Exurban development influences woodland bird composition |
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Authors: | Adina M. Merenlender Sarah E. Reed Kerry L. Heise |
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Affiliation: | aEnvironmental Science, Policy, and Management Department, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3114, USA;bHopland Research and Extension Center, 4070 University Road, Hopland, CA 95449, USA;cCenter for Landscape Analysis, The Wilderness Society, 655 Montgomery St., Suite 1000, San Francisco, CA 94111, USA |
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Abstract: | One of the fastest growing types of land-use change is exurban development—low-density housing outside urban service boundaries. However, how individual species are responding to exurban development remains uncertain. We monitored birds for 5 years across three housing density levels in northern California oak woodlands. We compared community and species responses to exurban development (4–16 ha parcels) with suburban and undeveloped natural areas. We found that individual species and groups of species exhibited variable responses to exurban development. Some species and guilds were impacted by exurban development to the same extent as suburban development while others were less sensitive to this type of land use. For example, the proportion of the bird community composed of tree-and-shrub feeders was similar between exurban and natural areas, whereas proportions of temperate migrants showed significant reductions at both suburban and exurban sites. Similarly, Northern Flicker, Hutton's Vireo, and Orange-crowned Warbler were equally rare in exurban and suburban sites, making large, undeveloped parcels essential for their conservation. By explicitly measuring ecological changes associated with parcel size and density this research provides valuable information to land-use planners on the consequences of zoning for biodiversity conservation. |
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Keywords: | Indicator species Private land conservation Low-density residential development Land use Zoning Urbanization Hutton's Vireo Orange-crowned Warbler Northern Flicker Mayacmas Mountains |
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