Bioindication potentials of the grass stand and soil macrofauna for assessing the level of anthropogenic transformation of an urban park are complementary

Changes in the environment induced by anthropogenic impact or natural stressors are subject to bioindication. Most often, the anthropogenic stressors are the main object of bioindication research. Hemeroby and naturalness are considered as indicators of the level of anthropogenic transformation of ecosystems. Hemeroby is frequently used to assess disturbances in different types of vegetation. However, this concept has rarely been used to assess the impact on animals. According to the method of indicator values, species richness of a community is a marker of bioindication potential. The article compares the patterns of response of species richness of soil macrofauna and herbaceous cover communities in a city park, taking into account gradients of environmental factors, naturalness, and hemeroby. Within the study area, test plots were located. Soil macrofauna samples were taken at 105 points in each of the test sites, and soil hardness, electrical conductivity and soil temperature, litter height, and grass cover height were also measured. A geobotanical description of the vegetation cover was made within each plot. In the survey plots, 7.6 ± 3.0 plant species were found in the herbaceous layer. In soil samples, 6.8 ± 2.9 species of macrofauna were found. With an increase in the number of plant species in the herbaceous layer, the number of soil macrofauna species showed a downward trend. An increase in the number of soil macrofauna species is accompanied by a decrease in both naturalness and hemeroby of the plant community. The naturalness index does not depend on the number of plant species, but the largest number of plant species was observed under conditions of naturalness level from 0 to 1. With an increase in hemeroby, the number of plant species increases, although this relationship also has a nonlinear component. The largest number of plant species is observed at hemeroby levels from 45 to 65. Environmental factors and indicators of hemeroby and naturalness were able to explain 27% of the variation in the number of soil macrofauna species. Humidity regime and continentality did not affect the number of species. Increased variability in moisture conditions, carbonate content, and indicators of frost and cryoclimate contributed to an increase in the number of invertebrate species. Increases in acidity, mineral salts, nitrates, and soil aeration had a negative impact on the number of soil macrofauna species. Soil properties were able to explain 21% of the variation in the number of soil macrofauna species. Environmental factors and indicators of hemeroby and naturalness were able to explain 72% of the variation in the number of herbaceous plant species. Increases in moisture, acidity, mineralization, thermocline, and cryoclimate indicators had a negative impact on the number of plant species. Biological indicators can be used to assess complex environmental factors that are difficult to measure using instrumental methods. Bioindicators are also used to assess the level of anthropogenic transformation of ecosystems. The key concepts for solving this problem are the naturalness and hemeroby of plant communities, which are used as markers of ecosystem disturbance in general. Vegetation cover as a source of bioindication information can provide a biased assessment of the level of anthropogenic transformation due to its greater sensitivity to certain types of anthropogenic pressure. The potential of soil animals as a source of information on the level of anthropogenic transformation in the urban environment is quite significant. Species richness is a marker of the potential ability of a plant or animal community to provide reliable bioindication information. The bioindication complementarity of animal and plant communities is that the highest species richness of soil macrofauna is observed at a relatively low level of species richness of plant communities. Therefore, soil macrofauna can complement and clarify estimates of the level of anthropogenic transformation made using plant communities or can be an independent source of information for such estimates

Zooplankton in the zones of transformation of river runoff in the north-western Black Sea region and the Mediterranean Sea in 2017–2020

Estuary zones play a key role in the regulation of the impact of continental processes on marine ecosystems. The zone “river–sea” is a unique area with specific conditions, geochemical and biological processes. They belong to the so called “ecological hot spots” and that is why their research is especially needed to understand possible changes in the ecosystems. In the present study we described the spatial distribution of zooplankton in the zones of transformation of river runoff in the Ukrainian part of the north-western Black Sea region and the Turkish coast of the Mediterranean Sea in 2017–2020. In the Black Sea, samples were collected from the coast of the Odesa Marine Region, Danube Region and coastal waters between Dnipro-Bug estuary and Yuzhne town. On the Turkish Mediterranean Sea coasts, samples were collected between Antalya city and Patara village (Mugla province). A total of 64 samples of the zooplankton were studied. We did not establish a direct dependence between zooplankton biomass and annual volume of river runoff (correlation between these metrics is from –0.25 to –0.80). 20 taxa of zooplankton in the Odesa Marine Region, 21 taxa in the Danube Region, 11 taxa in the Dnieper Region, 23 taxa in the Turkish coastal zone of the Mediterranean Sea were registered. Species of forage zooplankton were dominant over non-forage ones in all seasons and all investigated aquatoria. The percentage of Noctiluca scintillans (Macartney) Kofoid & Swezy, 1921 and jellyfish did not exceed 5% of the total biomass of zooplankton. In summer in the Black Sea, the majority of zooplankton by number and biomass was formed by organisms of meroplankton, species of Cyclopoida and Harpacticoida, in autumn species of the genus Acartia, Oithona davisae Ferrari F. D. & Orsi, 1984, larvae of Cirripedia and Penilia avirostris Dana, 1849. The number and biomass of adults and Copepodid Stages of Acartia species increased from spring to autumn in all years. In populations of Acartia species Copepodid stages predominated over adults by number and biomass in all seasons. In the Mediterranian Sea, the majority of zooplankton by number and biomass was formed by larvae of benthic invertebrates and Copepoda. The abundance and biomass of zooplankton at a distance of 300 m from the river mouth were greater than directly at the mouth. The hydro-front was expressed near all investigated rivers, the maximum values of zooplankton number and biomass were observed here and they decreased in direction both towards the mouth of the river and towards the open sea

Morphological and functional diversity of floodplain water bodies and their classification according to the structure of the surrounding vegetation cover

The study identified the indicators of functional and morphological diversity of the Dnipro River floodplain water bodies within the Dnipro-Orilsky Nature Reserve. The database of recorded water bodies of the reserve consists of 302 objects. The total area of the floodplain and the water bodies close to it is 24.2 km2, and the area of the water bodies is 6.03 km2. Thus, the water bodies cover 24.9% of the floodplain area. The water bodies of the Dnipro River channel system account for 17.9% of the number of water bodies in the Reserve and 71.4% of the total area of water bodies and the Dnipro River in the projection of the Reserve. The water bodies of the study system are located at a distance of up to 3.2 km from the main channel of the Dnipro River. The average distance is 1.50 ± 0.04 km. The closest water bodies to the main channel of the Dnipro River are those in the Dnipro riverbed, which were formed as a result of the creation of a reservoir in the floodplain. Three factors with eigenvalues greater than unity were extracted as a result of factor analysis of the morphometric features of the water bodies. These three factors explain 85.8% of the cumulative correlation of morphometric features. Factor 1 reflects a latent variable that can be identified as the total size of the ponds. The total size of the water bodies was the largest for the Orilsky Canal, with slightly smaller sizes in the water bodies of the Dnipro River channel. The smallest water bodies were in the Obukhivka system. Factor 2 as a latent variable can be identified as the level of shoreline development. According to this indicator, the water bodies of different systems did not differ. Factor 3 can be identified as the altitude and variability of the relief surrounding the water bodies. The lowest values of this factor were for the water bodies of the Orilsky Canal and the Obukhivka system. The values were slightly higher for the water bodies of the Taromske and Mykolaivka systems. The highest levels of relief and its variability were characteristic of the areas close to the water bodies of the Dnipro channel system. Cluster analysis allowed us to identify seven clusters that are relatively homogeneous in terms of morphometric features. These clusters can be differentiated based on the results of discriminant analysis. An important aspect of differentiation is the size of the water bodies, the development of the shoreline, and the height of the terrain surrounding the water bodies. The identified clusters correspond well to the types of water bodies, which are selected based on their orientation relative to the preferred direction of water flow. The satellite image classification was used to identify 15 types of vegetation cover within the reserve. The water bodies are characterized by specific spectra of the main types of plant communities in their surroundings. The cluster analysis of the water bodies resulted in nine clusters based on the structure of the vegetation complexes surrounding them. Each cluster contains the entire list of vegetation types that have been established for floodplain ecosystems. The peculiarity of the complexes lies in the specific ratio between different vegetation types. The most important structural factors that distinguish the complexes are the projective cover of oaks, floodplain meadows, and shrubs. At the top level of the hierarchy, the complexes are differentiated by the projective cover of floodplain meadows. At a lower level, the differentiation is based on the projective cover of sands or oaks. The clusters identified on the basis of plant complexes and morphometric features, as well as the types of water bodies in terms of orientation with respect to the prevailing water flows, correspond to each other to a certain extent

Chelated forms of trace elements improve antioxidant properties and nodulation potential of soybean-Bradyrhizobium symbiosis under insufficient water conditions

The development of new nanotechnological approaches and the appearance of preparations with low concentrations of microelements can serve as a basis for promising solutions aimed at increasing stress-protective properties and tolerance to the adverse factors effects. The aim of the study is to show the effectiveness of seed inoculation with nodule bacteria modified by chelate forms of trace elements germanium, ferrum and molybdenum to stimulate antioxidant properties and improve the functioning of the Glycine max (L.) Merr. – Bradyrhizobium symbiosis in insufficient water supply conditions. For this, the symbiotic systems of soybean with active virulent Bradyrhizobium japonicum B1-20 were used with the addition of chelated forms of ferrum, germanium and molybdenum in a dilution of 1:1000 to the culture medium. The chelator was citric acid. At the phenological stages during active nitrogen fixation by soybeans, two models of plant watering regimes were created  ̶ optimal at the level of 60% of the full field capacity and insufficient/water stress at the level of 30% of the full field capacity. Microbiological, physiological, and biochemical methods of plant testing were used. It was found that the addition of rhizobia, chelated forms of germanium or ferrum to the culture medium, induces an increase in the antioxidant properties of plants by activating the key enzymatic complexes of superoxide dismutase and ascorbate peroxidase in soybean nodules and leaves under water stress. The use of chelated forms of ferrum or germanium led to the stimulation of the Bradyrhizobium nodulation potential, which was accompanied by the optimization of the water status and growth processes of soybean plants in insufficient moisture supply conditions. It was shown that inoculation with rhizobia containing chelated forms of molybdenum induced soybean plants sensitive to water deficit, as evidenced by an unstable reaction of enzyme activity, decrease or increase, in nodules and leaves. It inhibits nodulation processes on soybean roots and at the same time disrupts the water status of plants with insufficient water supply. It was concluded that the addition of chelated forms of germanium or ferrum to the rhizobia culture medium is a promising solution for stimulating the protective antioxidant properties of soybeans, which helps to optimize the physiological state of plants under insufficient water conditions

Influence of medicinal plants on Blaberus craniifer cockroaches and their parasites, gregarines and nematodes

Cockroaches, especially those living in forest litter and feeding on foliage, have been consuming plants for millions of years. Can secondary metabolites of plants affect the parasite-host system and successfully treat the cockroaches’ parasites gregarines and nematodes? In our experiment, 204 Blaberus craniifer (Blattodea, Blaberidae) cockroaches consumed the standard diet supplemented with medicinal plants in a dose of 10% of the general fodder mass, particularly, plants of the families Acoraceae (Acorus calamus), Papaveraceae (Chelidonium majus), Rosaceae (Potentilla erecta), Juglandaceae (Juglans regia), Fagaceae (Quercus robur), Brassicaceae (Capsella bursa-pastoris), Hypericaceae (Hypericum perforatum), Gentianaceae (Centaurium erythraea), Lamiaceae (Origanum vulgare, Salvia officinalis, Thymus pallasianus), and Asteraceae (Achillea millefolium, Arctium lappa, Artemisia absinthium, Matricaria chamomilla, and Tanacetum vulgare). With age (i.e. gaining body mass), the intensity of infestation of cockroaches with female and male nematodes Cranifera cranifera significantly increased. The multifactor dispersion analysis found no significant effect of the number of parasites (two gregarines, Blabericola cubensis and Protomagalhaensia granulosae, and one nematode, Cranifera cranifera) on the rates of changes in body mass of the cockroaches during the experiment. Also, there was observed no effect of the number of parasites on the rates of cockroaches’ food consumption. The rates of body-mass gain during the experiment were closely associated with the initial body mass of the cockroaches: the larger the cockroach was in the beginning of the experiment, the greater the increase in its body mass later in the experiment. None of the three species of B. craniifer parasites that we studied significantly changed their numbers when subject to 10% dry medicinal plants in the hosts’ fodder, compared to the control group of cockroaches that did not consume the medicinal raw material. Intake of none of the 16 species of medicinal plants we tested led to significant changes in the rates of body-mass gain in the cockroaches. Compared to the control group, the experimental groups of cockroaches had no significant changes in the fodder consumption rates. Our experiment demonstrated that the cockroaches, together with their parasites, are substantially adapted to the influences of secondary metabolites of the 16 medicinal plants that we studied, although, in their natural range they had most likely never encountered any of those plants. Therefore, on the one hand, the considered parasite-host system was observed to be very balanced, the host being minimally harmed, and on the other hand, secondary metabolites of the plants had no significant effect either on the parasites (two species of gregarines and one species of nematodes) or on their hosts even in the highest tested concentrations (10% of the fodder mass)

Benthic macrofauna biodiversity on the East Coast of Algeria

This stu dy investigated the spatial and temporal variations in macrobenthic communities across three sites on the eastern coast of Algeria, El-Kala, Annaba, and Skikda, in 2021. These sites were selected to assess the impact of varying levels of human activity on marine biodiversity, with El-Kala experiencing minimal disturbance, while Annaba and Skikda were significantly affected by industrial and urban activities. Monthly sampling was conducted on both rocky and sandy substrates to capture a comprehensive picture of the biodiversity within these ecosystems. Water physicochemical parameters, including temperature, pH, salinity, and dissolved oxygen, were measured to evaluate the environmental conditions at each site. The results revealed a significant spatial variability in biodiversity among the sites. El-Kala exhibited the highest biodiversity, reflected in a Shannon-Wiener index of 2.51, followed by Annaba (2.06), and Skikda (1.89). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was conducted to elucidate the relationships between the physicochemical parameters and ecological indices across the three sites. PCA revealed that higher salinity levels were strongly associated with Skikda, which was affected by industrial runoff. In contrast, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and pH were positively correlated with the ecological indices in El-Kala, indicating a healthier ecosystem with more stable environmental conditions. These findings highlight the urgent need for ongoing monitoring and conservation strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of anthropogenic activities on coastal marine ecosystems. This study highlights the critical importance of env i ronmental management in regions fac ing significant industrial pressure, such as Skikda, in preserving biodiversity and maintaining ecological balance

Chlorine in plant life

Chlorine is an essential nutrient, a deficiency of which reduces plant productivity. Chlorine-containing substances have been known and used for a long time. The most common chlorine compound, sodium chloride (table salt), has been in use since ancient times. It was used as early as 3000 BC and brine as early as 6000 BC. Cl substances are mentioned in ancient texts from different cultures. The discovery of chlorine was in 1774 by Carl Wilhelm Scheele. He obtained it by reacting pyrolusite (manganese dioxide, MnO 2 ) with hydrochloric acid (HCl, then known as muriatic acid). Scheele thought that the gas produced contained oxygen. It was Sir Humphry Davy's proposal and confirmation in 1810 that chlorine was an element, and he also named the element. Chlorine has been considered a biologically importa nt element almost since its discovery. Research into the effects of chloride fertilisers was carried out in the second half of the last century. In 1949, Warburg argued that chloride was an important trace element for plant growth and showed that it was necessary for the water distribution system at the site of photosystem II oxidation. In the 1954 Broyer et al. finally demonstrated the biological importance of chlorine for plants. Chloride is the most abundant inorganic anion in plant cells, an element available in most agrophytocenoses. The average Cl - content in plants ranges from 2.0 – 20.0 mg / g DM, but for Cl-sensitive and Cl-tolerant glycophyte species, the critical (often toxic) Cl-content in tissues can be around 4 – 7 and 15 – 35 mg / g DM, respectively. Chlorine deficiency in plants has characteristic symptoms: wilting, numerous spots, and reduced productivity. Chloride performs a wide range of functions in plants, primarily forming turgor and osmoregulation, respectively, affecting transport processes on membranes (plasmalemma, tonoplast, etc.), water & nitrogen use efficiency (WUE & NUE), and affects the functioning of photosystem II, and is therefore an important part of agricultural plant productivity. Chloride stimulates the structural and functional role of the plasma membrane, sugar transport, as well as nitrogen fixation and assimilation in the plant. Nitrogen assimilation , and photorespiration become more efficient when fed with chloride. Recent studies have discussed the role of chlorine in nitrogen assimilation and photorespiration. It has been shown that Cl plays an important role in the oxygen-evolving complex by adjusting the affinity of different amino acid residues for manganese (Mn). Chlorine acts as a counterion, balancing the positive charges of potassium (K⁺) and other cations in plant cells, which is essential for maintaining electrical neutrality and proper ionic balance in cells. Chlorine plays a significant role in soil salinity. Sources of chlorine in soil include mineral weathering, chlorine from marine species and anthropogenic pollution. Fertilisers such as potassium chloride help to increase the chloride content of the soil. Planting salt-tolerant crops can help maintain agricultural productivity on saline soils. The sensitivity of crops to chlorine varies according to the type of crop. Some crops can tolerate higher levels of chloride without adverse effects, while others are more sensitive and may show symptoms of toxicity or growth retardation when exposed to higher chloride concentrations. Understanding the response of specific crops to chloride is important for the development of nutrient systems and irrigation practices. Chloride increases plant resistance to diseases that require relatively large amounts of Cl - . These doses are much higher than those required for its use as a trace element, but much lower than those required to induce salinity control effects. Most of the research on chlorine nutrition has been devoted to studying the effect of the element on the incidence of physiological leaf spot (PLS) in cereals. PLS form on the leaves of cereal crops when there is a lack of chlorine in the nutritional systems. The necrosis that develops in Cl-deficient plants is thought to be associated with the accumulation of H 2 O 2 during the release of Cl from the Mn cluster of the oxygen-evolving complex. Physiological spotting in the form of completely/partially transparent dots/spots on the leaf was observed, which may indicate inhibition of chlorophyll synthesis rather than degradation. Given that chlorine at micromolar concentrations affects transport processes on membranes and that the element is easily leached through the soil profile, its deficiency occurs in the second half of the growing season, during the period of generative development, which may be the initial mechanism for the formation of PLS in the form of transparent/translucent leaf spots. The development of these spots in the generative period of development, during grain filling, can be significantly accelerated by high levels of actinic light and, accordingly, significantly limit the productivity of cereal crops and their quality. A possible component of chlorine deficiency and leaf damage in wheat and other cereals by PLS may be the application of phosphate fertilizers with high fluoride content, such as phosphate rock, etc. Therefore, in high productivity technologies, it is advisable to use phosphate fertilizers with a low fluoride content, such as potassium monophosphate. Therefore, the use of chlorine fertilisers, mainly potassium chloride in the basic application, ammonium chloride, calcium chloride, etc. in the foliar application, is important to provide plants with chlorine during the growing season to increase WUE & NUE, increase plant resi s tance to pathogens, control PLS, and increase productivity of cereals and other agricultural crops. Chlorine's role in increasing WUE & NUE is particularly important for the country's profitable crop production in the face of resource shortages

First records of echinoderm species in the checklist of the Algerian coast (Mediterranean Sea), found off Paloma Island

The study of echinoderms in the Mediterranean region has generated considerable interest and has led to significant advancements in systematic research. Numerous species have been identified, with 35% of them belonging to the Holothuroidea class. This paper provides pertinent information on the echinoderm fauna of the Algerian coast, specifically focusing on the sampling conducted at Plane Island in western Algeria. Additionally, it includes an updated account of previously recorded species. The recent research findings consist of a total of 288 specimens: 284 ophiuroids and 4 echinoids. The research provides a comprehensive list of all the species identified. Additional species have been discovered at Paloma (Plane) Island. Several of these species have not previously been recorded on the Algerian coastline, such as the pencil urchin Stylocidaris affinis. A map of its distribution has been created to monitor its establishment in the Mediterranean. Our findings show that S. affinis is more abundant in shallow waters ranging from 50 to 150 m. A total of 70 species were documented along the Algerian coast, with the majority belonging to the classes Holothuroidea and Ophiuroidea. The class Crinoidea, however, only counts three species: Antedon bifida moroccana, A. mediterranea, and Leptometra celtica. The majority of species (65.2%) have a distribution that spans the region of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Approximately 33% of species are potentially exclusive to the Mediterranean region, and only one species (1%) is found worldwide. Three echinoderms are now indexed as endangered or threatened in Barcelona’s Appendix II. Moreover, to provide a comprehensive understanding, this study compares the fauna of the Algerian coast with that of adjacent seas

Macroinvertebrate diversity as an indicator of ecological health and water quality in Northern Algeria

This s tudy aims to investigate the spatial and temporal variation of macroinvertebrate communities and their relationship with environmental factors in the rivers of Chrea National Park, northern Algeria. Analysis of the spatio-temporal variation of physico-chemical parameters revealed no significant differences in temperature between stations. However, highly significant differences were observed for pH, conductivity and dissolved oxygen. Over a four-month period, a total of 19,737 individuals were sampled at four stations. Macroinvertebrate diversity was highest in the Djir and Merdja Rivers, with Diptera dominating the community composition at most stations. However, species richness and evenness were significantly lower in the Tamesguida River, suggesting greater environmental degradation in this region. The logarithmic curve of the rank frequency diagrams shows that the Merdja and Djir Rivers have higher initial abundances than the Mouzaia. Index results diversity indices show a high biodiversity in the Djir, Merdja and Mouzaia Rivers, while the Tamesguida River has much lower values, indicating a lower diversity and a more marked dominance of certain species. The Shannon-Wiener index reaches its maximum in the Djir (2.75) and its minimum in the Tamesguida (0.87). The Standardized global biological index,the Pielou evenness index and the Simpson index follow a similar trend, showing a more balanced species distribution in the Djir and Merdja and a less balanced distribution in the Tamesguida. The Margalef index confirms a much lower species richness in Tamesguida compared to the other stations.The results indicate that the Tamesguida River has a significantly lower diversity and species richness than the other stations, with a more pronounced dominance of certain species

Global climate change promotes the expansion of rural and synanthropic bird species: The case of Zhytomyr region (Ukraine)

The article reveals which ecological groups of birds in Zhytomyr region are most vulnerable to global climate change and which birds will benefit from warming in the next 70 years. The following data networks were used as predictors of bird ecological niche: climatic biogeographic variables, soil properties and indicators of landscape cover types. The results of the ENFA analysis were used to derive ecological niche margins for bird species, which were subjected to three principal component analyses to estimate marginality along bioclimatic, edaphic, and landscape variables. The bird species habitat preference index was estimated using the Maxent procedure. The assessment was made on the basis of both current predictors and projected climate variables. It was found that the climatic conditions of the Zhytomyr region are close to the European average. The average annual temperature in Zhytomyr region is 2.1 °C higher than the European average. Furthermore, the average value of monthly temperature ranges, isothermality, annual temperature range and seasonality in Zhytomyr region do not differ significantly from the European average. The maximum temperature of the warmest month in Zhytomyr region is 1.4 °C higher than the European average, while the minimum temperature of the coldest month is 1.7 °C higher. The temperature of the wettest quarter is 4.6 °C above the European average, while the temperature of the driest quarter is 2.3 °C below. The temperatures of the warmest and coldest quarters in Zhytomyr region are slightly higher than the European average (1.8 and 1.6 °C, respectively). The annual precipitation in Zhytomyr region exceeds the European norm by 20 mm. Zhytomyr region exhibits a distinctive pattern of precipitation, with a significantly higher amount of precipitation for the wettest and warmest quarters than the European average. The climate change forecast for the next 70 years indicates that the average annual temperature in Europe can be expected to increase by 4.1°C. For Zhytomyr region, the average annual temperature is likely to increase by 4.4 °C. Furthermore, other temperature indicators are also expected to increase. The contrast of thermal conditions throughout the year will decrease in the future. Precipitation in Europe will increase by 60.3 mm per year on average. In Zhytomyr region, precipitation will increase by 87.2 mm per year compared to the current state. Based on the estimates of the marginality of the birds' ecological niche, principal component analyses of climatic, edaphic and landscape projections were conducted. The principal component analysis of the climatic projection of the ecological niche identified three principal components with eigenvalues exceeding one. Principal component 1 was characterised by a high correlation with temperature bioclimatic variables, which allowed us to interpret this principal component as the position of the species optimum in the thermal gradient. Principal component 2 exhibited a high correlation with bioclimatic variables indicative of precipitation, thereby enabling this principal component to be meaningfully interpreted as the position of the species optimum in the precipitation gradient. Principal component 3 exhibited high correlation coefficients with bioclimatic variables indicative of rainfall variability, thereby enabling this principal component to be interpreted as the position of the species optimum in the rainfall variability gradient. The principal component analysis of the variation of the marginality parameters of the projection of bird ecological niches onto the matrix of diversity of landscape cover types allowed us to extract three principal components with eigenvalues greater than one. Principal component 1 was meaningfully interpreted as the position of the species in the habitat gradient from open spaces (grassland, sparse shrubs, cropland, bare) to forest. This component can also be denoted as the ratio of campophilic/dendrophilic bird species. Principal component 2 denotes the ratio of open space bird species (water, wetland) to birds that prefer built, cropland and trees. This allows us to interpret this principal component as the ratio of wetland (moisture-loving campophilic)/rural bird species. Principal component 3 is positively correlated with the trend of preference for built and water (urbanised areas are usually associated with water bodies) and negatively correlated with trees, shrubs, bare and wetland. This principal component can be interpreted as the position of the species optimum in the urban/rural bird species gradient. It is anticipated that an increase in campophilic bird species compared to dendrophilic species will be the predominant trend in the next 70 years as a response to global climate change. Moisture-loving campophilic species will be outcompeted by rurally-dependent species, and rurally-dependent species will be outcompeted by urban species