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Seeking the least urbanized landscape: white stork nest abundance variation in a Mediterranean capital city

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Abstract

Knowledge of the factors influencing variation of nest abundance in cities is a major topic in urban ecology with important management and planning implications. In the present study, we aimed to investigate this issue with regards to white stork (WS) (Ciconia ciconia) in the capital of Morocco, Rabat. Here, we used data on a series of topographic, anthropogenic, and landscape variables to identify best predictors causing variation in the WS nest abundance by means of generalized linear models. Results revealed an increase in nest abundances with a weaker length of roads and greater non-built-up areas. Therefore, the less urbanized the areas of the city of Rabat are, the more attractive for nest establishment by storks they are. This information is of use to the Rabat urban environmental managers in order not only to (1) maintain this Ciconiidae species at manageable levels but also to (2) suitably manage this city taking into account the needs of storks. Reproducing this study in other Mediterranean urban areas would be relevant to find out if variation in nest abundances of this species depends on the same factors as those in Rabat.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Antony J. Morris (RSPB Centre for Conservation Science) for his helpful comments on an earlier draft of this paper. We would also like to thank the two anonymous reviewers and the Editor of the European Journal of Wildlife Research for their comments and advice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Botany, Biotechnology and Plant Protection, Faculty of Sciences, Ibn Tofail University, 133, 14000, Kénitra, BP, Morocco

    Mohamed-Jad Hmamouchi & Jamila Dahmani

  2. Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Abdelmalek Essaâdi University, Avenue de Sebta, Mhannech II, 93002, Tétouan, Morocco

    Kamal Agharroud

  3. Forest Research Center, Avenue Omar Ibn El Khattab, BP 763, Agdal, 10050, Rabat, Morocco

    Saâd Hanane

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  1. Mohamed-Jad Hmamouchi
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  2. Kamal Agharroud
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Correspondence to Saâd Hanane.

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Hmamouchi, MJ., Agharroud, K., Dahmani, J. et al. Seeking the least urbanized landscape: white stork nest abundance variation in a Mediterranean capital city. Eur J Wildl Res 66, 71 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10344-020-01411-z

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