Application de la notion de niveau de perception à l’étude des peuplements d’oiseaux palustres méditerranéens

An attempt was made to characterize the communities of breeding birds in three mediterranean areas of Southern France (Languedoc wetlands, Petite Camargue and Grande Camargue). The species lists were drawn up by using the Frequency Sampling method (Echantillonnages Fréquentiels Progressifs, Blondel, 1975). Four levels of perception were considered. — The station : several variables considered to be important were tested : location and topography of the site, physiognomy and nature of vegetation. — The biotope : Correspondance Analysis enables to identify four categories of biotopes (forests, saline environments, freshwater marshes, dunes) and to understand their interrelations. — The sector : the relative geographical isolation of the Languedoc wetlands, and the many environmental changes induced by human activities in this area, can explain their lower species richness, as compared to the Grande Camargue. — The region : geographical variables were used to explain the distribution of water-birds in ten circum-mediterranean wetlands.Pages J-M. Application de la notion de niveau de perception à l’étude des peuplements d’oiseaux palustres méditerranéens. In: Revue d'Écologie (La Terre et La Vie), tome 39, n°3, 1984. pp. 297-336