Nestedness of bird assemblages along an urbanisation gradient in Central India

Abstract

We censused terrestrial bird assemblages along a five-stage urbanisation gradient (rural forest, industrial zone, peri-urban, suburban and urban habitats) in and around Amravati City, Central India, between January and April 2010–2013. A total of 89 species of birds were recorded, with the highest detected species richness in the rural areas (67 species) and the lowest in the urban one (29 species). The rural habitats had the highest diversity, followed, in a decreasing order, by industrial, peri-urban, suburban and urban areas, supporting Gray's increasing disturbance rather than Connell's intermediate disturbance hypothesis. The densities were, however, highest in the urban habitats, supporting the resource concentration hypothesis. The assemblages were significantly nested, indicating a common origin from the rural forest.