Birds of Berlin: Changes in communities and guilds in the urban park 'Tiergarten' since 1850

Bibliographic Details
Title: Birds of Berlin: Changes in communities and guilds in the urban park 'Tiergarten' since 1850
Authors: Esther Sophie Felgentreff, Nadja Pernat, Sascha Buchholz
Source: Ecology and Evolution, Vol 14, Iss 5, Pp n/a-n/a (2024)
Publisher Information: Wiley, 2024.
Publication Year: 2024
Collection: LCC:Ecology
Subject Terms: community ecology, functional diversity, long‐term study, ornithology, urban ecology, biodiversity, Ecology, QH540-549.5
More Details: Abstract Urbanization has far‐reaching consequences on birds, and knowledge of the impacts on taxonomic and functional diversity is necessary to make cities as compatible as possible for species. Avian diversity in parks in urban centers has been investigated multiple times, but rarely so in long‐term studies due to lacking data. The Tiergarten in Berlin is a large‐scale park in the city center of great value for people and many species including birds. We compiled bird species lists since 1850 and from monitoring in 2022 in one dataset to investigate how bird communities and guilds have changed over time and how these alterations were influenced by the eventful history of the park's vegetation conditions. Long‐term changes in species assemblages were analyzed with an ordination analysis, and changes in guild presence and functional richness were discussed with regard to landscape transitions. A gradual development of species assemblages yet only small changes in guild composition since 1850 was detected, whereas the 1950 community stands out with a drop in species richness and replacement of forest species with an open land community, which reflects the deforestation of the park during World War II. Consideration of habitat, lifestyle, trophic, and migration guilds revealed no sign of functional homogenization over the last 172 years (1850–2022). Despite the high frequentation of the park by humans it still allows for a high bird diversity due to the Tiergarten's sheer size and heterogeneity of vegetation and habitats. We recommend that the park is maintained and managed accordingly to preserve this condition and advise other urban parks to strive for these beneficial features.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 2045-7758
Relation: https://doaj.org/toc/2045-7758
DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11461
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/d5adf9cb21484a5c9226535cd3a67f0e
Accession Number: edsdoj.5adf9cb21484a5c9226535cd3a67f0e
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
More Details
ISSN:20457758
DOI:10.1002/ece3.11461
Published in:Ecology and Evolution
Language:English