Bird Community Response to Invasive Beetle Infestation in Southern California, 2009-2023

A 14-year study from a Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) station documents the impact of an invasive shot hole borer beetle on a riparian bird community in the Tijuana River, California. The dataset, authored by Barbara E. Kus and published on figshare, compares 7 pre-infestation years (2009-2015) with 7 post-infestation years (2017-2023), tracking changes in species abundance and richness. Adult bird captures declined by 27% immediately after the infestation, with some species declining up to 76%, while others showed increases.

Use Cases

• Modeling population trends for specific bird species based on annual capture data before and after an ecological disturbance.
• Assessing the recovery trajectory of an ecosystem by correlating bird abundance data with habitat regrowth timelines.
• Comparing the effects of an invasive species between infested and control sites using data from a paired monitoring station.
• Evaluating conservation outcomes for endangered species like the Least Bell's Vireo based on its reported abundance changes.

Strengths

• Provides a 14-year longitudinal record (2009-2023) with a clear pre- and post-disturbance comparison period.
• Quantifies specific population changes, including a 27% decline in adult captures and species-level declines of up to 76%.
• Includes a comparative control element with data from an uninfested station on the Santa Margarita River.
• Tracks the recovery phase from 2019-2023, showing the community's response to habitat regrowth.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for certain analyses.
• The dataset is very small (70.1 KB), indicating limited scope, likely a summary table rather than raw capture records.

Provenance

Source

Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship (MAPS) station at the Tijuana River, California.

Collection Method

Bird capture data collected via standardized MAPS station protocols.

Time Range

2009 to 2023, with a gap in 2016.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-22 05:46:09

Geography

Tijuana River, California, USA, with a comparative site on the Santa Margarita River.