Vacant lots as a habitat resource: nesting success and body condition of songbirds

Abstract

Abstract. Vacant lots are a common feature throughout many cities and may provide necessary habitat resources for urban bird populations. We evaluated the quality of vacant lots throughout Baltimore, Maryland, by determining how differences in vacant lot properties related to songbirds' nesting success and body condition. We observed 130 nests from American robins (Turdus migratorius), gray catbirds (Dumetella carolinensis), and northern cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) across the city and assessed body condition of 19 adult robins. Nesting success for all three species was greatest within areas of vacant lots with high shrub densities. The robins' body condition index did not vary extensively and was not related to any vacant lot site-or landscape-level variables. Even so, we found vacant lots to be actively used by 60 bird species for a variety of resources, with those containing more shrubs to be the most beneficial for bird species' nesting attempts. Vacant lots should no longer be discarded and underestimated; instead, they should be valued for the opportunities they provide for generalist bird species through small-effort habitat management practices.

Socioecological disparities in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina

“…, Pham et al. , Ernstson , Locke and Baine , Rega‐Brodsky and Nilon ). Many studies have shown that sociodemographic disparities, particularly differences in household wealth, are predictors of urban tree canopy (Schwarz et al.…”

“…Interest in the socioecological dimensions of urban vegetation has been growing over the past decade, with much of the interest focusing on spatial patterns of urban tree canopies (Heynen 2003, Hope et al 2003, Martin et al 2004, Perkins et al 2004, Kinzig et al 2005, Heynen et al 2006, Grove et al 2009, Conway et al 2011, Pham et al 2012, Ernstson 2013, Locke and Baine 2014, Rega-Brodsky and Nilon 2016. Many studies have shown that sociodemographic disparities, particularly differences in household wealth, are predictors of urban tree canopy (Schwarz et al 2015).…”

“…Urban land abandonment highlights how an overemphasis on ecosystem services can obscure the hazards and disservices associated with urban vegetation (Lyytim€ aki et al 2008, Lyytim€ aki and Sipil€ a 2009, Bar o et al 2014, Haase et al 2014. For example, abandoned lots traditionally treated as "blight" can be important habitat for songbirds (Rega-Brodsky et al 2016), and abandoned lots are increasingly becoming re-purposed as green infrastructure for stormwater retention (HUD 2016). Unlike cultivated and managed tree canopies that are broadly endorsed as providers of public goods and ecosystem services (e.g., carbon sequestration, mitigation of heat and air pollutants), ruderal vegetation also can generate hazards for human health and community well-being (Nowak and Dwyer 2007, Haase 2008, Schetke and Haase 2008, Grove et al 2014, Locke and Baine 2014, Schwarz et al 2015, Gulachenski et al 2016.…”

Balancing Urban Biodiversity Needs and Resident Preferences for Vacant Lot Management

“…In previous studies, we found that trees were the most important feature for abundant native bird species [8], while areas of dense shrubs best supported successful nesting efforts of common songbird species [26]. Additional global studies highlight the importance of vegetation structure to increase bird species richness in a variety of urban greenspaces (e.g., [6,[56][57][58]).…”

“…Vacant lot locations were provided by the Baltimore City Office of Sustainability. Lots were located at least 250 apart from one another, as a part of a parallel vacant lot bird community study [8,26]. We visited sites during May-July of 2013-2015 to classify the site by its setting and vegetation origin, sample the vegetation community and structure, and collect data on the bird community.…”