The effect of greenways connecting urban parks on avifauna in the winter period

Published source details Morimoto T. & Katoh K. (2005) 緑道による都市公園の連結が越冬期の鳥類分布に与える影響. Journal of the Japanese Institute of Landscape Architecture (1994+), 68, 589-591.
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Summary

In Yokohama city, Japan, wildlife corridors (preserved or planted strips of native trees and shrubs) have been established to connect otherwise isolated urban parks. This study explored the effects of connecting parks with purposely preserved/planted corridors on bird species richness.

Study site: The study took place in 38 urban parks (average area: 3.3 ha, range: 0.5-18.9 ha) in Yokohama city, Kanto region, central Japan. Wildlife corridors in the study site mainly consist of deciduous broad-leaved trees.

Effects of the presence of corridor connections: Four bird surveys were conducted in 17 parks connected by corridors and 21 parks not connected during the winter between 13 December 2002 and 30 January 2003 and between 6 February and 5 March 2004. An observer walked along a survey route in each park at about 2 km/h and recorded all birds seen or heard within a 20 m band either side of the route. To investigate the effects of corridor connections, the authors focused on woodland bird species and related the number of species observed, excluding common species, to (i) the area covered by woods, (ii) the ratio of coverage by shrubs, (iii) the presence of corridor connections, (iv) the ratio of woodland beyond but within 250 m of the border of the park, and (v) the ratio of farmland within 250 m of the border of the park.

Effects of corridor connections: Bird species richness in each park was positively correlated with the area covered by woods (P < 0.05), the ratio of coverage by shrubs (P< 0.01) and the presence of corridor connections (P < 0.01 n = 38). Ground-foraging, wintering species such as Siberian meadow bunting Emberiza cioides, rustic bunting Emberiza rustica and Daurian redstart Phoenicurus auroreus which require some nearby cover, and brown-headed thrush Turdus chrysolaus, tended to be observed only in parks connected by corridors.

Conclusions: Purposely preserved/planted corridors to connect urban parks in the city of Yokohama seem to improve bird species richness by acting as paths between urban park habitats and serving as foraging sites.

Note: If using or referring to this published study, please quote the original paper. This Japanese language paper, translated for Conservation Evidence, has an English abstract only.