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Contrasting effects of the COVID-19 lockdown on urban birds' reproductive success in two cities.
Seress, Gábor; Sándor, Krisztina; Vincze, Erno; Pipoly, Ivett; Bukor, Boglárka; Ágh, Nóra; Liker, András.
  • Seress G; MTA-PE Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, University of Pannonia, Veszprém, Hungary. seressg@almos.uni-pannon.hu.
  • Sándor K; Behavioral Ecology Research Group, Center for Natural Sciences, University of Pannonia, 8200, Veszprém, Hungary.
  • Vincze E; MTA-PE Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, University of Pannonia, Veszprém, Hungary.
  • Pipoly I; Behavioral Ecology Research Group, Center for Natural Sciences, University of Pannonia, 8200, Veszprém, Hungary.
  • Bukor B; MTA-PE Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, University of Pannonia, Veszprém, Hungary.
  • Ágh N; Behavioral Ecology Research Group, Center for Natural Sciences, University of Pannonia, 8200, Veszprém, Hungary.
  • Liker A; MTA-PE Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, University of Pannonia, Veszprém, Hungary.
Sci Rep ; 11(1): 17649, 2021 09 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1392886
ABSTRACT
The ubiquitous activity of humans is a fundamental feature of urban environments affecting local wildlife in several ways. Testing the influence of human disturbance would ideally need experimental approach, however, in cities, this is challenging at relevant spatial and temporal scales. Thus, to better understand the ecological effects of human activity, we exploited the opportunity that the city-wide lockdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic provided during the spring of 2020. We assessed changes in reproductive success of great tits (Parus major) at two urban habitats affected strikingly differently by the 'anthropause', and at an unaffected forest site. Our results do not support that urban great tits benefited from reduced human mobility during the lockdown. First, at one of our urban sites, the strongly (- 44%) reduced human disturbance in 2020 (compared to a long-term reference period) did not increase birds' reproductive output relative to the forest habitat where human disturbance was low in all years. Second, in the other urban habitat, recreational human activity considerably increased (+ 40%) during the lockdown and this was associated with strongly reduced nestling body size compared to the pre-COVID reference year. Analyses of other environmental factors (meteorological conditions, lockdown-induced changes in air pollution) suggest that these are not likely to explain our results. Our study supports that intensified human disturbance can have adverse fitness consequences in urban populations. It also highlights that a few months of 'anthropause' is not enough to counterweight the detrimental impacts of urbanization on local wildlife populations.
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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Reproduction / Quarantine / Ecosystem / Songbirds / SARS-CoV-2 / COVID-19 Type of study: Experimental Studies / Observational study Limits: Animals / Female / Humans / Male Language: English Journal: Sci Rep Year: 2021 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: S41598-021-96858-8

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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Main subject: Reproduction / Quarantine / Ecosystem / Songbirds / SARS-CoV-2 / COVID-19 Type of study: Experimental Studies / Observational study Limits: Animals / Female / Humans / Male Language: English Journal: Sci Rep Year: 2021 Document Type: Article Affiliation country: S41598-021-96858-8