Determinants of bird species richness in public green spaces

Multiscale heterogeneity within and beyond Taipei city greenspaces and their relationship with avian biodiversity

“…The studies that suggested isolation and the surrounding environments to be more important in driving species occurrence and composition often studied smaller patches such as gardens or greenspaces smaller than 1 ha in neighborhoods of different development levels (Chamberlain et al, 2004(Chamberlain et al, , 2007, or targeted specific species in specific remnant habitat fragments (e.g. Liley & Clarke, 2003).…”

“…Whereas several studies suggest both local and landscape factors to be related to urban avian patterns (MacGregor-Fors & Ortega-Álvarez, 2011;Melles, Glenn, & Martin, 2003), there are some who claim that isolation and the surrounding environments were more important in driving species occurrence and composition (Chamberlain, Cannon, & Toms, 2004;Liley & Clarke, 2003), while others assert that local factors were more important (Chamberlain, Gough, Vaughn, Vickery, & Appleton, 2007;Clergeau, Jokimäki, & Savard, 2001;Evans, Newson, & Gaston, 2009;Hostetler & Knowles-Yanez, 2003). Woodland size, the diversity of trees, vegetation structures, and habitat complexity were among the local factors suggested to be important determinants of species richness, with forest patch size holding the highest explanatory power (Croci, Butet, & Clergeau, 2008;Fernández-Juricic, 2000;Husté, Selmi, & Boulinier, 2006;Marzluff, 2005;Suarez-Rubio & Thomlinson, 2009).…”

The House Sparrow Passer domesticus in urban areas: reviewing a possible link between post-decline distribution and human socioeconomic status

“…However, in recent years an increase in home improvements and demand for off-road parking has led to changes in habitat structure within gardens (Pauleit et al 2005). The presence of rough grass, nettles and weedy patches is linked to increased bird diversity in urban areas (Chamberlain et al 2007a), which suggests that tidy gardens with high proportion of paving are less suitable habitat for foraging birds. This may cause problems for adult House Sparrows in the breeding season, when insectbased food is required for nestlings.…”

Avian population dynamics and human induced change in an urban environment

“…Woodland bird species richness in London parks was positively correlated with the site area and the area of rough grassland present, but not with the extent of tree cover, perhaps because deciduous trees were almost ubiquitous (Chamberlain et al 2007), while in the suburbs of Paris, species richness was found to be mainly related to patch size and to the diversity of trees and shrubs (Husté et al 2006). Analysis of the British Trust for Ornithology's Breeding Bird Survey data for urban areas shows complicated relationships between species and habitats, but the most important were the area and number of trees and bushes ).…”

“…Although they are both insectivores during the breeding season, and there may be some influence of increased invertebrate numbers, it seems highly likely that the dominant factor is lichens and that, as suggested previously (Norman 2008), the improved air quality accordingly explains the increase in distribution of these two bird species in Halton andWarrington between 1978-84 and2004-06. Thus, in summary, we have shown that the increase of several ecological guilds of breeding birds in Halton and Warrington is linked to improvements in air quality, water quality and land use, especially the extent and maturity of woodland. It has recently been shown that site area is the most consistent and significant predictor of bird species richness in public green spaces, with a consequent recommendation that, to maximise the number of urban bird species, urban greenspace in the UK should be at least 10 ha in extent, and left without intensive management (Chamberlain et al 2007). Now that aerial or aquatic pollution appears to present little constraint on breeding bird species in Halton and Warrington, habitat structure and area will probably be the most important factors in promoting further increases in avian diversity, and should be the focus of future urban planning and site management.…”