Little Bustard: Ecology and Conservation

lt;p>Vincent Bretagnolle, 60, is a scientist from CNRS (since 1991), Directeur de recherche (1ère classe) and previous head of Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé. He is working on the effects of anthropogenic changes on biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and ecosystem services. In particular, his work has focused on the consequences of agriculture and land use changes on spatio-temporal dynamics of biodiversity, the effects of biodiversity and farming practices on crop yields (using the paradigm shift of agro-ecology), and he also manages citizen science programs. He created the « Zone Atelier Plaine & Val de Sèvre» (ZA-PVS) where data collection on the whole socio-ecosystem started in 1994. He manages Agri-environmental measures (AES) implementation on the NATURA 2000 area (half of ZA-PVS is a NATURA 2000 site), including organic farming, where up to 10 000 hectares of contract with farmers have been implemented. He has been involved with research on ecology and conservation of Little Bustard since 1995, and was in charge of the scientific activities of two LIFE projects in France on Little Bustard conservation.

Juan Traba is Associate Professor at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), current subHead of the Ecology Department of the UAM, and member of the Terrestrial Ecology Group (TEG-UAM). He is a researcher in evolutionary ecology, species interactions, and conservation ecology, with expertise in steppe birds. He has special interest on niche theory, community assembly and the analysis of anthropic effects on wildlife, especially of agrarian management but also of solar and wind farms. 

Foreword.- 1. Why a monograph on little bustard?.- 2. The little bustard and its family: an overview of relationships.- 3. Natural history of the little bustard: morphology, biometry, diet, sexual dimorphism, and social and breeding behaviour.- 4. The little bustard around the world: distribution, global conservation status, threats and population trends.- 5. Breeding biology and demographic traits.- 6. Habitat selection and space use.- 7. Migration, movements and non-breeding ecology.- 8. Behavioural ecology of the little bustard: sexual selection and mating systems.- 9. Interspecific relationships.- 10. Captive breeding, handling and care, and the impact of releases on wild populations.- 11. Little bustard population dynamics.- 12. Threats affecting little bustards: human impacts.- 13. Little bustard and humans : Conservation and management.- 14. Conclusions and perspectives.