Project Goal: To study the patterns in bird species diversity, abundance and distribution over time and space, and the processes behind these patterns as a result of urbanization.The ongoing project (since October 2000) is documenting the abundance and distribution of birds in four habitats (51 sites): Urban (18) Desert (15) Riparian (11) and agricultural (7). The 40 non-riparian sites are a subset of the 200 CAP- LTER points. We are using point counts to survey birds four times a year (January, April, July and October). During each session each point is visited by three birders who count all birds seen or heard for 15 minutes. Our goal is to study how different land-use forms affect bird abundance, distribution and diversity in the greater Phoenix area in order to predict and preserve high bird species diversity as urban development is proceeding. We have now just completed 3 years of monitoring, and are also beginning to see some of the sites changing due to new urban development. The results described below are based on analyses of the first two yearsÂ’ data.

SONORAN DESERT, ABUNDANCE, PHOENIX, urban, species composition, bird, caplter, Central Arizona Phoenix Longterm Ecological Research, metropolitan area, Arizona, diversity, caplter created, richness, census, Human Control of Biodiversity, Populations, Project id 34, caplter core monitoring, gis

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