Hydro Power Development and Its Impacts on the Habitats and Diversity of Montane Birds of Western Himalayas

Abstract The montane forest ecosystems of Western Himalayas are under severe anthropogenic pressure because of hydro-electric project (HEP) development. Several studies have highlighted downstream effects of HEP, but there is no information on the effects of HEP-building activities on upstream fauna. In particular, studies on upstream Himalayan montane ecosystems and fauna around dams are lacking. I investigated effects of dam-building activities on bird communities in Indian Western Himalayas. I studied the response of bird communities along a disturbance gradient with the aim to identify key factors influencing their distribution. I surveyed primary and secondary montane forests, agricultural lands, and dam-affected (disturbed) habitats. Response variables included total avifaunal and woodland species richness and abundance, which were estimated by point-count surveys. Explanatory variables included tree and shrub density, canopy cover, disturbance intensity, and elevation. Bird species richness was higher in undisturbed and lesser disturbed sites, lower in agricultural sites, and lowest in HEP-affected sites. Canonical correspondence analysis revealed that canopy cover, shrub density, and disturbance influenced species distribution; woodland birds significantly negatively responded to dam-building activities. Th e study has shown that dam-building activity has negatively affected montane birds. I propose that increasing shrub and tree cover in dam-disturbed sites would minimise losses of avian habitats.

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Functional evenness of bird communities varies along the elevational gradient in Europe: Conservation implications

10.32942/osf.io/sx9n8 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Federico Morelli ◽

Yanina

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Elevation Gradient ◽

Bird Species ◽

Elevational Gradient ◽

Negative Association ◽

Bird Communities ◽

Breeding Bird ◽

Bird Species Richness ◽

Large Spatial Scale ◽

Functional Evenness

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.

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Can clearcuts increase bird species richness in managed forests?

Journal of Forest Science ◽

10.17221/787-jfs ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 54 (No. 4) ◽

pp. 189-193

Author(s):

M. Żmihorski

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Bird Species ◽

Bird Communities ◽

Cumulative Number ◽

Managed Forests ◽

Managed Forest ◽

Bird Species Richness ◽

Forest Interior ◽

Transect Counts ◽

The Difference

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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Bird communities in three forest types in the Pernambuco Centre of Endemism, Alagoas, Brazil

Iheringia Série Zoologia ◽

10.1590/s0073-47212013000200002 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 103 (2) ◽

pp. 85-96 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Lahert W. Lobo-Araújo ◽

Mário T. F. Toledo ◽

Márcio A. Efe ◽

Ana C. M. Malhado ◽

Marcos V. C. Vital ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Bird Species ◽

Bird Communities ◽

Northeastern Brazil ◽

Forest Fragments ◽

Forest Types ◽

Risk Of Extinction ◽

Bird Fauna ◽

Richness Patterns ◽

Ombrophilous Forest

The Pernambuco Center of Endemism (PCE) in northeastern Brazil is highly fragmented and degraded. Despite its potential conservation importance the bird fauna in this area is still relatively unknown and there are many remnant fragments that have not been systematically surveyed. Here, we report the results of bird surveys in five forest fragments (one pioneer, two ombrophilous and two seasonal). In total, 162 taxa were recorded, 12 of which are endemic to the PCE. The frequency of endangered species was lower than what has been reported in studies from the same area and most of the taxa considered to be at risk of extinction were sub-species of uncertain taxonomic validity. The comparatively low number of endemic/threatened species may be due to the small size of the fragments in the present study - a consequence of the high levels of habitat loss in this region. Analysis of species richness patterns indicates that ombrophilous forest fragments are acting as refuges for those bird species that are most sensitive to environmental degradation.

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Composition and Functional Diversity in Bird Communities in a Protected Humid Coastal Savanna

Advances in Zoology ◽

10.1155/2015/864219 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 2015 ◽

pp. 1-7 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Alfan A. Rija ◽

Abubakari S. Mgelwa ◽

Robert B. Modest ◽

Shombe N. Hassan

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

National Park ◽

Bird Species ◽

Bird Communities ◽

Large Mammals ◽

Feeding Guild ◽

Bird Species Richness ◽

Heterogeneous Landscape ◽

Species Lists ◽

Associated Species

Our current understanding of the vertebrate communities of a newly gazetted Tanzanian coastal national park is limited and strongly taxonomically biased towards large mammals. We conducted bird assessments in three sites in Saadani National Park using species lists to analyze some parameters to inform biodiversity conservation in the area. We recorded 3112 individuals in 268 species falling in 66 families, including 2 endangered, 2 vulnerable, and 6 near threatened species. Both species richness and species diversity varied between sites. Species relative abundances were not different between the sites although some functional groups, especially granivores, were more abundant than others. Bird assemblages included 21 forest specialists (FF-species), 35 forest generalists (F-species), and 68 forest visitors (f-species) overlapping among bushland, wooded grassland, grassland, and thickets suggesting presence of important microhabitats for the forest-associated species in this ecosystem. Bird species richness in a feeding guild also showed marked overlap between habitats suggesting availability of rich food resources for the birds. This paper highlights the importance of maintaining a structurally heterogeneous landscape to sustain diverse bird communities in the area.

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Bird communities and vegetation associations across a treeline ecotone in the Mealy Mountains, Labrador, which is an understudied part of the boreal forest

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/cjz-2014-0309 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 93 (6) ◽

pp. 477-486 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Keith P. Lewis ◽

Brian M. Starzomski

Keyword(s):

Species Composition ◽

Bird Species ◽

Bird Communities ◽

Tree Cover ◽

Strong Impact ◽

Avian Diversity ◽

Bird Abundance ◽

Treeline Ecotone ◽

Point Counts ◽

Deciduous Shrub

We examined the factors structuring bird communities across a complex subarctic treeline in the Mealy Mountains, Labrador, Canada. Using point counts of bird abundance in 2007 and 2008, we show that changes in vegetation driven by elevation are strongly correlated with avian community structure in this treeline ecotone system. Overall, avian diversity was higher in the forest compared with other habitat classes (krummholz, deciduous shrub, and alpine). There were strong correlations between avian diversity and vegetation richness, as well as structure, among and within habitat class in 2008. Numerous habitat types (subset of habitat class) were correlated with avian composition, although some species were clearly habitat generalists. Contrary to expectation, avian species composition was associated with physiognomy (vegetation structure) in alpine and deciduous shrub, and with either physiognomy or floristics (vegetation species composition) in krummholz and forest. Given the strong impact of elevation on vegetation and the demonstrated influence on bird communities, we note that for bird species whose near-southernmost populations are found in the Mealy Mountains, climate change is likely to have a strong negative effect if alpine tundra habitat is lost. Furthermore, forest bird species are likely to benefit from the increased tree cover as treeline moves poleward and upward.

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Diversidad de aves en fragmentos de bosque seco tropical en paisajes ganaderos del Departamento de Córdoba, Colombia

Revista de Biología Tropical ◽

10.15517/rbt.v65i4.26313 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 65 (4) ◽

pp. 1625

Author(s):

Jose Alejandro Vergara Paternina ◽

Jesús Ballesteros Correa ◽

Carlos González Charrasquiel ◽

Juan C. Linares Arias

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Secondary Forest ◽

Tropical Dry Forest ◽

Bird Species ◽

Sampling Period ◽

Shannon Index ◽

Dry Forest ◽

Tree Cover ◽

Bird Diversity ◽

Secondary Forests

In Colombia the tropical dry forest is one of the most threatened and least known ecosystems; these have been impacted by different transformation processes and habitat fragmentation, which have affected bird conditions and survival. This research evaluated the influence of landscape elements (forest and pastures with different tree covers) on bird diversity in the tropical dry forest of Córdoba, Colombia. The study was developed within an extensive livestock landscape to characterize the avifauna in four habitat types formed by fragments of secondary forests with different tree cover: secondary forest, pastures with high tree cover, pastures with low tree cover and only pastures. The influence of tree cover on bird diversity was evaluated with monthly samplings in 200 m long transects (per habitat), with two observation intervals (6:00 - 9:00 and 15:00-18:00), from September 2011 to May 2012. A total of 6 667 individuals belonging to 180 species and 48 families of birds were registered. The most abundant species were Columbina talpacoti (5.37 %), Brotogeris jugularis (5.14 %), Tyrannus melancholicus (4.81 %) and Bubulcus ibis (4.80 %). The most abundant family was Tyrannidae (16.4 %), followed by Psitacidae (9.0 %) and Columbidae (8.2 %). The family with the highest number of species was Tyrannidae with 28 species, followed by Accipitridae and Icteridae with 10 species each. The greatest species richness was present in the secondary forest habitat, followed by the pastures with high tree cover, and pastures with low cover. The lowest abundance and species richness was found in pastures without tree cover with significant differences between the habitats (Fisher, p <0.05). According to the Shannon index, the diversity of birds was higher in the secondary forests. In contrast, the lowest diversity was found in pastures without tree cover. The greatest species richness occurred in the months of October and November. In the rest of the sampling period, the number of recorded species and individuals showed some stability. The importance of trees presence in extensive livestock areas was evidenced because they help to contain an important diversity of bird species, and they also generate connectivity among fragments of secondary forests in the cattle landscape.

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Online appendix 1:Exploring an extensive dataset to establish woody vegetation cover and composition in Kruger National Park for the late 1980s

Koedoe ◽

10.4102/koedoe.v56i1.1200-1 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 56 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Gregory A. Kiker ◽

Rheinhardt Scholtz ◽

Izak P.J. Smit ◽

Freek J. Venter

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Vegetation Cover ◽

National Park ◽

Large Scale ◽

Plant Cover ◽

Canopy Cover ◽

Woody Species ◽

Kruger National Park ◽

Tree Cover ◽

Woody Vegetation

Woody plant cover and species composition play an important role in defining the type and function of savanna ecosystems. Approximately 2000 sites in the Kruger National Park (KNP) were surveyed by F.J. Venter over a period from 1985 to 1989, recording vegetation, soil and topological characteristics. At each of these sites (approximately 20 m × 20 m each), woody vegetation cover and species were recorded using a rapid, Braun-Blanquet classification for three height classes: shrub (0.75 m – 2.50 m), brush (2.50 m – 5.50 m) and tree (> 5.50 m). The objective of this study was to re-analyse the vegetation component of the field data, with a specific focus to provide a spatially explicit, height-differentiated, benchmark dataset in terms of species occurrence, species richness and structural canopy cover. Overall, 145 different woody species were recorded in the dataset out of the 458 species documented to occur in the park. The dataset describes a woody layer dominated by a relatively small number of widely occurring species, as 24 of the most common woody species accounted for all woody species found on over 80% of all sites. The less common woody species (101) were each recorded on 20 sites or less. Species richness varied from 12 to 1 species per site. Structural canopy cover averaged 9.34%, 8.16% and 2.89% for shrub, brush and tree cover, respectively. The dataset provides a useful benchmark for woody species distribution in KNP and can be used to explore woody species and height class distributions, as well as comparison with more recent or future woody vegetation surveys.Conservation implications: The results provided evidence that large-scale, woody vegetation surveys conducted along roads offer useful ecosystem level information. However, such an approach fails to pick up less common species. The data presented here provided a useful snapshot of KNP woody vegetation structure and composition and could provide excellent opportunities for spatio-temporal comparisons.

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Bird Diversity Unconsciously Increases People’s Satisfaction with Where They Live

Land ◽

10.3390/land10020153 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 153

Author(s):

Lauren Hepburn ◽

Adam C. Smith ◽

John Zelenski ◽

Lenore Fahrig

Keyword(s):

Urban Areas ◽

Bird Species ◽

Canopy Cover ◽

Bird Community ◽

Well Being ◽

Tree Canopy ◽

Tree Cover ◽

Bird Diversity ◽

Neighbourhood Satisfaction ◽

Tree Canopy Cover

There is growing evidence that exposure to nature increases human well-being, including in urban areas. However, relatively few studies have linked subjective satisfaction to objective features of the environment. In this study we explore the links among objective environmental features (tree cover, water, and bird diversity) and subjective judgements of satisfaction. We surveyed residents of Ottawa, Canada (n = 1035) about their satisfaction with their local neighbourhoods. We then compared the survey responses to measures of nature near their homes, including bird diversity (number of bird species), tree canopy cover, and distance to water. After controlling for effects of income and subjective happiness, residents’ neighbourhood satisfaction was positively related to the number of bird species nearby, even before participants were prompted to consider nature. Residents’ appreciation of their local neigbourhood relative to others also increased with tree canopy cover and nearness to water. Unsolicited comments from participants following the survey indicated that while residents consciously appreciate trees and water, the relationship between bird diversity and neighbourhood satisfaction appears to be unconscious; very few of the participants mentioned birds. Based on these results, we speculate that a diverse local bird community may provoke feelings of satisfaction through their presence, activity, and songs. Our results create a compelling argument for city planners and individual residents to maintain bird-friendly spaces in urban areas.

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Consistency in bird community assembly over medium-term along rural-urban gradients in Argentina

Ecological Processes ◽

10.1186/s13717-021-00302-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Lucas M. Leveau

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Community Assembly ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Environmental Filtering ◽

Bird Species ◽

Bird Community ◽

Bird Communities ◽

Assembly Rules ◽

Urban Habitats

Abstract Background The analysis of bird community assembly rules is fundamental to understand which mechanisms determine the composition of bird species in urban areas. However, the long-term variation of community assembly rules has not been analyzed yet. The objectives of this study are (1) to analyze the variation of community assembly rules along rural-urban gradients of three cities in central Argentina and (2) to compare the patterns of community assembly between two periods separated by 6 years. Bird surveys were performed along transects in urban, suburban, and rural habitats during 2011 and 2017. Departures from null models that took into account differences in species richness (standardized effect size, SES) were calculated for functional and phylogenetic diversities. Results A total of 57 species were recorded. Bird species richness was higher in suburban than in urban and rural habitats. SES of functional diversity increased over the years and was significantly lower in urban habitats than in rural habitats, showing a pattern of functional clustering in the most urbanized areas and functional randomness in rural ones. Phylogenetic diversity was higher in both suburban and urban habitats than rural ones, and the phylogenetic clustering in rural bird assemblages changed to randomness in suburban and urban habitats. Conclusions Bird communities in urban habitats were phylogenetically random and functionally clustered, evidencing environmental filtering by urbanization. In contrast, bird communities in rural areas tended to be phylogenetically clustered, evidencing that certain clades are adapted to rural areas. The processes structuring bird communities along rural-urban gradients were consistent between the 2 years compared.

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

International Journal of Wildland Fire ◽

10.1071/wf11031 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 21 (6) ◽

pp. 680 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

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.

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