field ornithology, ecology, nature protection

My last publications:

Mitrus C. 2018. Early arriving males wait longer for a mate than later arrivals: the case of a migratory monogamous passerine bird species. Journal of Ethology 36: 93-98

Mitrus C., Zbyryt A. 2018. Reducing avian mortality from noise barrier collisions along an urban roadway. Urban Ecosystems 21: 351–356.

Golawski A, Mitrus C. 2018. Weather conditions influence egg volume repeatability in clutches of the Red-backed shrike Lanius collurio. Zool Stud 57:2. doi:10.6620/ZS.2018.57-02. IF –1.008

Mitrus C., Mitrus J., Rutkowski R. 2020. Individual heterozygosity influences arrival times and mating success of male red-breasted flycatchers Ficedula parva. Zoological Studies 59:12. doi:10.6620/ZS.2020.59-12.

Tryjanowski P., Ł. Jankowiak, P. Czechowski, B. Dulisz, A. Golawski, G. Grzywaczewski, P. Indykiewicz, Z. Kwieciński, C. Mitrus, J. J. Nowakowski, M. Polakowski, J. Siekiera, T. H. Sparks & A. Wuczyński 2022. Summer water sources for temperate birds: use, importance, and threats, The European Zoological Journal, 89:1, 913-926, DOI: 10.1080/24750263.2022.2101699

Zbyryt A., Zub K., Mitrus C. 2022. The development of the Rook's (Corvus frugilegus) colony in the face of shifting spring phenology. Avian Research, 13(1): 100029. doi: 10.1016/j.avrs.2022.100029

Ecology
Landscape ecology

Agricultural areas in Europe are an important habitat for many species of wild animals. At the same time, there is a decline in the diversity and density of birds associated with the agricultural landscape. In recent years, the share of maize cultivation in the total agricultural area has been growing rapidly throughout Europe. Currently, the total acreage of maize cultivation reaches over 1.2 million hectares, which constitutes over 12% of the total sown in Poland. This applies to a large extent to large-scale agriculture. Thus, the cultivation of this grain currently constitutes a significant part of agrocenoses. So far, there are no studies showing the relationship between maize cultivation and the occurrence of wild animal species, in particular birds and mammals.
The aim of the study is to determine the importance of maize crops for wild birds and mammals and to compare species richness, species share, bird and mammal density occurring in maize monocultures and other types of crops.
The research will be carried out on study plots of various sizes and crops on annual basis, in various regions of Europe. In addition, the research will, for comparison, be conducted on other types of agricultural crops. The hypothesis will be tested that species diversity and the density of birds and mammals will be influenced by type and the size of the crops, the region, the phenological period and the immediate surroundings of the crops.

farmland, monocultures, bidiversity, nature protection

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