River birds as potential indicators of local- and catchment-scale influences on Himalayan river ecosystems
Rivers are affected by changes in catchment land-use and other modifications to their channel, floodplains and riparian zones. Such changes can affect biodiversity downstream, and specialist river birds might indicate the effects across multiple scales and through different ecological pathways. The...
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doaj-c1dd7f20c27f4233a4f3db7f6a5ad1462020-11-25T01:17:23ZengTaylor & Francis GroupEcosystems and People2639-59162019-01-011519010110.1080/26395916.2019.15915081591508River birds as potential indicators of local- and catchment-scale influences on Himalayan river ecosystemsAnkita Sinha0Nilanjan Chatterjee1Steve J. Ormerod2Bhupendra Singh Adhikari3Ramesh Krishnamurthy4Wildlife Institute of IndiaWildlife Institute of IndiaCardiff UniversityWildlife Institute of IndiaWildlife Institute of IndiaRivers are affected by changes in catchment land-use and other modifications to their channel, floodplains and riparian zones. Such changes can affect biodiversity downstream, and specialist river birds might indicate the effects across multiple scales and through different ecological pathways. The risks of catchment-scale effects on rivers are especially acute in the Himalayan mountains, where the world’s greatest diversity of river birds occupies one of the most rapidly changing riverine environments on Earth. Here, we use multivariate analysis on data collected over two years to investigate the distribution of this group of birds in relation to natural and anthropogenic variations in riverine habitats along one of the major headwaters of the Ganges. River bird distribution was linked to channel character, bank morphology, aspects of river flow and land use. Riverine specialists were associated significantly with the least modified reaches characterised by faster flows, exposed bedrocks, banks with pebbles, boulders with more intact riverine forests. Our data provide evidence from which to develop specialist river birds as cost-effective indicators of human impacts on river ecosystems, but further work is needed to separate the effects of natural and anthropogenic influences. Such work could also guide conservation action to help balance the exploitation of catchment ecosystem services with the protection of river biodiversity.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/26395916.2019.1591508isabelle durance |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Ankita Sinha Nilanjan Chatterjee Steve J. Ormerod Bhupendra Singh Adhikari Ramesh Krishnamurthy |
spellingShingle |
Ankita Sinha Nilanjan Chatterjee Steve J. Ormerod Bhupendra Singh Adhikari Ramesh Krishnamurthy River birds as potential indicators of local- and catchment-scale influences on Himalayan river ecosystems Ecosystems and People isabelle durance |
author_facet |
Ankita Sinha Nilanjan Chatterjee Steve J. Ormerod Bhupendra Singh Adhikari Ramesh Krishnamurthy |
author_sort |
Ankita Sinha |
title |
River birds as potential indicators of local- and catchment-scale influences on Himalayan river ecosystems |
title_short |
River birds as potential indicators of local- and catchment-scale influences on Himalayan river ecosystems |
title_full |
River birds as potential indicators of local- and catchment-scale influences on Himalayan river ecosystems |
title_fullStr |
River birds as potential indicators of local- and catchment-scale influences on Himalayan river ecosystems |
title_full_unstemmed |
River birds as potential indicators of local- and catchment-scale influences on Himalayan river ecosystems |
title_sort |
river birds as potential indicators of local- and catchment-scale influences on himalayan river ecosystems |
publisher |
Taylor & Francis Group |
series |
Ecosystems and People |
issn |
2639-5916 |
publishDate |
2019-01-01 |
description |
Rivers are affected by changes in catchment land-use and other modifications to their channel, floodplains and riparian zones. Such changes can affect biodiversity downstream, and specialist river birds might indicate the effects across multiple scales and through different ecological pathways. The risks of catchment-scale effects on rivers are especially acute in the Himalayan mountains, where the world’s greatest diversity of river birds occupies one of the most rapidly changing riverine environments on Earth. Here, we use multivariate analysis on data collected over two years to investigate the distribution of this group of birds in relation to natural and anthropogenic variations in riverine habitats along one of the major headwaters of the Ganges. River bird distribution was linked to channel character, bank morphology, aspects of river flow and land use. Riverine specialists were associated significantly with the least modified reaches characterised by faster flows, exposed bedrocks, banks with pebbles, boulders with more intact riverine forests. Our data provide evidence from which to develop specialist river birds as cost-effective indicators of human impacts on river ecosystems, but further work is needed to separate the effects of natural and anthropogenic influences. Such work could also guide conservation action to help balance the exploitation of catchment ecosystem services with the protection of river biodiversity. |
topic |
isabelle durance |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/26395916.2019.1591508 |
work_keys_str_mv |
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