Interrelationship between Environmental Drivers and Avian Biodiversity in a Mediterranean Like Natura 2000 Wetland and Implications for Conservation Management ^†

Climate drivers play a major role in influencing biodiversity and ecosystem change. Models can be used to address the effects of changes in environmental drivers in biodiversity change in nature. In this work we address the question of how certain climatic variables may be significant related to alterations of avian biodiversity in a semi-agricultural Natura wetland side in Northern Greece. In particular, we examine the interplay between temperature, rain and three different bird biodiversity indexes, including Shannon Entropy, Simpson’s dominance (evenness) index and the Berger-Parker index. By using different modeling approaches, parametric and non-parametric multivariate models, we get a consensus on the interrelationships between climate and avian biodiversity. In particular, we show that in most cases nonlinear models and surface-plot analysis methodology, are able to capture the relation of a considerable increase in the estimated biodiversity indexes with increased temperatures and rain levels. Thus, biodiversity is to a significant extent affected by the aforementioned climate factors at a proximate level involving synergies between the different climate factors. Revealing potential interrelationship between biodiversity and climate drivers although is a complex—even though challenging—task, contributing to our understanding of the mechanisms connecting climate change with ecosystem functioning. Moreover, a better understanding of biodiversity functioning in relation to climate is essential for biodiversity awareness and the design of effective biodiversity-related conservation management policies.