Nest predator abundance and urbanization

Haskell, David G.; Knupp, A. M.; Schneider, Marielle Cristina

doi:10.1007/978-1-4615-1531-9_11

Cited by 61 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Lower predation rates can be the result of low abundance of nest predators (Møller, 2012). However, many potential nest predator species are found in higher abundances in cities than in the surrounding natural habitats (Jokimäki and Huhta, 2000;Haskell et al, 2001). This apparent contradiction is called the "nest predation paradox" (Fischer et al, 2012).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Different mechanisms have been postulated that predict either increased or decreased rates of predation in cities (Chamberlain et al, 2009)While some hypotheses, as detailed below, suggest that prey species thrive in cities because those habitats are "predator-safe zones" (Gering and Blair, 1999;Ryder et al, 2010;Møller, 2012), others predict an opposite relationship, with predators thriving in cities and imposing increased predation pressure on their prey (Jokimäki and Huhta, 2000;Haskell et al, 2001). Notably, the suggested mechanisms are non-exclusive, and thus any difference in predation rates between urban and rural habitats, or lack of it, may also be a net result of their joint effects.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, many opportunistic, mediumsized predator species, such as crows (Corvus sp.) (Marzluff and Neatherlin, 2006;Kövér et al, 2015), magpies (Pica pica) (Jerzak, 1997), or raccoons (Procyon lotor) (Haskell et al, 2001;Prange and Gehrt, 2004), are known to reach higher densities in urban compared to rural habitats. Such patterns suggest that these species also pose higher predation pressures on their prey species in urban habitats.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Does Urbanization Affect Predation of Bird Nests? A Meta-Analysis

et al. 2017

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Urbanization can affect interspecific interactions such as predator-prey relationships. Several hypotheses have been postulated to predict how predation on bird nests changes along urbanization gradients; some predict increased and others decreased predation pressures in urban compared to rural habitats. Using a formal meta-analytical approach, we carried out a systematic literature review to test whether predation on natural and artificial bird nests increased or decreased with urbanization. We found that the effect was highly heterogeneous among studies, due to contrasting results between studies that used artificial nests and those that used natural nests. For artificial nests, survival rate tended to decrease with increasing urbanization, with higher predation in more urbanized study sites. For natural nests, survival tended to increase with the level of urbanization. The latter finding supports predictions of the "urban habitats as predation-safe zones" and "urban nest predator paradox" hypotheses, but the effect may be confounded by many studies not distinguishing between predation and other sources of mortality. None of the other considered methodological and ecological variables explained the variation in a robust way. The discrepancy between the results of artificial and natural nest studies may be due to differences in experimental design (e.g., cavity nests have been more commonly studied in natural nest studies), intrinsic differences between the two nest types (e.g., lack of parental nest defense in artificial nests), or sampling bias. We conclude that the direction of the relationship between urbanization and nest predation is likely to depend on the methodology of the study. Therefore, results from studies using different methodologies, particularly natural or artificial nests, should be generalized with caution to avoid over-interpretations.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Does Urbanization Affect Predation of Bird Nests? A Meta-Analysis

et al. 2017

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“…Predators also may show a functional response, increasing search effort in areas with dense patches of exotic shrubs, as dense patches of vegetation are likely to contain more nests (Martin 1988c). Second, urban landscapes typically maintain higher numbers of nest predators (Matthiae and Stearns 1981, Oehler and Litvaitis 1996, Haskell et al 2001). In our study area, urban landscapes contained nearly three times the number of nest predators than rural landscapes (A. D. Rodewald, unpublished data), including American Crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos), Blue Jays, (Cyanocitta cristata), domestic cats, eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis), eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus), and raccoons.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nest Predation in an Urbanizing Landscape:the Role of Exotic Shrubs

Borgmann¹,

Rodewald²

2004

Ecological Applications

140

103

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Abstract. Nest predation is considered a primary force shaping avian communities, and landscape-scale features (e.g., amount of fragmentation) are generally recognized as factors mediating nest predation. These same landscape-scale features, however, may promote invasion by exotic plants, which may, in turn, increase risk of nest predation. We examined whether the use of exotic shrubs (Lonicera spp. and Rosa multiflora Thumb.) affected nest predation across 12 riparian forest sites along a rural-urban gradient (Ͻ1-47% urban land cover within 1 km). From 2001to 2003 and American Robin (Turdus migratorius) nests Յ5 m tall were monitored. Nest substrate, nest height, and distance from the forest edge were recorded for each nest, whereas nest placement and nest patch characteristics were measured only for Northern Cardinal nests (n ϭ 68). To further assess relative rates of nest predation in native vs. exotic shrubs while controlling for nest height, distance to edge, and land use, we conducted an artificial nest experiment at two rural sites. Artificial nests (n ϭ 79) were placed at similar heights in honeysuckle, rose, and native nest substrates along a transect 50-75 m from the forest edge. Nest substrate and landscape type alone failed to account for differences in daily mortality rates. Instead, the effect of nest substrate varied with the landscape matrix, such that nests in exotic shrubs in urbanizing landscapes were twice as likely to be depredated than nests in native substrates, irrespective of distance from the edge. Artificial nests placed in exotic shrubs in rural landscapes also suffered higher rates of nest failure than artificial nests in native substrates. Daily mortality rates were greater for nests in exotic shrubs, likely due to reduced nest height and larger shrub volume surrounding the nest. Nests in exotic shrubs were 1.5-2 m lower to the ground and within patches containing 6-9 times more exotic shrub volume. These differences may improve search efficiency of mammalian predators, which appear to be the main predators at our study sites. Based on marks present on recovered clay eggs, 68% of the predation events were attributed to mammals. These findings demonstrate that exotic shrubs can reduce nesting success of forest birds and may cause increased nest failure in urbanizing landscapes. This illustrates another way that exotic plants may diminish habitat quality and limit the capacity of urban forests to contribute to wildlife conservation; therefore, restoring the native shrub community may prove beneficial.

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“…The fact that these predators reach the highest numbers in urban habitats (e.g. Haskell et al 2001, Sorace 2002), yet their avian prey species also thrive there in great numbers, entail contradictory predictions on the importance of topdown control, leading to a predation paradox which seems to be a widespread phenomenon in urban habitats (Fischer al. 2012).…”

Section: Changes In Consumer-based Forcesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat urbanization and its effects on birds

Seress

Liker²

2015

Acta Zool Acad Sci H

186

135

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By transforming landscapes, human activity creates new types of habitats with altered environmental characteristics that never existed before. As the process of habitat urbanization bears impact on more and more natural habitats, it is essential for us to understand the changes we bring forth in the ecological forces shaping urban animal communities. Birds are perhaps the most frequently studied model organisms by urban ecologists. It is a well known general pattern that urban avian communities have typically reduced species richness, while the density of a few successful species is often higher in cities than in adjacent more natural habitats. But it is less understood which mechanisms generate and uphold these community-level changes. In this review we discuss the most important components of the urban environment influencing birds' physiology, behaviour or morphology, and compile several recent studies to illustrate their effects. To understand urban food webs we also review the results of bottom-up and top-down approach which suggest that altered food availability and predation may play key roles in forming recent urban bird communities. We encourage future research to focus more on experimental, manipulative studies, that would help us not just to realize general patterns but shed more light on the mechanisms, the underlying processes prompting changes in urban bird communities.

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Nest predator abundance and urbanization

Cited by 61 publications

References 28 publications

Does Urbanization Affect Predation of Bird Nests? A Meta-Analysis

Does Urbanization Affect Predation of Bird Nests? A Meta-Analysis

Nest Predation in an Urbanizing Landscape:the Role of Exotic Shrubs

Habitat urbanization and its effects on birds

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