The density of Eurasian Tree Sparrow <i>Passer montanus</i> nests in relation to proximity to urban parks and the presence of air vents in houses

DOI Web Site Web Site 5 References Open Access

Bibliographic Information

Other Title
  • 緑地の存在と住宅の隙間の数がスズメ<i>Passer montanus</i>の営巣密度に与える影響
  • 緑地の存在と住宅の隙間の数がスズメPasser montanusの営巣密度に与える影響
  • リョクチ ノ ソンザイ ト ジュウタク ノ スキマ ノ カズ ガ スズメ Passer montanus ノ エイソウ ミツド ニ アタエル エイキョウ

Search this article

Description

A decline in the numbers of common species results in the loss of ecosystem services. This is because common species are represented by large numbers of individuals that collectively inhabit wide ranges. The population of the Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus, once one of the most numerous birds in Japan, is in decline. Two explanations for the decline have been proposed. The first suggests that the holes and crevices used by sparrows for nesting in artificial structures have decreased as modern house construction methods leave few holes and crevices available to them. The second suggests that the loss of urban green areas, such as parks, has had a negative effect on the reproductive success of the sparrows. However, neither of these hypotheses has been fully investigated. In this research, we sought answers to the following questions: 1) Is the density of Eurasian Tree Sparrow nests in residential areas affected by proximity to urban parks? 2) Is the density of sparrow nests in residential areas related to the numbers of holes and crevices available in artificial structures? Twenty-four study areas (each 10,000 m2) were established in Hakodate City, Hokkaido, Japan. Half of these areas were adjacent to urban parks, and half were at least 200 m away from urban parks. We counted the number of nests and the numbers of holes and crevices in artificial structures in each area. After selecting a model using Akaike's information criterion values, the best model included the presence of urban parks adjacent to study sites and the number of air vents at each study site. The decline in the population of the Eurasian Tree Sparrow in Japan is expected to continue because of continuing urbanization and the combined losses of urban parks and holes and crevices in artificial structures.

Journal

References(5)*help

See more

Keywords

Details 詳細情報について

Report a problem

Back to top