How do anthropogenic disturbances alter bird species number
and diversity on Volusia County Beaches?
How do anthropogenic disturbances alter bird species number
and diversity on Volusia County Beaches?
I've graphed my data, and the results are really
interesting! Check out the graphs below.
My conclusions based on these graphs are as follows:
- Adult disturbances are the most common type of anthropogenic disturbance at Sites A, B, and C (47%, 69%, and 83%, respectively).
- Shorebirds are more affected by the presence of humans than any other type of seabird. Notice in the third graph, shorebird numbers increase as anthropogenic disturbances decrease. It is worth nothing, many shorebirds are beach-nesters!
- Gulls/Terns opportunistically feed on anthropogenic food sources (scraps, garbage, etc.). During my observations, Site A consistently had more people. As a result, Site A had the highest number of gulls/terns.
In conclusion, anthropogenic disturbances provide
gulls/terns with a source of food, but have detrimental effects on shorebirds.
No comments:
Post a Comment