Landscape configuration as a proxy for the occurrence and conservation of forest birds in peri-urban and urban environments

Birds’ responses to landscape configuration in urban and peri-urban areas are still poorly known. How landscape configuration (structure and function) influences the occurrence of 10 forest bird species in an urban and peri-urban area was evaluated, and this study investigated: (i) which structural metric of forest fragments (size, proximity, and distance from other fragments) is mostly related to the occurrence of bird species in forest fragments, and (ii) if fragment connectivity and the level of legal protection of forest fragments are related to the number of bird species (functional metrics). It was found that both landscape structure and functionality had a significant influence on the occurrence of forest bird species. Fragment size was correlated with the presence of six bird species, being secondarily associated with other metrics. The largest fragments had the strictest protection levels, while most small fragments lacked legal protection. Fragment size, along with the proximity among them (i.e., configurational metrics), emerged as the most important factors contributing to the increase in landscape matrix permeability for birds. Furthermore, it was found that peri-urban green areas played an important role in the conservation of forest birds, as they facilitate connectivity to smaller fragments inside urban regions. These results can be used as tools for landscape management based on models that properly represent landscape structure and biological response to that physical structure. This knowledge is essential to guarantee efficient management, promoting biological conservation, maintaining ecosystem services, and enabling sustainable use of natural resources.