Soil composition affects the nesting behavior of blue‐tailed bee‐eaters (<i>Merops philippinus</i>) on Kinmen Island

Yuan, Hsiao‐Wei; Wang, Ming-Kuang; Chang, Wenli; Wang, Lee‐Ping; Chen, Yue-Min; Chiou, Chyow-San

doi:10.1007/s11284-006-0183-9

Cited by 15 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…At a large spatial scale, the limitation of nest substrates on populations of underground species has also been examined in wasp B. rostrata (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae) (Bonte ), Sphex funerarius , Ammophila heydeni , A. pubescens , A. sabulosa and B. tarsata (Srba & Heneberg ), bird (Yuan et al . ; Heneberg ) and bee community structures (Potts et al . , ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Decline of nest site availability and nest density of underground bees along a distance gradient from human settlements

Xie

Qiu

Chen

2013

Entomological Science

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Anthropogenic disturbances have caused pollinator decline by affecting the abundance and diversity of foraging plants. Anthropogenic disturbances are also thought to drive pollinator decline by reducing nest site availability, but the exact mechanisms by which human activities influence nest site availability are not currently well understood. In this study, we investigated nesting site preference of underground bee Andrena camellia Wu in two orchards. Principal component analysis of environmental factors (bulk density, penetration resistance, water content and temperature) indicated that A. camellia preferred loose, moist and low-temperature habitats. The favored habitats were located at the bases of the foothills a long distance from human settlements. At the bases, favored nesting substrates decreased along the distance gradient, and nest densities of digger bees increased along the distance gradient. On the summit, however, nesting substrates were compacted, dried with high temperature regardless of distance from human settlements, and the nest densities were all low along the distance gradient. In summary, anthropogenic soil disturbances in the vicinity of human settlements threaten digger bees by altering soil characteristics. The conservation of the soil substrates is addressed in terms of its role in governing the population of digger bee A. camellia.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Decline of nest site availability and nest density of underground bees along a distance gradient from human settlements

Xie

Qiu

Chen

2013

Entomological Science

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“…However, for tunnel builders it can be a problem, and the ground used by tunnel builders is low in clay and has a low plasticity index (PI<5-6, see e.g. Yuan et al, 2006).…”

Section: The Nature Of Groundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Loess and bee-eaters I: Ground properties affecting the nesting of European bee-eaters (Merops apiaster L.1758) in loess deposits

Smalley

O’Hara-Dhand

McLaren

et al. 2013

Quaternary International

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Please cite this article as: Smalley, I., O'Hara-Dhand, K., McLaren, S., Svircev, Z., Nugent, H., Loess and Bee-Eaters I: Ground properties affecting the nesting of European bee-eaters (Merops apiaster L.1758) in loess deposits, Quaternary International (2012), doi: 10.1016/j.quaint.2012.09.005. This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. AbstractThe European bee-eater (Merops apiaster L.1758) nests in tunnels in loess deposits. The properties of loess make it particularly suitable for tunnel nesting birds (a major factor is the metastable nature of the ground). The 'Heneberg Compromise' operates whereby the conflicting requirements of tunnel stability and ease of excavation dictate the optimum particle size for usable ground. The open structure of loess deposits, due to particle shape and airfall sedimentation, allows gas movement in nesting tunnels. It also allows local compaction during nest building which strengthens tunnel walls. The short range nature of the interparticle bonds in the ground material provides an almost ideal construction environment, ensuring a low plasticity index, which appears to be critical for tunnel building birds. Bee-eaters and sand martins dig tunnels in loess as 'primary nesters'.These loess tunnels are used by many 'secondary nesters'. The bee-eater is an efficient ecosystem engineer.

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“…In addition, the higher proportion of C-horizon exposed in the soil allows the construction of nests in a higher position—preferential for nesting—which could, for example, reduce the risk of predator accessing the nest, as shown by some studies, ensuring grater breeding success [ 1 , 48 , 49 ]. Other studies with a bee-eater and a swallow pointed to a preference for sandy or sandy-clay soils [ 12 – 15 ], since these soils possess lower humidity and higher aeration, and thus provide adequate levels of O 2 and CO 2 within the nest cavity [ 13 , 14 ]. These observations, and the results of our study confirm that nesting site choice by birds is complex and may involve several factors besides ease of excavation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, the attributes of the substrate that drive nest-site selection are still poorly studied for excavating birds, even though the first observations on the subject were published decades ago [ 9 – 11 ]. Although some authors have addressed this topic in recent years, these studies were mostly conducted in temperate regions (e.g., [ 6 , 7 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ]), and seldom in the tropics (e.g., [ 17 ]).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soil attributes drive nest-site selection by the campo miner Geositta poeciloptera

et al. 2018

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Substrate type is a key-factor in nest-site selection and nest architecture of burrowing birds. However, little is known about which factors drive nest-site selection for these species, especially in the tropics. We studied the influence of soil attributes on nest-site selection by the campo miner Geositta poeciloptera, an open grassland bird that builds its nests within soil cavities. For all nests found, we measured the depth of the nest cavity and the resistance of the soil to penetration, and identified the soil horizon in which the nest was located. In soil banks with nests, we collected soil samples for granulometric analysis around each nest cavity, while in soil banks without nests we collected these samples at random points. From 43 nests found, 86% were located in the deeper soil horizons (C-horizon), and only 14% in the shallower horizons (B-horizon). Granulometric analysis showed that the C-horizons possessed a high similar granulometric composition, with high silt and low clay contents. These characteristics are associated with a low degree of structural development of the soil, which makes it easier to excavate. Contrarily, soil resistance to penetration does not seem to be an important criterion for nest site selection, although nests in more resistant the soils tend to have shallower nest cavities. Among the soil banks analyzed, 40% of those without cavities possessed a larger proportion of B-horizon relative to the C-horizon, and their texture was more clayey. On the other hand, almost all soil banks containing nest cavities had a larger C-horizon and a silty texture, indicating that soil attributes drive nest-site selection by G. poeciloptera. Thus, we conclude that the patchy distribution of G. poeciloptera can attributed to the infrequent natural exposure of the C-horizon in the tropical region, where well developed, deep and permeable soils are more common.

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Soil composition affects the nesting behavior of blue‐tailed bee‐eaters (Merops philippinus) on Kinmen Island

Cited by 15 publications

References 12 publications

Decline of nest site availability and nest density of underground bees along a distance gradient from human settlements

Decline of nest site availability and nest density of underground bees along a distance gradient from human settlements

Loess and bee-eaters I: Ground properties affecting the nesting of European bee-eaters (Merops apiaster L.1758) in loess deposits

Soil attributes drive nest-site selection by the campo miner Geositta poeciloptera

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