Poster Session: Wildlife Conservation

An assessment of neighborhood tree species for avian habitat in Tucson, Arizona. Furenlid, Karen ^*,1, Livingston, Margaret¹, ¹ P.O. Box 210444, School of Landscape Architecture, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

ABSTRACT- Statistics of bird populations in urban environments have shown a continuing decline in native species and rise in exotic species. Use of non-native plants in created landscapes of these environments are partially responsible for these changes in bird species origin and richness. This study focused on the question; do more recently developed neighborhoods have a greater representation of native tree species than older neighborhoods, and are there noted differences in bird populations of these neighborhoods? Tree species planted in Tucson, AZ neighborhoods appear to have changed during the past fifty years, most likely due to species availability, cultural trends, increased ecological awareness, and consumer demographics. In this study, we systematically assessed landscapes in Tucson neighborhoods developed from 1950 through 2000 to evaluate their planting composition. Variables such as species richness, origin, density, maturity were measured. Correlations among these variables and bird population studies were done to assess possible relationships among plantings and bird presence or absence. These results and possible insights about the planting trends over time in this environment will be presented. Recommendations for future plantings that support desired native bird species in urban environments will also be discussed.

KEY WORDS: wildlife, urban , native , tree