| I explored within-patch variation in nest-site placement, nest predation and brood parasitism for multiple species, across several study sites in both a fragmented and continuously forested landscape in Ontario, Canada. Spatial analysis revealed distinct, fine-scale (30--100 m radius) clustering of nests only in the fragmented landscape. This clustering was associated with variation in habitat for the Wood Thrush, but for other species and across species clustering was not associated with vegetative heterogeneity. Nest predation was distributed randomly within study sites in both landscapes, including with-respect to anthropogenic edges, suggesting that diverse and abundant predator communities may preclude the existence of enemy-free space. Brood parasitism was only present in the fragmented landscape, and was positively influenced by the proportion of agricultural habitats surrounding nests. This likely reflects the importance of nearby feeding areas for optimal cowbird breeding habitat Overall, the results of this thesis suggest that even at fine spatial scales, spatial patterns exist in nest placement and may be linked to habitat quality for some species, particularly in fragmented landscapes.;KEYWORDS---forest birds, nest distribution, nest predation, brood parasitism, habitat fragmentation, point pattern analysis... |
