Exploring the effects of urbanization on bird species in European cities

Farah Abou Zeid

Disertační práce

Abstract:

As urbanization expands, understanding its adverse effects on ecosystems, communities, and species becomes increasingly necessary. Birds are often the focus of urban ecology studies due to their ease of observation and role as effective bioindicators. Bird species vary in their responses to urbanization. While rare, specialist, and endemic species often suffer, a few widespread generalists thrive in urban areas, such as many corvid species. The replacement of native species with a few generalists leads to the biotic homogenization of urban avian communities. Understanding the factors that promote the presence of certain species and deter others becomes vital to urban conservation efforts. In this compilation thesis, we examine various aspects of urban avian communities, including habitat selection and overlap, antipredator behavior, and the role of remote sensing techniques in monitoring avian diversity. The work was conducted during the breeding seasons in several European cities over multiple years. The scale of the studies ranged from single species in one city to entire urban bird communities across several European cities. Fieldwork consisted of different methods, from point counts to survey species presence and abundance to measuring Flight Initiation Distance (FID), the distance at which an individual initiates escape from a potential predator. We also used remote sensing indices like the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) to assess the vegetation cover. The statistical methods employed various techniques and models. We studied the urban habitat selection and overlap of corvids. We also investigated the impacts of urban noise pollution on the antipredator behavior of the Eurasian Magpie (Pica pica). Additionally, we examined the role of refuge availability, proximity, and type on the antipredator behavior of urban avian communities. Finally, we explored the capacity of specific remote-sensing vegetation indices to act as proxies for urban avian diversity beyond simple bird richness, potentially revealing homogenization. Our findings showed a high overlap in the habitats of all corvid species despite some specific preferences. The corvids with similar habitat preferences often co-occurred, indicating low competition. Urban noise did not significantly affect the Magpies' ability to detect danger, but it did slow their reaction and escape. We found that urban birds preferred to seek refuge in trees after disturbance and felt more secure when near potential refuges, delaying their flight after disturbances. Finally, the NDVI mean proved to be a good proxy for multifaceted avian diversity monitoring and could help identify potential homogenization. This thesis contributes to the growing field of urban ornithology, providing insights to guide conservation efforts. In Europe, urban ornithology can inform strategies to reduce avian loss and provide valuable knowledge for urban planning in newly developing cities worldwide to preserve biodiversity.

Keywords

Adaptation, Avian, Behavior, Bird, Biodiversity, Corvid, Europe, EVI, Flight Initiation Distance, Habitat Selection, NDVI, Niche overlap, Noise Pollution, Urban

Jazyk práce: angličtina

Datum vytvoření / odevzdání či podání práce: 20. 7. 2024

Obhajoba závěrečné práce

• Vedoucí: doc. Federico Morelli, Ph.D.
• Oponent: Tomáš Kadlec, Ph.D., Mgr., Piotr Skorka, externi

Česká zemědělská univerzita v Praze

Fakulta životního prostředí

Doktorský studijní program:
Applied and Landscape Ecology