Ecology and Conservation of Mountain Birds

About this book

High mountain habitats are globally important for biodiversity. At least 12% of birds worldwide breed at or above the treeline, many of which are endemic species or species of conservation concern. However, due to the challenges of studying mountain birds in difficult-to-access habitats, little is known about their status and trends. This book provides the first global review of the ecology, evolution, life history and conservation of high mountain birds, including comprehensive coverage of their key habitats across global mountain regions, assessments of diversity patterns along elevation gradients, and adaptations for life in the alpine zone. The main threats to mountain bird populations are also identified, including climate change, human land use and recreational activities. Written for ecologists and naturalists, this book identifies key knowledge gaps and clearly establishes the research priorities needed to increase our understanding of the ecology of mountain birds and to aid in their conservation.

Contents

1. Mountain birds and their habitats / Dan Chamberlain, Aleksi Lehikoinen, Davide Scridel and Kathy Martin
2. Avian adaptations to high mountain habitats: solving the challenges of living in alpine ecosystems / Kathy Martin, Devin R. de Zwaan, Davide Scridel and Tomás A. Altamirano
3. Global bird communities of alpine and nival habitats / Devin R. de Zwaan, Arnaud G. Barras, Tomás A. Altamirano, Addisu Asefa, Pranav Gokhale, R. Suresh Kumar, Shaobin Li, Ruey-shing Lin, C. Steven Sevillano-Ríos, Kerry A. Weston and Davide Scridel
4. Birds of treeline ecotones / Dan Chamberlain, Evgeniya Melikhova, Susanne Jähnig and C. Steven Sevillano-Ríos
5. Population trends of mountain birds in Europe and North America / Aleksi Lehikoinen, Åke Lindström, John Calladine, Tommaso Campedelli, William V. DeLuca, Virginia Escandell, Jirí Flousek, Sergi Herrando, Frédéric Jiguet, John Atle Kålås, Romain Lorrilliere, Timothy D. Meehan, Ingar Jostein Øien, Clara Pladevall, Brett K. Sandercock, Thomas Sattler, Benjamin Seaman, Laura Silva, Hans Schmid, Norbert Teufelbauer and Sven Trautmann
6. Climate change impacts on mountain birds / James W. Pearce-Higgins and Kathy Martin
7. Anthropogenic activities and mountain birds / Enrico Caprio, Antonio Rolando, Raphaël Arlettaz and Dan Chamberlain
8. Modelling large-scale patterns in mountain bird diversity and distributions / Mattia Brambilla, Matthew G. Betts, Ute Bradter, Hankyu Kim, Paola Laiolo and Thomas Sattler
9. The alpine avifauna of tropical mountains / Jon Fjeldså, Jesper Sonne and Carsten Rahbek
10. Priorities for information, research and conservation of birds in high mountains / Kathy Martin, Dan Chamberlain and Aleksi Lehikoinen

Bird species index
Subject index

Customer Reviews

Biography

Dan Chamberlain is a Professor of Ecology at the University of Turin. His research is centred on the impacts of environmental change on biodiversity, including climate change, urbanization and agricultural intensification, with a particular focus on alpine birds.

Aleksi Lehikoinen is the Senior Curator and Coordinator of the Finnish bird monitoring schemes at the Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki. His research focuses on birds as indicators of environmental change, birds in changing climates, protected areas and management, and bird migration.

Kathy Martin is a Professor of Wildlife Ecology at the University of British Columbia. She investigates how alpine birds cope with their extreme and increasingly unreliable environmental conditions. Kathy studies the adaptations, ecology, life history and conservation of alpine songbirds and grouse in the Americas.


Contributors:
- Dan Chamberlain
- Aleksi Lehikoinen
- Davide Scridel
- Kathy Martin
- Devin R. de Zwaan
- Tomás A. Altamirano
- Arnaud G. Barras
- Addisu Asefa
- Pranav Gokhale
- R. Suresh Kumar
- Shaobin Li
- Ruey-shing Lin
- C. Steven Sevillano-Ríos
- Kerry A. Weston
- Evgeniya Melikhova
- Susanne Jähnig
- Åke Lindström
- John Calladine
- Tommaso Campedelli
- William V. DeLuca
- Virginia Escandell
- Jirí Flousek
- Sergi Herrando
- Frédéric Jiguet
- John Atle Kålås
- Romain Lorrilliere
- Timothy D. Meehan
- Ingar Jostein Øien
- Clara Pladevall
- Brett K. Sandercock
- Thomas Sattler
- Benjamin Seaman
- Laura Silva
- Hans Schmid
- Norbert Teufelbauer and Sven Trautmann
- James W. Pearce-Higgins
- Enrico Caprio
- Antonio Rolando
- Raphaël Arlettaz
- Mattia Brambilla
- Matthew G. Betts
- Ute Bradter
- Hankyu Kim
- Paola Laiolo
- Jon Fjeldså
- Jesper Sonne
- Carsten Rahbek