Innovation and geographic spread of a complex foraging culture in an urban parrot

Science ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 373 (6553) ◽  
pp. 456-460
Author(s):  
Barbara C. Klump ◽  
John M. Martin ◽  
Sonja Wild ◽  
Jana K. Hörsch ◽  
Richard E. Major ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Environments ◽  
Household Waste ◽  
Anthropogenic Change ◽  
Adaptive Responses ◽  
Direct Observations ◽  
Geographic Spread ◽  
Spatial Network Analysis ◽  
Community Science ◽  
Learning Analysis ◽  
Sydney Australia

The emergence, spread, and establishment of innovations within cultures can promote adaptive responses to anthropogenic change. We describe a putative case of the development of a cultural adaptation to urban environments: opening of household waste bins by wild sulphur-crested cockatoos. A spatial network analysis of community science reports revealed the geographic spread of bin opening from three suburbs to 44 in Sydney, Australia, by means of social learning. Analysis of 160 direct observations revealed individual styles and site-specific differences. We describe a full pathway from the spread of innovation to emergence of geographic variation, evidencing foraging cultures in parrots and indicating the existence of cultural complexity in parrots. Bin opening is directly linked to human-provided opportunities, highlighting the potential for culture to facilitate behavioral responses to anthropogenic change.

scholarly journals Advancement in long-distance bird migration through individual plasticity in departure

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesse R. Conklin ◽  
Simeon Lisovski ◽  
Phil F. Battley
Keyword(s):  
Bird Migration ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Breeding Site ◽  
Environmental Constraints ◽  
Adaptive Responses ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Direct Observations ◽  
Breeding Resources ◽  
Plastic Responses

AbstractGlobally, bird migration is occurring earlier in the year, consistent with climate-related changes in breeding resources. Although often attributed to phenotypic plasticity, there is no clear demonstration of long-term population advancement in avian migration through individual plasticity. Using direct observations of bar-tailed godwits (Limosa lapponica) departing New Zealand on a 16,000-km journey to Alaska, we show that migration advanced by six days during 2008–2020, and that within-individual advancement was sufficient to explain this population-level change. However, in individuals tracked for the entire migration (50 total tracks of 36 individuals), earlier departure did not lead to earlier arrival or breeding in Alaska, due to prolonged stopovers in Asia. Moreover, changes in breeding-site phenology varied across Alaska, but were not reflected in within-population differences in advancement of migratory departure. We demonstrate that plastic responses can drive population-level changes in timing of long-distance migration, but also that behavioral and environmental constraints en route may yet limit adaptive responses to global change.

scholarly journals Adaptations of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) to urban environments in Sydney, Australia

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Margarita Gil-Fernández ◽  
Robert Harcourt ◽  
Thomas Newsome ◽  
Alison Towerton ◽  
Alexandra Carthey
Keyword(s):  
Urban Areas ◽  
Vulpes Vulpes ◽  
Red Fox ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Canis Lupus Familiaris ◽  
Red Foxes ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Sydney Australia ◽  
Site Types

Abstract With urban encroachment on wild landscapes accelerating globally, there is an urgent need to understand how wildlife is adapting to anthropogenic change. We compared the behaviour of the invasive red fox (Vulpes vulpes) at eight urban and eight peri-urban areas of Sydney, Australia. We observed fox behaviour around a lure and compared fox activity patterns to those of potential prey and to two domestic predators (dogs—Canis lupus familiaris and cats—Felis catus). We assessed the influence of site type, vegetation cover, and distance from habitation on fox behaviour, and compared the temporal activity patterns of urban and peri-urban red foxes. Urban red foxes were marginally more nocturnal than those in peri-urban areas (88% activity overlap). There was greater overlap of red fox activity patterns with introduced mammalian prey in urban areas compared with peri-urban areas (90% urban vs 84% peri-urban). Red fox temporal activity overlapped 78% with cats, but only 20% with dogs, across both site types. The high degree of overlap with cats and introduced mammalian prey is most likely explained by the nocturnal behaviour of these species, while pet dogs are generally kept in yards or indoors at night. The behavioural differences we documented by urban red foxes suggest they may adapt to human modifications and presence, by being more nocturnal and/or more confident in urban areas.

scholarly journals Evaluation of shade profiles while walking in urban environments: A case study from inner suburban Sydney, Australia

2020 ◽  
Vol 177 ◽  
pp. 106873 ◽  
Author(s):  
Damien P. Igoe ◽  
Nathan J. Downs ◽  
Alfio V. Parisi ◽  
Abdurazaq Amar
Keyword(s):  
Urban Environments ◽  
Sydney Australia

scholarly journals Underutilised Resources in Urban Environments

Resources ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sigrid Kusch-Brandt
Keyword(s):  
Circular Economy ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Essential Elements ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Household Waste ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Positive Role ◽  
Regulatory Frameworks ◽  
Sound Management

An important opportunity for more sustainable development pathways in an urbanising world is missed where resources remain underutilised, when they could be valorised in a sound and environmentally favourable mode. This Special Issue of the journal Resources was initiated to identify promising solutions and specific challenges in the context of underutilised resources in urban environments. The compiled contributions address two main areas, namely the establishment of circular economy schemes based on valorising wastes that occur in urban areas and the exploitation of renewable energies. Circular economy and renewable resources hold key potential for making cities more sustainable, and the authors of this Special Issue, with their publications, enhance our understanding of how to unlock this potential. Effective regulatory frameworks and policymaking processes which balance the powers between stakeholders are required to successfully manage energy transition and the transition to more circular economies. The positive role of community engagement merits high attention. To recover valuable resources from household waste, a focus on technology and infrastructure is required but is not enough; motivational factors and knowledge of citizens are most essential elements. It also becomes evident that the need to more reliably quantify and better characterise recyclable material streams, especially where population numbers are further growing, remains. The publications compiled in this Special Issue are a rich source to identify promising solutions, challenges and research needed for the sound management of urban resource demands.

scholarly journals Cat Gets Its Tern: A Case Study of Predation on a Threatened Coastal Seabird

Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire N. Greenwell ◽  
Michael C. Calver ◽  
Neil R. Loneragan
Keyword(s):  
Strong Evidence ◽  
Species Conservation ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Direct Observations ◽  
Prey Behavior ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Wildlife Cameras ◽  
Considerable Loss

Domestic cats have a cosmopolitan distribution, commonly residing in urban, suburban and peri-urban environments that are also critical for biodiversity conservation. This study describes the impact of a desexed, free-roaming cat on the behavior of a threatened coastal seabird, the Australian Fairy Tern, Sternula nereis nereis, in Mandurah, south-western Australia. Wildlife cameras and direct observations of cat incursions into the tern colony at night, decapitated carcasses of adult terns, dead, injured or missing tern chicks, and cat tracks and scats around the colony provided strong evidence of cat predation, which led to an initial change in nesting behavior and, ultimately, colony abandonment and the reproductive failure of 111 nests. The death of six breeding terns from the population was a considerable loss for this threatened species and had the potential to limit population growth. This study highlights the significant negative impacts of free-roaming cats on wildlife and the need for monitoring and controlling cats at sites managed for species conservation. It also provides strong evidence against the practice of trap-neuter-release programs and demonstrates that desexed cats can continue to negatively impact wildlife post-release directly through predation, but also indirectly through fundamental changes in prey behavior and a reduction in parental care.

scholarly journals Adaptation to climate change through genetic accommodation and assimilation of plastic phenotypes

2019 ◽  
Vol 374 (1768) ◽  
pp. 20180176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morgan Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Adaptive Responses ◽  
Adaptation To Climate Change ◽  
Genetic Accommodation ◽  
Direct Observations ◽  
Climate Change Responses ◽  
Evolutionary Changes ◽  
Environmentally Responsive

Theory suggests that evolutionary changes in phenotypic plasticity could either hinder or facilitate evolutionary rescue in a changing climate. Nevertheless, the actual role of evolving plasticity in the responses of natural populations to climate change remains unresolved. Direct observations of evolutionary change in nature are rare, making it difficult to assess the relative contributions of changes in trait means versus changes in plasticity to climate change responses. To address this gap, this review explores several proxies that can be used to understand evolving plasticity in the context of climate change, including space for time substitutions, experimental evolution and tests for genomic divergence at environmentally responsive loci. Comparisons among populations indicate a prominent role for divergence in environmentally responsive traits in local adaptation to climatic gradients. Moreover, genomic comparisons among such populations have identified pervasive divergence in the regulatory regions of environmentally responsive loci. Taken together, these lines of evidence suggest that divergence in plasticity plays a prominent role in adaptation to climatic gradients over space, indicating that evolving plasticity is also likely to play a key role in adaptive responses to climate change through time. This suggests that genetic variation in plastic responses to the environment (G × E) might be an important predictor of species' vulnerabilities to climate-driven decline or extinction.This article is part of the theme issue ‘The role of plasticity in phenotypic adaptation to rapid environmental change’.

scholarly journals Bird fauna encountered at the main campus of the Islamic University of Gaza, Gaza City, Palestine

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 604-614
Author(s):  
ABDEL FATTAH N. ABD RABOU
Keyword(s):  
Gaza Strip ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Bird Diversity ◽  
Main Campus ◽  
Wildlife Species ◽  
Direct Observations ◽  
Bird Fauna ◽  
The Gaza Strip

Abstract. Abd Rabou AN. 2019. Bird fauna encountered at the main campus of the Islamic University of Gaza, Gaza City, Palestine. Biodiversitas 20: 604-614. Birds are the most prominent and widespread wildlife species of both natural and urban environments worldwide. The strategic geographic position of Palestine at the meeting point of the three continents; Asia, Africa and Europe, is very crucial for the country's bird diversity. The Gaza Strip has never been studied for bird fauna in its urban environments. Thus, the current study comes to survey the bird fauna at the main campus (82,000 m2) of the Islamic University of Gaza (MC-IUG) as an urban environment. Birds were monitored using direct observations and binoculars for the lasted five years. Bird guidebooks and professional cameras were used throughout the succeeding stages of the study. A total number of 56 bird species, belonging to 26 families and 11 orders were encountered throughout the study at MC-IUG. Passeriformes was the largest order and comprised 35 (62.5%) of the recorded bird species, while the non-passerines constitute the remaining 21 species (37.5%). Muscicapidae was the largest among the recorded families, which was represented by 9 species (16.1%), followed by 8 species of Fringillidae (14.3%) and 5 species of Laniidae (8.9%). Finally, the greening strategy of the Gaza Strip should be adopted by Gazans and the local authorities due to the crucial role of vegetation cover in attracting more biodiversity components; especially bird fauna.

scholarly journals A herpetological survey of Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary

Check List ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-38
Author(s):  
Dillon Jones ◽  
Bethany Foshee ◽  
Lee Fitzgerald
Keyword(s):  
Survey Methods ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Urban Setting ◽  
Natural Areas ◽  
Audubon Society ◽  
Surrounding Areas ◽  
Community Science

Urban herpetology deals with the interaction of amphibians and reptiles with each other and their environment in an urban setting. As such, well-preserved natural areas within urban environments can be important tools for conservation. Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary is an 18-acre wooded sanctuary located west of downtown Houston, Texas and is the headquarters to Houston Audubon Society. This study compared iNaturalist data with results from visual encounter surveys and aquatic funnel traps. Results from these two sources showed 24 species belonging to 12 families and 17 genera of herpetofauna inhabit the property. However, several species common in surrounding areas were absent. Combination of data from community science and traditional survey methods allowed us to better highlight herpetofauna present in the park besides also identifying species that may be of management concern for Edith L. Moore. 

Understanding the effectiveness of measures aiming to stabilize urban mega gullies in Kinshasa

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Lutete Landu ◽  
Guy Ilombe Mawe ◽  
Charles Bielders ◽  
Fils Makanzu Imwangana ◽  
Olivier Dewitte ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Waste Material ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Household Waste ◽  
Sudden Expansion ◽  
Tropical Environments ◽  
Retention Ponds ◽  
High Resolution Imagery ◽  
Long Time

<p>Kinshasa, the capital of the D.R. Congo, is strongly affected by urban mega gullies. There are currently hundreds of such gullies, having a total length of >100 km. Many of these gullies (typically tens of meters wide and deep) continue to expand, causing major damage to houses and other infrastructure and often claiming human casualties. To mitigate these impacts numerous efforts are being implemented. The type and scale of these measures varies widely: from large structural measures like retention ponds to local initiatives of stabilizing gully heads with waste material. Nonetheless, earlier work indicates that an estimated 50% of the existing urban gullies continue to expand, despite the implementation of such measures. As such, we currently have very limited insight into the effectiveness of these measures and the overall best strategies to prevent and mitigate urban gullies. One reason for this is that gully erosion is typically very episodic with long periods of stability, followed by sudden expansion events. As a result, understanding the dynamics of gully expansion in urban environments requires observations over sufficiently long time periods. However, most current initiatives to stabilize urban gullies happen on a rather isolated basis and are rarely evaluated afterwards.</p><p>This work aims to improve our understanding of this issue by constructing a large inventory of measures implemented to stabilize urban gullies in Kinshasa and statistically confronting these measures with observed vegetation recovery and long-term gully expansion rates (derived from high-resolution imagery over a period of >10 years). Our preliminary results (based on a dataset of > 140 urban gullies) shows that the most commonly applied measures are revegetation and reinforcement of gully heads with sandbags or household waste material (implemented in around 50% of the cases). Also retention ponds and water storage tanks are frequently implemented (around 30% of the cases). Surprisingly, our results indicate that urban gullies with higher expansion rates tend to have more measures implemented in their upstream catchment. While this seems counterintuitive, it may point to the fact that more actively retreating gullies create a larger sense of urgency and therefore instigates a higher number of (often ineffective) initiatives. More research is needed to confirm this. Furthermore, the stability of gullies seems to be strongly linked to vegetation cover in the gully. Nonetheless, it is not always clear if vegetation is the cause or the result of this stability. Overall, this study provides one of the first large scale assessments of the effectiveness of gully control measures in urban tropical environments. With this study, we hope to contribute to a better prevention and mitigation of this problem that affects many cities of the tropical Global South.</p>

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