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Integrating Pedestrian Needs and Bird Habitat in Trail Design Along Secondary Watercourses in Tucson, Az

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Integrating Pedestrian Needs and Bird Habitat in Trail Design Along Secondary Watercourses in Tucson, Az Integrating Pedestrian Needs and Bird Habitat in Trial Design Along Secondary Watercourses in Tucson, AZ Item Type text; Electronic Thesis Authors Patton, Jennifer Louise Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 07/10/2021 10:17:47 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/190198 INTEGRATING PEDESTRIAN NEEDS AND BIRD HABITAT IN TRAIL DESIGN ALONG SECONDARY WATERCOURSES IN TUCSON, AZ by Jennifer Patton A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE AND LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of MASTER OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 2 0 0 6 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many thanks to Dr. Margaret Livingston, my thesis advisor, for her direction, encouragement, and inspiration. This thesis evolved from a Game and Fish Grant awarded to Margaret, and I am pleased to have been asked to work towards its fulfillment. Thanks to Oscar Blazquez for his interest and help along the way. And much gratitude to Rachel McCaffrey for her time, suggestions, and willingness to share Tucson Bird Count data. I also thank Dr. Mintai Kim for his help with GIS and suggesting ways to best evaluate data. 3 DEDICATION To my husband, Ben, who has been a constant companion and inspiration throughout this process. Thank you for making time slow down, and drawing my eye to things I would otherwise not notice. Here is to exploring all of our wild ideas. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES...........................................................................................................6 LIST OF FIGURES .........................................................................................................7 ABSTRACT.....................................................................................................................8 INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................9 Research Objectives...................................................................................................13 Scope..........................................................................................................................14 Application.................................................................................................................15 LITERATURE REVIEW ..............................................................................................16 Significance of Biodiversity in Urban Areas.............................................................16 Avian Habitat Requirements......................................................................................20 Adequate Space..................................................................................................21 Vegetation..........................................................................................................23 Food ...................................................................................................................26 Nest Sites...........................................................................................................27 Control of Introduced Predators.........................................................................28 Summary—Steps to Enhancing Urban Diversity ..............................................29 Requirements for Native Avian Species of Tucson, AZ............................................32 Key Factors Affecting Native Birds in Tucson..................................................34 Most Promising Habitat for Tucson’s Native Birds ..........................................35 Species of Interest......................................................................................................36 Factors Influencing Selection of Target Species along Watercourses...............37 Selected Species.................................................................................................38 Non-traditional Examples of Habitat.........................................................................42 Golf Courses......................................................................................................43 Cemeteries..........................................................................................................44 Streetscapes........................................................................................................45 Power Poles and Non-native Trees....................................................................46 Urban Greenway Systems as Habitat.........................................................................47 Greenway Design for Avian Habitat..................................................................48 Greenway Design for People .............................................................................51 Case Reviews.....................................................................................................55 Summary....................................................................................................................59 MATERIALS AND METHODS...................................................................................63 Study Area .................................................................................................................63 Data Collection ..........................................................................................................63 Data Analysis.............................................................................................................65 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS - Continued RESULTS AND DISCUSSION....................................................................................68 Vegetation Richness...................................................................................................68 Planted Species ..........................................................................................................75 Structural Diversity....................................................................................................79 Vegetation Cover .......................................................................................................80 Trends between Selected Avian Species Abundance and Land Use .........................82 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................93 DESIGN GUIDELINES PAMPHLET........................................................................100 APPENDIX A..............................................................................................................102 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................105 6 LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Land use categories based on compilation of City and County land use data .......66 2. Species origin, occurrence and frequency in 55 sections along Alamo Wash, Tucson, AZ .............................................................................................................72 3. Comparison of publicly and privately planted vegetation along Alamo Wash .....76 4. Planted species origin, occurrence and frequency in 55 sections along Alamo Wash, Tucson, AZ ....................................................................................102 7 LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Primary and secondary watercourses in Tucson, AZ..............................................11 2. Alamo Wash study site. ..........................................................................................64 3. Most frequently occurring species along Alamo Wash, Tucson, AZ.....................70 4. Most commonly planted species along Alamo Wash, Tucson, AZ........................77 5. Percent native vegetation cover along secondary watercourses in Tucson, AZ.....81 6. Avian species occurrence by land use category......................................................82 7. Tucson Bird Count survey sites, 2005. ...................................................................86 8. Hot spots, Cactus Wren...........................................................................................87 9. Hot spots, Gambel’s Quail......................................................................................88 10. Hot spots, Phainopepla............................................................................................89 11. Hot spots, Pyrrhuloxia ............................................................................................90 12. Hot spots, Verdin ....................................................................................................91 13. Hot spots, Abert’s Towhee .....................................................................................92 14. Pathway along Alamo Wash lacking planting space and structural diversity ........94 15. Narrow pedestrian path along Alamo Wash with relatively high structural diversity...................................................................................................................95 8 ABSTRACT Assessment of semi-natural landscapes in urban areas for habitat and human recreation has greater relevance as natural open space around cities disappears. Secondary watercourses can potentially serve as urban wildlife habitat
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