The role of invasive plant species in urban avian conservation

Abstract

The implications of invasive plant species on urban avian conservation are complicated and often species or context specific. In the past 20 years, research into the effects of invasive plant species on bird ecology and conservation has increased immensely, thus allowing conservationists to create management practices for the benefit of bird populations. However, until recently, the potential of invasive species to create positive relationships with bird species has been absent from the literature. Recent findings have created a complex puzzle for management of invasive species in order to conserve avian populations in any environment, especially urban areas. Bird communities utilize invasive plants for various aspects of their life histories. In this chapter, I provide evidence for the positive, negative, indirect, and direct effects of invasive plant species on avian communities with a strong focus on the relationship of fruiting invasive plants with native birds. In order to create a relevant discussion, I will use current case studies that are consistent with research from many different areas across the globe. I will then synthesize this discussion into a theory on how invasive plants should be viewed in the paradigm of urban avian conservation. This theory can then be used to discuss possible habitat design and management plans for urban environments and how those may influence other aspects of the environment through their conservation of bird communities.