A new study out of Israel suggests that the presence of dogs in urban parks decreases the diversity of bird species.
Researchers visited 25 public parks and chose one or two spots in each park to count and identify birds. Over the course of a year, they returned to each of those spots more than 20 times, all during the early morning hours. In addition to counting birds, they also recorded how many people, cats, dogs, trees, and shrubs were present in each location.
Not surprisingly, more birds were found in areas full of plants and trees rather than those simply comprised of lawns. But the study also found that the presence of people and dogs negatively impacted both the number and variety of birds in a park.
Of course, no one is suggesting that people or their dogs leave parks to the birds. But the study highlights the importance of designing our parks and gardens in ways that encourage biodiversity.
The authors recommend parks be designed with large, lush areas that are less accessible to dogs and people. Creating areas of dense shrubbery far from walking paths would allow birds to congregate in peace. We can also encourage bird presence by keeping dogs on their leashes outside of designated dog park areas.
The team found that non-native trees attracted non-native birds, while native birds favored native trees. This highlights the importance of providing native plants and trees in our parks, gardens, and yards to protect and encourage the presence of native species.
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Web Links
Do dogs keep birds away from urban parks?
http://conservationmagazine.org/2013/11/dogs-keep-birds-away-urban-parks/
The effect of plant richness and urban garden structure on bird species richness, diversity and community structure
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169204613002065
Photo, taken on April 2, 2012, courtesy of Charley Lhasa via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Support for Earth Wise comes from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, NY.