Do indigenous street trees promote more biodiversity than alien ones? evidence using mistletoes and birds in South Africa

Shackleton, Charlie M

Title: Do indigenous street trees promote more biodiversity than alien ones? evidence using mistletoes and birds in South Africa
Creator: Shackleton, Charlie M
Date Issued: 2016
Date: 2016
Type: text
Type: article
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/64663
Identifier: vital:28587
Identifier: http://www.doi:10.3390/f7070134
Description: Trees in urban landscapes provide a range of ecosystem services, including habitat, refugia,food, and corridors for other fauna and flora. However, there is some debate whether the richness and abundance of other biodiversity supported is influenced by the provenance of trees, i.e., native or non-native. This study assessed the presence of mistletoes and birds (and nests) in 1261 street trees. There were marked differences between native and non-native street trees, with the former having a significantly higher prevalence of birds (and nests) and supporting more species and in greater densities, whilst the latter supported a higher prevalence of mistletoes. Additionally, for birds, the proximity to green space, tree size and species were also important, whilst for mistletoes, the proximity to green space, slope aspect, and tree species were significant. Preference ratios indicated that some tree species had a higher than random occurrence of birds or mistletoes, whilst others had a low abundance. The indigenous tree species, Acacia karroo Hayne was the only reasonably abundant street tree species that was important for birds, nests, and mistletoes. At the street scale, there was a positive relationship between street tree species richness and bird species richness. These results emphasise the importance of selecting appropriate tree species if biodiversity conservation is a core outcome.
Format: 9 pages
Format: pdf
Language: English
Relation: Forests
Relation: Shackleton, C., 2016. Do indigenous street trees promote more biodiversity than alien ones? Evidence using mistletoes and birds in South Africa. Forests, 7(7), p.134
Relation: Forests volume 7 number 7 134 142 July 2016 1999-4907
Rights: Shackleton, Charlie
Rights: Use of this resource is governed by the terms and conditions of the MDPI Open Access Information and Policy

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RU Department of Environmental Science

SDG 15. Life On Land

SDG 11. Sustainable Cities and Communities

RU DST/NRF SARChI for Interdisciplinary Science in Land and Natural Resource Use for Sustainable Livelihoods

Shackleton, Charles Michael (Distinguished Prof)

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