Fachverband SAPV Hessen

ABSTRACT Biodiversity, including bird diversity, is essential for ecosystem stability. However, recent declines in bird populations threaten the balance, additionally reducing opportunities for people to encounter birds in their daily lives and potentially diminishing species identification skills. We here investigate the relationship between bird population trends, and habitats, and students’ bird species identification skills in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, comparing data from 2005 with 2022/2023. Our results suggest that declining populations of bird species are linked to statistically significant reductions in students’ identification skills (Cohen’s d = -0.421, SE = 0.196, p = 0.032). Today, students aged 8 to 21 years are on average 12.2% less familiar with declining bird species than students in 2005. In contrast, stable or increasing bird populations are not related to changes in identification skills. This may be due to reduced direct exposure to nature, a phenomenon known as the extinction of experience. Farmland birds, among the different habitat types, experienced the greatest decline in familiarity (Cohen’s d = -0.254, SE = 0.086, p = 0.003), perhaps mirroring their negative population trends. Our study introduces important ecological factors such as population decline as a previously overlooked but influential driver of species knowledge loss, in contrast to previous research focusing primarily on social variables (education, demography). These results highlight how both population decline, potentially combined with a diminished nature exposure, may contribute to a loss of species identification skills. They underscore the importance of integrating ecological considerations into biodiversity education and conservation efforts.

Einleitung Angesichts von Veränderungen in den Beantragungen ambulanter und stationärer Entwöhnungsbehandlungen stellt sich die Frage, ob und wie sich die Anzahl, Struktur und Merkmale der Personen in Behandlung verändert haben.

Identifying climate refugia is key to effective biodiversity conservation under a changing climate, especially for mountain‐specialist species adapted to cold conditions and highly threatened by climate warming. We combined species distribution models (SDMs) with climate forecasts to identify climate refugia for high‐elevation bird species (Lagopus muta, Anthus spinoletta, Prunella collaris, Montifringilla nivalis) in the European Alps, where the ecological effects of climate changes are particularly evident and predicted to intensify. We considered future (2041–2070) conditions (SSP585 scenario, four climate models) and identified three types of refugia: (1) in‐situ refugia potentially suitable under both current and future climate conditions, ex‐situ refugia suitable (2) only in the future according to all future conditions, or (3) under at least three out of four future conditions. SDMs were based on a very large, high‐resolution occurrence dataset (2901–12,601 independent records for each species) collected by citizen scientists. SDMs were fitted using different algorithms, balancing statistical accuracy, ecological realism and predictive/extrapolation ability. We selected the most reliable ones based on consistency between training and testing data and extrapolation over distant areas. Future predictions revealed that all species (with the partial exception of A. spinoletta) will undergo a range contraction towards higher elevations, losing 17%–59% of their current range (larger losses in L. muta). We identified ~15,000 km2 of the Alpine region as in‐situ refugia for at least three species, of which 44% are currently designated as protected areas (PAs; 18%–66% among countries). Our findings highlight the usefulness of spatially accurate data collected by citizen scientists, and the importance of model testing by extrapolating over independent areas. Climate refugia, which are only partly included within the current PAs system, should be priority sites for the conservation of Alpine high‐elevation species and habitats, where habitat degradation/alteration by human activities should be prevented to ensure future suitability for alpine species.

In order to understand species’ sensitivity to habitat change, we must correctly determine if a species is associated with a habitat or not, and if it is associated, its degree of specialization for that habitat. However, definitions of species’ habitat association and specialization are often static, categorical classifications that coarsely define species as either habitat specialists or generalists and can fail to account for potential temporal or spatial differences in association or specialization. In contrast, quantitative metrics can provide a more nuanced assessment, defining species’ habitat associations and specialization along a continuous scale and accommodate for temporal or spatial variation, but these approaches are less widely used. Here we explore relative habitat use (RHU) as a metric for quantifying species’ association with and degree of specialization for different habitat types. RHU determines the extent of a species’ association with a given habitat by comparing its abundance in that habitat relative to its mean abundance across all other habitats. Using monitoring data for breeding birds across Europe from 1998 to 2017; we calculate RHU scores for 246 species for five habitat types and compared them to the literature-based classifications of their association with and specialization for each of these habitats. We also explored the temporal variation in species’ RHU scores for each habitat and assessed how this varied according to association and degree of specialization. In general, species’ RHU and literature-derived classifications were well aligned, as RHU scores for a given habitat increased in line with reported association and specialization. In addition, temporal variation in RHU scores were influenced by association and degree of specialization, with lower scores for those associated with, and those more specialized to, a given habitat. As a continuous metric, RHU allows a detailed assessment of species’ association with and degree of specialization for different habitats that can be tailored to specific temporal and/or spatial requirements. It has the potential to be a valuable tool for identifying indicator species and in supporting the design, implementation and monitoring of conservation management actions.

ZusammenfassungHintergrund und ZielLebenslimitierend erkrankte Kinder und Jugendliche mit komplexem Symptomgeschehen haben Anspruch auf eine spezialisierte ambulante Palliativversorgung (SAPV). In der Richtlinie zur SAPV heißt es lediglich: „Den besonderen Belangen von Kindern und Jugendlichen ist Rechnung zu tragen.“ Das Ziel der Studie ist es deshalb, diese besonderen Belange zu identifizieren und Empfehlungen zur Überarbeitung der SAPV-Richtlinie zu formulieren.MethodenSequenzielles Mixed-Methods-Design mit Fragebogenerhebungen, qualitativen Interviews, teilnehmenden Beobachtungen und Fokusgruppendiskussionen mit Angehörigen, Patient*innen und Leistungserbringer*innen der SAPV in Hessen sowie der Auswertung von Dokumentationsdaten der hessischen SAPV-Teams.ErgebnisseKinder und Jugendliche in der SAPV leiden an komplexen, oftmals seltenen Erkrankungen und bedürfen einer besonders aufwendigen Palliativversorgung durch ein Team mit pädiatrischer Expertise. Die SAPV muss die gesamte Familie einbeziehen und oftmals überregional verteilte Versorger*innen koordinieren. Zudem ist eine besonders aufwendige psychosoziale Versorgung von Patient*innen und Angehörigen notwendig. Die SAPV für Kinder und Jugendliche ist weniger bekannt als die SAPV für Erwachsene und der Zugang für die Familien deshalb oft schwierig. Für lebenslimitierend erkrankte Kinder und Jugendliche, die zwar einer aufsuchenden Palliativversorgung bedürfen, jedoch keinen Bedarf an einer so intensiven Betreuung wie in der SAPV haben, besteht eine Versorgungslücke.FazitDie SAPV von Kindern und Jugendlichen sowie von volljährigen Patient*innen, die seit dem Kindes- und Jugendalter erkrankt sind, bedarf einer eigenständigen Versorgungsform mit Vergütungsmodalitäten, die den besonderen Versorgungsbedarf und -aufwand abbilden.

Abstract. Every day, nature enthusiasts collect valuable information about local animal and plant populations. This has resulted in approximately 50 million data sets until now for the bird observations at ornitho.de alone, with the observation numbers having risen sharply during the last three years. Such data may not always meet all scientific criteria, but due to their quantity they allow statements to be made, e.g. about regional distribution patterns or local occurrences. However, the citizens involved in the survey and the interested public are still unable to use these data, or can only use them in very low resolution or at great effort. According to the current Citizen Science Guidelines, data collecting citizens and other interested parties should be able to use such data and, for example, discover the ornithological diversity on their own doorstep. For this reason, the “Experiencing biodiversity” project has developed web maps, which, by the way, should inspire even more people to record biodiversity.The presentation will firstly address the visualization and interpretation of citizen science data collections. In order to create awareness that numerous animal and plant species are in danger and need special protection, an overview of the current species inventory is necessary. The aim of the project is to provide this overview by visual means to the participating citizen scientists but also to the interested public. The maps should be easy to understand and take into account the varying degrees of citizen science participation in different regions. Thus, in addition to the occurrence of a bird species, the reporting activity is important and therefore displayed on the map. This is unique and shows how many reports are available for all bird species recorded. Thus, it is possible to estimate the amount and distribution of the available data and to compare them with the reported occurrence of a single bird species. As a result, data gaps or changes over time become visible and support the interpretation of the data. As there are no negative reports, only this additional level allows an interpretation at all whether a bird species is "not present" or whether it was just "not reported" in certain areas. At the same time, the project wants to contribute to a better understanding of the visualizations, but also of the underlying data basis.Secondly, the presentation will also address the sometimes contradictory relationship between visualization – i.e. making visible – and the most diverse interests of protection – i.e. avoiding making visible. And thirdly, challenges in the visualization of mass data in the sense of a performant presentation of such data to a broad public will be discussed. A special challenge with regard to performance issues are rapidly increasing data volumes and questions of data protection, data transfer to the visualization but also permanent costs for the provision of data which should not be underestimated.Due to the ongoing status of the project, interim results are presented and mirrored with currently ongoing scientific studies on the use of the maps by Citizen Scientists and the influence of the visualisations on the motivation of ornithologists. Advantages and disadvantages of this visualisation will be discussed with regard to its transferability to other projects.

Abstract With climate change, the area affected by and the intensity of forest disturbances such as windthrow, insect outbreaks and fire will be increasing. Post-disturbance forest management will be varied, and it is difficult to predict how much natural succession will be allowed in comparison to reforestation. Both, disturbance and reforestation will affect forest biodiversity globally, but potential shifts in species distribution, abundance and community composition are poorly understood.We studied the response of breeding bird communities to windthrow and different reforestation strategies in one of Central Europe’s largest contiguous windthrow areas created by storm Kyrill in 2007. A decade after the disturbance, we compared bird species diversity, population densities and community composition on plots in replanted beech, replanted conifers and secondary succession (all salvage-logged after the storm), with undisturbed old Norway spruce Picea abies as a control, in the setting of a natural experiment.Of the stands blown down, 95% were Norway Spruce. Reforestation strategies varied, with Spruce and non-native conifers planted on twice the area that was replanted with European Beech Fagus sylvestris. Large areas were still dominated by successional tree species a decade after the storm, especially birch, mirroring recommendations of sub-national forestry agencies to include secondary succession in future forest development. Birds responded strongly to windthrow, with a pronounced community turnover. Species associated with high conifer stands reached significantly lower densities on sample plots in disturbed areas. Replanted areas were characterized by mostly ubiquitous bird species. Areas dominated by secondary succession, especially birch Betula spp., were characterized by high densities of long-distance migrants (often species of conservation concern) and shrubland species, among them several indicator species.Our results suggest that an increase of forest disturbance across Central Europe will lead to a pronounced reorganisation of biodiversity. Strategies that allow more secondary succession, and avoid replanting allochthonous tree species are likely to benefit populations of depleted bird species, even at salvage-logged and cleared disturbance sites.

Information on habitat preferences is critical for the successful conservation of endangered species. For many species, especially those living in remote areas, we currently lack this information. Time and financial resources to analyze habitat use are limited. We aimed to develop a method to describe habitat preferences based on a combination of bird surveys with remotely sensed fine-scale land cover maps. We created a blended multiband remote sensing product from SPOT 6 and Landsat 8 data with a high spatial resolution. We surveyed populations of three bird species (Yellow-breasted Bunting Emberiza aureola, Ochre-rumped Bunting Emberiza yessoensis, and Black-faced Bunting Emberiza spodocephala) at a study site in the Russian Far East using hierarchical distance sampling, a survey method that allows to correct for varying detection probability. Combining the bird survey data and land cover variables from the remote sensing product allowed us to model population density as a function of environmental variables. We found that even small-scale land cover characteristics were predictable using remote sensing data with sufficient accuracy. The overall classification accuracy with pansharpened SPOT 6 data alone amounted to 71.3%. Higher accuracies were reached via the additional integration of SWIR bands (overall accuracy = 73.21%), especially for complex small-scale land cover types such as shrubby areas. This helped to reach a high accuracy in the habitat models. Abundances of the three studied bird species were closely linked to the proportion of wetland, willow shrubs, and habitat heterogeneity. Habitat requirements and population sizes of species of interest are valuable information for stakeholders and decision-makers to maximize the potential success of habitat management measures.

Mountain areas often hold special species communities, and they are high on the list of conservation concern. Global warming and changes in human land use, such as grazing pressure and afforestation, have been suggested to be major threats for biodiversity in the mountain areas, affecting species abundance and causing distribution shifts towards mountaintops. Population shifts towards poles and mountaintops have been documented in several areas, indicating that climate change is one of the key drivers of species' distribution changes. Despite the high conservation concern, relatively little is known about the population trends of species in mountain areas due to low accessibility and difficult working conditions. Thanks to the recent improvement of bird monitoring schemes around Europe, we can here report a first account of population trends of 44 bird species from four major European mountain regions: Fennoscandia, UK upland, south-western (Iberia) and south-central mountains (Alps), covering 12 countries. Overall, the mountain bird species declined significantly (-7%) during 2002-2014, which is similar to the declining rate in common birds in Europe during the same period. Mountain specialists showed a significant -10% decline in population numbers. The slope for mountain generalists was also negative, but not significantly so. The slopes of specialists and generalists did not differ from each other. Fennoscandian and Iberian populations were on average declining, while in United Kingdom and Alps, trends were nonsignificant. Temperature change or migratory behaviour was not significantly associated with regional population trends of species. Alpine habitats are highly vulnerable to climate change, and this is certainly one of the main drivers of mountain bird population trends. However, observed declines can also be partly linked with local land use practices. More efforts should be undertaken to identify the causes of decline and to increase conservation efforts for these populations.