Street design in suburban areas and its impact on bird communities: considering different diversity facets over the year

LM LEVEAU; CM LEVEAU

URBAN FORESTRY & URBAN GREENING

ELSEVIER GMBH

Año: 2020 vol. 48

1618-8667

AbstractSeveral studies have shown that suburban areas have higher bird diversity than non-urban areas. Native vegetationcover, habitat complexity and socioeconomic variables of suburban areas have shown to influence bird richness andcomposition. However, few studies have explored the effect of street design on bird communities by analyzing differentfacets of diversity, such as taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity. Moreover, few studies have explored bird￾habitat relationships during an annual cycle. In this study, we analyzed total and native bird community differencesbetween two street designs in a suburban area of Mar del Plata city (Argentina) during the breeding and non-breedingseasons. We surveyed streets and chicanes (street with a zigzag pattern), the latter being characterized by a smallerpaved area and larger lawn cover than the former. Birds were counted along 100 x 50-m transects. Total birdtaxonomic diversity and evenness, and functional diversity were higher in chicanes than in streets during bothseasons, whereas bird richness was higher in chicanes than in streets during the non-breeding season. Native birdrichness was higher in chicanes during both seasons, whereas native species diversity and evenness were higher inchicanes than in streets during the non-breeding season. Total and native evolutionary distinctiveness and nativefunctional diversity did not vary between street designs or seasons. Total and native species composition was similarbetween street designs and seasons, but the Eared Dove (Zenaida auriculata), the Rufous Hornero (Furnarius rufus),the Chalk-browed Mockingbird (Mimus saturninus) and the Shiny Cowbird (Molothrus bonariensis) showed increasedabundances in chicanes. Results suggest the importance of reducing paved road areas, with the consequent increaseof vegetated areas and, therefore, of bird diversity in suburban areas. Our analysis highlights the need to conductstudies during an annual cycle for a better understanding of bird community dynamics in urban environments.