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<p>Quarries are unique environments shaped by anthropogenic extraction activities. At the landscape scale, they represent human-modified habitat patches embedded within a surrounding mosaic matrix. To assess the effect of area size on rocky-associated bird assemblages inhabiting a system of abandoned quarries in central Italy—situated within a comparable landscape matrix—we analyzed Species–Area Relationship (SAR) patterns in two seasonally distinct groups (breeding and wintering), testing for potential species richness thresholds across different quarry size categories. Quarries can be regarded as habitat islands for rocky-dwelling bird species. Our findings revealed that: (i) species richness increases with quarry size, and (ii) the z values for both seasonal groups fell within the typical range for ecological islands (breeding: 0.27; wintering: 0.22). Both SAR curves and Whittaker plots showed a strong overlap between the two seasonal assemblages. Notably, quarries exceeding 5 hectares hosted a significantly higher number of species, suggesting a possible size threshold relevant for conservation and habitat restoration initiatives. These preliminary results highlight the potential of disused quarries as surrogate habitats for rocky-related birds and underscore the need for further research involving quarry systems with a broader range of sizes and additional environmental variables, with important ecological and management implications.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>

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Rocky-related bird assemblages of disused quarries show comparable seasonal-based species–area relationships

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年8月18日

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  • Pietro Giovacchini,
  • Corrado Battisti,
  • Letizia Marsili

摘要

Quarries are unique environments shaped by anthropogenic extraction activities. At the landscape scale, they represent human-modified habitat patches embedded within a surrounding mosaic matrix. To assess the effect of area size on rocky-associated bird assemblages inhabiting a system of abandoned quarries in central Italy—situated within a comparable landscape matrix—we analyzed Species–Area Relationship (SAR) patterns in two seasonally distinct groups (breeding and wintering), testing for potential species richness thresholds across different quarry size categories. Quarries can be regarded as habitat islands for rocky-dwelling bird species. Our findings revealed that: (i) species richness increases with quarry size, and (ii) the z values for both seasonal groups fell within the typical range for ecological islands (breeding: 0.27; wintering: 0.22). Both SAR curves and Whittaker plots showed a strong overlap between the two seasonal assemblages. Notably, quarries exceeding 5 hectares hosted a significantly higher number of species, suggesting a possible size threshold relevant for conservation and habitat restoration initiatives. These preliminary results highlight the potential of disused quarries as surrogate habitats for rocky-related birds and underscore the need for further research involving quarry systems with a broader range of sizes and additional environmental variables, with important ecological and management implications.

Graphical abstract