Multispecies relations shape bird-feeding practices
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
Abstract
Abstract While humans often feed birds in their backyards, there is growing awareness that this has positive and negative effects on local biodiversity. Whether the observed species assemblage shapes human activities has, however, rarely been investigated. We analyzed 15,088 open-ended answers from 9,473 Finnish respondents about why they have increased or reduced feeding birds. They mentioned 58 avian and non-avian species linked to changed practices. The main reasons for change were 1) respondent’s relation to non-human species, 2) respondent’s relation to other humans and 3) relations between non-human species. Most taxa and reasons could lead to both increase or decrease in feeding, although the direction was context-dependent. We suggest that bird-feeding is an interactive process where the species community strongly affects feeding practices, which in turn can affect community composition. Recognising this process is crucial for understanding the effects of bird-feeding on both humans and nature and providing more nuanced guidance.
Authors 11
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Tuomas Aivelo corresponding Aachen Science Communication and Society Faculty of Sciences, Leiden University
Leiden University · University of Helsinki
Affiliation as printed
Research Programme in Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Science Communication and Society, Faculty of Sciences, Leiden University, the Netherlands
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University of Helsinki · Laurea University of Applied Sciences
Affiliation as printed
Laurea University of Applied Sciences, Espoo, Finland
Research Programme in Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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University of Helsinki · Finnish Museum of Natural History
Affiliation as printed
Helsinki Lab of Ornithology, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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University of Helsinki · University of Turku
Affiliation as printed
Research Programme in Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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University of Helsinki · HiLIFE – Elämäntieteiden Instituutti
Affiliation as printed
HiLIFE Helsinki Institute of Life Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Research Programme in Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies
Affiliation as printed
Animal Demography and Ecology Unit, Institute for Mediterranean Studies (IMEDEA), Esporles, Spain
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Affiliation as printed
Research Programme in Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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University of Helsinki · Finnish Museum of Natural History
Affiliation as printed
Helsinki Lab of Ornithology, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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University of Helsinki · HiLIFE – Elämäntieteiden Instituutti
Affiliation as printed
HiLIFE Helsinki Institute of Life Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Research Programme in Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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Affiliation as printed
Research Programme in Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
Viikki Teacher Training School, Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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