Surviving urbanisation : Maintaining bird species diversity in urban Melbourne
- White, John, Fitzsimons, James, Palmer, Grant, Antos, Mark
- Authors: White, John , Fitzsimons, James , Palmer, Grant , Antos, Mark
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Victorian Naturalist Vol. 126, no. 3 (2009), p. 73-78
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The relationships between vegetation and bird communities within an urban landscape are synthetised, based on a series of studies we conducted. Our studies indicate that streetscape vegetation plays an important role in influencing urban bird communities, with streetscapes dominated by native plants supporting communities with high native species richness and abundance, while exotic and newly-developed streetscapes support more introduced bird species and fewer native bird species. Native streetscapes can also provide important resources for certain groups of birds, such as nectarivores. Our research has also revealed that urban remnants are likely to support more native bird species if they are larger and if they contain components of riparian vegetation. Vegetation structure and quality does not appear to be as important a driver as remnant size in determining the richness of native bird communities. Introduced birds were shown to occur in remnants at low densities, irrespective of remnant size, when compared to densities found in streetscapes dominated by exotic vegetation. We discuss our results in terms of practical planning and management options to increase and maintain urban avian diversity and conclude by offering suggestions for future fields of research in terms of urban bird communities.
- Authors: White, John , Fitzsimons, James , Palmer, Grant , Antos, Mark
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Victorian Naturalist Vol. 126, no. 3 (2009), p. 73-78
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The relationships between vegetation and bird communities within an urban landscape are synthetised, based on a series of studies we conducted. Our studies indicate that streetscape vegetation plays an important role in influencing urban bird communities, with streetscapes dominated by native plants supporting communities with high native species richness and abundance, while exotic and newly-developed streetscapes support more introduced bird species and fewer native bird species. Native streetscapes can also provide important resources for certain groups of birds, such as nectarivores. Our research has also revealed that urban remnants are likely to support more native bird species if they are larger and if they contain components of riparian vegetation. Vegetation structure and quality does not appear to be as important a driver as remnant size in determining the richness of native bird communities. Introduced birds were shown to occur in remnants at low densities, irrespective of remnant size, when compared to densities found in streetscapes dominated by exotic vegetation. We discuss our results in terms of practical planning and management options to increase and maintain urban avian diversity and conclude by offering suggestions for future fields of research in terms of urban bird communities.
Riparian zones provide for distinct bird assemblages in forest mosaics of south-east Australia
- Palmer, Grant, Bennett, Andrew
- Authors: Palmer, Grant , Bennett, Andrew
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Biological Conservation Vol. 130, no. 3 (2006), p. 447-457
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Riparian zones are a characteristic component of many landscapes throughout the world and increasingly are recognised as key areas for biodiversity conservation. Their importance for bird communities has been well recognised in semi-arid environments and in modified landscapes where there is a marked contrast between riparian and adjacent upslope vegetation. The value of riparian zones in largely intact landscapes with continuous vegetation cover is less well understood. In this study, birds were surveyed at 30 pairs of riparian and adjacent non-riparian sites in extensive mesic forests of the Victorian Highlands, Australia. Riparian sites were floristically distinct from non-riparian sites and had a more complex vegetation structure, including a mid-storey tree layer mostly absent from non-riparian sites. Bird assemblages at riparian sites had significantly greater richness, abundance and diversity of species than was recorded at adjacent non-riparian sites. Species composition also differed significantly between these habitat types. Compositional differences in assemblages were due to a suite of distinctive species in each habitat and to significant contrasts in the densities of species that occurred in both habitat types. Many species (36%) attained a significantly greater abundance in riparian habitats. The distinctiveness and richness of the riparian avifauna contribute to the diversity of continuous forest landscapes. The spatial patterning of the avifauna, the occurrence of complementary assemblages, the presence of rare species and the potential for riparian habitats to serve as refuges, all point to the value of riparian zones and highlight the importance of landscape-level planning and management for avifaunal conservation. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003001637
- Authors: Palmer, Grant , Bennett, Andrew
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Biological Conservation Vol. 130, no. 3 (2006), p. 447-457
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Riparian zones are a characteristic component of many landscapes throughout the world and increasingly are recognised as key areas for biodiversity conservation. Their importance for bird communities has been well recognised in semi-arid environments and in modified landscapes where there is a marked contrast between riparian and adjacent upslope vegetation. The value of riparian zones in largely intact landscapes with continuous vegetation cover is less well understood. In this study, birds were surveyed at 30 pairs of riparian and adjacent non-riparian sites in extensive mesic forests of the Victorian Highlands, Australia. Riparian sites were floristically distinct from non-riparian sites and had a more complex vegetation structure, including a mid-storey tree layer mostly absent from non-riparian sites. Bird assemblages at riparian sites had significantly greater richness, abundance and diversity of species than was recorded at adjacent non-riparian sites. Species composition also differed significantly between these habitat types. Compositional differences in assemblages were due to a suite of distinctive species in each habitat and to significant contrasts in the densities of species that occurred in both habitat types. Many species (36%) attained a significantly greater abundance in riparian habitats. The distinctiveness and richness of the riparian avifauna contribute to the diversity of continuous forest landscapes. The spatial patterning of the avifauna, the occurrence of complementary assemblages, the presence of rare species and the potential for riparian habitats to serve as refuges, all point to the value of riparian zones and highlight the importance of landscape-level planning and management for avifaunal conservation. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003001637
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