Adamowicz Michał, Gortat Tomasz, Czortek Patryk, Chiliński Michał
Department of Ecology and Animal Evolution, Institute of Ecology, Faculty of Biology University of Warsaw Warsaw Poland.
Białowieża Geobotanical Station, Faculty of Biology University of Warsaw Białowieża Poland.
Ecol Evol. 2025 Apr 23;15(4):e71231. doi: 10.1002/ece3.71231. eCollection 2025 Apr.
Galliformes are one of the most rapidly declining groups of bird species in Europe. The black grouse belongs to a species closely related to the types of habitats that are disappearing due to environmental changes caused by man, the climate crisis, and an increase in the number of predator species. While the populations of this species in Northern and North-Eastern Europe are still relatively stable, in Central and Western Europe the black grouse is declining very quickly. For example, in Poland, there has been an approximately 100-fold decrease in its population over the last 50 years. However, there is a difference between the rate of decline in black grouse numbers in Central European lowlands and mountain refuges-for example, the Alps and the Carpathians. The European mountains, still offering habitats shaped by relatively severe climate, may soon be the only type of habitat for this species to survive in this part of the continent. Our study aimed to indicate the main environmental factors determining the occurrence of the species in a mountain refuge, on the southwestern border of this species' continuous range. Based on a comprehensive model containing data on land cover by vegetation, topography, and human disturbance, we assessed environmental factors that shape the probability of black grouse occurrence in one of its last refuges in Europe. Our results reveal a trend for black grouse to prefer habitats of an early succession stage, and those can only persist in specific climatic conditions, or thanks to active protection. Detailed knowledge of the habitat choice of an endangered species constitutes valuable data necessary to avoid the fragmentation of remaining patches of its habitat, to assess the state of the environment in times of climate crisis, and to protect its features that ensure and increase the survival of vulnerable species, such as black grouse.
鸡形目鸟类是欧洲数量下降最为迅速的鸟类群体之一。黑琴鸡所属的物种与因人类活动导致的环境变化、气候危机以及捕食性物种数量增加而正在消失的栖息地类型密切相关。虽然该物种在北欧和东北欧的种群数量仍相对稳定，但在中欧和西欧，黑琴鸡的数量正在迅速减少。例如，在波兰，其种群数量在过去50年里减少了约100倍。然而，中欧低地和山区避难所（如阿尔卑斯山和喀尔巴阡山脉）的黑琴鸡数量下降速度存在差异。欧洲的山区仍然提供着受相对恶劣气候影响而形成的栖息地，可能很快会成为该物种在欧洲大陆这一地区生存的唯一栖息地类型。我们的研究旨在指出决定该物种在其连续分布范围西南边界的山区避难所中出现的主要环境因素。基于一个包含植被覆盖、地形和人类干扰数据的综合模型，我们评估了影响黑琴鸡在欧洲最后避难所之一出现概率的环境因素。我们的研究结果显示，黑琴鸡倾向于选择早期演替阶段的栖息地，而这些栖息地只有在特定气候条件下才能持续存在，或者需要积极的保护措施。对濒危物种栖息地选择的详细了解构成了宝贵的数据，这些数据对于避免其剩余栖息地斑块的碎片化、评估气候危机时期的环境状况以及保护确保和增加脆弱物种（如黑琴鸡）生存的特征至关重要。
