Nest height of Black-billed Magpies: is it determined by human disturbance or habitat type?

1989 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 228-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manjit S. Dhindsa ◽  
Petr E. Komers ◽  
David A. Boag

The impact of human disturbance on the choice of trees in which to nest and the heights at which to place the nests by Black-billed Magpies (Pica pica) was studied by comparing nest placement in three areas: A, urban with frequent human disturbance at the nest; B, urban with occasional disturbance; and C, suburban with minimal disturbance. Magpies nested in conifers more frequently than expected, based on availability, in all three areas. Neither absolute nor relative nest height (nest height/tree height) changed over the 2 years of this study, despite frequent human disturbance. The relative nest height did not differ from that 12 years before the current study was initiated. Moreover, nest height (absolute and relative) did not change when 10 pairs renested at new sites in 1987 in area A (after their original nests failed because of a spring snowstorm) even though the original nest sites had been periodically climbed to examine nest contents. Magpies used taller trees in area B than in area A but maintained the same relative nest height, which suggests that they either nested at an optimum height in the trees for ecological reasons or placed their nests as high as they could in the urban environment. Birds in suburban area C nested in shorter trees and at relatively lower levels than those in the urban areas, probably in response to the habitat type. The relative height of magpie nests was significantly greater in urban than in suburban habitat for conifers but not for deciduous trees, this variable being relatively constant within each habitat. Thus, habitat type seemed to have the greatest influence on nest height of magpies, but human disturbance did cause magpies to change trees for renesting in the same season.

2008 ◽  
Vol 86 (7) ◽  
pp. 676-684 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanping Wang ◽  
Shuihua Chen ◽  
Pingping Jiang ◽  
Ping Ding

Although many bird species worldwide are colonizing urban environments, the ecological processes underlying the responses to urbanization remain unclear. Here we examined the responses of Black-billed Magpies ( Pica pica (L., 1758)) to urbanization across an urban–rural gradient by assessing nest locations, nest height, and available nest sites at six habitats (mountains, farmlands, riparians, urban parks, strips of street trees, building areas) in Hangzhou, China. In each habitat, we categorized used and available nest sites as urban (e.g., chimneys, antenna or cable poles, ledges, and open roofs on buildings) or natural (e.g., trees) nest sites. We found 147 magpie nests in five of the six habitats, and no nests in mountains. The use of urban nest sites by magpies differed significantly across habitats, and it increased significantly with the availability of urban nest sites along the urban gradients. Nest height of magpies differed significantly across habitats, and it increased significantly with urbanization intensity. The increase in nest height in urban environments can be attributed to the increases in human disturbance (the number of pedestrians). Our results indicate that magpies can adjust their nest characteristics in response to urbanization, and that nesting behavior shifts may aid them to adapt to urban systems.


Our Nature ◽  
1970 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-25
Author(s):  
K.C. Soni ◽  
A.N. Sharma ◽  
V.C. Soni

The nesting ecology, interspecific interaction and nesting association of the Black Ibis (Pseudibis papillosa) were studied during the 2003-2006 breeding season in 400 km2 area in and around Churu city of Rajasthan, India. Total 28 nest sites of the Black ibis were located within the study area. Majority of the nest sites were located in the heart of rural and urban area and nearby feeding sites but in rainy season the Black ibis prefers to nest in outskirt of rural and urban area. Among 28 nest sites 14 (50%) nest sites were permanent in nature while 14 (50%) were temporary in nature. Among permanent 14 nest sites, 7 (50%) were found in rural area and 7 (50%) in urban area. The similar ratio was found for temporary nesting sites. The Black ibis more frequently preferred nest on tallest available tree with highest relative density, canopy cover and DBH at nest site. The average nest tree height was 8.19±SD1.39 m above ground. The nesting tree height was found to vary from 4.81 to 13.00 m. The nest position from the ground was at an average of 6.88±SD1.19 m. The nest height varied in the range of 3.84 to 11.02 m. The average canopy cover was 5.67±SD1.11 m. The canopy cover was in the range of 3.09 to 9.73 m. Average data on DBH was also observed with an average of 0.63±SD0.18 m. The DBH noted to vary in the range of 0.43 to 1.16 m. Trees selected to nest showed significant correlation between the height and canopy cover (0.872243, p=5%), and total heights of the trees and the nest heights (0.932416, p=1%). Characteristics such as tree height, canopy cover, and nest height of the trees used for nesting once or many times were observed. All observed nests of the ibis were found to locate on the third sub-branch of the trees. Nest placement on the sub-branch of the tree was found with an average of 2.85±SD 0.32 m from the end of the trunk. The numbers of flight pathways at each nest site were also counted and it was found with an average of 2.71±SD 0.7 and it varied in the range of 1 to 4. The Black Ibis nests singly, usually high in a tree such as a peepal or neem, nearly always occupying an old nest of a bird of prey, a vulture or a crow or a kite. Often the tree is very close to human habitation. Nests are often used annually in spite of nest failures due to harassment by House and Jungle Crows.DOI: 10.3126/on.v8i1.4307


2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 116-123
Author(s):  
A. P. Korzh ◽  
T. V. Zahovalko

Recently, the number of published works devoted to the processes of synanthropization of fauna, is growing like an avalanche, which indicates the extreme urgency of this theme. In our view, the process of forming devices to coexist with human and the results of his life reflects the general tandency of the modern nature evolution. Urbanization is characteristic for such a specific group of animals like amphibians, the evidence of which are numerous literature data. Many researchers use this group to assess the bioindicative quality of the environment. For this aim a variety of indicators are used: from the cellular level of life of organization up to the species composition of the group in different territories. At the same time, the interpretation of the results is not always comparable for different areas and often have significantly different interpretations by experts. Urban environment, primarily due to the contamination is extremely aggressive to amphibians. As a consequence, the urban populations of amphibians may be a change in the demographic structure, affecting the reproductive ability of the population, the disappearance of the most sensitive species or individuals, resizing animals, the appearance of abnormalities in the development, etc. At the same time play an important amphibians in the ecosystems of cities, and some species in these conditions even feel relatively comfortable. Therefore, it is interesting to understand the mechanisms of self-sustaining populations of amphibians in urban environments. To assess the impact of natural and anthropogenic factors on the development of amphibian populations were used cognitive modeling using the program Vensim PLE. Cognitive map of the model for urban and suburban habitat conditions were the same. The differences concerned the strength of connections between individual factors (migration, fertility, pollution) and their orientation. In general, factors like pollution, parasites, predators had negative impact on the population, reducing its number. The birth rate, food and migration contributed to raising number of individuals. Some of the factors affected on the strength to of each other as well: the majority of the factors affected the structure of the population, had an influence on the fertility. Thanks to it the model reflects the additive effect of complex of factors on the subsequent status of the population. Proposed and analyzed four scenarios differing strength and duration of exposure. In the first scenario, a one-time contamination occurs and not subsequently repeated. The second and third scenario assumes half board contamination, 1 year (2 scenario) and two years (scenario 3). In the fourth scenario, the pollution affected the population of amphibians constantly. In accordance with the results of simulation, much weaker than the natural populations respond to pollution - have them as an intensive population growth and its disappearance at constant pollution is slow. Changes to other parameters of the model showed that this pollution is the decisive factor -only the constant action leads to a lethal outcome for the populations. All other components of the model have a corrective effect on the population dynamics, without changing its underlying trand. In urban areas due to the heavy impact of pollution maintaining the population is only possible thanks to the migration process – the constant replenishment of diminishing micropopulations of natural reserves. This confirms the assumption that the form of existence metapopulations lake frog in the city. In order to maintain the number of amphibians in urban areas at a high level it is necessary to maintain existing migration routes and the creation of new ones. Insular nature of the placement of suitable habitats in urban areas causes the metapopulation structure of the types of urbanists. Therefore, the process of urbanization is much easier for those species whicht are capable of migration in conditions of city. In the initial stages of settling the city micropopulationis formed by selective mortality of the most susceptible individuals to adverse effects. In future, maintaining the categories of individuals is provided mainly due to migration processes metapopulisation form of the species of existence is supported). It should be noted that the changes in the previous levels are always saved in future. In the case of reorganizations of individuals we of morphology can assume the existence of extremely adverse environmental conditions that threaten the extinction of the micropopulations. 


Author(s):  
Kalaichelvi Sivaraman ◽  
Rengasamy Stalin

This research paper is the part of Research Project entitled “Impact of Elected Women Representatives in the Life and Livelihood of the Women in Rural Areas: With Special Reference to Tiruvannamalai District, Tamil Nadu” funded by University of Madras under UGC-UPE Scheme.The 73rd and 74th amendments of the Constitution of India were made by the government to strengthen the position of women and to create a local-level legal foundation for direct democracy for women in both rural and urban areas. The representation for women in local bodies through reservation policies amendment in Constitution of India has stimulated the political participation of women in rural areas. However, when it’s comes to the argument of whether the women reservation in Panchayati Raj helps or benefits to the life and livelihood development of women as a group? The answer is hypothetical because the studies related to the impact of women representatives of Panchayati Raj in the life and livelihood development of women was very less. Therefore, to fill the gap in existing literature, the present study was conducted among the rural women of Tiruvannamalai district to assess the impact of elected women representatives in the physical and financial and business development of the women in rural areas. The findings revealed that during the last five years because of the women representation in their village Panjayati Raj, the Physical Asset of the rural women were increased or developed moderately (55.8%) and Highly (23.4%) and the Financial and Business Asset of the rural women were increased or developed moderately (60.4%) and Highly (18.7%).


Author(s):  
Thomas Brodie

This chapter analyses the impact exerted on the Catholic Church’s pastoral networks in Germany by the mass evacuation of laypeople from bombed urban areas as of 1941. Drawing on the voluminous correspondence of priests and curates despatched from the Rhineland and Westphalia to Saxony, Thuringia, Silesia, Austria, and elsewhere to minister to Catholic evacuees, this chapter provides in-depth analysis of the social and cultural histories of religious practice in wartime Germany. It demonstrates that the evacuation of laypeople—a topic long neglected within histories of wartime religious practice—exerted a profound influence on pastoral practice by the years 1943–5, placing unprecedented pressures on the Catholic clergy of the dioceses central to this study (Aachen, Cologne and Münster). This chapter therefore also casts new light on regionalism in Germany during the Nazi era.


Horticulturae ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 82
Author(s):  
Amandeep Kaur ◽  
Louise Ferguson ◽  
Niels Maness ◽  
Becky Carroll ◽  
William Reid ◽  
...  

Pecan is native to the United States. The US is the world’s largest pecan producer with an average yearly production of 250 to 300 million pounds; 80 percent of the world’s supply. Georgia, New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma, California, Louisiana, and Florida are the major US pecan producing states. Pecan trees frequently suffer from spring freeze at bud break and bloom as the buds are quite sensitive to freeze damage. This leads to poor flower and nut production. This review focuses on the impact of spring freeze during bud differentiation and flower development. Spring freeze kills the primary terminal buds, the pecan tree has a second chance for growth and flowering through secondary buds. Unfortunately, secondary buds have less bloom potential than primary buds and nut yield is reduced. Spring freeze damage depends on severity of the freeze, bud growth stage, cultivar type and tree age, tree height and tree vigor. This review discusses the impact of temperature on structure and function of male and female reproductive organs. It also summarizes carbohydrate relations as another factor that may play an important role in spring growth and transition of primary and secondary buds to flowers.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 3927
Author(s):  
Akkelies van Nes

This contribution demonstrates how inner ring roads change the location pattern of shops in urban areas with the application of the space syntax method. A market rational behaviour persists, in that shop owners always search for an optimal location to reach as many customers as possible. If the accessibility to this optimal location is affected by changes in a city’s road and street structure, it will affect the location pattern of shops. Initially, case studies of inner ring road projects in Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Bristol, Tampere, and Mannheim show how their realisation affect the spatial structure of the street network of these cities and the location pattern of shops. The results of the spatial integration analyses of the street and road network are discussed with reference to changes in land-use before and after the implementation of ring roads, and current space syntax theories. As the results show, how an inner ring road is connected to and the type of the street network it is imposed upon dictates the resulting location pattern of shops. Shops locate and relocate themselves along the most spatially-integrated streets. Evidence on how new road projects influence the location pattern of shops in urban centres are useful for planning sustainable city centres.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin H White ◽  
Jessi L Brown ◽  
Zachary E Ormsby

Abstract Despite the unique threats to wildlife in urban areas, many raptors have established successfully reproducing urban populations. To identify variations in raptor breeding ecology within an urban area, we compared metrics of Red-tailed Hawk reproductive attempts to landscape characteristics in Reno and Sparks, NV, USA during the 2015 and 2016 breeding seasons. We used the Apparent Nesting Success and logistic exposure methods to measure nesting success of the Red-tailed Hawks. We used generalized linear models to relate nesting success and fledge rate to habitat type, productivity to hatch date (Julian day) and hatch date to urban density. Nesting success was 86% and 83% for the respective years. Nesting success increased in grassland-agricultural and shrub habitats and decreased in riparian habitat within the urban landscape. Productivity was 2.23 and 2.03 per nest for the breeding seasons. Fledge rates were 72% and 77%, respectively, and decreased in riparian areas. Nestlings hatched earlier with increased urban density and earliest in suburban areas, following a negative quadratic curve. Nesting success and productivity for this population were high relative to others in North America. Productivity increased in habitats where ground prey was more accessible. We suggest that suburban areas, if not frequently disturbed, provide sufficient resources to sustain Red-tailed Hawks over extended periods. As urban expansion continues in arid environments globally, we stress that researchers monitor reproductive output across the urban predator guild to elucidate patterns in population dynamics and adaptation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1485
Author(s):  
Naveen Ramachandran ◽  
Sassan Saatchi ◽  
Stefano Tebaldini ◽  
Mauro Mariotti d’Alessandro ◽  
Onkar Dikshit

Low-frequency tomographic synthetic aperture radar (TomoSAR) techniques provide an opportunity for quantifying the dynamics of dense tropical forest vertical structures. Here, we compare the performance of different TomoSAR processing, Back-projection (BP), Capon beamforming (CB), and MUltiple SIgnal Classification (MUSIC), and compensation techniques for estimating forest height (FH) and forest vertical profile from the backscattered echoes. The study also examines how polarimetric measurements in linear, compact, hybrid, and dual circular modes influence parameter estimation. The tomographic analysis was carried out using P-band data acquired over the Paracou study site in French Guiana, and the quantitative evaluation was performed using LiDAR-based canopy height measurements taken during the 2009 TropiSAR campaign. Our results show that the relative root mean squared error (RMSE) of height was less than 10%, with negligible systematic errors across the range, with Capon and MUSIC performing better for height estimates. Radiometric compensation, such as slope correction, does not improve tree height estimation. Further, we compare and analyze the impact of the compensation approach on forest vertical profiles and tomographic metrics and the integrated backscattered power. It is observed that radiometric compensation increases the backscatter values of the vertical profile with a slight shift in local maxima of the canopy layer for both the Capon and the MUSIC estimators. Our results suggest that applying the proper processing and compensation techniques on P-band TomoSAR observations from space will allow the monitoring of forest vertical structure and biomass dynamics.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 525
Author(s):  
Yann Forget ◽  
Michal Shimoni ◽  
Marius Gilbert ◽  
Catherine Linard

By 2050, half of the net increase in the world’s population is expected to reside in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), driving high urbanization rates and drastic land cover changes. However, the data-scarce environment of SSA limits our understanding of the urban dynamics in the region. In this context, Earth Observation (EO) is an opportunity to gather accurate and up-to-date spatial information on urban extents. During the last decade, the adoption of open-access policies by major EO programs (CBERS, Landsat, Sentinel) has allowed the production of several global high resolution (10–30 m) maps of human settlements. However, mapping accuracies in SSA are usually lower, limited by the lack of reference datasets to support the training and the validation of the classification models. Here we propose a mapping approach based on multi-sensor satellite imagery (Landsat, Sentinel-1, Envisat, ERS) and volunteered geographic information (OpenStreetMap) to solve the challenges of urban remote sensing in SSA. The proposed mapping approach is assessed in 17 case studies for an average F1-score of 0.93, and applied in 45 urban areas of SSA to produce a dataset of urban expansion from 1995 to 2015. Across the case studies, built-up areas averaged a compound annual growth rate of 5.5% between 1995 and 2015. The comparison with local population dynamics reveals the heterogeneity of urban dynamics in SSA. Overall, population densities in built-up areas are decreasing. However, the impact of population growth on urban expansion differs depending on the size of the urban area and its income class.


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