Disentangling the influences of habitat availability, heterogeneity and spatial position on the species richness and rarity of urban bird communities in a central European city

ContextThe negative association between elevation and species richness is a well-recognized pattern in macro-ecology. ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to investigate changes in functional evenness of breeding bird communities along an elevation gradient in Europe. MethodsUsing the bird data from the EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds we estimated an index of functional evenness which can be assumed as a measure of the potential resilience of communities.ResultsOur findings confirm the existence of a negative association between elevation and bird species richness in all European eco regions. However, we also explored a novel aspect of this relationship, important for conservation: Our findings provide evidence at large spatial scale of a negative association between the functional evenness (potential community resilience) and elevation, independent of the eco region. We also found that the Natura2000 protected areas covers the territory most in need of protection, those characterized by bird communities with low potential resilience, in hilly and mountainous areas.ConclusionsThese results draw attention to European areas occupied by bird communities characterized by a potential lower capacity to respond to strong ecological changes, and, therefore, potentially more exposed to risks for conservation.

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Air quality changes in a Central European city during COVID-19 lockdown

Sustainable Cities and Society ◽

10.1016/j.scs.2021.103096 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 103096

Author(s):

Bernard Polednik

Keyword(s):

Air Quality ◽

Quality Changes ◽

European City ◽

Central European

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Can clearcuts increase bird species richness in managed forests?

Journal of Forest Science ◽

10.17221/787-jfs ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 54 (No. 4) ◽

pp. 189-193

Author(s):

M. Żmihorski

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Bird Species ◽

Bird Communities ◽

Cumulative Number ◽

Managed Forests ◽

Managed Forest ◽

Bird Species Richness ◽

Forest Interior ◽

Transect Counts ◽

The Difference

Clearcuts are one of the results of forest management. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of clearcuts on bird communities in a managed forest in Western Poland. I applied the method of point transect counts. 20 points were located near clearcuts (less than 100 m from the nearest clearcut) and 25 points in the forest interior. In total, 36 bird species were recorded. On average, I found 9.20 bird species at points located near clearcuts and 6.72 species at points situated in the forest interior, and the difference was significant. The cumulative number of bird species for a given number of sampling points in the vicinity of clearcuts was higher than in the forest interior. The obtained results indicate that in managed, even-aged forests the generation of clearcuts can lead to an increase in local bird species richness.

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A new validation protocol for an urban microclimate model based on temperature measurements in a Central European city

Energy and Buildings ◽

10.1016/j.enbuild.2015.07.057 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 114 ◽

pp. 38-53 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Miguel Martin ◽

Afshin Afshari ◽

Peter R. Armstrong ◽

Leslie K. Norford

Keyword(s):

Temperature Measurements ◽

European City ◽

Urban Microclimate ◽

Central European ◽

Model Based

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Substance use disorders as risk factors for suicide in an Eastern and a Central European city (Tallinn and Frankfurt/Main)

Psychiatry Research ◽

10.1016/j.psychres.2008.03.022 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 165 (3) ◽

pp. 263-272 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Barbara Schneider ◽

Kairi Kõlves ◽

Maria Blettner ◽

Tilman Wetterling ◽

Axel Schnabel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Substance Use ◽

Substance Use Disorders ◽

European City ◽

Central European ◽

Risk Factors For Suicide

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Bird communities in three forest types in the Pernambuco Centre of Endemism, Alagoas, Brazil

Iheringia Série Zoologia ◽

10.1590/s0073-47212013000200002 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 103 (2) ◽

pp. 85-96 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Lahert W. Lobo-Araújo ◽

Mário T. F. Toledo ◽

Márcio A. Efe ◽

Ana C. M. Malhado ◽

Marcos V. C. Vital ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Bird Species ◽

Bird Communities ◽

Northeastern Brazil ◽

Forest Fragments ◽

Forest Types ◽

Risk Of Extinction ◽

Bird Fauna ◽

Richness Patterns ◽

Ombrophilous Forest

The Pernambuco Center of Endemism (PCE) in northeastern Brazil is highly fragmented and degraded. Despite its potential conservation importance the bird fauna in this area is still relatively unknown and there are many remnant fragments that have not been systematically surveyed. Here, we report the results of bird surveys in five forest fragments (one pioneer, two ombrophilous and two seasonal). In total, 162 taxa were recorded, 12 of which are endemic to the PCE. The frequency of endangered species was lower than what has been reported in studies from the same area and most of the taxa considered to be at risk of extinction were sub-species of uncertain taxonomic validity. The comparatively low number of endemic/threatened species may be due to the small size of the fragments in the present study - a consequence of the high levels of habitat loss in this region. Analysis of species richness patterns indicates that ombrophilous forest fragments are acting as refuges for those bird species that are most sensitive to environmental degradation.

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Long-term species richness-abundance dynamics in relation to species departures and arrivals in wintering urban bird assemblages

European Journal of Ecology ◽

10.2478/eje-2019-0002 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 1-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jukka Suhonen ◽

Jukka Jokimäki

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Bird Species ◽

Total Abundance ◽

Bird Species Richness ◽

Abundance Dynamics ◽

Local Species Richness ◽

Local Species ◽

The Mean ◽

Urban Bird ◽

Number Of Individuals

Abstract Temporal dynamics of local assemblages depend on the species richness and the total abundance of individuals as well as local departure and arrival rates of species. We used urban bird survey data collected from the same 31 study plots and methods during three winters (1991–1992; 1999–2000 and 2009–2010) to analyze the temporal relationship between bird species richness and total number of individuals (abundance). We also evaluated local departures and arrivals of species in each assemblage. In total, 13,812 individuals of 35 species were detected. The temporal variation in bird species richness followed the variation in the total number of individuals. The numbers of local departure and arrival events were similar. Also, the mean number of individuals of the recently arrived species (8.6) was almost the same as the mean number of individuals of the departed species (8.2). Risk of species departure was inversely related to number of individuals. Local species richness increased by one species when the total abundance of individuals increased by around 125 individuals and vice versa. Our results highlight the important role of local population departures and arrivals in determining the local species richness-abundance dynamics in human-dominated landscapes. Local species richness patterns depend on the total number of individuals as well as both the departure-arrival dynamics of individual species as well as the dynamics of all the species together. Our results support the more individuals hypothesis, which suggests that individual-rich assemblages have more species.

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