Avian assemblage structure and domestic cat densities in urban environments

While there is intense debate regarding the impact of domestic cat populations on wildlife, its resolution is hindered by the lack of quite basic information. Domestic cats are generalist and obligate predators that receive supplementary food, and their population density reflects that of humans more than the density of their prey. In such a predator–prey system there is the potential for cat populations to have negative impacts on avian assemblages, which may be indicated by negative correlations between cat density and avian species richness and density. Here we report on the nature of such correlations across urban areas in Britain both for groups of species classified regarding their vulnerability to cat predation and individual species. Taking the availability of green space into account, we find negative relationships between cat densities and the number of bird species breeding in urban 1 km × 1 km squares. These relationships are particularly strong among groups of species that are vulnerable to cat predation. We find positive correlations between cat and avian densities; these have low explanatory power and shallow slopes among the species groups that are particularly vulnerable to cat predation. Evidence that the densities of individual species that are vulnerable to cat predation are negatively correlated with cat densities is equivocal, with at least half the species showing no marked pattern, and the remainder exhibiting contrasting patterns. Our results appear not to be confounded by the density of nest‐predating corvids (carrion crow, magpie, and jay), as the density of these species was not strongly negatively correlated with avian species richness or density. The general lack of marked negative correlations between cat and avian densities at our focal spatial scale may be a consequence of consistently high cat densities in our study areas (minimum density is 132 cats per square kilometre), and thus uniformly high impacts of cat populations on urban avian assemblages.     

Garden bird feeding predicts the structure of urban avian assemblages

Households across the developed world cumulatively spend many millions of dollars annually on feeding garden birds. While beneficial effects on avian assemblages are frequently claimed, the relationships between levels of garden bird feeding and local avian populations are unknown. Using data from a large UK city, we show that both avian species richness and abundance vary across different socioeconomic neighbourhood types. We examined whether patterns in bird feeding could explain this variation. The density of bird feeding stations across the urban environment was strongly positively related to avian abundance, after controlling for differences in habitat availability. This effect was almost exclusively driven by the abundance of those species known to utilize garden feeding stations frequently. In contrast, the density of feeding stations had no effect on avian species richness. We also examined variation in the proportion of households in different communities that provide food for birds, a factor that is not correlated with feeder density. The prevalence of bird feeding across different neighbourhoods declined as socioeconomic deprivation increased, and increased with avian species richness and abundance. Our results suggest that the provision of supplementary food for birds by multiple landowners across a city can impact the status of urban bird populations. The potential for harnessing these actions for conservation needs to be explored.     

Multiple habitat associations: the role of offsite habitat in determining onsite avian density and species richness

Many animal populations continue to decline despite occurring in protected areas or on sympathetically managed sites. Frequently, this is because a specific habitat patch may not fulfil all the niche requirements of a threatened species. For instance, species often move between, and make use of, multiple habitat types for breeding, roosting and feeding within the same landscape. These cross‐habitat interactions present a challenge for conservation. Here we quantify how the habitat associations of individual species and assemblages occurring within two distinct but adjacent habitat types (moorland and farmland) determine a suite of density and richness indicators, using the bird community of the English uplands as a case study. There was a clear association between onsite avian density and richness and offsite habitat structure (e.g. vegetation height, percent cover of dominant plant species, land management practices). Although such effects are not universal across all species and assemblages, where present (for five farmland and three moorland indicators) the increase in explanatory power offered by including offsite habitat structure can be large. By constructing scenarios of possible changes to management practice on both moorland and farmland, we demonstrate a real conservation benefit can be obtained by altering management in offsite habitats. For example, reducing burning intensity on moorland can result in a five‐fold increase in snipe Gallinago gallinago density on farmland, without an alteration in farmland habitat. For one species (Eurasian curlew Numenius arquata), we demonstrate the frequency with which birds move between and utilise farmland and moorland during the breeding season, and therefore the importance of both habitat types to maintaining population densities. The multiple habitat dependency phenomenon quantified here is common and not restricted to birds. The successful conservation of many threatened species will thus depend on coordinated cross‐habitat management.     

Bird community response to filter strips in Maryland

Filter strips are strips of herbaceous vegetation planted along agricultural field margins adjacent to streams or wetlands and are designed to intercept sediment, nutrients, and agrichemicals. Roughly 16,000 ha of filter strips have been established in Maryland through the United States Department of Agriculture's Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program. Filter strips often represent the only uncultivated herbaceous areas on farmland in Maryland and therefore may be important habitat for early-successional bird species. Most filter strips in Maryland are planted to either native warm-season grasses or cool-season grasses and range in width from 10.7 m to 91.4 m. From 2004 to 2007 we studied the breeding and wintering bird communities in filter strips adjacent to wooded edges and non-buffered field edges and the effect that grass type and width of filter strips had on bird community composition. We used 5 bird community metrics (total bird density, species richness, scrub-shrub bird density, grassland bird density, and total avian conservation value), species-specific densities, nest densities, and nest survival estimates to assess the habitat value of filter strips for birds. Breeding and wintering bird community metrics were greater in filter strips than in non-buffered field edges but did not differ between cool-season and warm-season grass filter strips. Most breeding bird community metrics were negatively related to the percent cover of orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata) in ≥1 yr. Breeding bird density was greater in narrow (<30 m) compared to wide (>60 m) filter strips. Our results suggest that narrow filter strips adjacent to wooded edges can provide habitat for many bird species but that wide filter strips provide better habitat for grassland birds, particularly obligate grassland species. If bird conservation is an objective, avoid planting orchardgrass in filter strips and reduce or eliminate orchardgrass from filter strips through management practices. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.     

Avian Assemblages at Bird Baths: A Comparison of Urban and Rural Bird Baths in Australia

Private gardens provide habitat and resources for many birds living in human-dominated landscapes. While wild bird feeding is recognised as one of the most popular forms of human-wildlife interaction, almost nothing is known about the use of bird baths. This citizen science initiative explores avian assemblages at bird baths in private gardens in south-eastern Australia and how this differs with respect to levels of urbanisation and bioregion. Overall, 992 citizen scientists collected data over two, four-week survey periods during winter 2014 and summer 2015 (43% participated in both years). Avian assemblages at urban and rural bird baths differed between bioregions with aggressive nectar-eating species influenced the avian assemblages visiting urban bird baths in South Eastern Queensland, NSW North Coast and Sydney Basin while introduced birds contributed to differences in South Western Slopes, Southern Volcanic Plains and Victorian Midlands. Small honeyeaters and other small native birds occurred less often at urban bird baths compared to rural bird baths. Our results suggest that differences between urban versus rural areas, as well as bioregion, significantly influence the composition of avian assemblages visiting bird baths in private gardens. We also demonstrate that citizen science monitoring of fixed survey sites such as bird baths is a useful tool in understanding large-scale patterns in avian assemblages which requires a vast amount of data to be collected across broad areas.     

How,and how much,natural cover loss increases species richness

Aim The species–area relationship has been applied in the conservation context to predict monotonic species richness declines as natural area is converted to human‐dominated land covers. However, some conversion of natural cover could introduce new habitat types and allow new open habitat species to occur. Moreover, decelerating richness–area relationships suggest that, as natural area is converted to human‐dominated covers, more species will be added to the rare habitat than are lost from the common one. Area effects and increased habitat diversity could each lead to a peaked relationship between species richness and the relative amount of natural area. The purpose of this study is to quantify the effect on avian species richness of conversion of natural area to human‐dominated land cover. Location Ontario, Canada. Methods We evaluated the responses of total avian richness, forest bird richness and open habitat bird richness to remaining natural area within 993 quadrats, each of 100 km². We quantified the amount of natural land cover and land‐cover heterogeneity using remote sensing data. We used structural equation modelling (SEM) to disentangle the relationships among avian richness, natural area and land‐cover heterogeneity. Results Spatial variation in avian richness was a peaked function of remaining natural area, such that losses of up to 44% of the natural area increased avian richness. This partly reflects increased variety of land cover; however, SEM suggests that much of the increase in richness is due to pure area effects. Richness of forest species declined by two species over this range of natural cover loss while open habitat bird richness increased by approximately 20 species. The effect of natural area on species richness is consistent with the sum of species–area curves for natural habitat species and human‐dominated habitat species. Main conclusions At least in northern temperate forests, almost half of the natural land cover can be converted to human‐dominated forms before avian richness declines. Conversion of < 50% of regional natural area to human‐dominated land cover can benefit open‐area species richness with relatively few losses of forest obligate species. However, with > 50% natural area conversion, species begin to drop out of regional assemblages.     

Relative Roles of Grey Squirrels,Supplementary Feeding,and Habitat in Shaping Urban Bird Assemblages

Non-native species are frequently considered to influence urban assemblages. The grey squirrel Sciurus carolinensis is one such species that is widespread in the UK and is starting to spread across Europe; it predates birds’ nests and can compete with birds for supplementary food. Using distance sampling across the urbanisation intensity gradient in Sheffield (UK) we test whether urban grey squirrels influence avian species richness and density through nest predation and competition for supplementary food sources. We also assess how urban bird assemblages respond to supplementary feeding. We find that grey squirrels slightly reduced the abundance of breeding bird species most sensitive to squirrel nest predation by reducing the beneficial impact of woodland cover. There was no evidence that grey squirrel presence altered relationships between supplementary feeding and avian assemblage structure. This may be because, somewhat surprisingly, supplementary feeding was not associated with the richness or density of wintering bird assemblages. These associations were positive during the summer, supporting advocacy to feed birds during the breeding season and not just winter, but explanatory capacity was limited. The amount of green space and its quality, assessed as canopy cover, had a stronger influence on avian species richness and population size than the presence of grey squirrels and supplementary feeding stations. Urban bird populations are thus more likely to benefit from investment in improving the availability of high quality habitats than controlling squirrel populations or increased investment in supplementary feeding.     

海口和三亚两城市破碎化林地中鸟类群落多样性与嵌套分布格局

城市化是生物多样性快速丧失的主要原因之一。鸟类作为城市生态系统的重要组成部分, 其生物多样性格局和物种保护已成为城市生态学研究的热点。为揭示城市化过程中城区和郊区破碎化林地中鸟类群落的多样性差异和嵌套格局, 本研究于2021年春、夏季鸟类繁殖期采用样线法对海口和三亚市的城区、郊区共13个林地斑块中的鸟类群落进行调查。使用NODF (nestedness metric based on overlap and decreasing fill)和WNODF (weighted nestedness metric based on overlap and decreasing fill)方法进行嵌套格局分析。研究发现: (1)共记录到林鸟100种, 隶属于11目39科, 其中三亚郊区的鸟类丰富度最高, 共8目29科68种。记录到国家重点保护鸟类共18种, 其中两城市郊区的国家重点保护鸟类物种数均多于城区, 海口郊区还记录到国家I级重点保护鸟类黄胸鹀(Emberiza aureola)。(2)鸟类群落多度、物种丰富度、Pielou均匀度指数和Shannon-Wiener多样性指数在不同区域中均存在差异。海口城区的鸟类群落多度显著高于海口郊区(P < 0.05), 三亚郊区的鸟类群落物种丰富度、Pielou均匀度指数和Shannon-Wiener多样性指数均显著高于三亚城区和海口郊区(P < 0.05)。(3)嵌套分析结果表明, 海口和三亚市的城区、郊区林地鸟类群落均呈现反嵌套分布格局。线性回归分析显示, 三亚市城区和郊区的斑块面积与鸟类物种丰富度呈显著正相关, 而物种丰富度与斑块距最近大面积林地的距离之间无显著相关性。研究表明, 两城市鸟类群落多样性都表现出郊区高于城区的特点, 少数优势种(如白头鹎 Pycnonotus sinensis)占据了城市中的主要生态位。受城市化的影响, 海口郊区与城区鸟类群落有同质化的趋势。鸟类在城区和郊区斑块间的高流动性、种间竞争和斑块中资源的可利用性等因素可能导致斑块间鸟类群落的反嵌套分布格局。我们建议应加强城区和郊区鸟类的保护, 减少对林地的破坏, 提高城市鸟类多样性。     

Avifauna response to hurricanes: regional changes in community similarity

Global climate models predict increases in the frequency and intensity of extreme climatic events such as hurricanes, which may abruptly alter ecological processes in forests and thus affect avian diversity. Developing appropriate conservation measures necessitates identifying patterns of avifauna response to hurricanes. We sought to answer two questions: (1) does avian diversity, measured as community similarity, abundance, and species richness, change in areas affected by hurricane compared with unaffected areas, and (2) what factors are associated with the change(s) in avian diversity? We used North American Breeding Bird Survey data, hurricane track information, and a time series of Landsat images in a repeated measures framework to answer these questions. Our results show a decrease in community similarity in the first posthurricane breeding season for all species as a group, and for species that nest in the midstory and canopy. We also found significant effects of hurricanes on abundance for species that breed in urban and woodland habitats, but not on the richness of any guild. In total, hurricanes produced regional changes in community similarity largely without significant loss of richness or overall avian abundance. We identified several potential mechanisms for these changes in avian diversity, including hurricane‐induced changes in forest habitat and the use of refugia by birds displaced from hurricane‐damaged forests. The prospect of increasing frequency and intensity of hurricanes is not likely to invoke a conservation crisis for birds provided we maintain sufficient forest habitat so that avifauna can respond to hurricanes by shifting to areas of suitable habitat.     

Bats are Not Birds – Different Responses to Human Land‐use on a Tropical Mountain

Land‐use intensification has consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, with various taxonomic groups differing widely in their sensitivity. As land‐use intensification alters habitat structure and resource availability, both factors may contribute to explaining differences in animal species diversity. Within the local animal assemblages the flying vertebrates, bats and birds, provide important and partly complementary ecosystem functions. We tested how bats and birds respond to land‐use intensification and compared abundance, species richness, and community composition across a land‐use gradient including forest, traditional agroforests (home garden), coffee plantations and grasslands on Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Furthermore, we asked how sensitive different habitat and feeding guilds of bats and birds react to land‐use intensification and the associated alterations in vegetation structure and food resource availability. In contrast to our expectations, land‐use intensification had no negative effect on species richness and abundance of all birds and bats. However, some habitat and feeding guilds, in particular forest specialist and frugivorous birds, were highly sensitive to land‐use intensification. Although the habitat guilds of both, birds and bats, depended on a certain degree of vegetation structure, total bat and bird abundance was mediated primarily by the availability of the respective food resources. Even though the highly structured southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro are able to maintain diverse bat and bird assemblages, the sensitivity of avian forest specialists against land‐use intensification and the dependence of the bat and bird habitat guilds on a certain vegetation structure demonstrate that conservation plans should place special emphasis on these guilds.     

Assessing the impact of local habitat variables and landscape context on riparian birds in agricultural,urbanized, and native landscapes

Large tracts of natural habitat are being replaced by agriculture and urban sprawl in Mediterranean regions worldwide. We have limited knowledge about the effects of human activities on native species in these landscapes and which, if any, management practices might enhance the conservation of native biodiversity within them. Through a citizen volunteer bird-monitoring project, we compared bird abundance and species richness in northern Californian riparian zones surrounded by vineyards, urban areas, and natural areas. We assessed both local and landscape-level variables that may enhance native bird diversity in each land use type. We also demonstrate a new statistical approach, generalized estimating equations, to analyze highly variable data, such as that collected by volunteers. Avian abundance was highly correlated with both landscape context and local habitat variables, while avian richness was correlated with local habitat variables, specifically shrub richness, and percent of tree cover. In particular, shrub species richness has a strong positive correlation with riparian-preferring bird species. This suggests that active local management of riparian zones in human-dominated landscapes can increase our ability to retain native bird species in these areas.     

Bird community structure in natural and urbanized habitats along an altitudinal gradient in Pauri district (Garhwal Himalaya) of Uttarakhand state, India

In the Indian subcontinent there is hardly any study that compares the bird community structure of urban/suburban areas with those of forest habitat. The present survey identified diverse assemblages of birds in the Pauri district at different elevations. A total of 125 bird species belonging to 40 families including two least count species (Lophura leucomelanos and Pucrasia marcolopha) were recorded during this survey in the forest and urbanized habitats of Pauri District (Garhwal Hiamalaya) of Uttarakhand state, India. The high elevation (Pauri 1600–2100 m a.s.l.), mid elevation (Srikot-Khanda 900–1300 m a.s.l.) and low elevation (Srinagar 500–900 m a.s.l.) contributed 88.8%, 63.2% and 58.4% of the total species respectively. Rarefaction analysis and Shannon diversity index showed that the high elevation forest habitat had highest bird species richness (BSR) and bird species diversity (BSD) followed by the mid and then the low elevation forests. BSR and BSD fluctuated across seasons at all elevations but not across habitat types. Present study provides a base line data about avian community composition in urbanized and natural habitats along altitudinal gradient in the study area. This information may be useful to the conservation biologists for the better management and conservation of the avifauna in the Western Himalaya, a part of one of the hot biodiversity spots of the world.     

The effect of human population size on the breeding bird diversity of urban regions

Most studies of the effects of urbanization on avian diversity are carried out in a single urban area. However, urban areas vary in characteristics, such as human population size and biophysical context, that likely influence within-urban area ecological structure and functioning. In this paper, we describe the first direct test of the effect of urban area human population size on bird diversity. We applied simultaneous autoregressive modeling and multi-model inference to North American Breeding Bird Survey and US Census data from 48 urban areas in the conterminous United States to determine the effect of urban area human population size on total breeding bird species richness and abundance in surrounding urban regions, controlling for variation in elevation, air temperature, precipitation, urban area age, human population density, and original habitat type. We hypothesized that increasing urban area human population size is a driver of increasing regional habitat loss and fragmentation and disturbance and therefore would have a negative effect on breeding bird species richness and abundance in regions. We found strong evidence for a negative effect of urban area human population size on species richness and show that urban area human population size is positively correlated with impervious surface cover and air pollutant emissions in urban regions, lending provisional support to our hypothesis. Our results imply that we prioritize urban regions surrounding urban areas with large human population sizes for conservation activities that will benefit birds, such as preserving green spaces. In future, greater emphasis should be placed on the acquisition of high-quality ecological data in multiple urban areas in order to increase our understanding of the structure and functioning of complex urban systems, a frontier in urban ecology.     

Effects of habitat fragmentation and black-tailed prairie dogs on urban avian diversity

Urbanization and habitat fragmentation have the potential to influence bird communities. In addition, these phenomena, as well as ongoing lethal control measures, have also greatly reduced the range of the black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) since the beginning of the 20th century. Although prairie dogs are highly interactive species that can influence avian communities, few studies have investigated whether these interactions persist in urban settings. Our goal was to investigate the relative impacts of habitat fragmentation and prairie dogs on bird communities within an urban matrix. We performed bird surveys on 20 habitat fragments (10 colonized by prairie dogs, 10 uncolonized by prairie dogs) distributed throughout the Denver metropolitan area, and calculated Shannon–Weiner diversity and richness of all birds and native species, as well as total counts of grassland birds and raptors. Diversity, richness, and counts of many species increased with increasing fragment connectivity, and decreased on fragments isolated for longer periods of time. Avian diversity and richness did not differ between fragments with and without prairie dogs, suggesting that this element of the ecological role of prairie dogs is not fully retained in urban habitat. Future studies of the role of prairie dogs as keystone species in urban systems should include other taxa as well as consider the influence of the urban matrix surrounding prairie dog habitat. Our results emphasize that conservation of urban avian diversity should focus on landscape connectivity as well as local habitat features.     

Habitat associations and breeding bird community composition within the city of Bristol,UK

Capsule Different urban breeding bird communities are associated with different habitat types, but, although community species diversity varies significantly, total bird density does not.

Aims To investigate the association between breeding bird communities and habitats within Bristol, UK and how these communities vary in terms of species diversity and total bird abundance.

Methods Breeding density data for 70 species in the metropolitan area of Bristol, UK were subjected to de‐trended correspondence analysis to identify the number of different communities present and their indicator species. These data were then used to identify patterns of habitat association with each community and differences in species richness and total bird density.

Results Three communities were identified: a rural community associated with woodland, managed grassland and inland water; a suburban community associated with buildings and residential gardens; and an intermediate community that shared some of these habitat characteristics. Species richness, but not total bird abundance, was lowest in the suburban community.

Conclusion The diversity of species in urban areas appears to be most dependent upon the availability of patches of natural and semi‐natural habitats. Residential gardens support fewer species, but those species that are present may be found at high densities.     

Winter Bird Assemblages in Rural and Urban Environments: A National Survey

Urban development has a marked effect on the ecological and behavioural traits of many living organisms, including birds. In this paper, we analysed differences in the numbers of wintering birds between rural and urban areas in Poland. We also analysed species richness and abundance in relation to longitude, latitude, human population size, and landscape structure. All these parameters were analysed using modern statistical techniques incorporating species detectability. We counted birds in 156 squares (0.25 km2 each) in December 2012 and again in January 2013 in locations in and around 26 urban areas across Poland (in each urban area we surveyed 3 squares and 3 squares in nearby rural areas). The influence of twelve potential environmental variables on species abundance and richness was assessed with Generalized Linear Mixed Models, Principal Components and Detrended Correspondence Analyses. Totals of 72 bird species and 89,710 individual birds were recorded in this study. On average (±SE) 13.3 ± 0.3 species and 288 ± 14 individuals were recorded in each square in each survey. A formal comparison of rural and urban areas revealed that 27 species had a significant preference; 17 to rural areas and 10 to urban areas. Moreover, overall abundance in urban areas was more than double that of rural areas. There was almost a complete separation of rural and urban bird communities. Significantly more birds and more bird species were recorded in January compared to December. We conclude that differences between rural and urban areas in terms of winter conditions and the availability of resources are reflected in different bird communities in the two environments.     

Modelling the responses of Australian subtropical rainforest birds to changes in environmental conditions along elevational gradients

Montane birds face significant threats from a warming climate, so determining the environmental factors that most strongly influence the composition of such assemblages is of critical conservation importance. Changes in temperature and other environmental conditions along elevational gradients are known to influence the species richness and abundance of bird assemblages occupying mountains. However, the role of species‐specific traits in mediating the responses of bird species to changing conditions remains poorly understood. We aimed to determine whether different bird species responded differently to changing environmental conditions in a relatively understudied biodiversity hotspot in subtropical rainforest on the east coast of Australia. We examined patterns in avian species richness and abundance along two rainforest elevational gradients using monthly point counts between September 2015 and October 2016. Environmental data on temperature, wetness, canopy cover and canopy height were collected simultaneously, and trait information on body size and feeding guild membership for each bird species was obtained from the Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. We used a generalized linear mixed modelling (GLMM) framework to determine the drivers of species richness and abundance and to quantify species’ trait–environment interactions. GLMMs indicated that temperature alone was significantly positively correlated with species richness and abundance. Species richness declined with increasing elevation. When modelling abundance, we found that feeding guild membership did not significantly affect species’ responses to environmental conditions. In contrast, the predicted abundance of a species was found to depend on its body size, due to significant positive interactions between this trait, temperature and canopy cover. Our findings indicate that large‐bodied birds are likely to increase in abundance more rapidly than small‐bodied birds with continued climatic warming. These results underline the importance of temperature as a driving factor of avian community assembly along environmental gradients.     

Contrasting patterns in species richness of birds,butterflies and plants along riparian corridors in an urban landscape

Aim Urbanization is a major driver of global land‐use change, substantially modifying patterns of biodiversity. Managing these impacts has become a conservation priority. The creation and maintenance of greenways, such as river corridors, is frequently promoted as a strategy for mitigating habitat fragmentation in urban areas by bringing semi‐natural habitat cover into city centres. However, there is little evidence to support this assertion. Here, we examine whether riparian zones maintain semi‐natural habitat cover in urban areas and how species richness varies along such zones. Location Sheffield, Northern England. Methods Multiple taxonomic groups (birds, butterflies, plants) were surveyed at 105 sites spanning seven riparian corridors that transect the study system. For all groups, we model the relationships between species richness and environmental variables pertinent to an urban system. To test whether riparian zones can act to maintain semi‐natural habitats within a city, we modelled the proportion of semi‐natural land cover within 250 m grid squares that do, and do not, contain a river. Results Species richness varied markedly in relation to distance from the urban core. Trends differed both between taxonomic groups and between rivers, reflecting the complex patterns of environmental variation associated with cities. This suggests that biodiversity surveys that focus on a single group or transect cannot reliably be used as surrogates even within the same city. Nonetheless, there were common environmental predictors of species richness. Plant, avian and butterfly richness all responded positively to Habitat Diversity and the latter two declined with increases in sealed surface. Main conclusions Multiple transects and taxonomic groups are required to describe species richness responses to urbanization as no single pattern is evident. Although riparian zones are an important component of the mosaic of urban habitats, we find that river corridors do not disproportionately support tree and Natural Surface Cover when compared to non‐riverine urban areas.     

Bird species richness is associated with phylogenetic relatedness,plant species richness,and altitudinal range in Inner Mongolia

Bird species richness is mediated by local, regional, and historical factors, for example, competition, environmental heterogeneity, contemporary, and historical climate. Here, we related bird species richness with phylogenetic relatedness of bird assemblages, plant species richness, topography, contemporary climate, and glacial‐interglacial climate change to investigate the relative importance of these factors. This study was conducted in Inner Mongolia, an arid and semiarid region with diverse vegetation types and strong species richness gradients. The following associated variables were included as follows: phylogenetic relatedness of bird assemblages (Net Relatedness Index, NRI), plant species richness, altitudinal range, contemporary climate (mean annual temperature and precipitation, MAT and MAP), and contemporary‐Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) change in climate (change in MAT and change in MAP). Ordinary least squares linear, simultaneous autoregressive linear, and Random Forest models were used to assess the associations between these variables and bird species richness across this region. We found that bird species richness was correlated negatively with NRI and positively with plant species richness and altitudinal range, with no significant correlations with contemporary climate and glacial–interglacial climate change. The six best combinations of variables ranked by Random Forest models consistently included NRI, plant species richness, and contemporary‐LGM change in MAT. Our results suggest important roles of local ecological factors in shaping the distribution of bird species richness across this semiarid region. Our findings highlight the potential importance of these local ecological factors, for example, environmental heterogeneity, habitat filtering, and biotic interactions, in biodiversity maintenance.     

Birds,Cattle, and Bracken Ferns: Bird Community Responses to a Neotropical Landscape Shaped by Cattle Grazing Activities

Large areas of tropical moist forests have been converted to cattle pastures, generating complex landscapes where different habitats are represented by small patches with an uneven spatial distribution. Here, we describe how bird communities respond to the different elements present in a livestock landscape that was originally dominated by tropical moist forest. We surveyed six habitats: open pastures, pastures with shrubs, early‐ and middle‐secondary forests, mature forest, and pastures invaded by bracken ferns (Pteridium aquilinum). Bird diversity was high in secondary and mature forests, and low in fern‐invaded sites and open pastures. Fern‐dominated sites had the lowest bird species richness, and trophic guild diversity of all habitats. Habitat structure affected both bird species richness and densities in similar ways. Tree species richness was the habitat attribute that had a bigger positive effect on bird species richness. Bird community structure varied among sampled habitats, separating habitats in two major groups (forests and pastures). Our data indicate that bracken fern‐invaded pastures were the worst habitat condition for avian communities. To increase bird diversity, we recommend to eliminate or manage bracken fern and to increase shrub and tree cover in open pastures to provide food resources and shelter for birds. Finally, we encourage the maintenance of secondary and mature forest remnants as a strategy to conserve resident birds within a landscape dominated by livestock activities.