Effects of urban green spaces composition and structure on local bird diversity: A study case in Colombian Northern Andes Jaime Andrés Garizábal Carmona Universidad Nacional de Colombia Facultad de Minas, Departamento de Geociencias y Medio Ambiente Medellín, Colombia 2020 Effects of urban green spaces composition and structure on local bird diversity: A study case in Colombian Northern Andes Jaime Andrés Garizábal Carmona Thesis presented as partial requirement for the degree of: Magister en Medio Ambiente y Desarrollo Director: Ph.D. Biól. NÉSTOR JAVIER MANCERA RODRÍGUEZ Profesor Titular, Departamento de Ciencias Forestales Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Medellín Research Line Recursos Naturales y Desarrollo Sostenible Research group Ecología y Conservación de Fauna Silvestre (COL0068199 – Categoría A1 de Colciencias). Universidad Nacional de Colombia Facultad de Minas, Departamento de Geociencias y Medio Ambiente Medellín, Colombia 2020 Cada cosa a su debido tiempo Acknowledgements This thesis would not have been possible without the immeasurable help of many people. My brother (Camilo Garizábal), my parents (Fermín and Mayo), and my wife (Juliana Ardila) were essential to support me emotionally. My friends and collegues Andrés Mercado, Paula Morales, Viviana Márquez, Rómulo Agudelo, Víctor Martínez, Deysi Carmona, Tomás Hinestroza, Samuel Monsalve, Jorjany Botero and Paubla Otálvaro, helped me unconditionally in different moments of this voyage, in the field, at the desk, or in contacting me with other people that contributed directly to the research. The last included the permission to visit some plots and the use of the Herbarium of University of Antioquia (HUA), including advisory and expert validation of plant species with no monetary budgets. Indeed, I thank especially Wilson Renfijo, and the botanists Ricardo Callejas, Felipe Cardona, Álvaro Roldán, Heriberto David, Wilson D. Rodríguez and Manuel Bernal. I also thank co-authors of “in process” manuscripts derived from this thesis: Natalia Ruíz, Laura Franco, Jefry Betancur, Sergio Montoya and Néstor Mancera. Néstor was also my thesis director and so that I thank him especially for all the extra support and motivation. I also thank Luisa Arboleda who was my field assistant, and the marvelous “Numerical Ecology” professor Kenneth Roy, and other nice people who helped me during cartographical and statistical analysis, especially Luz María Morales and Carlos Justy. Additionally, I thank the non-profit organization Corporación Merceditas and the Departament of Geoscience and Environment of National University of Colombia for monetary support. Furthemore, I really appreciate to be given the chance of teaching in the undergraduate course “Evolutionary Biology”, a happy and well-intellectually worth responsibility that taught me more than any course I have been ever took as a student. I met exceptional undergraduate students, some of whom are now my friends. Last but not least, I thank Clara Villegas for advisory during the first stages of my research, and Dubán Canal Gallego and Rubén Ortega-Álvarez for accepting the invitation to evaluate this thesis. Resumen y Abstract IX Abstract In the Northern region of Tropical Andes biodiversity hotspot, urban planning is formulated without background information on ecosystems dynamics, as urbanization is transforming natural ecosystems at accelerated rates. Structural and compositional traits of urban green spaces were used as proxies of local biodiversity patterns and species-specific tolerance to urbanization in urban and peri-urban areas of the Aburrá Valley-Colombia. Bird surveys were performed from 2014 to 2019 at 222 sampling points along with land cover description using Geographic Information System tools. Also, a vegetation assessment was made at 44 of those points where local responses of bird richness were evaluated using generalized linear models. 137 resident bird species were found, plus two exotics and 27 migrants, with 32 species categorized as urban exploiters, 65 as adapters, and 33 as avoiders, based on incidence and frequency data. We found 255 plant species, with only 20% shared between trees and regeneration vegetation levels, and most native species and individuals found in unmanaged sites. According to alpha and beta-biodiversity analysis, urbanization is causing biotic homogenization and decreasing local biodiversity, despite some urban neighborhoods having similar species richness than peri-urban areas, and some local policies prompt the increasing of plant richness and habitat heterogeneity. This study suggests that promoting retention of native understory vegetation and reducing urban compactation affecting green spaces size and perimeter/area ratio, along with conservation strategies that protect forest remnants in city periphery, could mitigate the local species loss caused by urbanization in the region. Keywords: biodiversity conservation, Northern Andes, urban biodiversity, urban green spaces, urbanization. X Effects of urban green spaces composition and structure on local bird diversity: a study case from a populated city in Colombian Northern Andes Resumen En el norte de los Andes Tropicales la planificación urbana se formula sin información base sobre las dinámicas ecosistémicas, mientras la urbanización transforma los ecosistemas naturales aceleradamente. Se evaluaron efectos de composición y estructura de zonas verdes urbanas sobre patrones de diversidad local y tolerancia urbana de especies en el Valle de Aburrá-Colombia. Se hicieron muestreos de aves entre 2014-2019 en 222 puntos de conteo, describiendo las coberturas del uso del suelo de la tierra con Sistemas de Información Geográfica e inventariando la vegetación en 44 de los puntos, donde la riqueza de aves fue evaluada usando modelos lineales generalizados. Se encontraron 137 especies de aves residentes, dos exóticas y 27 migratorias: 32 categorizadas como especies que explotan la ciudad, 65 como especies adaptables a la ciudad y 33 como especies que repelen la ciudad, con datos de ocurrencia (presencia) y frecuencia. Se encontraron 255 especies de plantas, con solo el 20% compartidas entre regeneración y árboles, y la mayoría de especies e individuos nativos encontrados en sitios sin manejo silvicultural. Según análisis de diversidad alfa y beta, la urbanización esta causando homogenización biótica y disminuyendo la diversidad local de aves, aunque algunos barrios tienen riquezas similares a áreas peri-urbanas, existiendo políticas locales que promueven el aumento de la riqueza de plantas y la heterogeneidad de hábitat con manejo silvicultural. Este estudio sugiere que la retención de la vegetación nativa autóctona a nivel de sotobosque, además del incremento del tamaño y la reducción de la relación perímetro/área de zonas verdes, junto con estrategias de conservación que protejan los remanentes de bosque nativos en alrededores de las zonas más desarrolladas, podrían mitigar la pérdida local de especies de aves en ciudades andinas. Palabras clave: Andes del norte, biodiversidad urbana, conservación de biodiversidad, urbanización, zonas verdes urbanas. Contents XI Contents Page Abstract.......................................................................................................................... IX Resumen ......................................................................................................................... X Symbols and abbreviations list ................................................................................. XVII Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 Structure of this Master’s Thesis ................................................................................... 4 Objetives .......................................................................................................................... 5 Chapter 1. Bird community assemblage of a Colombian Andean city: on categorizing urban exploiters, adapters, and avoiders ................................................ 7 Abstract ........................................................................................................................ 7 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 8 Methods ........................................................................................................................ 9 Study area .................................................................................................................. 9 Birds surveys ............................................................................................................ 11 Distribution, trophic guilds and foraging strata .......................................................... 11 Categorization protocol and data analysis ................................................................ 12 Results........................................................................................................................ 14 Altitudinal range according to urban categorization .................................................. 15 Trophic guilds and foraging strata according to urban categorization ....................... 16 Discussion .................................................................................................................. 17 References ................................................................................................................