The effect of recent chaining on birds in the eastern wheatbelt of Western Australia

2006 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graham R. Fulton ◽  
Jonathan D. Majer

The decline of woodland birds that follows from habitat fragmentation, degradation and loss of connectivity is well reported in the literature. However, reports of immediate responses by birds to these events are scant. This study, in the eastern whealtbelt of Western Australia, detected that when half of a 10 ha remnant of Allocasuarina shrubland was chained (vegetation knocked over and largely killed), birds responded quickly; increaser species apparently benefited and decliner species became restricted to the remaining unchained remnant of shrubland. There was some correspondence between the trends in variety and/or abundance of arthropods with those of bird species richness. Two Near-threatened species, the White-browed Babbler Pomatostomus supercilious and the Crested Bellbird Oreoica gutturalis, were only detected in the non-chained part of the remnant. These findings clearly highlight the immediate ecological consequences of clearing of native vegetation, and highlight the importance of conserving even the smallest remaining fragments.

2014 ◽  
Vol 114 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn R. Napier ◽  
Suzanne H. Mather ◽  
Todd J. McWhorter ◽  
Patricia A. Fleming

2008 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jarrad A. Cousin ◽  
Ryan D. Phillips

Habitat complexity is an important factor governing species richness and habitat selection in birds. The present study examined this relationship in a large wandoo woodland in Western Australia. Habitat complexity (comprising canopy, shrub, ground vegetation, log and leaf litter cover) and bird species richness was recorded in 48 sites, each ~3 ha in size. We found no significant correlation of habitat complexity with species richness. We propose that the absence of such a relationship results from the resource-poor environment of the woodlands of south-western Australia. The relative scarcity of food resources results in a species richness threshold beyond which there are insufficient niches and resources to support additional species with increasing habitat complexity. Only two species exhibited significant associations with habitat complexity, with the western yellow robin (Eopsaltria griseogularis) occupying sites with higher habitat complexity, and the restless flycatcher (Myiagra inquieta) occupying sites with lower habitat complexity. Although some species may respond specifically to habitat complexity, management of avian biodiversity within Australian woodlands should take into account the potentially greater role that productivity and resource availability play in influencing species richness, rather than habitat complexity per se. Furthermore, the individual components comprising habitat complexity may be of equal importance in assessing relationship of species richness to overall habitat complexity.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 15140-15153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Parmesh Kumar ◽  
Sharmila Sahu

Avian communities are very good indicators of integrity and stability of ecosystem structure and functions. Assessment of bird assemblages in different landscapes is therefore emphasized from an environmental monitoring viewpoint.  Bird surveys were carried out from April 2015 to March 2016 to document the avian species assemblage of agricultural landscapes in Panipat, Haryana, India.  Point-transect in amalgam with opportunistic encounter methods were used to collect data.  A total of 101 bird species under 44 families and 15 orders were recorded from the study area.  The bird species richness was highest for the order Passeriformes (48), followed by Pelecaniformes (15), Charadriiformes (6), and the remaining 12 orders.  Ardeidae was the most diverse bird family in the study area.  Among the recorded avifauna, 77 species were residents, 18 species were winter migrants and six species were summer migrants.  Species richness was recorded to be highest in the month of January compared to the remaining months.  Species richness, abundance, diversity and evenness differed significantly (P < 0.05) between seasons as well as among the agricultural landscapes.  Most bird species were insectivorous (36) followed by carnivorous (26), omnivorous (24), granivorous (9), frugivorous (5) and nectarivorous (1).  Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala, Black-necked Stork Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus, Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus, and Alexandrine Parakeet Psittacula eupatria are four Near Threatened species found in this region.  Interestingly, five species having globally declining population trends are still common in the study area.  The observed richness of avian species in the study area calls for further studies on habitat preference, seasonal changes, nest ecology, and breeding biology to understand species specific roles of birds in agro-ecosystems.  


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Federico Morelli ◽  
Yanina

ContextThe negative association between elevation and species richness is a well-recognized pattern in macro-ecology. ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to investigate changes in functional evenness of breeding bird communities along an elevation gradient in Europe. MethodsUsing the bird data from the EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds we estimated an index of functional evenness which can be assumed as a measure of the potential resilience of communities.ResultsOur findings confirm the existence of a negative association between elevation and bird species richness in all European eco regions. However, we also explored a novel aspect of this relationship, important for conservation: Our findings provide evidence at large spatial scale of a negative association between the functional evenness (potential community resilience) and elevation, independent of the eco region. We also found that the Natura2000 protected areas covers the territory most in need of protection, those characterized by bird communities with low potential resilience, in hilly and mountainous areas.ConclusionsThese results draw attention to European areas occupied by bird communities characterized by a potential lower capacity to respond to strong ecological changes, and, therefore, potentially more exposed to risks for conservation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 127 ◽  
pp. 107774
Author(s):  
Martina L. Hobi ◽  
Laura S. Farwell ◽  
Maxim Dubinin ◽  
Dmitrij Kolesov ◽  
Anna M. Pidgeon ◽  
...  

2008 ◽  
Vol 54 (No. 4) ◽  
pp. 189-193
Author(s):  
M. Żmihorski

Clearcuts are one of the results of forest management. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of clearcuts on bird communities in a managed forest in Western Poland. I applied the method of point transect counts. 20 points were located near clearcuts (less than 100 m from the nearest clearcut) and 25 points in the forest interior. In total, 36 bird species were recorded. On average, I found 9.20 bird species at points located near clearcuts and 6.72 species at points situated in the forest interior, and the difference was significant. The cumulative number of bird species for a given number of sampling points in the vicinity of clearcuts was higher than in the forest interior. The obtained results indicate that in managed, even-aged forests the generation of clearcuts can lead to an increase in local bird species richness.


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