Little evidence of temporal changes in edge-use by woodland birds in southern England

Population trends of breeding birds in British woodlands over a 32‐year period: relationships with food, habitat use and migratory behaviour

“…Many of these results are consistent with bird populations in woods having been influenced by processes occurring in farmland, either through changes to the agricultural matrix altering resource availability for species that forage there or through landscape-level population processes influencing the populations of species for which woodland is not the core habitat. Additionally, birds confined to woodland could be affected by changes in edgeeffects as a result of agricultural chemical inputs, drainage and increases in nest predators , although Hewson and Fuller (2006) found no evidence that there had been a change in the proportion of birds nesting in the edges of a subset of the woods considered in the current study between 1968 and 1998. Whilst some of the species that have increased apparently due to changes to the agricultural matrix are nest predators of woodland birds, there was no effect of nestsite on population change, as might be expected if cavity-nesters were less vulnerable than opennesters, for instance.…”

“…Additionally, birds confined to woodland could be affected by changes in edge‐effects as a result of agricultural chemical inputs, drainage and increases in nest predators (Fuller et al. 2005), although Hewson and Fuller (2006) found no evidence that there had been a change in the proportion of birds nesting in the edges of a subset of the woods considered in the current study between 1968 and 1998. Whilst some of the species that have increased apparently due to changes to the agricultural matrix are nest predators of woodland birds, there was no effect of nest‐site on population change, as might be expected if cavity‐nesters were less vulnerable than open‐nesters, for instance.…”

Describing Habitat Occupation by Woodland Birds with Territory Mapping and Remotely Sensed Data: An Example Using the Marsh Tit (Poecile palustris)

“…1a, giving two measures of sensitivity for "edge" and "interior" habitat (Hewson and Fuller 2006). We assessed edge avoidance by calculating and comparing the percentage of each buffer and corresponding interior that was occupied by Marsh Tits in most or all years (Z = 3-5).…”

“…Conversely, if Marsh Tits have an overriding preference for a mature canopy then such interventions may be counterproductive. Marsh Tits may also be sensitive to the proximity of woodland edge (Hewson and Fuller 2006), yet no study has attempted to investigate the combined roles of woodland canopy and understory structure and edge effects in relation to Marsh Tit occupation.…”