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Does urbanization affect the seasonal dynamics of bird communities in urban parks?

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Abstract

The environmental factors affecting the spatial dynamics of bird communities in urban parks are well understood, but much less attention has been paid to the seasonal dynamics of bird communities. Since migrant and resident human commensal birds might have contrasting responses to environmental factors of urban parks, we expected different seasonal dynamics among parks. On the other hand, because bird species can have different habitat relationships throughout the year, we also expected different responses of bird richness to environmental variables between breeding and non-breeding seasons. Bird surveys were conducted in 14 small urban parks (1–4 Ha) of Mar del Plata city (Argentina) for one full annual cycle. Bird richness changed between seasons, but bird abundance remained constant. Bird community composition did not vary between seasons, but urban parks near the urban center, with the highest pedestrian traffic and isolation to other green areas had the least seasonal change of composition. During the breeding season, bird richness was negatively affected by the percentage cover of high buildings surrounding the immediate limits of parks, whereas during the non-breeding season bird richness was not related with any environmental variable. Bird composition variation among parks was affected by the distance to the urban center during both seasons. Results showed that urbanization promotes a seasonal homogenization of bird communities in urban parks, probably by affecting the presence of migrant species and promoting the temporal stability of human commensal species.

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Acknowledgments

We extend thanks to I. MacGregor-Fors for helpful comments that improved the manuscript. We appreciate the improvements in English writing made by one anonymous reviewer and Philip Whitford through the Association of Field Ornithologists’ program of editorial assistance. LM Leveau is a posdoc fellow of CONICET.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires - IEGEBA (CONICET-UBA), Intendente Güiraldes 2160, Ciudad Universitaria, Pab 2, Piso 4, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Lucas M. Leveau

  2. Instituto de Salud Colectiva, Universidad Nacional de Lanús, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Carlos M. Leveau

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  1. Lucas M. Leveau
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Leveau, L.M., Leveau, C.M. Does urbanization affect the seasonal dynamics of bird communities in urban parks?. Urban Ecosyst 19, 631–647 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-016-0525-5

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