title: Influence of landscape features on the location of grey heron Ardea cinerea colonies in Poland.
abstract: We analysed hydrographic and habitat factors influencing the location of 207 colonies of the grey heron Ardea cinerea in Poland. We compared areas of particular habitats in three buffers around colonies (0-1, 0-10, 0-20km) among eight regions differing in their proportions of studied habitats. We found the highest inter-region dissimilarities in areas covered by water bodies (all scales) and pastures (0-1km). We recognized some indicator habitats characteristic of the majority (water bodies, pastures) or of some (seacoast, inland marshes, urbanized zone) regions. The habitat selectivity index showed that grey herons in buffer 0-1km preferred pastures and water bodies in seven regions and rivers in one subprovince. In buffer 0-10km, forests and urban zones were preferred in seven and five subprovinces, respectively. Our study revealed that both aquatic and non-aquatic habitats are important for the distribution of the grey heron colonies in Poland.
authors: Department of Vertebrate Ecology and Zoology, University of Gdańsk, ul. Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland. Electronic address: BrygidaMS@wp.pl.
authors: Brygida
authors: B
authors: Manikowska-Ślepowrońska
authors: Department of Plant Taxonomy and Nature Conservation, University of Gdańsk, ul. Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland.
authors: Magdalena
authors: M
authors: Lazarus
authors: Biological Station, University of Gdańsk, ul. Ornitologów 26, 80-680 Gdańsk, Poland.
authors: Katarzyna
authors: K
authors: Żółkoś
authors: Polish Society for Bird Protection (PTOP), ul. Ciepła 17, 15-471 Białystok, Poland.
authors: Adam
authors: A
authors: Zbyryt
authors: State School of Higher Education in Chełm, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ul. Pocztowa 54, 22-100 Chełm, Poland.
authors: Ignacy
authors: I
authors: Kitowski
authors: Department of Vertebrate Ecology and Zoology, University of Gdańsk, ul. Wita Stwosza 59, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland.
authors: Dariusz
authors: D
authors: Jakubas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D001717:Birds / Q000502:physiology*; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D011044:Poland; D011153:Population; D045483:Rivers; D012919:Social Behavior; D053833:Wetlands
keywords: Colony location; Habitat selectivity; Hydrographic and habitat features; Waterbirds