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Animals
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Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) in Urban Areas Contrasting Bird Diversity Decline
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Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) in Urban Areas Contrasting Bird Diversity Decline

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Birds".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2021) | Viewed by 12826

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Yanina Benedetti

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Community and Ecology Conservation Research Group, Department of Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, CZ-165 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic
Interests: biodiversity conservation; bird community; avian diversity; bird behavior; urban ecology; landscape ecology; ecosystem services; evolutionary ecology; agroecology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Jukka Jokimäki

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, 96101 Rovaniemi, Finland
Interests: urban birds; migratory birds; ecology of birds; urban biodiversity; arctic biodiversity; boreal biodiversity; forest birds; mire birds; water birds; bird monitoring; conservation biology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The main drivers of the current biodiversity loss - land-use and climate change - in association with the rising world population living in cities, require the design of more sustainable, safe, and resilient cities for both animals and humans, via urban management activities. There is increasing scientific recognition of the need to adopt Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to achieve urban sustainability and increase resilience facing climate change. However, more knowledge about NbS contrasting bird diversity decline in urban areas is essential.

NbS are living solutions, inspired by nature and should be pragmatic, cost-effective, reliable, and replicable to provide multiple environmental benefits. Accordingly, the latest NbS studies in urban areas focused on environmental benefits such as the mitigation of heat island effects, restoration, the reduction of noise, light and air pollution, flood prevention/protection, the enhancement of biodiversity and natural capital, and human well-being and health present important challenges for the future research of these effects on urban bird species.

This Special Issue is interested in research, and review papers, focusing on the development and assessment of NbS (as well as related concepts such as ecosystem services and blue, brown, and green infrastructure) supporting multiple components of bird diversity, populations, and individuals. Ecological, behavioral, and physiological assessments of NbS effects on complex bird species responses reflecting the enhancement of different processes (behavior, physiology, health, and molecular activity and performance) are also welcome.

Dr. Yanina Benedetti
Dr. Jukka Jokimäki
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • adaptation
  • avian communities
  • biotic homogenization
  • bird behaviour
  • bird populations
  • climate change mitigation
  • ecosystem-based management
  • evolutionary distinctiveness
  • functional diversity
  • Nature-based Solutions
  • phylogenetic diversity
  • urban birds
  • urban ecosystem services
  • urban greenery
  • urban management
  • urban planning and development

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 1641 KiB  
Article
Selection of Urbanized Areas by Magpie Pica pica in a Medium Size City in Poland
by Olaf Ciebiera, Paweł Czechowski, Federico Morelli, Robert Piekarski, Marcin Bocheński, Justyna Chachulska-Serweta and Leszek Jerzak
Animals 2021, 11(6), 1738; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11061738 - 10 Jun 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3876
Abstract
The Magpie Pica pica occurs all over open agricultural areas in Poland, especially near human settlements (particularly in western Poland). The aim of this study was to estimate the size of the local Magpie population and characterize, in detail, nest site selection in [...] Read more.
The Magpie Pica pica occurs all over open agricultural areas in Poland, especially near human settlements (particularly in western Poland). The aim of this study was to estimate the size of the local Magpie population and characterize, in detail, nest site selection in a medium size city Górzów Wlkp. in the XXI century. For this study, the whole city was divided into a total of 114 squares of 1 × 1 km. Data were collected in spring 2014. A total of 474 Magpie pairs were recorded. The average density was 5.5 pairs/km2 (min = 0, max = 22 nests/square), in the non-urbanized habitat type—3.7 p/km2, and in the urbanized habitat type—13.5 p/km2. Magpie nests were found most often on Spruces Picea sp. and Poplars Populus sp. The mean height of the nest site was 11.5 m, while the mean height of trees used for nesting was 13.4 m. The type of tree arrangement most frequently used for nesting was tree rows (26.3%), followed by single trees (24.6%) and clusters of 4–10 trees (20.1%). The results for the Magpie’s environmental preferences do not differ from the general patterns described earlier. The study shows that magpies can adapt to changing urbanization factors, and changes in the choice of conifers help the species to adapt to highly anthropogenic habitats. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) in Urban Areas Contrasting Bird Diversity Decline)
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7 pages, 612 KiB  
Communication
The Harris Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus) in Urban Areas of Argentina: Arrival in Mar Del Plata City and Green Area Use in Buenos Aires City
by Lucas M. Leveau
Animals 2021, 11(4), 1023; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11041023 - 05 Apr 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2280
Abstract
Urbanization has a negative impact on raptor species diversity and abundance. However, some species can adapt to urban areas, and the process of city colonization by raptors has been documented scarcely in the Northern Hemisphere. Information about city colonization by raptors in the [...] Read more.
Urbanization has a negative impact on raptor species diversity and abundance. However, some species can adapt to urban areas, and the process of city colonization by raptors has been documented scarcely in the Northern Hemisphere. Information about city colonization by raptors in the Southern Hemisphere is null, and studies about habitat use by raptors are scarce. The objectives of this study were: (1) to describe an event of Harris Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus) arrival in Mar del Plata city, Argentina, and (2) to analyze its green area use in a recently colonized city, Buenos Aires. Long-term data collected during 2002–2019, along an urbanization gradient of Mar del Plata, was used to describe the city arrival by the Harris Hawk. Surveys of green areas in Buenos Aires were used to model the Harris Hawk occurrence in relation to green area size and isolation to other green spaces. The Harris Hawk arrival was observed during 2019, mainly in periurban areas of Mar del Plata, and at least three pairs were breeding. In Buenos Aires, the occurrence of the Harris Hawk in green areas was related to the proximity to other large green areas. The results obtained suggest the importance of green areas for raptor colonization in cities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) in Urban Areas Contrasting Bird Diversity Decline)
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7 pages, 420 KiB  
Communication
Artificial Light at Night (ALAN) Is the Main Driver of Nocturnal Feral Pigeon (Columba livia f. domestica) Foraging in Urban Areas
by Lucas M. Leveau
Animals 2020, 10(4), 554; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10040554 - 26 Mar 2020
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4585
Abstract
Artificial light at night (ALAN) is one of the most extreme environmental alterations in urban areas, which drives nocturnal activity in diurnal species. Feral Pigeon (Columba livia f. domestica), a common species in urban centers worldwide, has been observed foraging at [...] Read more.
Artificial light at night (ALAN) is one of the most extreme environmental alterations in urban areas, which drives nocturnal activity in diurnal species. Feral Pigeon (Columba livia f. domestica), a common species in urban centers worldwide, has been observed foraging at night in urban areas. However, the role of ALAN in the nocturnal activity of this species is unknown. Moreover, studies addressing the relationship between ALAN and nocturnal activity of diurnal birds are scarce in the Southern Hemisphere. The objective of this study is to assess the environmental factors associated with nocturnal activity of the Feral Pigeon in Argentinian cities. Environmental conditions were compared between sites where pigeons were seen foraging and randomly selected sites where pigeons were not recorded foraging. Nocturnal foraging by the Feral Pigeon was recorded in three of four surveyed cities. ALAN was positively related to nocturnal foraging activity in Salta and Buenos Aires. The results obtained suggest that urbanization would promote nocturnal activity in Feral Pigeons. Moreover, nocturnal activity was mainly driven by ALAN, which probably alters the circadian rhythm of pigeons. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) in Urban Areas Contrasting Bird Diversity Decline)
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