Pulses of anthropogenic food availability appear to benefit parents, but compromise nestling growth in urban red-winged starlings

AbstractThe provision of anthropogenic food undoubtedly influences urban bird fitness. However, the nature of the impact is unclear, with both benefits and costs of urban diets documented. Moreover, the influence of short-term fluctuations in food availability, linked to urban weekday/weekend cycles of human presence, is largely unknown. We explored whether breeding red-winged starlings Onychognathus morio in Cape Town, South Africa, altered foraging and provisioning behaviour between days with high human presence (HHP) and days with low human presence (LHP)—i.e. weekdays versus weekends and vacation days. We investigated the relationship between starling diet, adult body mass and nestling development. Breeding adults consumed and provisioned the same quantity of food, but a significantly greater proportion of anthropogenic food on HHP compared to LHP days. Adults apparently benefited from the anthropogenic diet, experiencing significantly greater mass gain on HHP days. However, nestlings experienced a cost, with the number of HHP days during the nestling period associated negatively with nestling size. Adults may, therefore, benefit from the high calorie content of anthropogenic food, while nestlings may be negatively affected by nutrient limitation. The quantity of food available in urban environments may, therefore, benefit adult survival, while its quality imposes a cost to nestling growth.

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Comparative effects of mites and lice on the reproductive success of rock doves (Columba livia)

Parasitology ◽

10.1017/s0031182000063964 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 110 (2) ◽

pp. 195-206 ◽

Cited By ~ 92

Author(s):

D. H. Clayton ◽

D. M. Tompkins

Keyword(s):

Reproductive Success ◽

Body Mass ◽

Growth Rates ◽

Columba Livia ◽

Nestling Growth ◽

Adult Body Mass ◽

Evolution Of Virulence ◽

Relationship Of ◽

The Impact ◽

The Relationship

SUMMARYWe report experimental data comparing the effects of Mesostigmatid mites and Ischnoceran lice on the reproductive performance of a single group of captive rock doves (Columba livia). Several components of host reproductive success were compared for the two groups, including number of eggs laid, hatching success, nestling growth rates, fledging success, post-fledging body mass and survival. Adult body mass and survival were also compared. There was a dramatic difference in the effects of the mites and lice. The former drove host reproductive success to zero, mainly by agitating adults and causing them to incubate eggs less faithfully. Nestling growth rates and post-fledging survival were also significantly reduced by mites. Lice showed no effect on reproductive success whatsoever, even though the feather damage they cause is known to have energetic consequences (Booth, Clayton & Block, 1993). Neither parasite had a significant effect on adult birds. Although Ischnocera are found on most species of birds, our results for lice constitute the first experimental test of the impact of Ischnocera on avian reproductive success (preliminary report by Clayton & Tompkins, 1994). We discuss reasons for the different effects of mites and lice, including the relationship of horizontal (mites) and vertical (lice) transmission to the evolution of virulence.

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Understanding foraging flexibility in urban vervet monkeys, Chlorocebus pygerythrus, for the benefit of human-wildlife coexistence

Urban Ecosystems ◽

10.1007/s11252-020-01014-1 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 23 (6) ◽

pp. 1349-1357 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Harriet R. Thatcher ◽

Colleen T. Downs ◽

Nicola F. Koyama

Keyword(s):

Food Consumption ◽

Food Availability ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Urban Landscape ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Urban Environments ◽

Natural Food ◽

Vervet Monkeys ◽

Chlorocebus Pygerythrus ◽

Anthropogenic Food

Abstract Generalist wildlife species often thrive in urban environments because of increased anthropogenic resources. However, human-wildlife interactions, especially if negative, raise concerns for urban wildlife management. An enhanced understanding of wildlife behavioural flexibility has been suggested to be a key tool to provide educated and effective management strategies. We therefore investigated how availability of semi-naturally occurring food affected behavioural foraging patterns of urban vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus), a generalist primate commonly found in urban areas of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Over one year, we conducted 20 min. focal animal observations recording foraging behaviour and food consumption. We used a combination of a generalised linear model and descriptive statistics to examine the relationship between anthropogenic food consumption and semi-natural food availability. Our analyses showed that anthropogenic food consumption decreased as semi-natural food availability increased. We also showed that increased aggression from humans towards vervet monkeys decreased time spent foraging on anthropogenic food. Our study highlights how vervet monkeys have adapted to their urban landscape, showing foraging flexibility in response to available food resources and the frequency of human interactions. We suggest how our results can be applied for management recommendations, particularly controlling anthropogenic food availability and decreasing negative human-wildlife interactions.

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The impact of anthropogenic food subsidies on a generalist seabird during nestling growth

The Science of The Total Environment ◽

10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.05.485 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 687 ◽

pp. 546-553

Author(s):

Javier Lenzi ◽

Iván González-Bergonzoni ◽

Emanuel Machín ◽

Bryan Pijanowski ◽

Elizabeth Flaherty

Keyword(s):

Nestling Growth ◽

Food Subsidies ◽

The Impact ◽

Anthropogenic Food

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Urban Heat Islands and Thermal Comfort: A Case Study of Zorrotzaurre Island in Bilbao

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13116106 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (11) ◽

pp. 6106

Author(s):

Irantzu Alvarez ◽

Laura Quesada-Ganuza ◽

Estibaliz Briz ◽

Leire Garmendia

Keyword(s):

Thermal Comfort ◽

Heat Waves ◽

Urban Environments ◽

Urban Heat Islands ◽

Extreme Weather Events ◽

Climate Index ◽

Physiological Equivalent Temperature ◽

Heat Islands ◽

The North ◽

The Impact

This study assesses the impact of a heat wave on the thermal comfort of an unconstructed area: the North Zone of the Island of Zorrotzaurre (Bilbao, Spain). In this study, the impact of urban planning as proposed in the master plan on thermal comfort is modeled using the ENVI-met program. Likewise, the question of whether the urbanistic proposals are designed to create more resilient urban environments is analyzed in the face of increasingly frequent extreme weather events, especially heat waves. The study is centered on the analysis of temperature variables (air temperature and average radiant temperature) as well as wind speed and relative humidity. This was completed with the parameters of thermal comfort, the physiological equivalent temperature (PET) and the Universal Temperature Climate Index (UTCI) for the hours of the maximum and minimum daily temperatures. The results demonstrated the viability of analyzing thermal comfort through simulations with the ENVI-met program in order to analyze the behavior of urban spaces in various climate scenarios.

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Testing the Effect of Hedge Height on Perceived Safety—A Landscape Design Intervention

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13095063 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (9) ◽

pp. 5063

Author(s):

Katinka H. Evensen ◽

Helena Nordh ◽

Ramzi Hassan ◽

Aslak Fyhri

Keyword(s):

Field Study ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Landscape Design ◽

Urban Environments ◽

Space Management ◽

Perceived Safety ◽

Urban Green Spaces ◽

Outdoor Spaces ◽

Surrounding Areas ◽

The Impact

Access to safe, green urban environments is important for quality of life in cities. The objective of this study is to explore the impact of a safety-enhancing landscape design measure on visitors’ experiences in an urban park. Additionally, this paper combines the use of field and virtual reality (VR) experiments, contributing methodological insights into how to evaluate safety measures in green space management and research on perceived safety. In a field experiment (n = 266), we explored whether the height of a hedge along a pathway influenced perceived safety among users. The field study showed that cutting down the hedge improved the perceived prospect of the immediate surrounding areas for female users, which again made them feel safer in the park. We developed a VR experiment for an evening scenario in the same environment (n = 19) to supplement the field study and test the effect of the intervention further. The VR experiment also found a gender effect on perceived safety, with females reporting lower perceived safety, but no effect was shown for the height of the hedge. The results in this study show that environmental attributes such as perceived prospect and concealment should be considered in the design and management of urban green spaces. Additionally, this research demonstrates an approach to conducting field experiments to test the effects of actual design interventions and then further developing these experiments using VR technology. Further research on perceived safety in outdoor spaces is needed to make use of this combined method’s potential.

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A Review of Photocatalytic Materials for Urban NOx Remediation

Catalysts ◽

10.3390/catal11060675 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 675

Author(s):

Hugo Savill Russell ◽

Louise Bøge Frederickson ◽

Ole Hertel ◽

Thomas Ellermann ◽

Steen Solvang Jensen

Keyword(s):

Photocatalytic Oxidation ◽

Urban Air Pollution ◽

Field Trials ◽

Urban Environments ◽

Physical Parameters ◽

Nox Removal ◽

Removal Efficiencies ◽

The Impact ◽

By Products ◽

Photocatalytic Materials

NOx is a pervasive pollutant in urban environments. This review assesses the current state of the art of photocatalytic oxidation materials, designed for the abatement of nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the urban environment, and typically, but not exclusively based on titanium dioxide (TiO2). Field trials with existing commercial materials, such as paints, asphalt and concrete, in a range of environments including street canyons, car parks, tunnels, highways and open streets, are considered in-depth. Lab studies containing the most recent developments in the photocatalytic materials are also summarised, as well as studies investigating the impact of physical parameters on their efficiency. It is concluded that this technology may be useful as a part of the measures used to lower urban air pollution levels, yielding ∼2% NOx removal in the immediate area around the surface, for optimised TiO2, in some cases, but is not capable of the reported high NOx removal efficiencies >20% in outdoor urban environments, and can in some cases lower air quality by releasing hazardous by-products. However, research into new material is ongoing. The reason for the mixed results in the studies reviewed, and massive range of removal efficiencies reported (from negligible and up to >80%) is mainly the large range of testing practices used. Before deployment in individual environments site-specific testing should be performed, and new standards for lab and field testing should be developed. The longevity of the materials and their potential for producing hazardous by-products should also be considered.

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A case study of noise pollution levels during the restrictions period due to COVID-19.

INTER-NOISE and NOISE-CON Congress and Conference Proceedings ◽

10.3397/in-2021-1342 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 263 (6) ◽

pp. 206-214

Author(s):

David Montes-González ◽

Juan Miguel Barrigón-Morillas ◽

Ana Cristina Bejarano-Quintas ◽

Manuel Parejo-Pizarro ◽

Guillermo Rey-Gozalo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Noise Pollution ◽

Urban Environments ◽

Control Measures ◽

Acoustic Measurements ◽

Pollution Levels ◽

The World ◽

The Impact ◽

The City

The pandemic of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) led to the need for drastic control measures around the world to reduce the impact on the health of the population. The confinement of people in their homes resulted in a significant reduction in human activity at every level (economic, social, industrial, etc.), which was reflected in a decrease in environmental pollution levels. Studying the evolution of parameters, such as the level of environmental noise caused by vehicle traffic in urban environments, makes it possible to assess the impact of this type of measure. This paper presents a case study of the acoustic situation in Cáceres (Spain) during the restriction period by means of long-term acoustic measurements at various points of the city.

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Impact of fish cage-culture on the community structure of zooplankton in a tropical reservoir

Iheringia Série Zoologia ◽

10.1590/s0073-47212011000100011 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 101 (1-2) ◽

pp. 75-84 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Juliana D Dias ◽

Érica M Takahashi ◽

Natália F Santana ◽

Cláudia C Bonecker

Keyword(s):

Community Structure ◽

Food Availability ◽

Community Dynamics ◽

Zooplankton Community ◽

Fish Farming ◽

Spatial And Temporal Variation ◽

Cage Culture ◽

Tropical Reservoir ◽

Zooplankton Community Structure ◽

The Impact

We investigated the impact of fish cage culture on the zooplankton community structure in a tropical reservoir. We hypothesized that community abundance is greater near cages and increases over time due to the increase in food availability. Samplings were performed near, upstream and downstream from net cages, and before and after net cage installation. The abundance of zooplankton increased 15 days after the experiment was set up, followed by a reduction and finally increased. Rotifer abundance showed significant differences among sites (p<0.05) and sampling periods (p<0.001). Significant differences were also observed in total zooplankton and cladoceran abundance (p<0.001). The spatial and temporal variation of the physical and chemical variables were indirectly correlated with the structure and dynamic of the zooplankton community, as they indicated the primary production in the environment. Our hypothesis was rejected, since the zooplankton was abundant at the reference site. Only rotifers showed higher abundance near cages, due to the influence of food availability. Community dynamics during the experiment was also correlated to food availability. Our results suggest an impact of fish farming on the zooplankton community.

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FEATURES OF ASSESSMENT OF ANTHROPOGENIC LOADS ON NATURAL COMPLEXES

Construction Materials and Products ◽

10.34031/2618-7183-2019-2-5-19-24 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2 (5) ◽

pp. 19-24

Author(s):

P. Evdokimov

Keyword(s):

Urban Environment ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Anthropogenic Impact ◽

Urban Environments ◽

Anthropogenic Factors ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

Main Research ◽

Regulatory Documents ◽

Dialectical Approach ◽

The Impact

the article describes the problems of assessing the anthropogenic impact of human activity on natural com-plexes surrounding urbanized territories. Among the main research tasks are development of methodological foundations for assessing the quanti-tative and qualitative composition at anthropogenic impact on natural complexes surrounding urban areas. The main method of this research include a dialectical approach that focuses on generally accepted logi-cal research methods (analysis, systematic approach, generalization) and their synthesis using relevant in-formation materials. The author considered various methods of assessing the impact of various factors on the environment, and also carried out the examination of urban decisions related to the appointment of a category (status) the natural resources included in the urban environment in Moscow. The Russian capital is a European metropolis, the largest city-millionaire in Europe and a typical object of research to identify the effects of various anthropogenic factors. The implementation at economic activity in the metropolis is accompanied by the emergence of problems, the solution of which has not been found yet. Analysis of methods for assessing the impact at the various factors on the environment was carried out taking into account the provisions in regulatory documents governing the appointment for protected areas urban environment. Provisions of regulatory documents and decisions of executive authorities designed to use natural (forest) resources in urban environments. The absence of approved methods for assessing certain types of land plots with a protected status was identified. The main factors affecting the quality of biogeocenosis were identified. The main features of the applica-tion methods for assessing the status and possibility in recreational development in territories of varying de-grees at development are considered.

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THE IMPACT OF THE SEA EMPRESS OIL SPILL ON BIRDS OF THE PEMBROKESHIRE COAST AND ISLANDS

International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings ◽

10.7901/2169-3358-1997-1-217 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 1997 (1) ◽

pp. 217-225

Author(s):

Stephen J. Parr ◽

Robert J. Haycock ◽

Malcolm E. Smith

Keyword(s):

Oil Spill ◽

Sublethal Effects ◽

Poor Quality ◽

Adult Survival ◽

Bird Populations ◽

Seabird Colony ◽

Large Numbers ◽

International Importance ◽

Inshore Waters ◽

The Impact

ABSTRACT Much of the Pembrokeshire coast and islands, together with its inshore waters, are of international importance for their breeding seabirds and wintering seaduck. Although the Sea Empress oil spill occurred before the breeding season, some 7000 oiled birds were recovered dead or alive. The impact of the oil spill on birds can be classified as follows: immediate mortality especially of more than 4500 wintering common scoter in Carmarthen Bay; sublethal effects on productivity of colonies and reduced adult survival from oil or dispersant ingestion; and chronic effects on bird populations from long-term pollution, particularly of prey. A range of monitoring and research projects are under way to investigate the impact, but it is premature to provide many results. The oil spill probably caused significant local declines in seabird colony sizes, especially of guillemot. The impact on common scoter will prove difficult to determine because of the poor quality and high variability of preincident data. Large numbers of oiled birds, particularly common scoter, were treated and subsequently released. The successful rehabilitation of such released birds is controversial; research and review results will be reported.

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