Anthropogenic adaptation of reproductive biology of conditional-synanthropic birds
L. Kuchar, Е. S. Ivanov, А. V. Baranovskiy, D. V. Vinogradov, Ja. Leśny, А.V. Schur
Section: Population ecology
The article is devoted to studying mechanisms of synanthropization and ecological segregation of birds in an
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thropogenic landscapes. The paper presents data on the adaptability of the anthropogenic specifics of nesting behavior
of the spotted flycatcher, a conditional-synanthropic bird species. This species is generally liable synanthropization,
however, it does not occur in the most urbanized parts of the cities, preferring moderately modified habitats. It is shown
that anthropogenic landscape contributes to the formation of new forms of birds’ behavior, which are a response to the
environment. But not all of these forms are adaptive and some are peculiar ecological traps. Such peculiarities of behavior
do not increase, but even decrease the reproductive success of birds, which is not always easy to establish, because as a
whole the results of the synanthropic population breeding may be higher than in the wild, due to different intensity of
the influence of the limiting factors of the environment.
Data on the analysis of nesting and reproductive success of wild and synanthropic populations are presented.
It is pointed out that the spotted flycatcher has specific main reproductive parameters in the anthropogenic landscape,
which is the result of the reaction of birds to the features of synanthropic ecosystems and the unequal effect of the same
environmental factors on them in natural and anthropogenic biocenoses. It manifests itself primarily in changing the
time of the reproductive period and the widespread use of anthropogenic bases for nests fastening. There is also a higher
reproductive success in the anthropogenic landscape, which we associate with more favorable microclimate and the ratio
of specialized and non-specialized predators (prevalence of the latter), different than in nature.
Keywords: adaptation, birds’ segregation, ecosysems, nesting, ecology, spotted flycatcher, population
Article published in number 3 for 2018 DOI: 10.25750/1995-4301-2018-3-069-077
ISSN 1995-4301
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