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Non-uniform bird assemblages in urban environments : the influence of streetscape vegetation

journal contribution
posted on 2005-03-28, 00:00 authored by John WhiteJohn White, Mark Antos, James FitzsimonsJames Fitzsimons, Grant Palmer
The urban landscape encompasses a broad spectrum of variable environments ranging from remnant patches to highly modified streetscapes. Despite the expansion of urban environments, few studies have examined the influence of urbanization on faunal diversity, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere. In this study, four broad habitat types were recognized in the urban environment, representing a continuum of modification ranging from parks with remnant vegetation to streetscapes dominated by native vegetation and those dominated by exotic vegetation to recently developed streetscapes. Bird censuses were conducted at 36 sites throughout urban Melbourne, with nine sites surveyed in each habitat type. The four habitat types supported significantly different bird communities based on species richness, abundance and composition suggesting that bird assemblages of urban environments are non-uniform. Parks and native streetscapes generally supported fewer introduced species than exotic and recently developed streetscapes. Overall abundance and richness of species were lower in the exotic and recently developed streetscapes than in parks and native streetscapes. Significant differences were also observed in foraging guilds within the four habitat types, with parks having the most foraging guilds and recently developed streetscapes having the fewest. The transition from native to exotic streetscapes saw the progressive loss of insectivorous and nectarivorous species reflecting a reliance by these species on structurally diverse and/or native vegetation for both shelter and food resources. The implementation of effective strategies and incentives which encourage the planting of structurally diverse native vegetation in streetscapes and gardens should be paramount if avian biodiversity is to be retained and enhanced in urban environments. It is also critical to encourage the maintenance of the existing remnant vegetation in the urban environment.

History

Journal

Landscape and urban planning

Volume

71

Issue

2-4

Pagination

123 - 135

Publisher

Elsevier BV

Location

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

ISSN

0169-2046

eISSN

1872-6062

Language

eng

Notes

To obtain full text, please contact the author at jfitzsimons@tnc.org

Publication classification

C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Copyright notice

2004, Elsevier B.V.