Relation between green spaces and bird community structure in an urban area in Southeast Brazil

Abstract

Increased urbanization typically leads to an increase in abundance of a few species and a reduction in bird species richness. Understanding the structure of biotic communities in urban areas will allow us to propose management techniques and to decrease conflicts between wild species and human beings. The objective of this study was to describe the structure of the bird community in an urban ecosystem. The study was carried out in the city of Taubaté in southeastern Brazil. Point-counts were established in areas with different levels of tree density ranging from urban green spaces to predominantly built-up areas. We looked for a correlation between the richness/abundance of birds and the size of the area surveyed, the number of houses, the number of tree species and the number of individual trees. The results of multiple regression showed that bird richness had a direct relationship with vegetation complexity. The abundance and diversity of tree species were better predictors of bird species than the number of houses and size of the area surveyed. We discuss implications of this study for conservation and management of bird diversity in urban areas, such as the need to increase green areas containing a large diversity of native plant species.

Perda de diversidade taxonômica e funcional de aves em área urbana no sul do Brasil

“…Isto pode estar relacionado com a escassez de parques e praças no centro urbano de Pelotas, que possui um entorno bastante diversificado, composto por um mosaico de diferentes paisagens (plantações de arroz, silvicultura, ambientes lacustres extensos, criação de gado) (Sacco et al, 2013). A arborização é um dos fatores que mais influencia na chegada e na possibilidade de permanência das espécies nas cidades (Blair & Launer, 1997), oferecendo locais para nidificação, abrigo, descanso e fontes de recursos alimentares (Savard et al, 2000;Fernández-Juricic & Jokimäki, 2001;Melles et al, 2003;Toledo et al, 2012), usualmente gerando uma resposta positiva na avifauna McKinney, 2002). Em Pelotas, a arborização teve influência importante para a presença de espécies que habitam florestas secundárias como, por exemplo, Coereba flaveola (Linnaeus, 1758), Hylocharis chrysura (Shaw, 1812), ou Tyrannus savana (Vieillot, 1808).…”

“…A urbanização pode promover a perda de espécies através da redução e fragmentação da área disponível para as espécies nativas (McKinney, 2002), e da simplificação na estrutura vertical da vegetação presente (predomínio de cobertura de gramíneas e herbáceas em detrimento de árvores e arbustos) (Marzluff & Ewing, 2001;Toledo et al, 2012). Esses fatores combinados reduzem a área e a qualidade de habitat para animais e tendem a aumentar com a intensidade de urbanização (Alberti et al, 2001;Hahs & McDonnel, 2006).…”

Surveillance for Newcastle Disease Virus, Avian Influenza Virus and Mycoplasma Gallisepticum in Wild Birds Near Commercial Poultry Farms Surrounded by Atlantic Rainforest Remnants, Southeastern Brazil

“…The relationship between the composition and poor diversity of avian communities in areas near poultry farms may be associated with lack of biosecurity practices; presence of birds in the feeders (Fig. 1) or feeding from grains during transport within the poultry farms; loss of habitat quality in urban and agricultural areas; reduction in plot sizes; irregular occupation associated with high density housing; a poor diversity of trees planted for street ornamentation; and/or vegetation damage caused by pedestrians (Toledo et al, 2011). Despite being located in the same region and sharing the same general climate and landscape characteristics, the studied farms presented considerably different avifauna composition.…”

A citizen-based platform reveals the distribution of functional groups inside a large city from the Southern Hemisphere: e-Bird and the urban birds of Santiago (Central Chile)

“…Nevertheless, there is growing evidence of high insectivorous richness coming from cities located in the Neotropics [19,23,25,75,77] and Indo-Malayan realms [14,78]. In sum, this evidence suggests that urban environments outside the Palearctic and Nearctic realms can sustain a high insectivorous richness.…”