Distribution of nesting biomorphs of birds in green areas of the left-bank part of Dnipro City (Ukraine)

[Розподіл гніздових біоморф птахів у зелених насадженнях лівобережної частини міста Дніпро]

Olha Reshotka    https://orcid.org/0009-0005-1274-3906

Yuliia Komlyk     https://orcid.org/0009-0007-6615-1345

Dnipro National University (Dnipro, Ukraine)

Cite as

Reshotka, О., Y. Komlyk. 2024. Distribution of nesting biomorphs of birds in green areas of the left-bank part of Dnipro City (Ukraine). GEO&BIO, 26: 160–174. [Ukrainian, with English summary]

doi: https://doi.org/10.53452/gb2613

pdf: gb2613-komlyk.pdf

Abstract

The article examines the bird fauna of the left-bank part of the city of Dnipro, including parks, forest parks, squares, cemeteries, and other green areas as key elements of the urban landscape. The study covered eight green zones with varying degrees of anthropogenic transformation, a total area of 479.08 hectares, where route surveys were conducted over a total distance of 34.73 km. The article provides an analysis of the species composition and abundance of birds, as well as an assessment of their activity in various habitat types. In total, the activity of 58 bird species belonging to 14 orders was recorded during the study, demonstrating significant taxonomic and ecological diversity. The most numerous order was Passeriformes represented by 33 species (57% of the total). The Lomivskyi Forest Park demonstrated the highest ecological value, with 181 registered bird individuals belonging to 34 species. The uniqueness of this area is attributed to a combination of diverse habitats, the presence of multi-tiered vegetation, and a low level of urbanisation. The Obukhiv Forest Park showed the lowest bird abundance (77 registrations), explained by the sparsity of vegetation cover, the dominance of Scots pine, and the absence of dense understorey required by many species. Nesting biomorphs of birds were analysed separately, reflecting the species’ adaptive capabilities to environmental conditions. The most numerous biomorphs were ‘anthropogenic-substrate’ (364 registrations) and ‘cavity-nesting-anthropogenic-substrate’ (293 registrations), highlighting the high adaptability of synanthropic and partially forest-dwelling species to using artificial structures for nesting. Birds of the ‘tree-crown’ biomorph also showed significant activity (179 registrations), underscoring the importance of tree plantations, particularly old trees with cavities, for supporting the bird fauna. Rare biomorphs include ‘burrow’ and ‘coastal’ (2 registrations each), indicating a lack of natural conditions such as burrows, coastal zones, or floating vegetation necessary for these species. The obtained results allow identifying the key factors influencing the avifauna in urbanised environments. The study findings can be used to enhance the ecological stability of urban areas, improve green zone planning, and preserve biodiversity.

Key words: bird activity, urbanised areas, species diversity, biomorphs

Correspondence to

Yuliia Komlyk; Dnipro National University; 72 Nauky Avenue, Dnipro, 49000 Ukraine; Email: julikomluk@gmail.com

Article info

Submitted: 01.11.2024. Revised: 26.12.2024. Accepted: 30.12.2024

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