The Ecology of Bird Communities

The Ecology of Bird Communities
Author: John A. Wiens
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 340
Release: 1989
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 9780521426350

A major study of avian community ecology.

Avian Ecology and Conservation in an Urbanizing World

Avian Ecology and Conservation in an Urbanizing World
Author: John M. Marzluff
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 608
Release: 2001-09-30
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 9780792374589

The twenty-seven contributions authored by leaders in the fields of avian and urban ecology present a unique summary of current research on birds in settled environments ranging from wildlands to exurban, rural to urban.

Competition and the Structure of Bird Communities. (MPB-7), Volume 7

Competition and the Structure of Bird Communities. (MPB-7), Volume 7
Author: Martin L. Cody
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Total Pages: 334
Release: 2020-03-31
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0691209332

Professor Cody's monograph emphasizes the role of competition at levels above single species populations, and describes how competition, by way of the niche concept, determines the structure of communities. Communities may be understood in terms of resource gradients, or niche dimensions, along which species become segregated through competitive interactions. Most communities appear to exist in three or four such dimensions. The first three chapters describe the resource gradients (habitat types, foraging sites, food types), show what factors restrict species to certain parts of the resource gradients and so determine niche breadths, and illustrate the important role of resource predictability in niche overlap between species for resources they share. Most examples are drawn from eleven North and South American bird communities, although the concepts and methodology are far more general. Next, the optimality of community structure is tested through parallel and convergent evolution on different continents with similar climates and habitats, and the direct influence of competitors on resource use is investigated by comparisons of species--poor island communities to species-rich mainland ones. Finally, the author discusses those sorts of environments in which the evolution of one species--one resource set is not achieved, and where alternative schemes of resource allocation, often involving several species that act ecologically as one, must be followed.

Ecology and Conservation of Birds in Urban Environments

Ecology and Conservation of Birds in Urban Environments
Author: Enrique Murgui
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 520
Release: 2017-02-10
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3319433148

This book provides syntheses of ecological theories and overarching patterns of urban bird ecology that have only recently become available. The numerous habitats represented in this book ranges from rows of trees in wooded alleys, to wastelands and remnants of natural habitats encapsulated in the urban matrix. Authored by leading scientists in this emergent field, the chapters explore how the characteristics of the habitat in urban environments influence bird communities and populations at multiple levels of ecological organization and at different spatial and temporal scales, and how this information should be incorporated in urban planning to achieve an effective conservation of bird fauna in urban environments. Birds are among the most conspicuous and fascinating residents of urban neighborhoods and provide urban citizens with everyday wildlife contact all over the world. However, present urbanization trends are rapidly depleting their habitats, and thus knowledge of urban bird ecology is urgently needed if birds are to thrive in cities. The book is unique in its inclusion of examples from all continents (except Antarctica) in an effort to arrive at a more holistic perspective. Among other issues, the individual chapters address the censusing of birds in urban green spaces; the relationship between bird communities and the structure of urban green spaces; the role of exotic plant species as food sources for urban bird fauna; the influence of artificial light and pollutants on bird fauna; trends in long-term urban bird research, and transdisciplinary studies on bird sounds and their effects on humans. Several chapters investigate how our current knowledge of the ecology of urban bird fauna should be applied in order to achieve better management of urban habitats so as to achieve conservation of species or even increase species diversity. The book also provides a forward-looking summary on potential research directions. As such, it provides a valuable resource for urban ecologists, urban ecology students, landscape architects, city planners, decision makers and anyone with an interest in urban ornithology and bird conservation. Moreover, it provides a comprehensive overview for researchers in the fields of ecology and conservation of urban bird fauna.

Neotropical Birds

Neotropical Birds
Author: Douglas F. Stotz
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 546
Release: 1996-06
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 9780226776309

This unparalleled wealth of finely detailed ecological information on Neotropical bird communities will prove invaluable to all Neotropical wildlife managers, conservation biologists, and serious birders.

Handbook of Bird Biology

Handbook of Bird Biology
Author: Irby J. Lovette
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 733
Release: 2016-06-27
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1118291042

Selected by Forbes.com as one of the 12 best books about birds and birding in 2016 This much-anticipated third edition of the Handbook of Bird Biology is an essential and comprehensive resource for everyone interested in learning more about birds, from casual bird watchers to formal students of ornithology. Wherever you study birds your enjoyment will be enhanced by a better understanding of the incredible diversity of avian lifestyles. Arising from the renowned Cornell Lab of Ornithology and authored by a team of experts from around the world, the Handbook covers all aspects of avian diversity, behaviour, ecology, evolution, physiology, and conservation. Using examples drawn from birds found in every corner of the globe, it explores and distills the many scientific discoveries that have made birds one of our best known - and best loved - parts of the natural world. This edition has been completely revised and is presented with more than 800 full color images. It provides readers with a tool for life-long learning about birds and is suitable for bird watchers and ornithology students, as well as for ecologists, conservationists, and resource managers who work with birds. The Handbook of Bird Biology is the companion volume to the Cornell Lab's renowned distance learning course, www.birds.cornell.edu/courses/home/homestudy/.

Urban Bird Ecology and Conservation

Urban Bird Ecology and Conservation
Author: Christopher A. Lepczyk
Publisher: Univ of California Press
Total Pages: 375
Release: 2012-10-26
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0520953894

Now that more than half of the world’s population lives in cities, the study of birds in urban ecosystems has emerged at the forefront of ornithological research. An international team of leading researchers in urban bird ecology and conservation from across Europe and North America presents the state of this diverse field, addressing classic questions while proposing new directions for further study. Areas of particular focus include the processes underlying patterns of species shifts along urban-rural gradients, the demography of urban birds and the role of citizen science, and human-avian interaction in urban areas. This important reference fills a crucial need for scientists, planners, and managers of urban spaces and all those interested in the study and conservation of birds in the world’s expanding metropolises.

Bird Communities of Gambel Oak

Bird Communities of Gambel Oak
Author: Andreas Leidolf
Publisher:
Total Pages: 36
Release: 2000
Genre: Birds
ISBN:

Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii Nutt.) covers 3.75 million hectares (9.3 million acres) of the western United States. This report synthesizes current knowledge on the composition, structure, and habitat relationships of gambel oak avian communities. It lists life history attributes of 183 bird species documented from gambel oak habitats of the western United States. Structural habitat attributes important to bird-habitat relationships are identified, based on 12 independent studies. This report also highlights species of special concern, provides recommendations for monitoring, and gives suggestions for management and future research.

Translational Ecology

Translational Ecology
Author: William H.. Schlesinger
Publisher:
Total Pages: 244
Release: 2017
Genre: Ecology
ISBN: 9783946729297

William H. Schlesinger believes that scientists have a duty to translate scientific research for non-specialists and he has a particular talent for doing so. The author of numerous scientific papers and two textbooks, he has also written hundreds of newspaper and magazine pieces, blog entries, and radio scripts that explain complex environmental issues.

Why Birds Matter

Why Birds Matter
Author: Çagan H. Sekercioglu
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 398
Release: 2016-08-24
Genre: Science
ISBN: 022638277X

For over one hundred years, ornithologists and amateur birders have jointly campaigned for the conservation of bird species, documenting not only birds’ beauty and extraordinary diversity, but also their importance to ecosystems worldwide. But while these avian enthusiasts have noted that birds eat fruit, carrion, and pests; spread seed and fertilizer; and pollinate plants, among other services, they have rarely asked what birds are worth in economic terms. In Why Birds Matter, an international collection of ornithologists, botanists, ecologists, conservation biologists, and environmental economists seeks to quantify avian ecosystem services—the myriad benefits that birds provide to humans. The first book to approach ecosystem services from an ornithological perspective, Why Birds Matter asks what economic value we can ascribe to those services, if any, and how this value should inform conservation. Chapters explore the role of birds in such important ecological dynamics as scavenging, nutrient cycling, food chains, and plant-animal interactions—all seen through the lens of human well-being—to show that quantifying avian ecosystem services is crucial when formulating contemporary conservation strategies. Both elucidating challenges and providing examples of specific ecosystem valuations and guidance for calculation, the contributors propose that in order to advance avian conservation, we need to appeal not only to hearts and minds, but also to wallets.