Artikel-Suche

Sachot, S., L. Fumagalli & P. Mollet

Das Auerhuhn im Jura: Qualität des Lebensraums, Demographie, Habitatwahl und nicht-invasive genetische Untersuchungen.

2008

105

97–106

Key words
(von 1994 bis 2006 vergeben)

Lebensraum, Habitatwahl, Forstwirtschaft, Waldstruktur, Populationsstudie, Überleben, Sterblichkeit, Störung, Artenschutz

Schlagwort_Vogelart
(wissenschaftlich)

Tetrao urogallus

Schlagwort_Vogelart
(deutsch)

Auerhuhn

Schweiz, Jura, Waadt

deutsch

Abhandlung

The Western Capercaillie in the Jura Mountains: habitat suitability, demography, habitat selection and non-invasive genetic studies. – Most Central European Capercaillie populations have been declining during the last century. In the Jura Mountains, at the border between Switzerland and France, remaining Capercaillie populations are now isolated and endangered. In this study, land-use and Capercaillie presence data were used to identify key landscape parameters by logistic regression modelling. We found that Capercaillie prefers areas at the highest altitude in the Jura Mountains that are characterised by continuous forests and stands with intermediate canopy cover. At the local scale, winter habitat selection revealed a preference for open forests with a sparse canopy cover dominated by spruce and fir. Capercaillie avoided dense undercanopy and understorey, especially when dominated by beech. Population viability and sensitivity analyses underlined the crucial importance of adult female survival, chick survival and breeding success for populations maintenance. Legal bases, scientific knowledge and technical measures are now available to conserve the flagship species Capercaillie within the Jura Mountains. Capercaillie-adapted forestry requires a mosaic distribution of habitat types, with a matrix of open forests where fir is favoured, and understorey kept sparse. Preliminary essays indicate that grouse-adapted forestry costs are similar or even lower than present costs. To increase survival and breeding success, one option is to diminish human disturbance by limiting access to Capercaillie breeding and wintering areas. An action plan for the species should avoid more costly and intensive approaches such as the reintroduction of birds from other populations. Capercaillie conservation represents a major challenge rising from various and contradictory leisure, tourist and rural development activities. Collaboration with different stakeholders and state agencies for forest and wildlife conservation should complete the positive effects of grouse forestry with an effective protection from human disturbance.