14.11.2014: Forschung international

Wodurch wird die Vielfalt an Waldvögeln im Siedlungsraum beeinflusst?

Qu’est-ce qui influence la diversité des oiseaux forestiers en zone urbaine?


Michael Ferenc, Ondrej Sedlacek, Roman Fuchs

Forschende konnten zeigen, dass Grünflächen in und um Prag vor allem dann eine hohe Vielfalt an Waldvogelarten aufweisen, wenn auch die Vielfalt der Baumarten gross ist und zumindest einige der Bäume alt und gross sind. Das gleichzeitige Vorhandensein von Gewässern erhöht zusätzlich die Artenvielfalt von Waldvögeln.

Des scientifiques ont montré que les espaces verts dans et autour de Prague abritent une grande diversité d’oiseaux forestiers quand la diversité des arbres est également élevée et qu’au moins certains arbres sont vieux et grands. La présence simultanée d’eau augmente la diversité des espèces d’oiseaux forestiers.


In this study researchers set out to identify factors that enhance the diversity of woodland bird species in urban green spaces. They surveyed 290 green spaces around the city of Prague, Czech Republic, counting the number of woodland bird species they saw over three visits to the sites. They also recorded a number of habitat characteristics such as the trunk diameter of the trees (an indication of age), number of tree species, density of shrubs and whether there was a water body at the site.
The results showed that the number of woodland bird species increased with the number of tree species. This may reflect the fact that different tree species provide different types of nesting and foraging opportunities. On average, the sites contained just over 12 species, with a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 19.
Bird species richness also increased with the presence of older trees. Coverage of just 12% of the area by trees that had a trunk diameter of 50 cm or more increased the number of bird species by an average of two. In other words, even a very few old trees can enhance biodiversity of birds in urban green spaces. This effect might be because older trees provide holes for species such as woodpeckers to nest in; they may also harbour more insects for foraging.
The results also reveal that the presence of water bodies such as small ponds, rivers or streams increased the number of species of woodland birds, on average, by two. This is somewhat surprising, say the researchers, as they did not include any wetland birds in their counts. This might reflect the fact that riverside areas provide a greater diversity of foraging habitats.
Finally, the researchers investigated the effects of the surrounding habitats, within 500 m of the study sites. This showed that bird diversity at the sites increased with the amount of continuous tree cover nearby and also with the scattered trees that are found in residential areas of the city.
Overall, the researchers recommend that urban green spaces should be managed to ensure a range of tree species and that the greater value of older, larger trees and water bodies should also be taken into account.

Quelle: Science for Environment Policy


Keywords:
Siedlungsraum, Grünflächen, Stadt, Waldvögel

Art der Publikation:
Fachpublikation

Literatur:
Ferenc M., Sedláček O., Fuchs R. (2014): How to improve urban greenspace for woodland birds: site and local-scale determinants of bird species richness. Urban Ecosystems 17, 625-640.
http://www.researchgate.net/publication/257671001_How_to_improve_urban_greenspace_for_woodland_birds_site_and_local-scale_determinants_of_bird_species_richness
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/pdf/383na3_en.pdf

Kontaktadresse:
M. Ferenc
Department of Ecology
Charles University in Prague
Faculty of Science
Vinicna 7
128 44 Prague
Czech Republic

zbrd@email.cz


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