Threshold responses of forest birds to landscape changes around exurban development.

ABSTRACT: Low-density residential development (i.e., exurban development) is often embedded within a matrix of protected areas and natural amenities, raising concern about its ecological consequences. Forest-dependent species are particularly susceptible to human settlement even at low housing densities typical of exurban areas. However, few studies have examined the response of forest birds to this increasingly common form of land conversion. The aim of this study was to assess whether, how, and at what scale forest birds respond to changes in habitat due to exurban growth. We evaluated changes in habitat composition (amount) and configuration (arrangement) for forest and forest-edge species around North America Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) stops between 1986 and 2009. We used Threshold Indicator Tax

SUBMITTER: Suarez-Rubio M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3691136 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature