The effect of railways on bird diversity in farmland

Abstract

With a length exceeding 210,000 km in Europe, railways are common linear features dissecting landscapes. However, the impact of railway networks on biodiversity is equivocal. In this study, we investigated the effect of railway embankments on bird diversity components in an agricultural landscape in southern Poland. Forty transects including 20 along railways and 20 as controls in open fields were established. Birds were counted twice in 2009, and environmental characteristics were estimated for each transect. Ordination techniques and generalized additive models were used to compare species composition, richness, abundance, conservation status, population trends and phylogenetic and functional diversity indices between railway and field transects. Species richness and phylogenetic diversity but not abundance nor functional diversity were higher along railway transects than along field transects. Diversity indices near railways, mostly species richness and phylogenetic diversity, were positively associated with bush cover, wet meadow cover, wetland cover and the slope of the railway but negatively associated with dry meadow cover and field cover. Our study shows that railway embankments may be beneficial for bird diversity but probably do not alter the functional properties of bird communities as much as open fields. Proper management of these linear habitats may increase their value for birds and contribute to long-term bird community persistence.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s11356-019-06245-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Bird species assemblages in railway stations: variations along an urban-rural gradient

“…The assessment of the bird diversity in the railway stations provided imperative information about the species assemblage patterns, variations in species composition, and species-specific abundance and richness in the station areas, much in support of the positive effects of railways on bird assemblages (Li et al 2010, Morelli et al 2014, Wiącek et al 2015, 2019, Kaiser-Bonk et al 2019. Variations in the bird species composition along the rural-urban gradient context remained similar to the observations made from Kolkata (Sengupta et al 2014, Pal et al 2019 and Amravati (Kale et al 2018a(Kale et al , 2018b, India.…”

“…Thus, the railway network emerges as a prospective and perceived threat to the wildlife biota, including birds. However, the potential positive consequences of the railway network as well as the rail-associated construction structures on birds are increasingly appreciated (Li et al 2010, van der Ree et al 2011, Morelli et al 2014, Wiącek et al 2015, 2019, Kaiser-Bonk et al 2019. Some of the plausible positive effects of rail-associated structures includes the marginal vegetation along railways (bridges, shrubs etc.)…”

“…Some of the plausible positive effects of rail-associated structures includes the marginal vegetation along railways (bridges, shrubs etc.) may provide nesting sites for several species of birds (Wiącek et al 2015, 2019, Kaiser-Bonk et al 2019, high structures like electricity posts and cables are extensively utilized by many passerine species for perching (DeGregorio et al 2014, Morelli et al 2014, singing and relaxing. The railway platform can also act as a good foraging ground for several species of birds and lastly, some birds utilize railway tracks as a resting site as it becomes heated rapidly during the day and thereby providing protection from cold and windy situations during winter (Morelli et al 2014, Wiącek et al 2015.…”

“…In view of the positive effects of the railway network on the bird species assemblages (Li et al 2010, Morelli et al 2014, Wiącek et al 2015, 2019, Kaiser-Bonk et al 2019, it would be worthy to evaluate for any variations in the effect against the urban-rural gradient. As a mode of transport, the railway network extends beyond the urban landscapes and more commonly dissects the rural areas including forests.…”

Can linear transportation infrastructure verges constitute a habitat and/or a corridor for vertebrates in temperate ecosystems? A systematic review

“…More studies are needed to draw clear conclusions. It was recently found that the abundance of birds was not statistically different between along railways and away from railways in farmland landscape [156], suggesting that railway verges may be a suitable habitat for some vertebrate species. Bird species richness in railway embankments was even found to be higher than away from railways, probably because in agricultural landscapes railway verges are important remnants of diverse vegetation, increasing the number of available niches in the landscape [156] and because the noise disturbance due to trains passing at clear intervals is marginal [157].…”