Spatio-Temporal Variation in Bird Assemblages in a Subtropical Urban Ecosystem
Background: Being an excellent indicator of habitat quality, birds are more and more popular in urban studies. Selective impacts of urban environments on avian communities have been repeatedly demonstrated, however, limited information is available under a spatial-temporal perspective, especially fo...
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MDPI AG
2022-04-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/14/5/341 |
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| author | Shilin Xie Baolong Han Weiqi Zhou Chaofan Xian Zhiyun Ouyang |
| author_facet | Shilin Xie Baolong Han Weiqi Zhou Chaofan Xian Zhiyun Ouyang |
| author_sort | Shilin Xie |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Being an excellent indicator of habitat quality, birds are more and more popular in urban studies. Selective impacts of urban environments on avian communities have been repeatedly demonstrated, however, limited information is available under a spatial-temporal perspective, especially for subtropical young cities. Methods: Bird communities were surveyed and environmental data were collected in different types of urban green spaces surrounded by urban matrix during 2018 and 2019. Various statistical analyses were used to describe avian communities residing in different habitats and evaluate bird–environment relationships. Results: Avian community structure differed between major habitat types. At intensely urbanized roadside green spaces sites, omnivores dominated over insectivores, which were regional dominators. Woodland area was key in all urban habitat types, however, the importance decreased with increasing woodland size. Bird species richness in residential parks and individual abundance in roadside green spaces were negatively influenced by environmental noise and visitor density, respectively. Resident bird species and individuals dominated over migrants, and municipal parks presented higher species richness and abundance than other habitat types during winter. Conclusions: Highly simplified habitats in urban areas represent poor wintering habitats, whereas municipal parks served as key refugia. Continued urbanization will place further pressure on habitats which are more natural; thus, municipal parks and other natural habitats must be protected to construct sustainable human-coupled ecosystems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:01:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-75e564df7a254be1939004b7c28878df |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-2818 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:01:57Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Diversity |
| spelling | doaj.art-75e564df7a254be1939004b7c28878df2023-11-23T10:42:46ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182022-04-0114534110.3390/d14050341Spatio-Temporal Variation in Bird Assemblages in a Subtropical Urban EcosystemShilin Xie0Baolong Han1Weiqi Zhou2Chaofan Xian3Zhiyun Ouyang4State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, ChinaBackground: Being an excellent indicator of habitat quality, birds are more and more popular in urban studies. Selective impacts of urban environments on avian communities have been repeatedly demonstrated, however, limited information is available under a spatial-temporal perspective, especially for subtropical young cities. Methods: Bird communities were surveyed and environmental data were collected in different types of urban green spaces surrounded by urban matrix during 2018 and 2019. Various statistical analyses were used to describe avian communities residing in different habitats and evaluate bird–environment relationships. Results: Avian community structure differed between major habitat types. At intensely urbanized roadside green spaces sites, omnivores dominated over insectivores, which were regional dominators. Woodland area was key in all urban habitat types, however, the importance decreased with increasing woodland size. Bird species richness in residential parks and individual abundance in roadside green spaces were negatively influenced by environmental noise and visitor density, respectively. Resident bird species and individuals dominated over migrants, and municipal parks presented higher species richness and abundance than other habitat types during winter. Conclusions: Highly simplified habitats in urban areas represent poor wintering habitats, whereas municipal parks served as key refugia. Continued urbanization will place further pressure on habitats which are more natural; thus, municipal parks and other natural habitats must be protected to construct sustainable human-coupled ecosystems.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/14/5/341sustainabilityurbanizationShenzhenbirdhabitat typesseasonal changes |
| spellingShingle | Shilin Xie Baolong Han Weiqi Zhou Chaofan Xian Zhiyun Ouyang Spatio-Temporal Variation in Bird Assemblages in a Subtropical Urban Ecosystem Diversity sustainability urbanization Shenzhen bird habitat types seasonal changes |
| title | Spatio-Temporal Variation in Bird Assemblages in a Subtropical Urban Ecosystem |
| title_full | Spatio-Temporal Variation in Bird Assemblages in a Subtropical Urban Ecosystem |
| title_fullStr | Spatio-Temporal Variation in Bird Assemblages in a Subtropical Urban Ecosystem |
| title_full_unstemmed | Spatio-Temporal Variation in Bird Assemblages in a Subtropical Urban Ecosystem |
| title_short | Spatio-Temporal Variation in Bird Assemblages in a Subtropical Urban Ecosystem |
| title_sort | spatio temporal variation in bird assemblages in a subtropical urban ecosystem |
| topic | sustainability urbanization Shenzhen bird habitat types seasonal changes |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/14/5/341 |
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