Bird bones from unconsolidated sediments provide a record of the changing avifauna of St Helena from the Late Glacial, at ~ 14000BP, until the present. Changes in avifauna apparently reflect climatic and associated ecological conditions, as well as the effects of human occupation since the island was discovered in 1502. Introduced mammals decimated birds in the seventeenth century and seven endemic species are now extinct, while seven other species are locally extinct. At least nine species that now breed on St Helena have been introduced anthropogenically to the island since it was discovered. The failure to find evidence of native songbirds in the former woodlands of the interior of the island deserves explanation.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:rhodes/vital:6702 |
| Date | January 2008 |
| Creators | Lewis, Colin A |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Article |
| Format | 17 pages, pdf |
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