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Passerine and Near Passerine Diversity, Richness, and Community Responses to a Rural to Urban Gradient in Southeastern Ohio

Howell, Jessica E
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ouashonors1399041452

Abstract Details

2014, Bachelor of Sciences, Ohio University, Biological Sciences.
Over 50% of the world’s human population lives in cities and the number is steadily rising. Urbanization involves a unique set of environmental characteristics including greater imperviousness of surfaces, higher temperatures, and higher noise and light levels than natural systems. Urban development favors resident species of birds, granivores and omnivores, and rock and cavity nesters over migrants, insectivores, and ground nesters. This leads to differences in colonization success among species. In this study I assessed species richness, diversity, abundance, and guild composition of passerine and near passerine birds in an urban area situated in a rural landscape. I hypothesized that diversity should be lowest in the most urbanized areas and highest in the rural areas, abundances of species should differ among habitats on the rural to urban gradient, and avian communities of urban and rural areas should be unique. The most rural site had the highest species richness and the urban area had the lowest. Species diversity was greater in more rural areas. The abundance of invasive species increased and migrant species richness decreased towards the urban core, and feeding and nesting guild structures differed. These results have wildlife management, biodiversity, and social implications at the local as well as global level.
Donald Miles (Advisor)
Kelly Williams-Sieg (Other)
Janet Duerr (Other)
72 p.
Biology; Wildlife Conservation
avian ecology; urban ecology; urban avifauna; diversity; avian community; passerines and near passerines; urban to rural gradient; urbanization

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Howell, J. E. (2014). Passerine and Near Passerine Diversity, Richness, and Community Responses to a Rural to Urban Gradient in Southeastern Ohio [Undergraduate thesis, Ohio University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ouashonors1399041452

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Howell, Jessica. Passerine and Near Passerine Diversity, Richness, and Community Responses to a Rural to Urban Gradient in Southeastern Ohio. 2014. Ohio University, Undergraduate thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ouashonors1399041452.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Howell, Jessica. "Passerine and Near Passerine Diversity, Richness, and Community Responses to a Rural to Urban Gradient in Southeastern Ohio." Undergraduate thesis, Ohio University, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ouashonors1399041452

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ouashonors1399041452
937
© 2014, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Ohio University Art and Sciences Honors Theses and OhioLINK.