Aivar Leito

Estonian University of Life Sciences

Author Statistics

Papers

Citation

H-Index

i-10 index

Research Trends

Author Order

Document Type

Co-Authors

Jaak Truu

University of Tartu

Ivar Ojaste

Tel Aviv University

Kalev Sepp

Estonian University of Life Sciences

Andres Kuresoo

Estonian University of Life Sciences

Leho Luigujõe

Estonian University of Life Sciences

Janar Raet

Estonian University of Life Sciences

Valdo Kuusemets

Estonian University of Life Sciences

Meelis Leivits

Estonian Environmental Research Center (Estonia)

Marc J. Metzger

University of Edinburgh

Tiiu Kull

Estonian University of Life Sciences

Cooperative Institutions

Estonian University of Life Sciences

University of Tartu

Eesti Reumatoloogia Selts

Lund University

Tallinn University of Technology

Aarhus University

Estonian Academy of Sciences

University of Turku

Wageningen University & Research

Estonian Environmental Research Center (Estonia)

Author Statistics

Papers

Citation

H-Index

i-10 index

Research Field

The impact of agriculture on autumn staging Eurasian Cranes (Grus grus) in Estonia

Agricultural and Food Science (2008)

Aivar Leito Jaak Truu M. ÕUNSAAR

This paper explores the relation between the local numbers and distribution of autumn staging Eurasian Cranes (Grus grus Linn.) and agricultural land use during recent decades in Estonia. The analysis is based on the long-term monitoring data of staging cranes and the statistical data of land use in Estonia. We found that great changes in cropping area, as well as in crane numbers have taken place in Estonia since the 1960s. We also found a significant positive correlation between crane numbers and the cropping area of summer wheat, winter wheat, winter rye and all cereals together, and a negative correlation with the area of potatoes. Generally, arable land, particularly that used for growing cereals, has a great influence on the local numbers and distribution of staging cranes. Based on our findings, we predict that changes in the local numbers and distribution of Eurasian Cranes staging during their migration in Estonia and elsewhere will depend on changes in agricultural land use in staging areas, rather than on the size of the breeding population. As about 10 percent of the European Eurasian Crane population stop over in Estonia during the autumn migration, the country has an important role to play in the protection of the species.;

Arable land

Grus (genus)

Agricultural land

10.2137/145960608784182281

Cite

Citations (12)

The spring timing of arrival of migratory birds: Dependence on climate variables and migration route

Ornis Fennica (2009)

Vello Palm Aivar Leito Jaak Truu Oliver Tomingas

V. Palm, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, Tartu University, 46 Vanemuise St., Tartu 51014, Estonia. E-mail: vellop@ut.ee A. Leito, Institute of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, 1 Kreutzwaldi St., Tartu 51014, Estonia. E-mail: aivar.leito@emu.ee (* corresponding author) J. Truu, Faculty of Biology and Technology, University of Tartu, 23 Riia St., Tartu 51014, Estonia. E-mail: jaak.truu@ut.ee O. Tomingas, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, Tartu University, 46 Vanemuise St., Tartu 51014, Estonia. E-mail: olivertm@ut.ee

Estonian

Source

Cite

Citations (26)

Temporal dynamics of bird community composition: an analysis of baseline conditions from long-term data

Oecologia (2014)

Christian Kampichler David G. Angeler Richard T. Holmes Aivar Leito Sören Svensson

Baseline (sea)

Environmental change

Temporal scales

10.1007/s00442-014-2979-6

Cite

Citations (24)

Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus L.) as a Keystone Species in the Lake Bird Community in Primary Forest-Mire-Lake Ecosystem

BALTIC FORESTRY (2016)

Aivar Leito Meelis Leivits Agu Leivits Janar Raet Raymond D. Ward

Within animal communities the loss of a single keystone species can lead to substantial change, or in extreme cases, community collapse. This phenomenon has been documented in different communities and habitats but has not been widely investigated in bird communities. We studied the long-term dynamics of breeding birds in a medium-sized hemiboreal lake that is situated within a large primary forest-mire-lake ecosystem in central-east of Estonia. The aim of this 25 year study was to determine whether the black-headed gull, Larus ridibundus, acts as a keystone species in the bird community and what was the effect of the loss of this species. Results revealed large changes in the bird community similar to those that would occur in a fragile system in response to keystone species loss, confirming our theory. Mallard Anas platyrhynchos, common pochard Aythya ferina, tufted duck Aythya fuligula, great crested grebe Podiceps cristatus, red-necked grebe Podiceps grisegena, Eurasian marsh harrier Circus aeruginosus, spotted crake Porzana porzana, coot Fulica atra, and common tern Sterna hirundo were most closely related to the abundance of black-headed gull. During the study period there was little change in habitat quality or extent. It is unclear as to the causes of the gull colony collapse; however, landscape-level changes in feeding areas and agricultural land could be a reason. We conclude that further study of keystone species and fragile communities in different habitats and ecosystems is important to ascertain which species and communities are most likely to be affected in the event of the loss of a keystone bird species.

Keystone species

Aythya

Source

Cite

Citations (3)

Monitoring of Lesser White-fronted Geese in western Estonia in 1999

Petteri Tolvanen Risto T. Karvonen Petro Pynnönen Aivar Leito

White (mutation)

Source

Cite

Citations (5)

Skipping the Baltic: the emergence of a dichotomy of alternative spring migration strategies in Russian barnacle geese

Journal of Animal Ecology (2008)

Götz Eichhorn Rudolf H. Drent Julia Stahl Aivar Leito Thomas Alerstam

1. Since the early 1990s, an increasing proportion of barnacle geese, Branta leucopsis, bound for breeding sites in the Russian Arctic delay their departure from the wintering quarters in the Wadden Sea by 4 weeks. These late-migrating geese skip spring stopover sites in the Baltic traditionally used by the entire population. 2. Individual geese from an arctic colony tracked by satellite or light-level geolocators during spring migration in 2004 and 2005 predominantly followed the new strategy, but a minority still maintained the traditional pattern. Despite a spread of more than 50 days in departure date from the Wadden Sea, both early and late departing females laid their eggs within the short time-window conferring breeding success. 3. The spread of these new migration routines coincided with a strong increase of overall numbers and the exploitation of new spring staging resources in the Wadden Sea. Counts from Estonia demonstrate that numbers have levelled off recently at the Baltic staging sites, suggesting that the capacity of these staging sites in spring has been reached. Although onset of spring affects migratory timing in barnacle geese, it cannot explain the observed delay in departure from the wintering grounds. 4. We hypothesize that the new migratory strategy has evolved in response to increased competition for food at spring staging sites in the Baltic. According to an analytical model of optimal migration, the geese should skip the Baltic whenever the energy deposition rate falls below 88% of the Wadden Sea value.

Anatidae

Bird migration

Baltic sea

10.1111/j.1365-2656.2008.01485.x

Cite

Citations (93)

From northern Europe to Ethiopia: long-distance migration of Common Cranes (Grus grus)

Ornis Fennica (2020)

Ivar Ojaste Aivar Leito Petri Suorsa Anders Hedenström Kalev Sepp

The majority of Common Cranes (Grus grus) breeding in northern Europe are short- to medium-distance migrants that overwinter in southern Europe, northern Africa, and the Middle East. However, some individuals migrate longer distances to as far as Ethiopia. Using data from 18 satellite-tracked juvenile Common Cranes, we assessed (1) the length and landscape composition of the migratory routes used and (2) the behaviour of neighbouring Finnish and Estonian (500 km apart in the north-south direction) sub-populations. Our results show that Common Cranes mainly use the East European flyway to reach the wintering grounds in Ethiopia, yet some individual cranes may alternatively use the Baltic-Hungarian migration route. Neither duration nor the number of stopovers used influenced the flight distances of the cranes. Further, 7–19 days of refuelling enabled the cranes to cover long flight distances, from 2,420 to 5,110 km in 6–15 days, without the need for settling down at potential stopovers on the route.

Grus (genus)

Flyway

10.51812/of.133962

Cite

Citations (19)

Spring numbers and distribution of Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis staging in Estonia

Wildfowl (1991)

Aivar Leito Olav Renno Andres Kuresoo

Between 1964-89, numbers of spring-staging Barnacle Goose in Estonia increased from 11,000 to 57,000. At the same time the numbers of sites used rose from 20 to 100 and several new staging areas were formed. Due to increasing numbers of geese, damage to arable land was observed in western Estonia at the beginning of the 1980s. We suggest that the capacity of natural Barnacle Goose feeding habitats in western Estonia is approximately 30,000 birds.

Arable land

Source

Cite

Citations (3)

Nest site selection of the Eurasian Crane Grus grus in Estonia: an analysis of nest record cards

Aivar Leito Ivar Ojaste Jaak Truu Anneli Palo

We describe in detail the nesting habitats of the Eurasian Crane in Estonia and explore relationships between different habitat characteristics and nesting success. We analysed all 161 reported Eurasian Crane nest finds in Estonia. We found that the cranes favorite nesting habitats are different types of mire (71% of all nests), especially fens (44%). We conclude that, despite the fact that the Eurasian Crane breeds in different habitats, nesting sites include the same or similar structural elements (vegetation types, plant species and communities and elements of micro-relief). We found that the date of the beginning of egg laying is significantly related to the size of the nesting habitat and that the annual mean date of the beginning of egg laying in Estonia has advanced considerably during the period 1901 to 2001. We also discovered a significant relation between the distance of neighbouring nests (population density) and the brood size and a negative effect of human activity on nesting success.

Grus (genus)

Nesting (process)

Source

Cite

Citations (14)

Changes in distribution and numbers of the breeding population of the Common Crane Grus grus in Estonia

Aivar Leito Jaak Truu Agu Leivits Ivar Ojaste

Grus (genus)

Source

Cite

Citations (10)