The shape of density dependence in fragmented landscapes explains an inverse buffer effect in a migratory songbird.

ABSTRACT: It is well known that forest fragmentation reduces fecundity in several avian species, including wood thrush, Hylocichla mustelina, a migratory songbird that has been declining for several decades. However, I found that landscape-scale density in wood thrush was lower and population declines steeper in higher quality, less-fragmented landscapes (an inverse buffer effect) than in poor quality landscapes. These patterns suggest that wood thrush was not limited by availability of breeding habitat but that declines were primarily driven by non-breeding season events. A two-season model predicts that if this hypothesis is correct, breeding population trends will be negatively related to the strength of density dependence (b') in the breeding season. To test this, a site-dependence model was use

SUBMITTER: Taylor CM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5674021 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature