Territory selection by the Dartford warbler (Sylvia undata) in Dorset, England: the role of vegetation type, habitat fragmentation and population size

The Dartford warbler (Sylvia undata) is of conservation concern throughout western Europe. In the UK conservation is centred on management of the warb ler's lowland heath habitat. This study analysed the warbler's habitat requ irements in Dorset, its UK population centre. Maps of breeding territories from 1974, 1984 and 1994 were linked to maps of heathland vegetation and ad jacent land use from 1978, 1987 and 1996. Logistic regression showed territ ories were positively associated with the area of dry/humid heath, mature U lex europaeus, bare soil, and more rarely with wet heath, young U. europaeu s, U. gallii and Pinus scrub. There were negative responses to fragmentatio n (isolation and area of a heath), and the proximity of woodland, urban are as and intensive agriculture, Sub-optimal habitat was used in years of high population size. Habitat management for this species should consider not o nly heathland vegetation but also landscape factors such as fragmentation a nd the proximity of avoided land use types. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.