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opencc-zeroAug 2022View details →

Urbanization shapes the relation between density and melanin-based colouration in bird communities

<p>Growing urbanization increasingly influences ecosystems worldwide. While the effects of urban conditions within species (through either plastic or evolutionary responses) have been widely studied, their potential influences among species (through environmental filter), especially concerning their colouration, remain poorly known. Here, we investigated whether avian communities breeding inside and outside a major European city (Paris) differ with regards to melanin-based plumage colouration. Melanins are heritable pigments present in many taxa and have a series of unique properties that may allow coping with urban conditions. Using melanic-based colouration as an integrative phenotypic marker, we predicted (i) that the probability of breeding inside the city should increase with the intensity of species melanin-based colouration, (ii) that for species breeding both inside and outside the city, density should increase with the intensity of dark colouration inside the city, but not outside the city, and (iii) that species not breeding inside the city should not exhibit this positive relation between density and colouration. Our results confirmed these predictions. In addition, the density of species not breeding inside the city decreased with the darkness of their plumage. Altogether, these results suggest that bird species experience a balance between costs and benefits of melanin-based colouration shaped by environmental conditions. Both the environmental filtering and the urbanisation-shaped relation between density and colouration evidenced here are likely a general trend, however possibly modulated by additional local environmental conditions. Their importance may even be underestimated given the restricted geographical scale and the overall urbanization rate of the region studied. Further studies involving regions with contrasted environmental conditions should gain insight into the consequences of urbanization worldwide on traits associated with melanin-based colouration.</p>

opencc-zeroAug 2022View details →

The effects of temperature extremes on survival in two semi-arid Australian bird communities over three decades, with predictions to 2104

<p>Aim: Organisms in arid and semi-arid regions are frequently exposed to climatic extremes and accordingly among the most vulnerable to climate change. Studies of seasonal differences in vital rates, which mediate effects of climate on viability, are rare in arid species limiting ability to project population trends. We quantified survival patterns for two bird communities as a function of expo-sure to temperature extremes in winter and summer, then project survival patterns to 2104.</p> <p>Location: semi-arid eastern Australia</p> <p>Time period: 1986-2016; 1986-2104</p> <p>Major taxa studied: Birds</p> <p>Methods: Using mark recapture time-dependent Cormack-Jolly-Seber models and data for 37 species from two 30-year ringing programs, we tested for effects on 6-monthly survival of expo-sure to temperatures >38oC and <0oC. We then predicted future survival for different emission scenarios, testing whether changes in survival associated with warming winters would be suffi-cient to offset the effects of rising summer temperatures. Results: Survival probability declined strongly with increasing exposure to days >38oC and to a lesser extent to days <0oC, with temperature extremes explaining 43% and 13% of temporal varia-tion in survival among years, respectively. Summer survival patterns were similar across avian guilds but only survival of nectarivores declined in winter. Our models predict that gains in winter survival will not offset reductions in summer survival.</p> <p>Annual survival is predicted to decline sub-stantially by the end of the century: from 0.63 in 1986 to 0.43 in 2104 under an optimistic emis-sion scenario and to 0.11 under a pessimistic scenario. Main conclusions: We highlight the significance of temperature extremes for species' persistence in arid and semi-arid regions, comprising 70% of Australia's land mass, and 40% globally. Our demography-based results are consistent with physiological-based projections evaluating avian survival in arid and semi-arid regions globally and suggest rising summer temperatures pose a risk to population persistence in these regions. </p>

Figure 1 in Preliminary assessment of community composition and phylogeographic relationships of the birds of the Meratus Mountains, south-east Borneo, Indonesia

Figure 1. Map of Borneo showing the location of the Meratus and other mountain ranges.

opencc-by-4.0Mar 2016View details →

Figure 2 in Bird communities of different woody vegetation types from the Niraj Valley, Romania

Figure 2. PCoA of the bird communities from the woody vegetation based on the Bray–Curtis index.

opencc-by-4.0Mar 2016View details →

Figure 1 in Bird communities of different woody vegetation types from the Niraj Valley, Romania

Figure 1. PCoA of the bird communities from the woody vegetation based on the Jaccard index.

Appendix 2 in Preliminary assessment of community composition and phylogeographic relationships of the birds of the Meratus Mountains, south-east Borneo, Indonesia

<p><b>Appendix 2: List of ND2 sequence-samples compared for this study, classified according to Clements</b> <i>et al</i>. <b>(2017).</b></p><table><thead><tr><th>Tissue No.*</th><th>Genus</th><th>Species</th><th>Locality</th><th>GenBank No</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><th>LSUMNS B-51117 / AMNH DOT 15123</th><td>Cacomantis</td><td><i>sonneratii</i></td><td>Tawau Hills Park, Sabah</td><td>KJ455342</td></tr><tr><th>LSUMNS B-79648</th><td>Cacomantis</td><td><i>sonneratii</i></td><td>Kuching, Sarawak</td><td>MG546353</td></tr><tr><th>LSUMNS B-47009</th><td>Cacomantis</td><td><i>merulinus</i></td><td>Mt. Kinabalu, Sabah</td><td>MG546349</td></tr><tr><th>LSUMNS B-47049</th><td>Cacomantis</td><td><i>merulinus</i></td><td>Mt. Kinabalu, Sabah</td><td>MG546350</td></tr><tr><th>LSUMNS B-58630</th><td>Cacomantis</td><td><i>merulinus</i></td><td>Mt. Pueh, Sarawak</td><td>MG546351</td></tr><tr><th>LSUMNS B-79020</th><td>Cacomantis</td><td><i>merulinus</i></td><td>Meratus Mountains, South Kalimantan</td><td>MG546352</td></tr><tr><th>UWBM 67474</th><td>Cacomantis</td><td><i>merulinus</i></td><td>Sumatra, Indonesia</td><td>KJ455341</td></tr><tr><th>LSUMNS B-51190</th><td>Psilopogon</td><td><i>eximius</i></td><td>Tawau Hills Park, Sabah</td><td>MG 546418</td></tr><tr><th>LSUMNS B-79082</th><td>Psilopogon</td><td><i>eximius</i></td><td>Meratus Mountains, South Kalimantan</td><td>MG546419</td></tr></tbody></table>

Appendix 1 in Preliminary assessment of community composition and phylogeographic relationships of the birds of the Meratus Mountains, south-east Borneo, Indonesia

<p><b>Appendix 1: List of bird species recorded in the Meratus Mountains</b></p><table><thead><tr><th><b>Scientific name</b> a</th><th><b>English name</b> a</th><th>Elevation, this studyb 500 m 1,150 m 1,350 m</th><th colspan="2"><b>Davison</b> Eaton <i>et</i> <i>al.</i> (1997) c (2017)</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><th><i>Rollulus rouloul</i></th><td>Crested Partridge</td><td></td><td></td><td>x</td></tr><tr><th><i>Spilornis cheela</i></th><td>Crested Serpent Eagle</td><td>x</td><td>x</td><td>x</td></tr><tr><th><i>Nisaetus alboniger</i></th><td>Blyth’s Hawk-Eagle</td><td></td><td></td><td>x</td></tr><tr><th><i>Lophotriorchis kienerii</i></th><td>Rufous-bellied Eagle</td><td></td><td></td><td>x</td></tr><tr><th><i>Macropygia ruficeps</i></th><td>Little Cuckoo-Dove</td><td>x</td><td>x</td><td>x</td></tr><tr><th><i>Chalcophaps indica</i></th><td>Asian Emerald Dove</td><td>x</td><td>x</td><td></td></tr><tr><th><i>Treron olax **</i></th><td>Little Green Pigeon</td><td>x</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><th><i>Ducula badia</i></th><td>Mountain Imperial Pigeon</td><td></td><td>x</td><td></td></tr><tr><th><i>Centropus sinensis</i></th><td>Greater Coucal</td><td>x</td><td>x</td><td></td></tr><tr><th><i>Centropus bengalensis</i></th><td>Lesser Coucal</td><td></td><td>x</td><td></td></tr><tr><th><i>Phaenicophaeus curvirostris</i></th><td>Chestnut-breasted Malkoha</td><td>s</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><th><i>Cacomantis merulinus*</i></th><td>Plaintive Cuckoo</td><td>s</td><td>x</td><td></td></tr><tr><th><i>Cacomantis variolosus</i></th><td>Brush Cuckoo</td><td></td><td></td><td>x</td></tr></tbody></table>

TABLE 1 in Preliminary assessment of community composition and phylogeographic relationships of the birds of the Meratus Mountains, south-east Borneo, Indonesia

<p>TABLE 1 Plumage colour variation in Ochraceous Bulbul <i>Alophoixus ochraceus</i> and Grey-cheeked Bulbul <i>A. bres</i> from the Meratus Mountains and other parts of Borneo.</p><table><thead><tr><th>Plumage tract</th><th><i>A. ochraceus</i> (Meratus)</th><th><i>A. ochraceus ruficrissus</i> / fowleri (Sabah and Sarawak)</th><th><i>Alophoixus bres</i> (Sabah and Sarawak)</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><th>Crown and nape</th><td>Grey</td><td>Greyish brown</td><td>Rufous-brown</td></tr><tr><th>Back and rump</th><td>Olive-green</td><td>Olive-brown</td><td>Olive-green</td></tr><tr><th>Tail</th><td>Dark reddish brown</td><td>Dark reddish brown</td><td>Dark reddish brown</td></tr><tr><th>Wings</th><td>Brown with green edges</td><td>Dark reddish brown</td><td>Dark reddish brown</td></tr><tr><th>Throat</th><td>White</td><td>White</td><td>White</td></tr><tr><th>Breast and flanks</th><td>Bright olive-green</td><td>Greyish brown</td><td>Pinkish brown</td></tr><tr><th>Belly</th><td>Lemon-yellow</td><td>Pale yellowish brown</td><td>Pale yellow</td></tr><tr><th>Vent</th><td>Yellowish brown</td><td>Rufous</td><td>Yellowish brown</td></tr></tbody></table>

TABLE 2 in Preliminary assessment of community composition and phylogeographic relationships of the birds of the Meratus Mountains, south-east Borneo, Indonesia

<p>TABLE 2 Size comparison between six specimens of Meratus and five specimens of Sabah and Sarawak populations of Hill Blue Flycatcher <i>Cyornis banyumas</i>, including males and females. T-test values show significance of differences between the two groups. All measurements in mm.</p><table><thead><tr><th>Population</th><th>Culmen length</th><th>Culmen width</th><th>Culmen depth</th><th>Tail</th><th>Tarsus</th><th>Wing</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><th>Meratus (mean)</th><td>10.63</td><td>5.87</td><td>4.53</td><td>64.78</td><td>20.48</td><td>78.83</td></tr><tr><th>Meratus (s.d.)</th><td>0.37</td><td>0.25</td><td>0.35</td><td>2.86</td><td>1.24</td><td>2.19</td></tr><tr><th>Sabah and Sarawak (mean)</th><td>9.68</td><td>5.48</td><td>3.86</td><td>61.20</td><td>17.98</td><td>72.80</td></tr><tr><th>Sabah and Sarawak (s.d.)</th><td>0.22</td><td>0.31</td><td>0.14</td><td>1.43</td><td>1.32</td><td>1.60</td></tr><tr><th>T-test <i>P</i> value</th><td>0.001</td><td>0.038</td><td>0.003</td><td>0.024</td><td>0.009</td><td>0.001</td></tr></tbody></table>

opencc-by-4.0Jan 2022View details →

Host phylogeny and elevation predict infection by avian haemosporidians in a diverse New Guinean bird community (R script for analyses, figures, and supplemental figures )

<p>This script performs the glmm analysis of the elevation and infection prevalence data as well as the script required to generate the figures in the article.</p>

opencc-zeroDec 2022View details →

Data for: The role of landscape in shaping bird community and implications for landscape management at Nanjing Lukou International Airport

<p>Understanding the patterns of bird diversity and its driving force is necessary for bird strike prevention. In this study, we investigated the effects of landscape attributes on phylogenetic and functional diversity of bird communities at Nanjing Lukou International Airport (NLIA). Bird identifications and counting of individuals were carried out from November 2017 to October 2019. Based on the land cover data, the landscape was divided into four main types, including farmlands, woodlands, wetlands and urban areas. Bird phylogenetic and functional diversity were strongly affected by landscape matrix types. Bird species, phylogenetic and functional richness were highest in woodlands, while phylogenetic and functional structure were most complex in wetlands. We found that related carnivorous birds occupied most niches at the NLIA. Moreover, bird assemblages exhibited phylogenetic and functional clustering in all landscape matrix types, which meant environmental filtering governed community assembly. Landscape attributes of different matrix types influenced phylogenetic and functional diversity of bird communities. Landscape diversity affected bird functional structure positively, and the mean of patch area in the landscape had the strongest explanatory effects. To prevent bird strikes, we suggest that more small-area woodlands with low levels of aggregation can be considered and farmlands should be patchier and more regular. At landscape level, the number of patches can be adjusted to reduce the frequency of bird activities.</p>

opencc-zeroDec 2022View details →

Data for: Neotropical mixed-species bird flocks in a community context

<p>Mixed-species flocks are an important component of bird communities, particularly in the Neotropics, where flocks reach their highest diversity. The extent to which mixed-species flocks represent unique functional or ecological roles within communities, and how these attributes change over environmental gradients, however, is not well understood. We use a trait-based approach to examine functional aspects of flocking assemblages as they relate to those observed in the larger avian community across a 3000 m elevational gradient. Our results reveal similar ecological strategies among flocking species and the communities in which they occur, at the scale of the regional pool and across elevations. Trait variation in flocking and non-flocking assemblages is structured along two major axes defined by size- and resource-related traits. The trait space occupied by flocking species, however, represents only half (51%) that of the larger community. Similarly, the trait space of flocks across elevations is restricted compared to non-flocking species. The shared trait space across flock types represents small-bodied invertivores foraging in lower forest strata, traits associated with increased vulnerability to predation. The concentration of flocking species in functional trait space suggests high niche packing and either more overlap in ecological strategies or more finely divided niches relative to non-flocking species.</p>

opencc-zeroJun 2023View details →

Data for: Cavity-breeding birds create specific microhabitats for diverse arthropod communities in boreal forests

<p class="MsoNormal">The nests of secondary cavity-nesters located in tree cavities may form specific microhabitats of conservation importance due to their limited accessibility and availability. Species-specific nesting materials in nests of different secondary cavity-nesters may furthermore provide very different microhabitats for arthropods. The potential differences in arthropod communities inhabiting nests of different bird species in excavated cavities or nest boxes have, however, rarely been studied despite their relevance for conservation. Here we investigated the diversity and composition of arthropod communities in these different cavity types and bird species' nests in managed boreal forests. We identified morphologically and by DNA-metabarcoding arthropods in nest materials that were collected in and compared between i) woodpecker-size cavities from seven different combinations of cavity type (nest box or excavated cavity), tree species (aspen or pine) and accumulation history of nest materials (single-season cleaned or uncleaned nest boxes that accumulated nests of passerines or an owl species); and ii) nests of two different passerine species in small nest boxes. We identified 64 arthropod taxa in ten orders, from which Diptera, Coleoptera, Siphonaptera, and Lepidoptera were the most abundant. Shannon diversity index was similar among the cavity-nest-type combinations, but taxa richness was the highest in the owl nests. The arthropod communities (especially Histeridae beetles) deviated most from the other types of nests in owl and aspen cavity nests with more advanced decomposition of nest material (soil or wet environment-related taxa). The differences in arthropod communities between the different nest types point out the importance of the ecological chain "tree cavities – bird nests – arthropod communities".</p>

opencc-zeroSep 2022View details →

Changes in the acoustic structure of Australian bird communities along a habitat complexity gradient

<p><span>Avian vocalizations have evolved in response to a variety of abiotic and biotic selective pressures. While there is some support for signal convergence in similar habitats that is attributed to adaptation to the acoustic properties of the environment (the 'acoustic adaptation hypothesis', AAH), there is also evidence for character displacement as a result of competition for signal space among coexisting species (the 'acoustic niche partitioning hypothesis'). We explored the acoustic space of avian assemblages distributed along six different habitat types (from herbaceous habitats to warm rainforests) in southeastern Queensland, Australia. We employed three acoustic diversity indices (acoustic richness, evenness, and divergence) to characterize the signal space. In addition, we quantified the phylogenetic and morphological structure (in terms of both body mass and beak size) of each community. Acoustic parameters showed a moderately low phylogenetic signal, indicating labile evolution. Although, we did not find meaningful differences in acoustic diversity indices among habitat categories, </span><span>there was a significant relationship between the regularity component (evenness) and vegetation height indicating that acoustic signals are more evenly distributed in dense habitats. After accounting for differences in species richness, the volume of acoustic space (i.e., acoustic richness) decreased as the level of phylogenetic and morphological resemblance among species in a given community increased. </span><span>Additionally, we found a significantly negative relationship between acoustic divergence and divergence in body mass indicating that the less different species are in their body mass, the more different their songs are likely to be. This implies the existence of acoustic niche partitioning at the community level. Overall, while we found mixed support for the AAH,</span> <span>our results suggest that community-level effects may play a role in structuring acoustic signals within avian communities in this region. This study shows that signal diversity estimated by diversity metrics of community ecology based on basic acoustic parameters can provide additional insight into the structure of animal vocalizations. </span></p>

opencc-zeroOct 2023View details →

Dispersal limitation predicts the spatial and temporal filtering of tropical bird communities in isolated forest fragments

<p>The link between dispersal traits and patterns of community assembly remains a frontier in understanding how vertebrate communities persist in fragmented landscapes. Using experimental release trials and intensive field surveys of bird communities in fragmented forests of the Peruvian and Colombian Andes, we demonstrate that morphological traits related to movement (1) predict experimental flight performance and (2) exhibit dispersal-mediated environmental filtering at the community scale. After correcting for body size, four traits hypothesized to influence flight ability (wing length, wing pointedness, wing loading, and eye size) predicted distance flown across a hostile experimental landscape, with successful species having significantly longer pointed wings, carrying less mass per unit wing area (i.e., lower wing loading), and having smaller eyes. Species with larger eyes also displayed increased flight latency, potentially due to disability glare. At the community scale we detected a gradient of dispersal-mediated environmental filtering in fragments compared to reference forest within the same landscape, with relative differences in trait values explained by the temporal and spatial extent of patch isolation. In the Colombian landscape where fragments had been isolated for > 60 years, communities were filtered for species with long and narrow wings and small eyes, especially within the most spatially isolated fragments. We observed the opposite pattern in the more recently fragmented Peruvian landscape (15-30 years): communities within fragments tended to have shorter and more rounded wings compared to those in nearby contiguous forests, suggesting that dispersal-limited species accumulate in the initial years following patch isolation due to "restricted dispersal" and represent an extinction debt yet to be paid. Our results (1) experimentally validate the use of morphological traits as proxies for movement ability in fragmented landscapes, (2) demonstrate that visual acuity functions as a novel dimension of dispersal limitation, and (3) quantify how the spatial and temporal components of patch isolation produce a gradient in dispersal-mediated environmental filtering and extinction debt for communities inhabiting fragments.</p>