A study has analyzed the relationship between the behavior of the grouse, one of the most emblematic birds of the Cantabrian Mountains, and its environment. From it there is an inevitable relationship between the courtship areas of this species and the state of conservation of forests and biodiversity.
The behavior of grouse can be a fantastic indicator of biodiversity and the state of ecosystems. This is the main conclusion reached by a study in which researchers from the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) have participated and which has recently been published in the journal PLoS One. It has studied how and why grouse They prefer some courtship areas to others and their connection with the state of the environment.
As Paola Laiolo, a researcher at the Joint Biodiversity Research Unit , explains, “in this study we have monitored the counters, which are the areas where males are exhibited in spring and mating, as well as other areas where these birds range” . Analyzing these areas, the researchers have come to the conclusion that these animals preferred “the oldest and most biodiverse plots,” says Laiolo.
In this way, the mating areas maintained for generations may indicate low levels of human alteration, being able to use the mating areas of this bird as a bioindicator of a better conservation of the ecosystem. In addition, the researchers, after analyzing the data, found that there is a greater biodiversity of avifauna in forests with larger trees and with more types of shrubs and dead wood.
Photography: Nudelbraut
