Twice as Many ​Birds After ​Water Restored ​– ​Ecosystem Case ​Study ​

A SMALL RESTORED AREA is having a big impact on regional birds, fish and animals, according to a study published in the journal Ecological Restoration by the University of California, Davis.

Just 4 miles west of UC Davis’ main campus sits a sliver of wildness called Putah Creek Riparian Reserve. On a recent spring day, below a canopy of valley oaks and eucalyptus trees came a twittering of chirps, trills and quacks.

Representative image, Source: Pexels

Two kingfishers crisscrossed the creek, calling to each other. Woodpeckers drilled into tree bark. A house wren assertively defended his nest box from any real estate competitors. In the distance, a train whistle blew, and an airplane took off — reminders of the urban world just up the road.

Just add water

About 20 years ago, this gem of a green oasis was largely a dry ditch, more likely to be used as a dumping ground for rusty car parts and washing machines than a haven for wildlife or humans. Then in 2000, a lawsuit brought about the Putah Creek Accord, which mandated year-round flows for the creek to help protect fish and habitat. When the water returned, so did the bugs, the fish and the birds.

A lot of birds.

“Since 1999, the year before the water returned, the density of the breeding birds on lower Putah Creek has more than doubled,” said lead author Kristen Dybala, a postdoctoral scholar at UC Davis during the time of the study and now a senior research ecologist with nonprofit Point Blue Conservation Science. “That’s just kind of incredible to me.”

For the study, researchers analyzed about 14 years of bird survey data collected along a 23-mile area of the creek. It found that the average density of birds increased from roughly 30 birds per acre in 1999 to 84 birds per acre in 2012.

Read full case study: UC Davis

Reference:  Evaluating Riparian Restoration Success: Long-Term Responses of the Breeding Bird Community in California’s Lower Putah Creek Watershed

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Taxonomy

• Watershed Management
• Ecosystem Management
• Environment
• Ecosystem Management
• Watershed
• Restoration
• Lake Management
• River Restoration
• Watershed Management
• Ecosystem Management