Studies On The Influence Of Urbanization On Avian Community And Bird's Adaptation

A sound eco-environment is the essential condition for the development of human beings, otherwise it will be restricted. With the expansion of urbanization all over the world, urban eco-environment is getting worse. How to change this situation, to improve urban eco-system and to take advantage of the resources in urban area has become a hot field. Shanghai as an international urban which is facing the same problem.Wildlife especially birds as important components play a very important role in city ecosystem, and their ecological functions are known gradually. As indicators of the environment, wildlives are also the closest friends of human beings. With expansion of urbanization in this world, research on urban avian community characteristics and their habitats and relationship is of great significance, and also is good for better using and protecting wildlife in urban ecosystem. And the research also plays an important roles in monitoring the urban environment.Five different habitats such as woodlot habitat, agriculture habitat, residential habitat, traffic green belt habitat and public green land were selected in Shanghai to conduct an ornithological research form Jan 2006 to Jan 2007. Avian community characteristic, avian distribution and avian adaptation to the urbanization were investigated. The study discusses the influence of the urbanization on avian community. This is the first study in Shanghai. In this paper, based on result of the study, we can take good measure to protect urban avian and provide basis for urban eco-construct. The major conclusions from this research are following:1. Investigation on avian community.Total 104 bird species, belonging to 28 families and 9 orders, were recorded. There were 7 national protected avian species and 7 Shanghai protected avian species. Avian community was relatively stable in summer and winter. The diversity index, evenness index, dominance index of avian community was 3.3722, 0.3630 and 0.1688 respectively. There are more bird species, highest diversity index and most dominant species in woodlot habitat, while the avian species were less in agriculture habitat and residential habitat. The analysis of the habitat index revealed that the distance to city center, vegetable cover and vegetable diversity were the main factors that influence the avian community. Building index and human disturbance were negatively associated with avian community.2. Investigation on avian forging guild14 avian foraging guilds were recorded in different habitats during the investigation. The woodlot habitat has the most foraging guilds. The number of avian foraging guilds correlates with the type of habitats. The avian changed foraging behavior according to the change of habitats. Canopy cover, shrub cover and food abundance were main factors that influenced the occurrences of avian foraging guilds. Human disturbance was negatively associated with avian foraging guilds. It meant that the avian had adaptation to urbanization.3. Investigation on avian flush distanceThere were significant differences in flush distance of 10 avian species in different habitats. The avian flush distance was shortest in residential habitat of all habitats. In other habitats, the sequence of flush distance was: public green land > traffic green belt habitat > agriculture habitat > woodlot habitat. But there were exceptions such as Great Tit (Parus major) and Light-vented Bubble (Pycnonotus sinensis). Body size, activity height were main factors that influenced the avian flush distance. However, there was no significant association between flush distance and conspicuousness of bird.4. Suggestion to Shanghai avian protectionBased on the results of survey of avian community and avian foraging guilds and flush distance, 7 pieces of advice are given to improve diversity of wildlife, especially birds.