Climate Change and Declines in Mojave Desert Bird Diversity
Berger C and Carlsen W. 2023. Climate Change and Declines in Mojave Desert Bird Diversity. National Park Service, Joshua Tree National Park
This brief describes a recent landmark study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley. Biodiversity in bird communities has declined drastically over the past century in the Mojave Desert. The team compared historic data from bird surveys conducted as much as a century ago to recent resurveys at the same locations (including more than a dozen sites in Joshua Tree National Park). They found an average 43 percent decline in bird species diversity. Reduced precipitation, a consequence of climate change, seems to be driving the declines.
- Type
- Resource Brief
- Authors
- Berger, Cynthia; Carlsen, William
- Date of Issue
- 2023-03-04
- Publisher
- National Park Service, Joshua Tree National Park
- Units
- JOTR
- Keywords
- avian diversity, biodiversity, birds, climate change, drought, Grinnell resurvey, Joseph Grinnell, Mojave desert
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Air and Climate | Weather and Climate | Weather and Climate , Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Desert Communities , Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Birds , NPS.gov Subject Site: Biodiversity , NPS.gov Subject Site: Climate Change , NPS.gov Subject Site: Deserts , NPS.gov Subject Site: Park Science