Bird Species Richness Research Articles

Responses of bird functional communities to anthropogenic disturbances in the naturally fragmented Southern Mistbelt Forests in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Forest disturbance poses major threats to biodiversity and forest ecosystem processes. Understanding bird species’ responses to disturbed forests is important for species conservation and forest management. Here, we assessed the impact of selective logging history (∼150 years), livestock grazing, alien plant invasion and adjacent matrix-type surrounding forest patches on bird species richness and functional diversity in 14 Southern Mistbelt Forest patches in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The bird communities were surveyed using fixed-radius point-counts. We quantified functional diversity using three functional indices functional richness, functional divergence, and functional evenness. None of the disturbance types assessed affected the richness of bird species. The size of the forest patch affected bird species. For functional diversity, FRic was significantly higher in disturbed forest patches for forest specialists, insectivores and cup or ball-nesting birds. Functional evenness for the forest-sensitive groups, like forest specialists and insectivores, was significantly lower in disturbed sites. The results of this study showed that responses of functional communities and forest specialist bird species varied depending on disturbance type and intensity. We recommend that future studies assessing forest disturbance impacts on bird species use taxonomic proxies with different functional diversity indices for forest bird species conservation and management.

Heterogeneric Diversity and Richness of Avifauna in a Degraded Landscape of Arial Beel in Bangladesh

Bird diversity and richness reflect the habitat quality of ecosystems. The species composition, diversity, and richness of birds were studied at Shologhar Union, a degraded landscape of Arial Beel, from March 2016 to February 2017, using line transect and point count methods. A total of 75 species of birds belonging to 14 orders and 35 families were recorded; most of them were residents (83%). Non-passerine birds were predominant (40 species, 53% of total species), with 18 families and 38 genera. Only one near-threatened species (Yellow Wattled Lapwing Vanellus malabaricus) was recorded. Among resident birds, Baya weaver (Ploceus philippinus) was dominant, and the Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava) was predominant among migratory birds. Most species were terrestrial (51 spp., 68% of total birds), contributing only 23% of the population. The individual rarefaction revealed the highest species richness in March and the lowest in May and June. The highest population was recorded in winter (38%), and insectivore species (40%) were the highest. No significant seasonal variation occurred in the richness of birds (Kruskal-Wallis test: K = 0.05 df = 2, p = 0.971) and in different feeding guilds (Kruskal-Wallis test: K = 0.86, df = 5, p = 0.65). Ardeidae and Sturnidae represented the highest diversified families (6 species in each, RDi = 8), and Baya Weaver contributed the highest (26%) population. The presence of different species of birds suggests that this site could provide a suitable habitat for wild birds, and restoration management of this part of Arial Beel should require conserving the habitat of avifauna. Jagannath University Journal of Life and Earth Sciences, 9(1): 19-44, 2023 (June)

Regional differences of functional and taxonomic bird diversity in tropical agroforests of Peru

AbstractDiversity and functionality of bird communities in tropical agroforests are shaped by their surrounding landscape, particularly the extent and type of natural forest. However, most evidence comes from tropical rainforest landscapes, whereas the bearing of such trends in other forest types remains understudied. We compared functional and beta diversity of bird communities in 23 cacao agroforests embedded in landscapes of two contrasting Peruvian regions: seasonally‐dry tropical forests and subtropical rainforests from the Andean foothills. Strong climatic seasonality affects both landscapes, but forest vegetation structure and complexity differ. We found higher bird species richness (n = 179 spp) and higher species turnover in the subtropical forest than in the dry forest landscape (n = 64 spp). Only in the dry forest landscape, distance from forest increased dissimilarity driven by species loss, that is, the nestedness component of beta diversity. This points to the importance of conserving dry tropical forests within the broader landscape matrix, with known benefits for pest control and cacao yield. Functional diversity indices were not influenced by forest distance in either landscape, but the proportion of insects in birds' diet decreased by 27% along a 1 km distance gradient from forest in the subtropical forest landscape. In the dry forest landscape, however, it decreased by only 3% across the same distance gradient. Far from forest (≥1 km), forest specialization decreased by ~33% and 20% in the subtropical and dry forest landscapes, respectively. These differences indicate that regionally‐adapted agroforest management is paramount for conserving bird diversity and ecosystem services as pest control. Procuring high‐canopy shade trees and adequate microhabitats for insectivorous species is essential to maintain biocontrol services in the subtropical forest. Conversely, in the dry forest enhancing low‐canopy vegetation with a focus on frugivores and ensuring forest closeness to agroforests may maximize bird diversity and their ecosystem services. A complete version of this article is translated to Spanish in the supplements.

Aquatic Bird Species Richness and Distribution along an Age Gradient of Reservoirs in Tigray National Regional State, Northern Ethiopia

Aquatic Bird Species Richness and Distribution along an Age Gradient of Reservoirs in Tigray National Regional State, Northern Ethiopia

Land-use homogenization reduces the occurrence and diversity of frugivorous birds in a tropical biodiversity hotspot.

Understanding how human-modified landscapes maintain biodiversity and provide ecosystem services is crucial for establishing conservation practices. Given that responses to land-use are species-specific, it is crucial to understand how land-use changes may shape patterns of species diversity and persistence in human-modified landscapes. Here, we used a comprehensive data set on bird distribution from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest to understand how species richness and individual occurrences of frugivorous bird species responded to land-use spatial predictors and, subsequently, assess how ecological traits and phylogeny modulated these responses. Using Bayesian hierarchical modeling, we reveal that the richness of frugivorous birds was positively associated with the amount of native forest and negatively with both agriculture and pasture amount at the landscape scale. Conversely, the effect of these predictors on species occurrence and ecological traits was highly variable and presented a weak phylogenetic signal. Furthermore, land-use homogenization (i.e., the conversion of forest to pasture or agriculture) led to pervasive consequences for forest-dependent bird species, whereas several generalist species thrived in deforested areas, replacing those sensitive to habitat disturbances.

Population viability analysis predicts long‐term impacts of commercial Sooty Tern egg harvesting to a large breeding colony on a small oceanic island

The over‐exploitation of wild birds and the products derived from them can be a key threat driving changes in bird species richness and abundance. However, inadequate information on harvest levels combined with irregular population monitoring often means that the role of harvesting in population decline is difficult to quantify. Historically, the pan‐tropical Sooty Tern Onychoprion fuscatus has been subjected to extensive egg harvesting, yet the role of sustained harvesting in population change and future population viability remains unclear. In this study, we used published and new estimates of key demographic rates for a large, harvested Sooty Tern population in Seychelles, western Indian Ocean, to run a series of population viability analyses. We retrospectively assess the impact of historical levels of egg harvesting, and also predict how this population may respond under different future harvesting regimes, assuming no additional environmental change. We provide evidence that egg harvesting has played a substantial role in driving the population decline of Sooty Terns to date and demonstrate that continued harvesting will probably lead to further, possibly dramatic, declines in population size. These results indicate that recent levels of egg harvesting in Seychelles are not sustainable. We also show that the life‐history strategy of Sooty Terns, including a delayed age of first breeding, means the current 2‐year local moratorium on egg harvesting is unlikely to generate an observable population‐level response in Seychelles. Instead, we recommend that the current moratorium is extended at least beyond the age of first breeding (i.e. 5 years) to support appropriate evaluation. We additionally show that harvesting Sooty Tern eggs at much lower levels, i.e. 10% of the population size, is unlikely to reverse population decline. Therefore, long‐term egg harvesting strategies require careful evaluation to maintain a balance between the social, commercial, cultural and biodiversity significance of Sooty Terns in Seychelles.

Diversity and Abundance of Wetland Birds in Udayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuary, Tiruvarur District, Tamil Nadu, India

Wetland birds are integral components of wetland ecosystems, providing ecological, economic, cultural, and regulatory benefits. The study conducted from 2021 to 2024 in the Udayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuary of Tiruvarur district aimed to assess year-wise species diversity, richness, relative diversity, evenness, density, and relative abundance of wetland birds employing the total count method to estimate the population of wetland birds. A total of 104 bird species belonging 18 orders and 49 families were recorded. During this study, 17 species were migrant, while the remaining 87 birds were resident. Three bird species were classified as Near Threatened, including the Spot-billed Pelican (Pelecanus philippensis), Black-headed Ibis (Threskiornis melanosephalus), and Oriental Darter (Anhinga melanogaster). Additionally, two bird species were classified as Vulnerable, namely the Greater Spotted Eagle (Clanga clanga) and River Tern (Sterna hirundo), while 99 bird species were classified as Least Concern. Regarding species diversity in the Udayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuary during different years, the highest species diversity was recorded in 2021 (2.75), while the lowest species diversity was observed in 2024 (1.64). In terms of species richness, the maximum richness was observed in 2023 (68), whereas the minimum species richness was recorded in 2022 (29).

Positive relationship between bird diversity and human mental health: an analysis of repeated cross-sectional data

An increasing body of research has examined the link between biodiversity of birds and human mental health, but most studies only use cross-sectional data. Few studies have used longitudinal or repeated cross-sectional data to investigate the mental health benefits of bird diversity. The aim of this study is to analyse the relationship between bird diversity and mental health at the national level using a unique repeated cross-sectional dataset. I used repeated cross-sectional health data from the German National Cohort health study, collected between March, 2014, and September, 2019, and annual bird citizen science data to investigate the effects of bird-diversity exposure on mental health. Mental health was measured using the summary score of the Patient Health Questionnaire depression module 9 (SumPHQ) and the Short Form Health Survey-12 Mental Health Component Scale. As a proxy for bird diversity, I created a unique indicator called reporting-rate richness and combined it with the health data. Reporting-rate richness measures the number of bird species within postcode areas across Germany in probabilities while accounting for variation in survey efforts. Alternative indicators of bird diversity, such as bird-species richness or abundance, were also calculated. Associations between bird diversity and mental health were estimated using linear regression with region and time fixed effects, adjusted for a range of sociodemographic and environmental confounders and spatial autocorrelation. Interaction terms between income levels and reporting-rate richness were also analysed to examine the moderating effect of socioeconomic status. I did the analyses for an unbalanced (n=176 362) and balanced (n=125 423) dataset, with the balanced dataset comprising only regions (postcode areas) in which health data were available for each year. The linear fixed-effects regression analysis indicated a significant negative association between reporting-rate richness and SumPHQ, as observed in both the unbalanced dataset (β -0·02, p=0·017) and the balanced dataset (β -0·03, p=0·0037). Similarly, regression results with both datasets showed a positive relationship between reporting-rate richness and Mental Health Component Scale (MCS; unbalanced β 0·02, p=0·0086; balanced β 0·03, p=0·0018). The moderator analyses revealed a significant influence of socioeconomic status on the relationship between reporting-rate richness and mental health. The robustness of these findings was confirmed through sensitivity analyses. The results suggest that a greater likelihood of having many different bird species in a person's area of residence might positively contribute to mental health, especially for people with lower socioeconomic status. These findings could have implications for biodiversity conservation and health policy decisions, as governments are facing challenges such as global biodiversity loss and growing public mental health problems. None.

A comparison of the sampling effectiveness of acoustic recorder, camera trap and point count methods in sampling nocturnal birds in Afrotropical landscapes.

Conservation decisions for bird diversity in the Afrotropics are often based on ecological studies utilizing diurnal bird species likely owing to difficulties associated with sampling nocturnal birds. It is therefore important to compare the sampling effectiveness of some of the available techniques that can be used in nocturnal bird surveys to guide future long-term survey efforts. Thus, we compared the sampling effectiveness of point count, acoustic recorder and camera trap for estimating nocturnal bird species richness and also across habitat types. We surveyed 20 points that were spaced at least 500 m apart in November and December 2021 in the Amurum Forest Reserve and its surroundings in Jos-Nigeria. At each point, we used two camera traps, one at the ground and the other at 2.0 m. We also used one acoustic recorder as well as a 15-min point count during each survey at each point. We encountered 11 nocturnal bird species, primarily nightjars but also owls. While we did not encounter any species with the camera traps, all 11 species were recorded using the acoustic recorder. All species except for Ketupa lacteaus were recorded in point count. Eight species were recorded in the gallery, seven in rocky and nine in savannah. Species richness and estimation using the acoustic recorder and point count were similar across habitat types. We conclude that either point count or acoustic recorders are useful for nocturnal bird surveys in Afrotropical environments. However, the choice of methods should be based on the research questions as some questions may be better answered by a specific method or even a combination of both.

Geographical association of biodiversity with cancer and cardiovascular mortality rates: analysis of 39 distinct conditions.

Biodiversity has been recognized as a positive contributor to human health and wellbeing. Cardiovascular disease and cancer are the two most significant global health burdens, and understanding their relationship with biodiversity forms an essential step toward promoting biodiversity conservation and human health. The species richness of birds is a common indicator of biodiversity, given their vast numbers, distinctive distribution, and acute sensitivity to environmental disturbances. This ecological study utilized avian observation data derived from the eBird database, human health data from the International Health Metrics and Evaluation, and county-level statistics, including population characteristics, socio-economics, healthcare service, residential environment, and geographic and climatic characteristics in 2014. We aimed to extensively explore the individual associations between biodiversity (i.e., avian species richness) and age-standardized cause-specific mortalities for different types of cancers (29 conditions) and cardiovascular diseases (10 conditions) across the United States (US). Our multiple regression analyses that adjusted for a variety of socio-demographic and geographical factors showed that increased rarefied species richness of birds was associated with reduced mortality rates for three of the five most common cancers, namely, tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer, breast cancer (in women only), and colon and rectal cancer. For cardiovascular conditions, a similar relationship was observed for ischemic heart disease and cerebrovascular disease-the two most frequent causes of mortality. This study provided extended details regarding the beneficial effects of biodiversity on human health.

Features of the evolutionary transition/transversion bias of birds and mammals by the CYTB gene

Differences in the nature of the transition/transversion bias of birds and mammals, as well as families with small and large body-sized species, are proven by the example of the CYTB gene. It was that for birds compared to mammals, as well as in families of small birds and mammals compared to larger ones, the frequency of transversions is significantly higher and the frequency of transitions is lower. This leads to a decrease in the transition/transversion bias and a decrease in the rate of its evolutionary compensation. The possible cause of this phenomenon is the greater intensity of individual metabolism and the resulting increase in mutation rates in birds and small species. Exceptions are extremely small species that are characterized by a state of hypothermia. The high level of metabolism and mutability explains the richness of bird species, as well as the highest activity of speciation in small organisms. In addition, the transition/trans- version bias should be considered as a reliable integral indicator of individual metabolic intensity at the family level.

Edge Effect on Bird Community in Ternate, North Maluku, Indonesia

The edge is a meeting place between two ecosystems, or it can also be interpreted as a boundary where two habitats meet and interact. The presence of edges can create an edge effect and increase richness and species abundance. In the present study, we analyzed how edge and vegetation diversity affect a) bird communities and b) how birds respond to edges. Observation plots were placed in jamblang stands and coconut plantations (edge and interior). Bird communities were observed using point counts with a fixed radius of 25 m, and the distance between plots was 50 m. A survey of vegetation diversity was conducted using a combination of the transect and plot methods. The research showed that the highest species richness and diversity of birds (128 individuals of 18 species) and vegetation (168 individuals of 20 species) were found at the edge, although there were only slight differences in the number of species in each habitat. This was influenced by the structure and composition of the vegetation at the observation site. Nevertheless, this proves that the edge effect shapes the composition of bird communities. There are 9 species of bird can be mapped into 4 response models: generalis neutral, generalist edge exploiter, specialist edge exploiter, and edge specialist.

Remotely-sensed phenoclusters of Wisconsin’s forests, shrublands, and grasslands for biodiversity applications

Heterogeneous vegetation supports higher species richness than homogenous vegetation, which is why efficiently identifying heterogenous vegetation can be useful for biodiversity conservation. Satellite remote-sensing data provide an opportunity to generate vegetation heterogeneity metrics and to explore the phenology of vegetation patterns. Phenoclusters are vegetation types with similar phenological characteristics, and valuable for capturing vegetation habitat heterogeneity patterns. Our goal was to map phenoclusters for Wisconsin, USA, at 10-m spatial resolution based on land surface phenology metrics from EVI (Enhanced Vegetation Index) Sentinel-2 data. We characterized each phenocluster based on landcover composition and structure, phenology timing, and environmental factors, and compared them to bird species richness. We also calculated the diversity of phenoclusters at multiple spatial extents. We identified 14 phenoclusters in Wisconsin, each with distinct landcover composition and structure, and unique phenological characteristics. Our remotely-sensed phenoclusters effectively captured environmental gradients, with elevation and temperature emerging as the most important driving variables. Furthermore, the phenoclusters successfully captured bird biodiversity patterns, especially richness of forest and grassland specialist. Our results identified phenological patterns among Wisconsin’s forests, shrublands, and grasslands, capturing phenological timing both among and within the same tree species. Phenoclusters are a valuable tool for capturing vegetation habitat heterogeneity, phenology diversity and biodiversity patterns, as well as climate change effects.

The incidence of bird sounds, and other categories of non-focal sounds, confound the relationships between acoustic indices and bird species richness in southern China

The analysis of audio recordings through acoustic indices has been proposed as an efficient way to measure and monitor biodiversity, given the assumption that higher levels of biodiversity produce more rapidly-changing and complex sound. However, in previous work in south China, we have found only moderate correlations between the acoustic indices and bird species richness, when analyzing recordings that were made at the same time as conducting point counts of birds. Here, we extended that work in three study regions in Guangxi Province, making observations both inside relatively undisturbed forest reserves and in the surrounding agricultural lands. We found that of 42 correlations between bird species richness and the acoustic indices (seven commonly used acoustic indices [ACI, ADI, AEI, AR, BIO, H, NDSI] each calculated in six habitat/region combinations) only seven had even a moderate relationship (i.e., |r| ≥ 0.20). To understand this paucity of relationships, we listened to a subsample of the recordings, scoring them for various kinds of biophony (incidence of bird and insect sounds), anthropophony (incidence of observer-produced sounds, sounds made by other humans, and sounds made by machines) and geophony (primarily wind, occasionally water). These analyses found that insects were positively related to the acoustic indices, especially in forests. Moreover, anthropophony and geophony, were, in general, negatively correlated to the indices. The incidence of bird vocalizations also had consistent and strong correlations to the residuals of the models relating the acoustic indices to bird species richness, demonstrating that the indices are clearly sensitive to the amount of bird sounds, but that is not necessarily strongly correlated to bird diversity. Multivariate models confirmed that the amounts of different sound categories were more influential on the acoustic indices than bird species richness. Our results demonstrate how competing noises, in both relatively undisturbed environments and heavily modified ones, can confound relationships between the acoustic indices and biodiversity. We discuss possible remedial steps for using acoustic indices in noisy soundscapes, including tailoring the selection of indices and frequency bands for the objectives of the project, or, alternatively, using a big-data approach that combines multiple indices.

Maintaining habitat diversity at small scales benefits wild bees and pollination services in mountain apple orchards

Abstract Landscape context influences wild bee abundance and diversity, alongside pollination‐related services. Growing evidence supports the positive effects of landscape heterogeneity on bee diversity and fruit production for pollination‐dependent crops in flatlands. However, little remains known about these relationships in mountainous environments where the landscape matrix surrounding crops is often more complex than in lowlands. We conducted our study in apple orchards in South Tyrol, an Alpine region in Italy, using pan‐traps, direct observations of visitation frequency and a pollinator exclusion experiment. We investigated the scale‐dependent effects of landscape heterogeneity and other parameters on wild bee assemblages and the related pollination service they provide at five spatial scales (radius 100–2000 m). We found that landscape heterogeneity positively affected the abundance and richness of wild bees, with the strongest effect at 500 m. We calculated a multidiversity index, reflecting the land‐use intensity based on the species richness of vascular plants, grasshoppers, butterflies, birds and bats. We identified a positive relationship between this multidiversity index and wild bee richness. Additionally, we found that visitation rate of wild bees was negatively affected by crop cover and that abundance of honeybees did not influence wild bee visitation rate or reproductive success. Finally, reproductive success was positively related to semi‐natural habitat cover. Landscape heterogeneity should be maintained in apple orchards to continue to reap the benefits of vital pollination‐related services. Diversification strategies should be implemented to promote habitat diversity at small scales, even in regions with more than 80% of (semi‐)natural habitats.

Large-Scale Monitoring of Bird Communities along an Altitudinal Gradient in Two Central High Atlas Valleys

Altitude is one of the determinant factors that influence the spatial distribution of birds and their species richness. However, few investigations studied its influence on African bird communities over a wide gradient in North Africa. Considering this knowledge gap, 194 sampling points were carried out along altitudinal gradient (773 to 2595 m) in two adjacent mountainous valleys in the Central High Atlas of Beni Mellal in Morocco, Aït Bouguemmaz (AB), and Ahançal (OA). Each valley was divided into three altitudinal intervals (low, medium, and high zones). For each spatial subdivision, we studied the phenological cycle, in the sense that each valley underwent a four-season monitoring, during 2018 and 2019. The results showed 131 species in the study area in 43 families; both valleys had similar community richness, but they differed by the phenological status of their species. Indeed, the increase in altitude led to a decrease in bird species richness, while it does not show any correlation with abundance. In addition, richness and abundance increased during the high-productivity seasons (i.e., spring and summer). Although these results were expected, they provide an opportunity to compare these results with higher latitude communities in Europe and to better focus future large-scale investigations on the combined influence of latitude and altitude on birds.

Land-use change interacts with island biogeography to alter bird community assembly.

Anthropogenic activities have reshaped biodiversity on islands worldwide. However, it remains unclear how island attributes and land-use change interactively shape multiple facets of island biodiversity through community assembly processes. To answer this, we conducted bird surveys in various land-use types (mainly forest and farmland) using transects on 34 oceanic land-bridge islands in the largest archipelago of China. We found that bird species richness increased with island area and decreased with isolation, regardless of the intensity of land-use change. However, forest-dominated habitats exhibited lower richness than farmland-dominated habitats. Island bird assemblages generally comprised species that share more similar traits or evolutionary histories (i.e. functional and/or phylogenetic clustering) than expected if assemblages were randomly assembled. Contrary to our expectations, we observed that bird assemblages in forest-dominated habitats were more clustered on large and close islands, whereas assemblages in farmland-dominated habitats were more clustered on small islands. These contrasting results indicate that land-use change interacts with island biogeography to alter the community assembly of birds on inhabited islands. Our findings emphasize the importance of incorporating human-modified habitats when examining the community assembly of island biota, and further suggest that agricultural landscapes on large islands may play essential roles in protecting countryside island biodiversity.

Effects of Invasive Smooth Cordgrass Degradation on Avian Species Diversity in the Dafeng Milu National Nature Reserve, a Ramsar Wetland on the Eastern Coast of China

Invasive smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) has been expanding rapidly through the coastal wetlands of eastern China and these changes negatively affect local birds. In the Dafeng Milu National Nature Reserve (henceforth referred to as DMNNR), rapid degradation of spartina occurs after an increase in milu (Elaphures davidianus; hereafter elk) numbers and ecological hydrological engineering. We evaluated the impact of such degradation on the abundance and species diversity of birds in the DMNNR during 2017–2021. We found that the area covered by S. alterniflora decreased significantly in the study area at a rate of 310 ha per year and by 62% during 2017–2021 (p < 0.01). With this decrease in the S. alterniflora area, the species richness and abundance of birds first increased and then decreased. Songbird density clearly decreased but species richness did not significantly do so. This research demonstrated that during the initial stages of vegetation degradation, there was a positive effect on bird diversity. With the increasing vegetation degradation increases, both songbirds and waterbirds experience negative impacts. The DMNNR is an important stopover site for waterbirds in the East Asian–Australasian Flyway, and additional measures are needed to control vegetation degradation and to restore the native habitats for birds.

Assessing Southern Gulf of Mexico Resilience: Least Tern Nesting Failure During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 lockdown opened an opportunity to assess the response of animal populations to diminished human activities. As coastal dunes face many disturbances caused by increasing human activities, we assessed the effect of reduced human mobility on coastal bird diversity and abundance and on the Least Tern nest failure rate on an island in the southern Gulf of Mexico before, during, and after the lockdown to test the hypothesis that diminished tourism and recreational activities can contribute to the conservation of coastal ecosystems by increasing species richness and abundance and decreasing the nest failure rate. We used data from 2016 to 2021 to estimate nesting failure probabilities using Bernard’s cumulative distribution function, Kaplan‒Meier tests, and Cox regression for hazard rates. Bird species richness and abundance were compared using Kruskal‒Wallis rank tests. Factors related to breeding site preference were assessed using the BIOENV method. The lockdown did not affect species richness, but bird abundance was inversely related to pedestrian traffic (rho = − 0.908, p < 0.0001, n = 48). Nest failure decreased during the lockdown in 2020 (p < 0.0001) due to reduced presence of people, which allowed occupancy of sites never used before. During the lockdown, the proportion of nest failure was lower than that in the other sampling years (p < 0.0001, φ range = − 0.445 to − 0.278). Accordingly, diminished pedestrian traffic can increase nest survival (log-rank p < 0.0001). Policies to reduce beach pedestrian traffic will help strengthen wildlife conservation and building coastal resilience.

Using acoustic monitoring to evaluate the co-benefits of urban restoration

Restoring urban greenspaces is an increasingly common nature-based solution aiming to bolster biodiversity while benefiting human wellbeing. However, there is limited understanding of the co-benefits, including potential trade-offs and synergies between outcomes for nature and people. Although passive acoustic recording may be a valuable outcome monitoring tool, appropriate analytical techniques are unknown. We explore how different acoustic analyses capture patterns in species diversity and harmful noise pollution using 2021– 2023 acoustic data from Detroit, Michigan. Data were collected as part of a longitudinal panel study aimed at quantifying the effects of park restoration on physical activity, stress, and cardio-metabolic health. We used AudioMoth recording devices at 100 sites: 10 in the neighborhood around each of 5 restored parks, where native plants were seeded, and 10 around each of 5 unmaintained control parks, matched to restored parks based on specified conditions. Recordings were analyzed by manually identifying bird species and noise in a subset of spectrograms, using an artificial neural network (BirdNET), and using acoustic indices. We found that using acoustic indices in a model could accurately predict bird species diversity and richness, but not community composition. We compared outputs from each type of analysis with mental health indicators of study participants.