Birds in Suburbs: Altering Habitat, Species Assemblages, & Science Communication

Abstract

Human modification of the environment rapidly alters ecological processes and the composition of plant and animal communities. Understanding the impacts of such anthropogenic disturbances are needed to predict future biotic conditions, inform land management practices, and conserve biological diversity. This dissertation aimed to generate original scientific research on anthropogenic disturbance ecology and present those findings to a broad audience. I had five specific objectives and associated findings. First, to assess over a decade of landscape change (1998-2010) occurring in the Puget Lowlands of Washington state, where exurban areas are converting from forest to either low-density conservation development (CD) or higher density planned community development (PCD). Second, to test predictions of successional change (stability, heterogeneity, and diversity) in structuring local bird communities of these emerging suburbs. Third, to quantify abundance of birds in each form of development by both tolerance of human activity (synanthropic guilds) and individual species persistence. Fourth, to extend the reach of informal education by designing a public science exhibition format. Fifth, to communicate suburban-bird ecology to a broader literary audience through original illustrations. Applying object-oriented image assessment (OBIA) and compositional analyses to available orthophotography, I found the rate of land conversion, amount of built cover, and forest loss positively correlated with housing density. However, habitat fragmentation (total edge) increased equally in CDs and PCDs. As predicted by classical succession, bird communities following disturbance became more stable over time, less heterogeneous, and grew in diversity. However, CDs stabilized more quickly and remained more heterogeneous than PCDs. CDs retained more native forest birds (avoiders), excluded more synanthropic (exploiter) species, and hosted similar numbers of early successional (adaptor) species relative to PCDs; however, a few highly abundant species dominated each guild. I propose the Living Science Journal (LSJ), an interactive museum-style exhibition format to feature peer-reviewed ecological studies for informal public education. Finally, I created 41original natural science illustrations to accompany the book Welcome to Subirdia: Sharing our neighborhoods with wrens, robins, woodpeckers, and other wildlife, authored by my doctoral advisor, Professor John Marzluff.