Birds and Roads: Reduced Transit for Smaller Species over Roads within an Urban Environment

摘要: Roads provide humans with a means of mobility between destinations, be it for transportation goods and services or as connecting others. However, roads are also known to contribute towards number deleterious landscape processes, such habitat destruction fragmentation, pollution (e.g. chemical, noise light) animal mortality. Few studies however have investigated their effects on avifauna. We the influence road width movements nearby bird assemblages in Australia by comparing crossing counts four species guilds sizes over varying widths Southern Brisbane. In addition, we sought determine association seasonality richness abundance. Species guild affiliations were based definitions from previous literature: small forest dependent, large honeyeater urban tolerant; whereas body size classifications arbitrarily defined: (30cm). Road sites selected vegetation likeness, both within sites, this was assessed using Specht classification system. detected strong, negative correlations richness, particular, analysis revealed likelihoods dependent consistently lower than those tolerant guilds. Analysis yielded similar outcomes: birds less likely present cross all compared medium birds. believe gap permeability, particularly changes structure complexity that may restrict ability access gap, well competition predation, play an important role determining presence likelihood. Dense is benefit smaller due provision foraging resources shelter larger, more aggressive species.