Landscape Structure Shapes the Equilibrium Between Migratory and Sedentary Species in Avian Breeding Communities Along an Altitudinal Gradient

Abstract

Aim Human land use shapes landscapes and threatens avian biodiversity, yet its interaction with altitudinal gradients and the consequences for the assembly of long‐distance migratory and sedentary bird communities remain poorly understood. Location Southern France. Taxon Avian breeding communities. Method We examined the changes in the migratory–sedentary ratio (the relative proportion of migratory versus sedentary species) in avian breeding communities (5 × 5 km resolution) in response to a regional‐scale altitudinal gradient (4000 m), in interaction with landscape structure (landscape heterogeneity and forest cover) and species richness. Results We detected interactions between altitude, landscape structure and species richness influencing the migratory: sedentary ratio. This highlights the complex responses of avian communities to both abiotic and biotic drivers. Reduced habitat diversity and evenness at lower altitudes promoted the occurrence of migratory species. While increasing forest cover generally promotes bird species richness, our results showed that its effect on the migratory: sedentary ratio differ between altitudinal belts. Specifically, forest cover was associated with a decrease in the proportion of migratory species at lower altitudes but with an increase at higher altitudes. Finally, increasing total bird richness altered the equilibrium at lower altitudes, where the richest communities (above ~117 bird species) hosted more migratory species than expected from the regional pool. We hypothesise that adding migratory rather than sedentary species to the richest communities reduces competitive interactions for resources and limits niche saturation. Main Conclusions Understanding interactions among environmental drivers is essential for predicting the assemblage of avian communities. Our results identify specific environmental conditions that promote or threaten the richness of migratory and sedentary bird species and thus provide insights to inform conservation actions and policy decisions aimed at mitigating the impacts of environmental change on avian communities.

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