Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Conservation of Declining Populations

Conservation of Declining Populations

Conservation of declining population focuses on ways of detecting, diagnosing, and halting a population decline. The approach uses methods to prevent populations from going extinct.

Threats to Biodiversity

Threats to Biodiversity

There have been five major extinction events throughout geological history, resulting in the elimination of biodiversity, followed by a rebound of species that adapted to the new conditions. In the current geological epoch, the Holocene, there is a sixth extinction event in progress. This mass extinction has been attributed to human activities and is thus provisionally called the Anthropocene. In 2019 the human population reached 7.7 billion people and is projected to comprise 10 billion by...

Habitat Fragmentation

Habitat Fragmentation

Habitat fragmentation describes the division of a more extensive, continuous habitat into smaller, discontinuous areas. Human activities such as land conversion, as well as slower geological processes leading to changes in the physical environment, are the two leading causes of habitat fragmentation. The fragmentation process typically follows the same steps: perforation, dissection, fragmentation, shrinkage, and attrition.

Conservation of Small Populations

Conservation of Small Populations

Small population sizes put a species at extreme risk of extinction due to a lack of variation, and a consequent decrease in adaptability. This weakens the chances of survival under pressures such as climate change, competition from other species, or new diseases. Large populations are more likely to survive pressures such as these, as such populations are more likely to harbor individuals that have genetic variants that are adaptive under new stresses. Small populations are much less...

Types of Selection

Types of Selection

Natural selection influences the frequencies of particular alleles and phenotypes within populations in several different ways. Primarily, natural selection can be directional, stabilizing, or disruptive. Directional selection favors one extreme trait and shifts the population towards that phenotype while selecting against individuals displaying alternate traits. Stabilizing selection favors an intermediate trait with a narrow range of variation. Deviation from the optimal phenotype towards an...

Formation of Species

Formation of Species

Speciation describes the formation of one or more new species from one or sometimes multiple original species. The resulting species are discrete from the parent species, and barriers to reproduction will typically exist. There are two primary mechanisms, speciation with and without geographic isolation—allopatric and sympatric speciation, respectively.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

A comprehensive reference genome assembly dataset of birds inhabiting Denmark, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands.

GigaScience·2026

Same author

An Update on the Role of Androgens and Androgen Receptor in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Cells·2026

Same author

Draft assemblies for 177 bird species enhance genus-level coverage.

GigaScience·2026

Same author

Androgen receptor activation promotes tumor progression in canine and human triple negative breast cancer cell lines.

Frontiers in veterinary science·2025

Same author

A synthesis of terrestrial species extinctions in the Macaronesian Islands and their correspondence with human occupancy.

PNAS nexus·2025

Same author

The Relative Roles of Selection and Drift in the Chaffinch Radiation (Aves: <i>Fringilla</i>) Across the Atlantic Archipelagos of Macaronesia.

Ecology and evolution·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 5, 2025

Author Spotlight: Advancing Coral Culture - Creating a Semi-Quantitatively Controlled Microenvironment System to Counter Current Limitations

Author Spotlight: Advancing Coral Culture - Creating a Semi-Quantitatively Controlled Microenvironment System to Counter Current Limitations

Published on: July 21, 2023

Collapse of an insular bird species driven by a decrease in rainfall.

Juan Carlos Illera¹, David P Padilla², Ángel C Moreno³

¹Biodiversity Research Institute (CSIC-Oviedo University-Principality of Asturias), University of Oviedo, Campus of Mieres, E-33006 Mieres, Asturias, Spain.

The Science of the Total Environment

|December 5, 2024

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Arid island bird populations have sharply declined due to extreme climate events and reduced rainfall, impacting their distribution and reproductive success. This highlights the vulnerability of unique island species to prolonged dry periods.

Keywords:

Arid islands Canary Islands Climate change Dryland ecosystems Fuerteventura Persistent drought Population trends

More Related Videos

Using a Thermal Camera to Measure Heat Loss Through Bird Feather Coats

Using a Thermal Camera to Measure Heat Loss Through Bird Feather Coats

Published on: June 17, 2020

A Video Surveillance System to Monitor Breeding Colonies of Common Terns Sterna Hirundo

A Video Surveillance System to Monitor Breeding Colonies of Common Terns Sterna Hirundo

Published on: July 22, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 5, 2025

Author Spotlight: Advancing Coral Culture - Creating a Semi-Quantitatively Controlled Microenvironment System to Counter Current Limitations

Author Spotlight: Advancing Coral Culture - Creating a Semi-Quantitatively Controlled Microenvironment System to Counter Current Limitations

Published on: July 21, 2023

Using a Thermal Camera to Measure Heat Loss Through Bird Feather Coats

Using a Thermal Camera to Measure Heat Loss Through Bird Feather Coats

Published on: June 17, 2020

A Video Surveillance System to Monitor Breeding Colonies of Common Terns Sterna Hirundo

A Video Surveillance System to Monitor Breeding Colonies of Common Terns Sterna Hirundo

Published on: July 22, 2018

Area of Science:

Ecology
Conservation Biology
Climate Change Science

Background:

Arid island ecosystems host unique species adapted to harsh conditions.
Anthropogenic climate change impacts on these fragile ecosystems are poorly understood.
Endemic species face significant threats from extreme weather events.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the effects of extreme weather on an endemic bird species' population size, distribution, and habitat.
To assess changes in population dynamics and habitat use over a 20-year period (2005-2024).
To investigate the link between climatic changes, particularly rainfall patterns, and bird population health.

Main Methods:

Utilized fine-grained field data and a distance-based sampling design.
Employed habitat suitability modeling to analyze distribution and preferences.
Compared data across two temporal windows (2005-2006 and 2024) to track changes.

Main Results:

A sharp population decline of 63%-70% was observed between study periods.
Species density decreased approximately threefold, with larger areas needed to find individuals.
Population collapse correlated with decreased rainfall and drier years, impacting reproductive success.

Conclusions:

Recurrent extreme climatic events significantly drive population declines in arid island bird species.
Reduced rainfall and prolonged dry periods threaten the viability of unique island taxa.
Conservation strategies must address climate change impacts on vulnerable island biodiversity.