Local vs. Large Scale Gradients of Species Diversity in Birds Student names removed for anonymity BY222.

Local vs. Large Scale Gradients of Species Diversity in Birds

Student names removed for anonymity

BY222

Objectives

• Local, Regional, Continental comparisons– Species richness– Land coverage• Patterns

– Land use• East coast to interior Colorado

Yellow Warbler, Fishman Island, Virginia

Hypotheses

Continental:• The further East, the greater the species

richness of birds Regional• There will be a greater species richness in

birds where there is more waterLocal• There will be more species in forested areas.

Brown-Headed Cowbird Squaw Creek, Missouri

Our Measurements

Latitude: 30° N to 40°NLongitude: -75°W to -105°WField measurements: ≈3, 5 minsw/ 25, 50, 100mType: State Wildlife Management AreaData collected: Avg of up to 5yrsBreeding BirdsLocal scale: 0.82km^2Regional Scale: 52km^2

Breeding Birds Species Richness

Species Richness vs Longitude

-110 -105 -100 -95 -90 -85 -80 -75 -70 -65 -600

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

Longitude (°)

Spec

ies R

ichne

ss

Tennessee Edger Euns

0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.20

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

Local Scale (.82Km^2)

Proportion Land Use Forest

Spec

ies R

ichne

ss

0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 102468

1012141618

Regional Scale (52 km^2)

Proportion Land Use Forest

Spcie

s Rich

ness

Conclusions

• Continental scale bird species increase closer to the coast

• Regional and local patterns show similar species richness