A study carried out with the participation of the Center for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (Creaf) and the Institut Català d’Ornitologia (ICO) confirmed that the drought and rain abundant are the “the greatest threat” Mediterranean bird climate.
Published in ‘Oikos’, it analyzes the impact of extreme climatic episodes on the planet over 20 years. European bird population and demonstrates that the negative impact of heavy rains “is not limited to this territory, but causes a descent of birds throughout Europe, Creaf reports in a press release this Wednesday.
Among the reasons that could explain this impact, the authors emphasize that the Drought increases insect mortality, like butterfly caterpillars, and causes plants to grow less and produce fewer fruits and seeds, which “has a cascading effect, since the birds have less food to feed their chicks and decreases the survival rate.
In the event of intense rain – more and more frequent in the Mediterranean – it breaks the nests and can cause loss of eggs or the death of the chicks cooling and, in extreme situations such as hailstorms, also injure adults.
Creaf researcher, co-author of the study and president of the European Bird Census Council, Sergi Herrando, assures that the decline of birds can reduce functions such as seed dispersal or the control of harmful insects; and another conclusion is that the increase in temperature This benefits birds in northern Europe but harms migrants long distance arriving in spring.
According to the team, one measure to help birds in the Mediterranean region during drought episodes is to restore the network of small ponds and water points in general or to build new ones: these ponds “can have a direct beneficial effectby allowing birds to drink, and indirectly, by attracting insects”, while warning that their installation must avoid areas of predation.
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