Location
Room 232, Schewel Hall
Access Type
Campus Access Only
Start Date
4-17-2024 9:00 AM
End Date
4-17-2024 9:15 AM
College
Lynchburg College of Arts and Sciences
Department
Environmental Science
Abstract
Aves (birds) is an essential class of animals that contribute to ecosystem function as predators, pollinators, scavengers, seed dispersers, seed predators, and ecosystem engineers. However, these roles are threatened when ecosystems are altered, fragmented, and destroyed by urban expansion. Some bird species can continue to live in urban environments, but many are unable to tolerate habitat loss. Birds’ differing capacities to tolerate urban environments is crucial information that informs conservation efforts, influences which ecosystem services are lost, and determines how species richness and diversity changes. This study analyzes how overall bird diversity responds to urbanization. Additionally it investigates if certain guilds of birds - based on foraging behavior and preferred habitat - are affected in different ways by urbanization. I expect increased urbanization will cause decreases in species diversity and richness as well as losses of ecosystem services. Historical winter bird data from the Christmas Bird Count (CBC), a citizen-science led annual bird census organized by the National Audubon Society, is used to assess changes in bird populations over time. The birds observed in this survey include resident birds and migratory birds overwintering in localities across North America. This study analyzes the changes in bird diversity in two CBC circles, McKinney, TX and Hagerman National Wildlife Reserve, TX, in five year intervals from 1985 to 2020. Urbanization in these two circles is determined using the United States Geological Survey CONUS Collection 1 data and ArcMap.
Faculty Mentor(s)
Dr. John Styrsky Dr. David Perault Dr. Price Blair Dr. Brooke Haiar
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Effects of Urbanization on Winter Bird Biodiversity in Northeastern Texas
Room 232, Schewel Hall
Aves (birds) is an essential class of animals that contribute to ecosystem function as predators, pollinators, scavengers, seed dispersers, seed predators, and ecosystem engineers. However, these roles are threatened when ecosystems are altered, fragmented, and destroyed by urban expansion. Some bird species can continue to live in urban environments, but many are unable to tolerate habitat loss. Birds’ differing capacities to tolerate urban environments is crucial information that informs conservation efforts, influences which ecosystem services are lost, and determines how species richness and diversity changes. This study analyzes how overall bird diversity responds to urbanization. Additionally it investigates if certain guilds of birds - based on foraging behavior and preferred habitat - are affected in different ways by urbanization. I expect increased urbanization will cause decreases in species diversity and richness as well as losses of ecosystem services. Historical winter bird data from the Christmas Bird Count (CBC), a citizen-science led annual bird census organized by the National Audubon Society, is used to assess changes in bird populations over time. The birds observed in this survey include resident birds and migratory birds overwintering in localities across North America. This study analyzes the changes in bird diversity in two CBC circles, McKinney, TX and Hagerman National Wildlife Reserve, TX, in five year intervals from 1985 to 2020. Urbanization in these two circles is determined using the United States Geological Survey CONUS Collection 1 data and ArcMap.