Effects of Human Disturbances on Avian Species Composition in Wetlands along an Urban–Rural Gradient in the North Carolina Piedmont

abstract: Urban development alters landscapes and changes ecosystems. One of these changes is the homogenization of species, as specialist species are no longer able to survive. Wetlands are vulnerable to alteration and serve as habitats for specialized bird species. To investigate which human disturbances were related to differences in species composition and wetland specialization, we conducted species surveys at five wetland sites along an urban–rural gradient in Greensboro, North Carolina. We examined the relationship between avian community composition and disturbance variables using a partial least squares regression. We found that indirect disturbances such as impervious surfaces and commercial land use were negatively associated with wetland specialization. We suggest that effective wetland conservation in urbanizing areas must consider development in the surrounding landscape.