The effect of road traffic on a breeding community of woodland birds

Abstract

The very rapid development of the road infrastructure in recent years has adversely affected the natural environment. The main effects of this have been the loss or deteriorating quality of habitats, the mortality of animals due to collisions with road vehicles, the withdrawal of birds as a result of disturbance and excessive noise in the neighbourhood of roads. In this study, we attempted to define the influence of a busy road on a breeding community of woodland birds. Individuals were counted using the point method at 54 observation points located at three various distances (60, 310, 560 m) from the road. At each point, we determined the habitat parameters and the intensity of noise. In total, 995 individuals of 39 species were recorded on the study plot. This study showed that the area was homogeneous with respect to habitat. The number of birds per point increased with distance from the road. Species diversity was lower near the road. The density of nine common species increased with distance from the road. Great Tit Parus major and Song Thrush Turdus philomelos preferred the neighbourhood of the road, whereas the numbers of the other species were the highest in the middle row of points. The number and species diversity of birds were correlated with the pattern of sound propagation across our study area. Our results showed that the species particularly sensitive to road traffic were those nesting near the ground and with low-frequency calls.

Road induced edge effects on a forest bird community in tropical Asia

“…A decline in richness and abundance of birds close to road edges has been observed in many studies and noise may have significant effects on avian communities in general (Arevalo and Newhard 2011;Polak et al 2013;Ware et al 2015). Traffic noise from Route 304 was high (average = 67 dB) within 100 m from the edge and then rapidly decreased into the interior.…”

“…Noise disturbance from this busy five-lane highway could therefore be the primary explanation for the decline in richness and abundance for most avian guilds at the edge (Arevalo and Newhard 2011), although this effect was confounded with vegetation changes in our study. Traffic noise distracts birds, making them more vulnerable to predation, and disrupts the singing for pairing during the breeding season, which may have resulted in edge avoidance by some avian guilds (Arevalo and Newhard 2011;Polak et al 2013), such as the terrestrial insectivores, Green-legged Partridge (Arborophila chloropus) and Puff-throated Babbler (Pellorneum ruficeps), that frequently vocally communicate especially during the breeding season. Because our assessment is correlative, we encourage future studies to further evaluate noise at edges in an experimental fashion to confirm this mechanism (e.g.…”

Disentangling Relations among Repertoire Size, Song Rate, Signal Redundancy and Ambient Noise Level in European Songbird

“…Nevertheless, there is no doubt that urbanisation affects bird communities (e.g. Francis et al 2009;Polak et al 2013;Proppe et al 2013;Sumasgutner et al 2014).…”

Effects of road construction works on some bird communities in Van (Turkey)

“…Therefore, they had shifted their territories further away. The result of many studies have reviewed reduced densities of birds breeding near roads (Ortega & Capen, 1999;Polak et al, 2013) and only several publications have recorded the new environment along the roadside impacts to birds positively (Pocock & Lawrence, 2005;Morelli et al, 2014). Especially, some species having alternative breeding areas showed stable densities (Seiler, 2001;Jacobson, 2005;Fahrig & Rytwinski, 2009;Yrjöla & Santaharju, 2015).…”