Open AccessIntraspecific abundance–occupancy relationships: case studies of six bird species in Britain
Author(s) -
Gaston Kevin J.,
Blackburn Tim M.,
Gregory Richard D.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
diversity and distributions
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.918
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1472-4642
pISSN - 1366-9516
DOI - 10.1046/j.1472-4642.1999.00054.x
Subject(s) - occupancy , woodland , abundance (ecology) , intraspecific competition , ecology , sparrow , range (aeronautics) , geography , biodiversity , biology , breeding bird survey , metapopulation , common species , population , habitat , biological dispersal , demography , materials science , composite material , sociology
Summary Although acknowledged to be common, intraspecific relationships between local abundance and site occupancy have been examined in detail for few species. Here we report such analyses for six widespread species of breeding birds in Britain, using data from the Common Birds Census. These exhibit a range of temporal trends, including different combinations of increase and decrease in abundance and occupancy. Overall, two species have a statistically significant positive abundance–occupancy relationship on farmland but no relationship in woodland (collared dove, tree sparrow), one a significant positive relationship on farmland and in woodland (magpie), two a significant positive relationship on farmland and a negative one in woodland (redstart, song thrush), and one a significant negative abundance–occupancy relationship on farmland but no relationship in woodland (sparrowhawk). The population dynamics associated with these patterns are used to discern their underlying mechanisms.