A new approach to conservation is being explored in response to a scientific study which has revealed the potential distribution of bird species, or where these species would exist, in the absence of human activity.

One study, conducted by Durham University in collaboration with (and funded by) the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), recently investigated how human activities such as agriculture, deforestation, and the drainage of wetlands have influenced where bird species are found to be existing in Great Britain today.

In order to conduct their study, researchers used data concerning the geographical distributions of bird species alongside simulation models in order to predict where bird species would exist today if the effects of human activities on the landscape were removed. In this calculated scenario, scientists concluded that there were both winners and losers among the different bird species in question as a result of the impact of humans.

One particular revelation of the experiment was the conclusion that 42 per cent of the 183 breeding bird species considered during the experiment were more widely distributed today than they would be in a human-free world, particularly those species of birds associated with farmland habitats. On the other hand, other data suggested that 28 per cent of species, particularly moorland and upland bird species, were much rarer today than they would be if they were not impacted by human activities. The researchers say their findings, which were published in the journal Ecological Indicators, were not necessarily restricted to the UK and could apply to research in other parts of the world.

Co-lead author of the study, Dr Tom Mason, previously of Durham University’s Department of Biosciences, but now based at the Swiss Ornithological Institute, said: “Our study suggests that farmland bird species, such as Turtle Dove and Grey Partridge, would be less widespread without the open habitats created by agriculture while moorland species, such as Golden Eagle and Greenshank, have probably been negatively affected by the long-term, extractive human use of moorlands by grazing, burning, hunting and forestry.

“We also found that species found in dense woodlands, such as Goshawk and Capercaillie, would be much more widespread in a ‘human-free’ Great Britain, which would be much more forested than the present day.”

White-tailed Eagle, a species whose current range is substantially smaller than that projected in a human-free landscape. This species was extinct in Great Britain, but has been the subject of a successful reintroduction programme over recent decades. Image by Steve Willis, Durham University.

The study in question produced human-free range-size estimates which were compared against current bird distributions. Conservation managers often use target population sizes, based on past distributions, to guide species’ recovery programmes. The resultant impact of conservation activities can then be assessed in a comparison between current numbers to historical numbers of bird species. The authors argue that their approach, which instead uses simulated potential range-sizes as baselines, could complement the indicators of short-term extinction risk such as the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Professor Stephen Willis, of Durham University’s Department of Biosciences, co-lead author on the study, said: “Our results could lead to reassessments of current conservation priorities. We identified 21 species that were not classified as threatened by the IUCN Red List for Great Britain but which had much smaller current distributions than we predict them to have in the absence of human activities.

“This suggests that their ranges are in a more degraded state than currently recognised. Some of these species, such as Greenshank, Golden Eagle and Whinchat, are not under active conservation management and could be candidates for higher prioritisation.”

The researchers added that considering only the recent changes in a species’ state can lead to a phenomenon known as “shifting baseline syndrome”, where people set their expectations based on experiences in their lifetime.

The result of this line of thought is a potential underestimate of the plight of species that have declined due to human activities a long time ago. Some earlier studies have attempted to combat this by using historical baselines from past centuries, however historic species’ records tend to be sparse and are difficult to apply across different species.

The study also identified 10 species that are not currently found in Great Britain, but which might have established themselves in the country in the absence of past human activities. As an example, the researchers mention that the Kentish Plover, which has not bred in Great Britain since the middle of the 20th century, was projected to be found across south-east England in the absence of damaging human activity. Similarly, the White-tailed Eagle, which currently has a small presence, and the Black-winged Stilt, which is a very rare breeder in Great Britain, would also be expected to be much more widespread than they are presently.

The authors suggested that their approach could be used as a way to identify areas that are climatically suitable, but where habitat may have been degraded by human activities.

As a result of the research, the RSPB plans to use this new research as one of a number of measures of how ‘favourable’ breeding bird populations are in Great Britain as it provides an objective measure against which to assess species’ ranges or distributions. This is important because it assists the RSPB to quantify Favourable Conservation Status and to standardise methodology for its assessment. Favourable Conservation Status is an important political standard set for the conservation of migratory species under the Bonn Convention, and for habitats and species protected by EU Nature Directives. 

Study co-author Dr Gillian Gilbert, of the RSPB, said: “This work could help to target where habitat and species restoration actions might lead to the return of historically lost species, or even to novel colonists.”

The authors of the project are now planning to extend their approach to this field of study to evaluate species’ population sizes, which they hope will lead to lead to unified population targets for species across Great Britain.

The source for this article is taken from a press release provided by Durham University. For information and enquiries, please contact Durham University Communications Team: communications.team@durham.ac.uk.

Paper: Using indices of species’ potential range to inform conservation status, Tom HE Mason, et al, published in Ecological Indicators, doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2021.107343 

Featured Image by Steve Willis, Durham University. ‘The Black-winged Stilt, which is a very rare breeder in Great Britain, would be expected to be much more widespread without detrimental human activity.’