MICROREFUGIA: Respostas comportamentais e adaptações das aves agrícolas às alterações ambientais e climáticas

The main objective of this project is to develop long-term conservation strategies for one of the most threatened groups of terrestrial vertebrates in Europe, grassland birds. This will be achieved through an in depth, mechanistic understanding of their behavioural responses to climate and environmental changes. We hypothesise that microclimate, the scale species experience their environment, will vary to a degree that local climate conditions must be taken into account when managing landscapes to sustain long lasting populations. For the very first time, 30 metre and hourly microclimate maps can now be generated for large areas, matching equivalent scales derived from long term and high-resolution tracking of animals. The detail from which these animals can now be studied is unprecedented with the potential to produce significant advancements in our understanding of species responses to environmental and climatic change. Our specific goals include: - Assess the current and projected climatic niches of grassland birds, both individually and collectively. This involves analysing species-specific responses to climate variables and predicting future shifts in their distributions under climate change scenarios. The study aims to identify vulnerable species and areas where conservation efforts should be prioritized. - Produce hourly microclimate maps with a resolution of 30m coincidental within the tracked birds’ range. - Develop biophysical models of grassland birds that estimate the energy and water costs associated with thermoregulation and extract the Upper Critical Temperature (UTC) value from which birds start to heat-stress. - Identify and characterize microrefugia for grassland birds with elevated heat. This involves identifying areas where birds heat-stress (above the UTC) and where microclimate conditions buffer against the adverse effects of climate change. - Assess the demographic consequences of microrefugia availability for grassland bird populations. This involves examining how the use of microrefugia influences vital rates such as survival and breeding success. - Develop management strategies for grassland bird microrefugia that promote long-term resilience to climate change. This involves conducting a comprehensive assessment of species' ecological traits, microhabitat preferences, and exposure to climate-related threats. - Assess the vulnerability of grassland bird species to climate change and identify priority species in need of microrefugia for conservation efforts.