Bird species assemblages differ, while functional richness is maintained across an urban landscape

2021 ◽  
Vol 212 ◽  
pp. 104094
Author(s):  
Monicah Mbiba ◽  
Cynthia Mazhude ◽  
Christo Fabricius ◽  
Hervé Fritz ◽  
Justice Muvengwi
Keyword(s):  
Urban Landscape ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Species Assemblages ◽  
Functional Richness

scholarly journals Rare species contribute disproportionately to the functional structure of species assemblages

2016 ◽  
Vol 283 (1828) ◽  
pp. 20160084 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael P. Leitão ◽  
Jansen Zuanon ◽  
Sébastien Villéger ◽  
Stephen E. Williams ◽  
Christopher Baraloto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rare Species ◽  
Functional Structure ◽  
Species Assemblages ◽  
Tropical Species ◽  
Species Extinction ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Functional Richness ◽  
Environmental Transitions ◽  
Habitat Breadth ◽  
Species Rarity

There is broad consensus that the diversity of functional traits within species assemblages drives several ecological processes. It is also widely recognized that rare species are the first to become extinct following human-induced disturbances. Surprisingly, however, the functional importance of rare species is still poorly understood, particularly in tropical species-rich assemblages where the majority of species are rare, and the rate of species extinction can be high. Here, we investigated the consequences of local and regional extinctions on the functional structure of species assemblages. We used three extensive datasets (stream fish from the Brazilian Amazon, rainforest trees from French Guiana, and birds from the Australian Wet Tropics) and built an integrative measure of species rarity versus commonness, combining local abundance, geographical range, and habitat breadth. Using different scenarios of species loss, we found a disproportionate impact of rare species extinction for the three groups, with significant reductions in levels of functional richness, specialization, and originality of assemblages, which may severely undermine the integrity of ecological processes. The whole breadth of functional abilities within species assemblages, which is disproportionately supported by rare species, is certainly critical in maintaining ecosystems particularly under the ongoing rapid environmental transitions.

scholarly journals Natural disturbance regimes as templates for the response of bird species assemblages to contemporary forest management

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 385-399 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Drapeau ◽  
Marc-André Villard ◽  
Alain Leduc ◽  
Susan J. Hannon
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Natural Disturbance ◽  
Species Assemblages ◽  
Disturbance Regimes

scholarly journals Bird assemblages on a Mediterranean sandy beach: a yearly study

2015 ◽  
Vol 84 (1) ◽  
pp. 23
Author(s):  
Corrado Battisti
Keyword(s):  
Sandy Beach ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Species Assemblages ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Yearly Cycle ◽  
Bird Assemblages ◽  
Margalef Index ◽  
Trophic Resources

Around the 2007 yearly cycle, we carried out a transect in a Mediterranean sandy beach (central Italy), a structurally oversimplified ecosystem, elaborating the data in six bimonthly periods and in three longitudinal habitat types. We observed 25 bird species. Assemblages appear heterogeneous at taxonomic-, phenological- and ecological-level. Also normalizing (Margalef index), in winter the beach hosted the richest assemblage, in summer-autumn the lowest. The inner dunal area appears the richest habitat type. Here, the presence of vegetation presumably permits the occurrence of a large availability of different trophic resources for different species. Beaches represent patchy ecosystems with a different availability of resources in space and time that host heterogeneous bird assemblages, different in their ecology and phenology around a yearly cycle.

scholarly journals Contrasting spatial patterns of taxonomic and functional richness offer insights into potential loss of ecosystem services

2009 ◽  
Vol 364 (1524) ◽  
pp. 1683-1692 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graeme S. Cumming ◽  
Matthew F. Child
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Functional Groups ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Taxonomic Diversity ◽  
Taxonomic Richness ◽  
Response Diversity ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Functional Richness ◽  
Species Area

Functional and trophic perspectives on patterns of species occurrences have the potential to offer new and interesting insights into a range of spatially explicit problems in ecology and conservation. We present the function–area relationship (FAR) and explore linkages between functional and taxonomic species richness for South African birds. We first used beak morphology to classify a subset of 151 South African bird species into 18 functional groups and calculated both the species–area relationship and the FAR at quarter-degree resolution for South Africa. The relationship between functional and taxonomic richness by cell was quadratic rather than linear, with considerable scatter around the curve. We next looked at the spatial relationships between taxonomic diversity and response diversity (i.e. diversity within functional groups) using an a priori categorization of nearly all South African birds into nine functional groups. The spatial distribution of response richness also showed considerable variation in relation to taxonomic richness. Our results demonstrate a novel approach to linking taxonomic, functional and trophic patterns in space and suggest a way in which conservation planning, which has traditionally had a taxonomic focus, could formally incorporate a more functional and food-web-based approach.

scholarly journals Replicated, Urban-Driven Exposure to Metal Pollutants in Two Passerines

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marion Chatelain ◽  
Arnaud Da Silva ◽  
Marta Celej ◽  
Eliza Kurek ◽  
Ewa Bulska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Metal Pollution ◽  
Evolutionary Ecology ◽  
Urban Landscape ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Parus Major ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Tree Cover ◽  
Genotypic Differences ◽  
Cyanistes Caeruleus ◽  
Copper Zinc

Abstract While there are increasing examples of phenotypic and genotypic differences between urban and non-urban populations of plants and animals, few studies identified the mechanisms explaining those dissimilarities. The characterization of the urban landscape, which can only be achieved by measuring variability in relevant environmental factors within and between cities, is a keystone prerequisite to understand the effects of urbanization on wildlife. Here, we measured variation in bird exposure to metal pollution within 8 replicated urbanization gradients and within 2 flagship bird species in urban evolutionary ecology: the blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) and the great tit (Parus major). We report on a highly significant, positive linear relationship between the magnitude of urbanization – inferred as either tree cover, impervious surface cover, or an urbanization score computed from several environmental variables, and copper, zinc and lead concentrations in bird feathers. The reverse relationship was measured in the case of Hg while Cd and As did not vary in response to the urbanization level. This result, replicated across multiple cities and two passerine species, strongly suggests that urban metal pollution is likely to trigger the emergence of parallel responses at the phenotypic and/or genotypic level between urban environments worldwide.

scholarly journals Replicated, urban-driven exposure to metallic trace elements in two passerines

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marion Chatelain ◽  
Arnaud Da Silva ◽  
Marta Celej ◽  
Eliza Kurek ◽  
Ewa Bulska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Ecology ◽  
Urban Landscape ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Parus Major ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Tree Cover ◽  
Genotypic Differences ◽  
Cyanistes Caeruleus ◽  
Copper Zinc ◽  
Impervious Surface Cover

AbstractWhile there are increasing examples of phenotypic and genotypic differences between urban and non-urban populations of plants and animals, few studies identified the mechanisms explaining those dissimilarities. The characterization of the urban landscape, which can only be achieved by measuring variability in relevant environmental factors within and between cities, is a keystone prerequisite to understand the effects of urbanization on wildlife. Here, we measured variation in bird exposure to metal pollution within 8 replicated urbanization gradients and within 2 flagship bird species in urban evolutionary ecology: the blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) and the great tit (Parus major). We report on a highly significant, positive linear relationship between the magnitude of urbanization—inferred as either tree cover, impervious surface cover, or an urbanization score computed from several environmental variables, and copper, zinc and lead concentrations in bird feathers. The reverse relationship was measured in the case of mercury, while cadmium and arsenic did not vary in response to the urbanization level. This result, replicated across multiple cities and two passerine species, strongly suggests that copper, zinc, lead and mercury pollution is likely to trigger the emergence of parallel responses at the phenotypic and/or genotypic level between urban environments worldwide.

Life on Wings

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (CHI PLAY) ◽  
pp. 1-28
Author(s):  
Prasad Sandbhor ◽  
Priti Bangal ◽  
Deepti Aggarwal ◽  
Rohit Ashok Khot
Keyword(s):  
Urban Environment ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Urban Landscape ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
First Person ◽  
Board Game ◽  
Urban Birds ◽  
Design Decisions ◽  
Person Perspective ◽  
First Person Perspective

This paper presents a novel board game called Life on Wings, designed to create an experience and awareness about the life of birds in an urban landscape. The game lets users experience the life of six tropical urban birds across three seasons of a year. By performing different activities of birds, players learn about the challenges that an ever-changing urban environment creates for bird species. We reflect on our design process and describe the key design decisions that led to the development of our game. We also present insights of a playtesting session that was conducted with 11 participants to evaluate the design aspects of the game. Based on the study insights we present three implications on collaboration over competition, local game movement and longitudinal first-person perspective. Through this work, we aim to inspire more playful explorations on human-wildlife cohabitation.

scholarly journals The roles of history and habitat area in the distribution and composition of avian species assemblages in the highlands of Costa Rica

2011 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 421-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gilbert Barrantes ◽  
Mariel Yglesias ◽  
Eric J. Fuchs
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Costa Rica ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Climatic Changes ◽  
Costa Rican ◽  
Species Assemblages ◽  
Differential Migration ◽  
High Mountains ◽  
Extinction Model ◽  
Highland Vegetation

Abstract:Bird species assemblages in isolated Neotropical highland mountains have been moulded by the drastic climatic changes that occurred in late Pleistocene. Palynological evidence indicates that after the Pleistocene the highlands of Costa Rica and western Panama became isolated as climate turned gradually more tropical and highland vegetation retreated to the upper elevations of high mountains, forming highland islands. We surveyed birds at 10 representative sites throughout the Costa Rican highlands in order to determine the species composition of highland endemic assemblages. The area of available highland habitat explains 77% of the variance in species richness of the 36 highland endemics across highland islands, and the composition of these species assemblages have a nested distribution, rather than being independent sets of species on each island. The observed nested pattern is more consistent with a differential extinction model of species assemblages, and less likely to be explained by differential migration. We conclude that the reduction of highland vegetation and the avifauna associated with it, and its subsequent confinement to the summit of high mountains, is a possible explanation for the current distribution of highland endemic species in Costa Rican highland islands.

Bird species assemblages across a rural urban gradient around Kolkata, India

2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 585-596 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shruti Sengupta ◽  
Moumita Mondal ◽  
Parthiba Basu
Keyword(s):  
Bird Species ◽  
Species Assemblages ◽  
Urban Gradient

scholarly journals Landscape structure influences avian species diversity in tropical urban mosaics

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trymore Muderere ◽  
Amon Murwira ◽  
Paradzayi Tagwireyi ◽  
Ngoni Chiweshe
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Landscape Structure ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Urban Landscape ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Landscape Fragmentation ◽  
Avian Species ◽  
Edge Density ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Shape Complexity

AbstractIn this study, we tested whether urban landscape structure influences avian species diversity using data for Harare, Zimbabwe. Initially, we quantified landscape structure using fragmentation indices derived from a 5m resolution SPOT 5 imagery. We collected bird species data through field-based observations of birds at 35 locations occurring in five land use/land cover types. We quantified avian species diversity using Barger-Parker, Menhinick and Simpson’s Indices. Regression analysis was used to determine the nature and strength of the relationships between avian species diversity and fragmentation indices. Results indicated that woodland specialist avian species are negatively associated with landscape fragmentation, while grassland specialist and generalist avian species positively responded to patch edge density, habitat patch size and shape complexity. Overall, our results suggest that changes in landscape structure due to expansion of built-up areas in tropical urban areas may influence avian species diversity.

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