Effects of land use on riparian birds in a semiarid region. (August 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lee, Myung-Bok; Rotenberry, John T.
• Is Part Of: Journal of arid environments. Volume 119(2015:Aug.)
• Page Start: 61
• Page End: 69
• Publication Date: 2015-08
• Subjects: Agriculture -- Detectability -- Riparian ecosystems -- Semiarid landscapes -- Spatial autocorrelation -- Spatial scale -- Urbanization; Arid regions ecology -- Periodicals; Arid regions -- Periodicals; Écologie des régions arides -- Périodiques; Régions arides -- Périodiques; 577.54
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2015.04.001
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0140-1963

Abstract

Abstract: We investigated the influence of landscape characteristics on avian species occupancy in riparian forests embedded in a matrix of urban and agricultural land use in a semiarid region of the Southwestern US. We conducted bird and vegetation (local-scale characteristics) surveys within 196 50-m radius sample points in 10 riparian forests in southern California. We quantified landscape composition within a 500 m-radius surrounding each point. For each species we developed 8 single-season occupancy models using principal components summarizing local- and landscape-scale characteristics and a spatial autocovariate as covariates. Of 21 species analyzed, occupancy by 11 was associated with landscape characteristics, by 6 with local vegetation characteristics, by 3 with both local and landscape characteristics, and by 1 with none. Five species positively responded to surrounding urban development (2 negative), whereas 4 negatively responded to agricultural land (1 positive). The amount of riparian forests had a strong positive effect on the occurrence of riparian obligates. Our results emphasize the importance of landscape characteristics on species occupancy patterns in riparian systems although relationships were also species-specific. Our results imply a positive effect of urbanization compared to agricultural land uses in this region, most likely due to enhanced vegetation development. Highlights: Occupancy of most riparian birds is associated with landscape characteristics. More birds respond positively to surrounding urbanization than to agriculture. Amount of riparian forest is an important factor influencing riparian obligates.