Effects of climate and exurban development on bird species in the Southern Appalachians

Climate variability and land-use dynamics have important effects on many terrestrial systems, yet very few empirical studies examine both of these. We studied the impacts of building density, forest canopy cover, and mean temperature on bird species occurrence at 140 study sites in the Southern Appalachian Mountains (North Carolina, USA). Point counts conducted during both 2009 and 2011 were used to document the presence of bird species. Building density and forest canopy cover were quantified with remote sensing techniques, and mean temperature was measured with iButtons in the field.