Research Project

Recreational disturbance

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Spending time in natural green spaces greatly benefits our mental and physical wellbeing. As more people spend their leisure time outdoors, existing natural areas are being used more intensively, with car parks and walking trails being further developed and used more often.

Proper management of these green spaces is crucial to protect wildlife. There is growing concern that recreational activities like hiking, running, cycling, dog walking, and horse riding may harm wildlife. For songbirds, this increased ‘disturbance’ can lead to changes in bird behaviour, nest abandonment, and reduced breeding success.

The Project

The University of Exeter will conduct a research project on recreational disturbance. Funded by SongBird Survival, this project will support a PhD studentship for three and a half years starting in September 2024. The team includes Dr. Sarah Crowley and Professor Stuart Bearhop.

The project will study the impact of recreational activities on woodland and shrubland songbirds. It combines ecology and social science to understand how to change people’s behaviour and to identify effective measures to reduce our impact on our local environment and our UK songbirds.

Project elements:

  • Surveys: Assessing how different levels of human outdoor activity affect woodland and shrubland bird species.
  • GPS Tracking: Understanding the spatial dynamics of recreational activities by tracking dog walkers across different sites.
  • Interviews: Explore why people do outdoor activities and their views on how these activities affect wildlife.
  • Management Measures: Test various management or mitigation strategies at different sites to see which ones best protect wildlife.

We hope that by better understanding how disturbances affect wildlife, we can continue to enjoy green spaces while also protecting our songbirds for future generations.

Dartford warbler

Sir David Attenborough said on birds:

"Now, we have taken over the earth and the sea and the sky, but with skill and care and knowledge, we can ensure that there is still a place on Earth for birds in all their beauty and variety. If we want to. And surely, we should."

Meet our scientists

What is a Songbird?

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Dr Sarah Crowley

Supervisor - UNIVERSITY OF EXETER

Sarah gained her PhD from the University of Exeter in 2017, and worked as a Postdoctoral researcher before becoming a senior lecturer.

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Related Studies

Banks, P.B. and Bryant, J.V. (2007) Four-legged friend or foe? Dog walking displaces native birds from natural areas. Biology Letters, 3(6), pp.611-613.

Comber, C. A., & Dayer, A. A. (2022). Understanding attitudes and norms of dog walkers to reduce disturbances to shorebirds. Human Dimensions of Wildlife, 27(3), 236-250.

Davis, C. A., Leslie Jr, D. M., Walter, W. D., & Graber, A. E. (2010). Mountain biking trail use affects reproductive success of nesting Golden-cheeked Warblers. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology, 122(3), 465-474.

van Eeden, L. M., Geschke, A., Hames, F., Squires, Z. E., & Weston, M. A. (2022). The leashing behaviour of dog owners in different types of natural areas. Human Dimensions of Wildlife, 1-16.

Kuwaczka, L. F., Mitterwallner, V., Audorff, V., & Steinbauer, M. J. (2023). Ecological impacts of (electrically assisted) mountain biking. Global Ecology and Conservation, e02475.

Ferguson, M. D., McIntosh, K., English, D. B., Ferguson, L. A., Barcelona, R., Giles, G., ... & Leberman, M. (2022). The Outdoor Renaissance: Assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic upon outdoor recreation visitation, behaviours, and decision-making in New England’s national forests. Society & Natural Resources, 35(10), 1063-1082.

Larson, C. L., Reed, S. E., Merenlender, A. M., & Crooks, K. R. (2016). Effects of recreation on animals revealed as widespread through a global systematic review. PloS One, 11(12), e0167259.

Mallord, J. W., Dolman, P. M., Brown, A. F., & Sutherland, W. J. (2007). Linking recreational disturbance to population size in a ground‐nesting passerine. Journal of Applied Ecology, 44, 185-195.

Marzano, M., & Dandy, N. (2012). Recreationist behaviour in forests and the disturbance of wildlife. Biodiversity and Conservation, 21(11), 2967-2986.

Murison, G., Bullock, J. M., Underhill-Day, J., Langston, R., Brown, A. F., & Sutherland, W. J. (2007). Habitat type determines the effects of disturbance on the breeding productivity of the Dartford Warbler Sylvia undata. Ibis, 149, 16-26.

Steven, R., Pickering, C., & Castley, J. G. (2011). A review of the impacts of nature-based recreation on birds. Journal of environmental management, 92(10), 2287-2294.

See our publication library for more of our research.

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