This is the first journal article to come from Colin’s research and doctoral thesis.

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Three-Dimensional Habitat Structure Drives Avian Functional and Trait Diversity Across North America

Colin P. Sweeney | William Peterman | Kaiguang Zhao | Karen Goodell | Benjamin Zuckerberg |
Marta A. Jarzyna

• Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
• School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
• Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison,Wisconsin, USA
• Translational Data Analytics Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA

28 January 2025

ABSTRACT
Understanding how three-dimensional (3D) habitat structure drives biodiversity patterns is key to predicting how habitat alteration and loss will affect species and community-level patterns in the future. To date, few studies have contrasted the effects of 3D habitat composition with those of 3D habitat configuration on biodiversity, with existing investigations often limited to measures of taxonomic diversity (i.e., species richness). Here, we examined the influence of Light Detecting and Ranging (LiDAR) derived 3D habitat structure, both its composition and configuration, on multiple facets of bird diversity. Specifically, we used data from the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) to test the associations between 11 measures of 3D habitat structure and avian species richness, functional and trait diversity, and phylogenetic diversity. We found that 3D habitat structure was the most consistent predictor of avian functional and trait diversity, with little to no effect on species richness or phylogenetic diversity. Functional diversity and individual trait characteristics were strongly associated with both 3D habitat composition and configuration, but the magnitude and the direction of the effects varied across the canopy, subcanopy, midstory, and understory vertical strata. Our findings suggest that 3D habitat structure influences avian diversity through its effects on traits. By examining the effects of multiple aspects of habitat structure on multiple facets of avian diversity, we provide a broader framework for future investigations on habitat structure.

Sweeney, C.P., Peterman, W., Zhao, K., Goodell, K., Zuckerberg, B. and Jarzyna, M.A. (2025), Three-Dimensional Habitat Structure Drives Avian Functional and Trait Diversity Across North America. Ecol Evol, 15: e70988. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70988

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Darwin Talk

How 3D habitat structure drives avian community diversity across North America

Colin Sweeney

February 29, 2024

Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology (EEOB)

The Ohio State University

• February 29, 2024
• Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology (EEOB)
• The Ohio State University

This is a Darwin Talk given by Colin in 2024. The Darwin Talk Series is an ongoing scientific forum hosted by the Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology (EEOB) at The Ohio State University. Colin is a landscape ecologist interested in how habitat structural patterns shape biodiversity. He is in his fifth year of his Ph.D. program at OSU. His research leverages airborne and satellite remote sensing data to examine avian community diversity patterns across North America. This talk is a preview of the paper Colin has recently submitted for publication.