TY - JOUR
T1 - Breeding performance of the grasshopper buzzard (butastur rufipennis) in a natural and a human-modified West African savanna
AU - Buij, R.
AU - Kortekaas, K.
AU - van Krimpen, R. R. D.
AU - van Wijk, R.
AU - van der Zanden, S.
AU - de Iongh, H. H.
AU - Heitkonig, I. M. A.
AU - de Snoo, G. R.
AU - Komdeur, J.
N1 - ISI Document Delivery No.: 099XS Times Cited: 8 Cited Reference Count: 63 Buij, Ralph Kortekaas, Kim van Krimpen, Roderick R. D. van Wijk, Rien van der Zanden, Saskia de Iongh, Hans H. Heitkonig, Ignas M. A. de Snoo, Geert R. Komdeur, Jan Buij, Ralph/M-4669-2013; de Snoo, geert/M-4315-2013; Komdeur, Jan/X-1261-2019; de Iongh, Hendrik/K-6694-2013 Komdeur, Jan/0000-0002-9241-0124; Heitkonig, Ignas/0000-0001-7771-3111 Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML) of the University of Leiden, the NetherlandsNetherlands Government; University of Dschang, Cameroon, at the Centre for Environment and Development Studies in Cameroon (CEDC) This study was financially and logistically supported by the Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML) of the University of Leiden, the Netherlands, through its collaborative program with the University of Dschang, Cameroon, at the Centre for Environment and Development Studies in Cameroon (CEDC). We gratefully acknowledge A. Boukar, A. Ali, I. Folkertsma, and B. Croes of CML for their important contribution to data collection. We thank B. Croes, P. Scholte, and two anonymous reviewers for comments that improved an earlier draft. We thank J.-P. Mvondo and H. Hamadou of CEDC for their assistance with logistics. 8 0 21 Oxford univ press inc Cary 1938-5129
<Go to ISI>://WOS:000315659800007
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - Few studies have examined raptor reproduction in response to land-use change in sub-Saharan Africa, hampering conservation efforts to address regional declines. To further our understanding of mechanisms underlying the dramatic declines of West African raptors, we examined the relationship between environmental conditions, nest density, and measures of reproduction in the Grasshopper Buzzard (Butastur rufipennis). Analyses were based on 244 nest sites divided between transformed and natural habitat in northern Cameroon. At the landscape scale, nest density increased with the density of preferred nest trees. Nests were more widely spaced in transformed than in natural habitat. Dispersion was adjusted to differences in availability of small mammals, which was negatively associated with distance to nearest neighbor, and in the area under cultivation, which was positively associated with distance to nearest neighbor. Productivity was positively associated with rainfall, canopy shielding the nest, availability of grasshoppers, and the nest's visibility from ground level; canopy shielding, grass cover, rainfall, and distance to nearest neighbor were positively associated with nest success. In natural habitat, losses of eggs and nestlings to natural predators were greater than in transformed habitats, while losses through human predation were small. Productivity and nest success were unaffected by land use because of the opposing effects of greater predation pressure, closer spacing of nests, and more food in natural habitat than in transformed habitat. Thus transformed habitat may provide adequate breeding habitat for the Grasshopper Buzzard, but declining rainfall and intensifying anthropogenic land use are likely to affect future reproductive output.
AB - Few studies have examined raptor reproduction in response to land-use change in sub-Saharan Africa, hampering conservation efforts to address regional declines. To further our understanding of mechanisms underlying the dramatic declines of West African raptors, we examined the relationship between environmental conditions, nest density, and measures of reproduction in the Grasshopper Buzzard (Butastur rufipennis). Analyses were based on 244 nest sites divided between transformed and natural habitat in northern Cameroon. At the landscape scale, nest density increased with the density of preferred nest trees. Nests were more widely spaced in transformed than in natural habitat. Dispersion was adjusted to differences in availability of small mammals, which was negatively associated with distance to nearest neighbor, and in the area under cultivation, which was positively associated with distance to nearest neighbor. Productivity was positively associated with rainfall, canopy shielding the nest, availability of grasshoppers, and the nest's visibility from ground level; canopy shielding, grass cover, rainfall, and distance to nearest neighbor were positively associated with nest success. In natural habitat, losses of eggs and nestlings to natural predators were greater than in transformed habitats, while losses through human predation were small. Productivity and nest success were unaffected by land use because of the opposing effects of greater predation pressure, closer spacing of nests, and more food in natural habitat than in transformed habitat. Thus transformed habitat may provide adequate breeding habitat for the Grasshopper Buzzard, but declining rainfall and intensifying anthropogenic land use are likely to affect future reproductive output.
KW - habitat transformation Butastur rufipennis nest spacing predation reproduction conservation nest-site selection land-use climate-change survival estimation raptors habitat predation success conservation population Zoology
U2 - 10.1525/cond.2012.120049
DO - 10.1525/cond.2012.120049
M3 - Article
SN - 0010-5422
VL - 115
SP - 47
EP - 57
JO - Condor
JF - Condor
IS - 1
ER -