Data for: The role of landscape in shaping bird community and implications for landscape management at Nanjing Lukou International Airport

Understanding the patterns of bird diversity and its driving force is necessary for bird strike prevention. In this study, we investigated the effects of landscape attributes on phylogenetic and functional diversity of bird communities at Nanjing Lukou International Airport (NLIA). Bird identifications and counting of individuals were carried out from November 2017 to October 2019. Based on the land cover data, the landscape was divided into four main types, including farmlands, woodlands, wetlands and urban areas. Bird phylogenetic and functional diversity were strongly affected by landscape matrix types. Bird species, phylogenetic and functional richness were highest in woodlands, while phylogenetic and functional structure were most complex in wetlands. We found that related carnivorous birds occupied most niches at the NLIA. Moreover, bird assemblages exhibited phylogenetic and functional clustering in all landscape matrix types, which meant environmental filtering governed community assembly. Landscape attributes of different matrix types influenced phylogenetic and functional diversity of bird communities. Landscape diversity affected bird functional structure positively, and the mean of patch area in the landscape had the strongest explanatory effects. To prevent bird strikes, we suggest that more small-area woodlands with low levels of aggregation can be considered and farmlands should be patchier and more regular. At landscape level, the number of patches can be adjusted to reduce the frequency of bird activities.