scholarly journals Sustaining biodiversity in ancient tropical countryside: Fig. 1.

2008 ◽  
Vol 105 (46) ◽  
pp. 17852-17854 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jai Ranganathan ◽  
R. J. Ranjit Daniels ◽  
M. D. Subash Chandran ◽  
Paul R. Ehrlich ◽  
Gretchen C. Daily
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Bird Diversity ◽  
Native Forest ◽  
Conservation Value ◽  
Tropical Agriculture ◽  
Agricultural Ecosystem ◽  
Bird Species Richness

With intensifying demands for food and biofuels, a critical threat to biodiversity is agricultural expansion into native tropical ecosystems. Tropical agriculture, particularly intensive agriculture, often supports few native organisms, and consequently has been largely overlooked in conservation planning; yet, recent work in the Neotropics demonstrates that tropical agriculture with certain features can support significant biodiversity, decades after conversion to farmland. It remains unknown whether this conservation value can be sustained for centuries to millennia. Here, we quantify the bird diversity affiliated with agricultural systems in southwest India, a region continuously cultivated for >2,000 years. We show that arecanut palm (Areca catechu) production systems retain 90% of the bird species associated with regional native forest. Two factors promote this high conservation value. First, the system involves intercropping with multiple, usually woody, understory species and, thus, has high vertical structural complexity that is positively correlated with bird species richness. Second, the system encompasses nearby forests, where large quantities of leaf litter are extracted for mulch. The preservation of these forests on productive land traces back to their value in supplying inputs to arecanut cultivation. The long-term biodiversity value of an agricultural ecosystem has not been documented in South and Southeast Asia. Our findings open a new conservation opportunity for this imperiled region that may well extend to other crops. Some of these working lands may be able to sustain native species over long-time scales, indicating that conservation investments in agriculture today could pay off for people and for nature.

scholarly journals Low effect on open-farmland birds of young afforestations in heterogeneous Mediterranean croplands

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan S. Sánchez-Oliver ◽  
José M. Rey Benayas ◽  
Luis M. L.M. Carrascal
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Tree Plantations ◽  
Conservation Value ◽  
Farmland Birds ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Bird Species Richness ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
The One

Afforestation programs such as the one promoted by the EU Common Agricultural Policy have spread tree plantations on former cropland. These afforestations attract generalist forest and ubiquitous species but may cause severe damage to open habitat species, especially birds of high conservation value. We investigated the effects of young (< 20 yr) tree plantations dominated by pine P. halepensis on bird communities inhabiting the adjacent open farmland habitat in central Spain. We hypothesize that pine plantations with larger surface, and areas at shorter distances from plantations, would result in lower bird species richness and conservation value of open farmland birds. Regression models controlling for the influence of land use types around plantations revealed significant positive effects of distance to pine plantation edge on community species richness in winter, and negative effects on an index of conservation concern (SPEC) during the breeding season. However, plantation area did not have any effect on species richness or community conservation value. Our results indicate that pine afforestation of Mediterranean cropland in heterogeneous agricultural landscapes has an overall low detrimental effect on bird species that are characteristic of open farmland habitat.

Bird assemblages in wildlife habitat strips in a Tasmanian plantation matrix

2002 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael A. MacDonald ◽  
Robert J. Taylor ◽  
Steven G. Candy
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Wildlife Habitat ◽  
Native Forest ◽  
Total Abundance ◽  
Forest Patches ◽  
Bird Species Richness ◽  
Linear Forest ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Production Forests

In Tasmania, a system of 100 m wide strips of native forest, referred to as wildlife habitat strips, is retained within production forest, including plantations. Thirty-nine points in 18 wildlife habitat strips within both eucalypt and pine plantations (which were not differentiated for the purposes of the present study) were paired with points in nearby extensive native forest and surveyed for birds. At non-riparian sites (upper slopes and ridges), bird species richness and total abundance were both significantly lower in habitat strips than in controls. This difference is quantitative rather than qualitative, as ordination did not distinguish strip sites and controls, and no species were obviously absent from habitat strips. Riparian zones showed no significant difference in species richness and total abundance between habitat strips and controls. Species richness and total abundance relative to controls increased as wildlife habitat strip length increased over the measured range (0.4-2.1 km). It is thought that this may be because birds perceive strips as linear forest patches rather than corridors, so that there may be a habitat area effect. Other strip characteristics such as width and plantation age were not significant in riparian areas, but may be important on upper slopes and ridges, and the former will affect strip area. Wildlife habitat strips appear to be a valuable component of a conservation programme for birds in production forests in Tasmania.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of protected areas in conserving tropical forest birds

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor Cazalis ◽  
Karine Princé ◽  
Jean-Baptiste Mihoub ◽  
Joseph Kelly ◽  
Stuart H.M. Butchart ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Forest Birds ◽  
Bird Diversity ◽  
Bird Species Richness ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Global Biodiversity ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

AbstractProtected areas are the cornerstones of global biodiversity conservation efforts1,2, but to fulfil this role they must be effective at conserving the ecosystems and species that occur within their boundaries. This is particularly imperative in tropical forest hotspots, regions that concentrate a major fraction of the world’s biodiversity while also being under intense human pressure3–5. But these areas strongly lack adequate monitoring datasets enabling to contrast biodiversity in protected areas with comparable unprotected sites6,7. Here we take advantage of the world’s largest citizen science biodiversity dataset – eBird8 – to quantify the extent to which protected areas in eight tropical forest biodiversity hotspots are effective at retaining bird diversity, and to understand the underlying mechanisms. We found generally positive effects of protection on the diversity of bird species that are forest-dependent, endemic to the hotspots, or threatened or Near Threatened, but not on overall bird species richness. Furthermore, we show that in most of the hotspots examined this is driven by protected areas preventing both forest loss and degradation. Our results support calls for increasing the extent and strengthening the management efforts within protected areas to reduce global biodiversity loss9–11.

scholarly journals Altitudinal patterns in breeding bird species richness and density in relation to climate, habitat heterogeneity, and migration influence in South Korea

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin-Yong Kim ◽  
Sanghun Lee ◽  
Man-Seok Shin ◽  
Chang-Hoon Lee ◽  
Changwan Seo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Habitat Heterogeneity ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Diversity ◽  
Spring Temperature ◽  
Breeding Bird ◽  
Bird Species Richness ◽  
Main Driver ◽  
And Migration

Altitudinal patterns in the population ecology of mountain bird species are useful for predicting species occurrence and behavior. Numerous hypotheses about the complex interactions among environmental factors have been proposed; however, these remain controversial. This study investigated the causes of altitudinal patterns in breeding bird species richness and density in relation to climate, habitat heterogeneity, and migration influence in Jirisan National Park, South Korea. We conducted a field survey of 142 plots at altitudes between 200 and 1400 m above mean sea level in the breeding season. A total of 2771 individuals from 53 breeding bird species were recorded. Altitudinal patterns of species richness and density showed a hump-shaped pattern, indicating that the highest richness and density could be observed at moderate altitudes. Models constructed with 16 combinations of six variables demonstrated that species richness was positively correlated with vertical and horizontal habitat heterogeneity, and that density was positively correlated with vertical, but not horizontal, habitat heterogeneity, and negatively correlated with migrant rate. No significant relationships were found between spring temperature and species richness or density. Therefore, the observed patterns in species richness support the hypothesis that habitat heterogeneity, rather than climate, is the main driver of species richness. And neither habitat heterogeneity nor climate hypotheses fully explains the observed patterns in density. However, vertical habitat heterogeneity does likely help explain observed patterns in density. The heterospecific attraction hypothesis did not apply to the distribution of birds along the altitudinal gradient. Appropriate management of vertical habitat heterogeneity, such as vegetation cover, should be maintained for the conservation of bird diversity in this area.

scholarly journals Synergistic effects of habitat configuration and land-use intensity shape the structure of bird assemblages in human-modified landscapes across three major neotropical biomes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olinda Maira Alves Nogueira ◽  
Ana Filipa Palmeirim ◽  
Carlos A. Peres ◽  
Manoel dos Santos-Filho
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Fragment Size ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Diversity ◽  
Land Use Intensity ◽  
Bird Species Richness ◽  
Habitat Configuration ◽  
Native Habitat ◽  
Complex Interactions ◽  
Native Habitats

AbstractMaximizing biodiversity persistence in heterogeneous human-modified landscapes is hindered by the complex interactions between habitat quality and configuration of native and non-native habitats. Here we examined these complex interactions considering avian diversity across 26 sampling sites, each of which comprised of three sampling points located across a gradient of disturbance: core native habitat fragment, fragment edge, and non-native adjacent matrix. The 78 sampling points were further nested within three neotropical biomes—Amazonia, Cerrado and Pantanal—in central-western Brazil. Matrix type consisted of cattle pastures in the Amazon and teak plantations in the Pantanal and Cerrado. We considered the interactive effects of (1) disturbance-context: fragment core, edge and adjacent matrix, (2) matrix type: tree plantation or cattle pastures, both subject to varying land-use intensity, and (3) native habitat configuration (fragment size, shape and isolation) on bird species richness, abundance and composition. Based on point-count surveys, we recorded 210 bird species. Bird species richness and abundance declined across the disturbance gradient, while genus composition only differed within the adjacent matrix, particularly cattle-pastures. The effect of native habitat area was positive but only detected at fragment edges. Overall bird diversity increased at sites characterized by higher availability of either relict trees within pasture landscapes or old-growth trees within teak plantation landscapes. The core of native fragments played a primary role in ensuring the persistence of bird diversity, regardless of fragment size. In contrast to pastures, tree plantations likely harbour a higher proportion of forest-dependent species while bird diversity can be further enhanced by reduced management intensity in both matrix types. Strategies to maximize avian persistence should not only include retaining native habitats, but also maximizing the size of core native habitats. Likewise, more structurally complex matrix types should be encouraged while maintaining low levels of land-use intensity.

scholarly journals Altitudinal patterns in breeding bird species richness and density in relation to climate, habitat heterogeneity, and migration influence in South Korea

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin-Yong Kim ◽  
Sanghun Lee ◽  
Man-Seok Shin ◽  
Chang-Hoon Lee ◽  
Changwan Seo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Habitat Heterogeneity ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Diversity ◽  
Spring Temperature ◽  
Breeding Bird ◽  
Bird Species Richness ◽  
Main Driver ◽  
And Migration

Altitudinal patterns in the population ecology of mountain bird species are useful for predicting species occurrence and behavior. Numerous hypotheses about the complex interactions among environmental factors have been proposed; however, these remain controversial. This study investigated the causes of altitudinal patterns in breeding bird species richness and density in relation to climate, habitat heterogeneity, and migration influence in Jirisan National Park, South Korea. We conducted a field survey of 142 plots at altitudes between 200 and 1400 m above mean sea level in the breeding season. A total of 2771 individuals from 53 breeding bird species were recorded. Altitudinal patterns of species richness and density showed a hump-shaped pattern, indicating that the highest richness and density could be observed at moderate altitudes. Models constructed with 16 combinations of six variables demonstrated that species richness was positively correlated with vertical and horizontal habitat heterogeneity, and that density was positively correlated with vertical, but not horizontal, habitat heterogeneity, and negatively correlated with migrant rate. No significant relationships were found between spring temperature and species richness or density. Therefore, the observed patterns in species richness support the hypothesis that habitat heterogeneity, rather than climate, is the main driver of species richness. And neither habitat heterogeneity nor climate hypotheses fully explains the observed patterns in density. However, vertical habitat heterogeneity does likely help explain observed patterns in density. The heterospecific attraction hypothesis did not apply to the distribution of birds along the altitudinal gradient. Appropriate management of vertical habitat heterogeneity, such as vegetation cover, should be maintained for the conservation of bird diversity in this area.

scholarly journals Species diversity and feeding guilds of birds in Malaysian agarwood plantations

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (14) ◽  
pp. 16954-16961
Author(s):  
Nor Nasibah Mohd Jamil ◽  
Husni Ibrahim ◽  
Haniza Hanim Mohd Zain ◽  
Nur Hidayat Che Musa
Keyword(s):  
Diversity Index ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Bird Diversity ◽  
Feeding Guilds ◽  
Bird Species Richness ◽  
Point Count ◽  
Insect Order ◽  
Wide Range

In Malaysia, the current status of birds inhabiting agarwood Aquilaria malaccensis plantations has not been specifically studied, and little research has been conducted to investigate birds in other agricultural areas (e.g., rubber, acacia, and oil palm plantations) and disturbed areas.  This study was conducted to assess bird species richness and relative abundance, as well as feeding guilds, in two agarwood plantation sites: Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris in Tanjong Malim (UPSI), and Slim River (SR).  The presence of birds was recorded using a combination of techniques (mist-nets and point count), while various sources were used to compile feeding information.  This study recorded 364 birds from 36 species in 24 families.  Shannon diversity index (H’) values for the UPSI and SR sites were 2.896 and 2.492 respectively, indicating high bird diversity.  The Bray-Curtis index was 0.29, indicating these sites share few species.  Insectivorous and omnivorous birds were dominant in UPSI (31%), and omnivores at SR (32%).  The commonest insect order at both sites was Orthoptera (UPSI 48%, SR 25%).  While agarwood plantations are relatively homogeneous, they provide a variety of food sources and shelter for a wide range of birds. 

MODIS time series as a tool for monitoring fires and their effects on savanna bird diversity

2012 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 680 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noam Levin ◽  
Sarah Legge ◽  
Bronwyn Price ◽  
Michiala Bowen ◽  
Emily Litvack ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Satellite Imagery ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Tree Cover ◽  
Bird Diversity ◽  
Fire Dynamics ◽  
Bird Species Richness ◽  
North West ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance

In this study, we aimed to explore the effect of fires on bird diversity in Australia’s tropical savannas. Bird surveys were conducted at 69 sites between 2005 and 2007 to estimate bird species richness and abundance within the Mornington Sanctuary, the Kimberley, north-west Australia. We used MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) and Landsat satellite imagery to map fire scars and to quantify vegetation cover parameters, and QuickBird imagery to map the percentage tree cover. Bird species richness and abundance were higher in areas exhibiting minimum seasonal and interannual changes, e.g. in riparian areas, near water and where tree cover was high. We found a significant negative effect of fire on bird diversity following the extensive late dry-season fires of 2006. These findings support the view that intense and large fires are threatening biodiversity and reinforce the importance of reducing the occurrence of late dry-season fires, which are the most severe and extensive. MODIS satellite imagery was found to provide a cost-effective approach to monitoring savanna landscapes, assessing the state of vegetation and monitoring fire dynamics.

Conservation value of human-modified forests for birds in mountainous regions of south-west China

2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
FEI WU ◽  
LUMING LIU ◽  
JIANLING FANG ◽  
RENGONG ZHANG ◽  
XIAOJUN YANG
Keyword(s):  
Bird Species ◽  
Pine Plantations ◽  
Bird Diversity ◽  
Conservation Value ◽  
Secondary Forests ◽  
West China ◽  
Mountainous Regions ◽  
South West ◽  
Forest Interior ◽  
Primary Forests

SummaryMountain systems are often recognised as biodiversity hotspots; however, most montane forests are human-modified. Understanding the conservation value of human-modified forests is essential to mountain biodiversity conservation. In this study, mist-nets and point-counts were used to compare the bird communities of primary forests on ridges in the Ailao Mountains of Yunnan, China, and secondary forests, firewood forests, and pine plantations in nearby lower elevation zones. We found that community turnover among habitats was very high using both methods. Although the percentage of forest interior species and insectivores in each habitat was higher in the primary forests than in the human-modified forests, relatively high percentages of forest interior species and insectivores were recorded in the human-modified forests. Moreover, many bird species, forest interior species, insectivores and babblers were only recorded in the human-modified forests. Our study indicated that the primary forests are important for sustaining mountain bird diversity. However, given that primary forests are restricted to ridges, secondary forests, firewood forests, and pine plantations at lower elevations also play important roles in bird conservation in mountainous regions by increasing landscape diversity and partially offsetting species loss from primary forests. Therefore, conservation efforts should also be concentrated on human-modified forests at lower elevations in mountainous regions in south-west China.

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