Irrigation canals in a semi-arid agricultural landscape surrounded by wetlands: Their role as a habitat for birds during the breeding season

Traditional water supply systems in semi-arid agrarian ecosystems, mainly irrigation canals, contribute to the diversity of the landscape and influence the composition of species. To evaluate their effect on bird communities in the breeding season, we selected a rural area in southeastern Spain, where an intricate and extensive network of irrigation canals and cultivated areas is located between two wetlands declared as Natural Parks. Birds were counted at representative points distributed throughout the canal network at which we recorded several variables related to the physical features, the vertical and horizontal structure of associated vegetation, reed development (Phragmites australis) and land use in the neighboring areas. We detected 37 bird species, most of which were also breeding in the wetlands nearby. We used Hierarchical Partitioning analyses to identify the variables most strongly related to the probability of the presence of selected species and species richness. Vegetation cover and height close to the canals, together with reed development, were the most important types of variables explaining species presence and richness. We found that current management practices for reeds in canals are not well-suited for biodiversity conservation. We therefore propose alternatives that could be implemented in the area in cooperation with stakeholders.

Birds from Nepal [by] Austin L. Rand [and] Robert L. Fleming.

v.41:no.1(1957)

Three new birds from the Philippine Islands [by] Austin L. Rand and D. S. Rabor.

v.39:no.26(1959)

Preserving birds for study / Emmet R. Blake --.

no.7(1949)

Catalogue of birds of the Americas and the adjacent islands in Field Museum of Natural History and including all species and subspecies known to occur in North America, Mexico, Central America, South America, the West Indies, and islands of the Caribbean Sea, the Galapagos Archipelago, and other islands which may properly be included on account of their faunal affinities.

v.13:pt.1:no.1(1942)

New birds from central Peru, by John T. Zimmer ... Reports on results of the Captain Marshall Field expeditions ...

v.12:no.4(1924)

New birds from Chile, by C. E. Hellmayr. Reports on results of the Captain Marshall Field expeditions.

v.12:no.5(1924)

Game birds from northwestern Venezuela, by Wilfred H. Osgood and Boardman Conover.

v.12:no.3(1922)

Birds eye view of trolley routes in New England, 1904 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Trolley wayfinder, birds eye view of trolley routes in New England, published by the New England Street Railway Club, 1904. This is a perspective map not drawn to scale. Covers eastern portion of New England from Lewiston, Maine, to Newport, Rhode Island. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the Massachusetts State Plane Coordinate System, Mainland Zone (in Feet) (Fipszone 2001). All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as steam railroads, electric railroads, parks, buildings, drainage, and more. Relief and some features are shown pictorially. Includes 7 insets. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps of Massachusetts from the Harvard Map Collection. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates (1755-1922), scales, and purposes. The digitized selection includes maps of: the state, Massachusetts counties, town surveys, coastal features, real property, parks, cemeteries, railroads, roads, public works projects, etc.