine communities, including climate, vegetation structure, food availability, and species interactions. We conclude by discussing the critical role snow dynamics play in maintaining many alpine bird communities and highlight the concerning trends associated with a rapidly changing climate that are putting pressure on alpine birds.