Program

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Friday 28th march
9.00 - 10.00 h.
Location: UCLM Paraninfo

Invited Plenary 3

Abstracts

Dynamic land use shapes the bird community of the Eurasian steppe

The Eurasian steppes are among the largest grassland biomes globally, stretching from Eastern Ukraine to the Altai mountains. They host large parts of the world populations of some charismatic steppe birds such as Little Bustard, Pallid Harrier, Sociable Lapwing and Black Lark. At the same time, huge populations of farmland birds that are declining all across Europe still thrive in the region. The Eurasian steppes have been formed and maintained by especially dynamic human land use. Traditional grazing systems and livestock numbers collapsed in the early 20th century, and again after the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991, but are now partly recovering. Grassland was converted to cropland in many areas historically, but economic difficulties in the post-Soviet period resulted in land abandonment over millions of hectares. Land abandonment also triggered carry-on effects, such as an increase in size and area of wildfires. Grazing dynamics also changed with declines and recovery in wild grazers, such as the Saiga antelope, due to variations in the intensity of poaching and conservation management. In my talk, I will summarize twenty years of research on bird communities and on the ecology of selected steppe species across Kazakhstan. I will showcase how post-Soviet and current changes in grazing pressure, cropland abandonment and recultivation as well as fire affect steppe bird occupancy, abundance and live history. I will also illustrate the importance of conditions at wintering and stopover sites for steppe birds. I will conclude with a summary of research priorities, and suggest important areas for cross-Eurasian collaboration.

Johannes Kamp

Researcher in the University of Göttingen. Germany.

Biography

Link: https://uni-goettingen.de/en/prof.+dr.+johannes+kamp/646507.html
Prof. J...

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