Experimental evidence of human recreational disturbance effects on bird-territory establishment.

ABSTRACT: The worldwide increase in human outdoor activities raises concerns for wildlife. Human disturbances, even at low levels, are likely to impact species during sensitive periods of the annual cycle. However, experimental studies during the putative sensitive period of territory establishment of birds which not only investigate low disturbance levels, but which also exclude the effect of habitat modification (e.g. walking trails) are lacking. Here, we experimentally disturbed birds in forest plots by walking through twice a day during territory establishment. Later we compared the breeding bird community of experimentally disturbed plots with that of undisturbed control plots. We discovered that the number of territories (-15.0%) and species richness (-15.2%) in disturbed plots were substantia

SUBMITTER: Botsch Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5524503 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature