Tropical forest remnants as shelters of avian diversity within  a tourism development matrix in Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Tropical forests have undergone extensive transformation because of increasing tourism development, in addition to historic clearing for agricultural and cattle grazing activities. Altogether, these activities have had an important effect on bird diversity, reducing the habitat available to many species. In this study, the role of tropical forest remnants located between different land use types was evaluated for species diversity, composition, and distribution of the bird community at Akumal region in Quintana Roo, Mexico. Point counts were used to quantify the avifauna by habitat, and Shannon´s and Simpson´s diversity index were used to determine bird diversity. Additionally, bird species were classified according to seasonality and trophic guild by type of habitat. A total of 160 species and 50 families was recorded, of which 100 species were permanent residents, 47 winter visitors and 11 transients. Mature tropical forest and tropical forest remnants had higher species richness than those of modified environments. This study supports the importance of tropical forest remnants as shelters for bird species in landscapes with tourism developments, and the relevance of these remnants to maintaining high bird diversity. Rev. Biol. Trop. 66(2): 799-813. Epub 2018 June 01.

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Keanekaragaman Jenis Burung di Kawasan Pengembangan Institut Teknologi Sumatera (ITERA)

AL-Kauniyah Jurnal Biologi ◽

10.15408/kauniyah.v14i1.12323 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Indah Oktaviani ◽

Yanti Ariyanti ◽

Sovia Santi Leksikowati ◽

Muhammad Asril

Keyword(s):

Environmental Changes ◽

Diversity Index ◽

Conservation Status ◽

Bird Species ◽

Secondary Data ◽

Bird Community ◽

Bird Diversity ◽

Feeding Guild ◽

Point Count ◽

Wiener Diversity Index

AbstrakKawasan kampus Institut Teknologi Sumatera (ITERA) sedang mengalami perkembangan fisik yang pesat, seperti pembangunan gedung perkuliahan, laboratorium, asrama, juga embung untuk sumber air. Informasi mengenai keanekaragaman hayati di ITERA sendiri belum banyak diteliti, salah satunya adalah keanekaragaman burung. Burung merupakan hewan besar yang cukup sensitif dengan perubahan lingkungan. Penelitian ini dilakukan untuk mendapatkan data mengenai keanekaragaman burung di ITERA untuk memberikan informasi dasar. Metode yang digunakan adalah teknik point count, diterapkan pada lima stasiun utama yang dipilih berdasarkan pusat aktivitas pembangunan. Analisis yang digunakan adalah indeks keanekaragaman, kemerataan, juga kelimpahan. Selain itu, status konservasi dan tipe pakan jenis burung dianalisis menggunakan data sekunder. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan terdapat 19 jenis burung dari 16 famili. Keanekaragaman jenis burung berdasarkan indeks Shannon-Wiener tergolong sedang dan kemerataan jenis merata. Dari kategori kelimpahan yang digunakan terdapat dua jenis burung yang umum ditemukan. Bersumber pada PP No. 7 tahun 1999, terdapat empat jenis burung di ITERA yang termasuk ke dalam kategori dilindungi dan satu jenis termasuk kategori Appendix II di CITES. Feeding guild burung di ITERA didominasi tipe omnivora dan insektivora. AbstractInstitut Teknologi Sumatera (ITERA) campus area is undergoing rapid physical development, such as the construction of lecture buildings, laboratories, dormitories, as well as reservoirs for water sources. Information on biodiversity in ITERA has not much studied, one of which is bird diversity. Birds are large animals that are quite sensitive to environmental changes. This study aims to obtain data on bird diversity at ITERA to provide the baseline information. The method used is a point count technique, applied to five main stations selected based on the center of development activities. The analysis used is an index of diversity, evenness, and abundance. Besides, the conservation status and feed type of bird species were analyzed using secondary data. The results showed that there were 19 species of birds from 16 families. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index classified the bird community as a moderate, and the community evenness index was stable. From the abundance category, two types of birds commonly found. Based on PP No. 7 of 1999, there are four species of birds in ITERA, which included in the protected category and one species, including the Appendix II category in CITES. Omnivorous and insectivorous types dominate bird guild feeding in ITERA.

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Acoustic indices applied to biodiversity monitoring in a Costa Rica dry tropical forest

Journal of Ecoacoustics ◽

10.22261/jea.tnw2np ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 1-1 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Mónica I. Retamosa Izaguirre ◽

Oscar Ramírez-Alán

Keyword(s):

Tropical Forests ◽

Diversity Index ◽

Bird Species ◽

Canopy Cover ◽

Lower Percentage ◽

Bird Diversity ◽

Biodiversity Monitoring ◽

Bird Abundance ◽

Point Counts ◽

Bird Richness

Standardized methods for biodiversity monitoring are needed to evaluate conservation efforts. Acoustic indices are used in biodiversity assessments, but need to be compared to traditional wildlife methods. This work was conducted in the Santa Rosa National Park between June and November, 2015. We installed recorders and conducted bird point counts in twelve sampling sites. We compared acoustic indices (Acoustic Evenness Index [AEI], Acoustic Diversity Index [ADI], Acoustic Complexity Index [ACI], Bioacoustic Index [BIO], Normalized Difference Soundscape Index [NDSI], Total Entropy [TE], Median Amplitude Envelope [MAE], Number of peaks [NP]) with indices from bird point counts (Bird Abundance, Bird Richness, Bird Diversity and Bird Evenness), and discuss the utility of acoustic indices as indicators for biodiversity monitoring in tropical forests. ADI, ACI, BIO and TE presented a similar temporal pattern peaking between 5 am and 6 am; and an additional peak at 5 pm, except for ACI. These patterns were consistent with the daily biological rhythms. AEI, ACI, BIO and Bird Abundance were related to characteristics of younger forests (lower percentage of canopy cover) but NP, ADI, TE, Bird Diversity and Bird Evenness were related to characteristics of older forests (higher percentage of canopy cover and a lower number of patches). ACI was positively correlated to Bird Abundance and NP was positively correlated to Bird Diversity. ACI reflects biological activity, but not necessarily a more diverse bird community in this study area. This might be an indication of a strong acoustic competition, or several highly dominant bird species in younger forests. Furthermore, acoustic communities in tropical forests commonly include insects (cicadas) and frogs, which might affect resulting acoustic indices. A variety of methods are probably needed to thoroughly assess biodiversity. However, a combination of indices such as ACI and NP might be considered to monitor trends in abundance and diversity of birds in dry forests.

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Diversity of bird feeding guilds in relation to habitat heterogeneity and land-use cover in a human-modified landscape in southern Mexico

Journal of Tropical Ecology ◽

10.1017/s026646741200034x ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 28 (4) ◽

pp. 369-376 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Esteban Pineda-Diez de Bonilla ◽

Jorge L. León-Cortés ◽

José Luis Rangel-Salazar

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Habitat Heterogeneity ◽

Bird Species ◽

Bird Community ◽

Bird Diversity ◽

Feeding Guilds ◽

Fragmented Landscape ◽

Secondary Forests ◽

Southern Mexico ◽

Point Counts

Abstract:Habitat heterogeneity is an important ecological determinant of species richness. We evaluated the diversity within bird feeding guilds as related to habitat heterogeneity and land-use cover in a human-modified tropical landscape. To quantify this process, fine-scale bird census and habitat heterogeneity data were collected for a bird community in a 22.5-km2fragmented landscape in southern Mexico. Land-use cover data derived from field surveys were used to calculate habitat heterogeneity index values and the extent of each land-use cover type in 239 grid cells of 300 × 300 m. Bird diversity values were obtained based on 1195 point-counts in these cells. Product-moment correlations and linear regression analyses were used to evaluate the relationship between bird-guild diversity values and habitat heterogeneity. A total of 109 resident bird species grouped in six feeding guilds were recorded: insectivores (42%), frugivores (21%), granivores (17%), nectarivores (9%), omnivores (8%) and carnivores (3%). Diversity values for the entire bird community were significantly positively related to habitat heterogeneity, but feeding guilds showed contrasting responses to habitat heterogeneity and the amount of land-use cover: insectivores and frugivores were more diverse and abundant in secondary forests than in any other land-cover. Our findings illustrate the importance of small landscape fragments as potential key refuges for the most diverse and specialized feeding guilds, such as granivores and insectivores.

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Bird Diversity and Community Composition in Kafta Sheraro National Park, Tigray, Northern Ethiopia

International Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1155/2020/5016804 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Teklay Girmay ◽

Zeyede Teshome ◽

Tesfay Tesfamichael

Keyword(s):

Species Diversity ◽

Species Composition ◽

National Park ◽

Diversity Index ◽

Bird Species ◽

Bird Community ◽

Livestock Grazing ◽

Bird Diversity ◽

Northern Ethiopia ◽

Point Count

Birds are one of the most important components of biodiversity that has huge ecological, economical, and esthetic values. The main objective of this study was to assess diversity and species composition of bird community in Kafta Sheraro National Park, Northern Ethiopia. Data were collected from August 2017 to March 2018 in the national park. Point count method was employed to collect data on bird species diversity and species composition. Direct observations of birds and discussion with local people and scouts to assess potential threats of avifauna in the park were made. Shannon diversity index was used to calculate the species diversity. A total of 158 bird species belonging to 52 different families and 20 orders were identified. Of the recorded species, there were 76.6% residents, 15.8% Palaearctic migrants (PM), 5.7% Intra-African migrants (IM), and 1.9% partial migrants. Accipitiridae (11.4%) had the highest species followed by Columbidae, Estrilidae, and Ploceidae with 7%, 5.7%, and 4.4% species, respectively. The highest Shannon–Weiner diversity index (H′ = 4.50) was recorded during February while the lowest (H′ = 2.18) was recorded during March. Species richness of the park showed no significance difference among the study months (χ2 = 10.046, df = 5, P>0.05). Agricultural expansions, fire, livestock grazing, mining, and poaching were the major threats of the park bird species. Kafta Sheraro National Park is one of the areas with high avian composition in Ethiopia. In the park, wildlife watching in general and ornithological tourism in particular should be developed. Anthropogenic disturbances should also be minimized to conserve avian diversity of the park.

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Composition and structure of bird communities in vegetational gradients of Bodoquena Mountains, western Brazil

Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências ◽

10.1590/0001-3765201620140723 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 88 (1) ◽

pp. 211-225 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

MAURICIO N. GODOI ◽

FRANCO L. SOUZA ◽

RUDI R. LAPS ◽

DANILO B. RIBEIRO

Keyword(s):

Vegetation Type ◽

Bird Species ◽

Bird Community ◽

Bird Communities ◽

Bird Diversity ◽

Bird Conservation ◽

Natural Habitats ◽

Bird Abundance ◽

Point Counts ◽

Composition And Structure

ABSTRACT The informations of bird species distribution in different habitats and the structure of their communities are crucial for bird conservation. We tested the differences in composition, richness and abundance of birds in different phytophysiognomies at Bodoquena Mountains, western Brazil, and we demonstrated the variations in richness and abundance of birds between different trophic groups. Sampling was conducted between July 2011 and June 2012 in 200 point counts arranged in the study area. A total of 3350 contacts were obtained belonging to 156 bird species. Woodland savannas, seasonal forests and arboreal savannas had higher bird abundance and richness, while riparian forests, clean pastures and dirty pastures had smaller values of these parameters. The bird community was organized according to local vegetational gradient, with communities of forests, open areas and savannas, although many species occurred in more than one vegetation type. The insectivorous, omnivorous, frugivorous and gramnivorous birds composed most of the community. These data showed how important environmental heterogeneity is to bird communities. Furthermore, the presence of extensive patches of natural habitats, the small distance between these patches and the permeability of pastures, with high arboreal and shrubby cover, are indicated as important factors to maintain the bird diversity.

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Bird community structure in natural and urbanized habitats along an altitudinal gradient in Pauri district (Garhwal Himalaya) of Uttarakhand state, India

Biologia ◽

10.2478/s11756-012-0068-z ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 67 (4) ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Archana Naithani ◽

Dinesh Bhatt

Keyword(s):

Community Structure ◽

Altitudinal Gradient ◽

Diversity Index ◽

Bird Species ◽

Bird Community ◽

High Elevation ◽

Base Line ◽

Natural Habitats ◽

Forest Habitat ◽

Rarefaction Analysis

AbstractIn the Indian subcontinent there is hardly any study that compares the bird community structure of urban/suburban areas with those of forest habitat. The present survey identified diverse assemblages of birds in the Pauri district at different elevations. A total of 125 bird species belonging to 40 families including two least count species (Lophura leucomelanos and Pucrasia marcolopha) were recorded during this survey in the forest and urbanized habitats of Pauri District (Garhwal Hiamalaya) of Uttarakhand state, India. The high elevation (Pauri 1600–2100 m a.s.l.), mid elevation (Srikot-Khanda 900–1300 m a.s.l.) and low elevation (Srinagar 500–900 m a.s.l.) contributed 88.8%, 63.2% and 58.4% of the total species respectively. Rarefaction analysis and Shannon diversity index showed that the high elevation forest habitat had highest bird species richness (BSR) and bird species diversity (BSD) followed by the mid and then the low elevation forests. BSR and BSD fluctuated across seasons at all elevations but not across habitat types. Present study provides a base line data about avian community composition in urbanized and natural habitats along altitudinal gradient in the study area. This information may be useful to the conservation biologists for the better management and conservation of the avifauna in the Western Himalaya, a part of one of the hot biodiversity spots of the world.

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Factors affecting the species richness and composition of bird species in a community managed forest of Nepal

Journal of Threatened Taxa ◽

10.11609/jott.6945.13.9.19212-19222 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (9) ◽

pp. 19212-19222

Author(s):

Bishow Poudel ◽

Bijaya Neupane ◽

Rajeev Joshi ◽

Thakur Silwal ◽

Nirjala Raut ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Diversity Index ◽

Bird Species ◽

Habitat Characteristics ◽

Lower Percentage ◽

Bird Diversity ◽

Limited Information ◽

Managed Forest ◽

Point Count ◽

Community Forests ◽

Wiener Diversity Index

There exists limited information on biodiversity including avifaunal diversity and habitat condition in community forests (CF) of Nepal; thus we aimed to fulfill such gaps in Tibrekot CF of Kaski district. We used the point count method for assessing bird diversity and laid out a circular plot size of radius 5-m within 15-m distance from each point count station for recording the biophysical habitat characteristics. Bird species’ diversity, richness and evenness were calculated using popular indexes and General Linear Model (GLM) was used to test the respective effect of various biophysical factors associated with the richness of bird species. In total, 166 (summer 122, winter 125) bird species were recorded in 46 sample plots. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index was calculated as 3.99 and 4.09, Margalef’s richness index as 16.84 and 17.53 and Pielou’s evenness index as 0.83 and 0.84 for summer and winter, respectively. The influencing factors for richness of bird species were season (χ21, 90= 112.21; P= 0.016) with higher richness in the summer season and low vegetation cover (χ21, 89= 113.88; P= 0.0064) with higher richness in lower percentage cover. Thus, community managed forest should be protected as it has a significant role in increasing bird diversity, which has potential for attracting avifaunal tourism for the benefit of the local communities.

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Congruence between breeding and wintering biodiversity hotspots: A case study in farmlands of Western Poland

European Journal of Ecology ◽

10.2478/eje-2018-0014 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 75-83

Author(s):

Federico Morelli ◽

Zbigniew Kwieciński ◽

Piotr Indykiewicz ◽

Łukasz Jankowiak ◽

Paweł Szymański ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Protected Areas ◽

Functional Diversity ◽

Conservation Status ◽

Bird Species ◽

Bird Community ◽

Bird Diversity ◽

Human Beings ◽

Complete Representation ◽

Evolutionary Distinctiveness

Abstract Farmland landscapes are recognized as important ecosystems, not only for their rich biodiversity but equally so for the human beings who live and work in these places. However, biodiversity varies among sites (spatial change) and among seasons (temporal change). In this work, we tested the hypothesis that bird diversity hotspots distribution for breeding is congruent with bird diversity hotspots for wintering season, focusing also the representation of protected areas for the conservation of local hotspots. We proposed a framework based on the use of species richness, functional diversity, and evolutionary distinctiveness to characterize avian communities. Although our findings show that the spatial distribution of local bird hotspots differed slightly between seasons, the protected areas’ representation was similar in both seasons. Protected areas covered 65% of the most important zones for breeding and 71% for the wintering season in the farmland studied. Functional diversity showed similar patterns as did bird species richness, but this measure can be most effective for highlighting differences on bird community composition. Evolutionary distinctiveness was less congruent with species richness and functional diversity, among seasons. Our findings suggest that inter-seasonal spatial congruence of local hotspots can be considered as suitable areas upon which to concentrate greater conservation efforts. However, even considering the relative congruence of avian diversity metrics at a local spatial scale, simultaneous analysis of protected areas while inter-seasonally considering hotspots, can provide a more complete representation of ecosystems for assessing the conservation status and designating priority areas.

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Avifaunal Assemblage along Rural-Urban Gradients in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India

Notulae Scientia Biologicae ◽

10.15835/nsb11410487 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 421-427

Author(s):

Arif SIDDIQUI ◽

Tanveer AHMED ◽

Afifullah KHAN

Keyword(s):

Uttar Pradesh ◽

Bird Community ◽

Developed Countries ◽

Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis ◽

Urban Site ◽

Bird Diversity ◽

Point Counts ◽

Intermediate Disturbance ◽

Urban Rural ◽

Impact Of Urbanization

Studies assessing the effect of urbanization on bird community structure largely carried out in developed countries and little is known about the developing region particularly in India. Bird diversity, richness, composition and guild structure was examined at urban, semi-urban, semi-rural and rural-natural sites in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. Each site was sampled using 90 fixed radius point counts between January and June 2016. Semi-urban site was more species rich (2.38 ± 0.06), diverse (0.80 ± .01) and even (0.90 ± .00) than other three urban-rural gradient sites. Density of bird peaked at urban site (43.09 ± 4.7). Numerically, urban site was dominated by omnivore species which was replaced by insectivorous species at semi-natural, semi-rural and rural-natural sites. The current information corroborates the earlier studies assessing impact of urbanization of birds and Conell’s intermediate disturbance hypothesis of higher richness and diversity at intermediate disturbance.

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Mangrove bird community of Paranaguá Bay - Paraná, Brazil

Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology ◽

10.1590/s1516-89132007000100009 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 50 (1) ◽

pp. 75-83 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Luiz Augusto Macedo Mestre ◽

Ricardo Krul ◽

Valéria dos Santos Moraes

Keyword(s):

Human Impacts ◽

Bird Species ◽

Passer Domesticus ◽

Bird Community ◽

Abundant Species ◽

Marine Conservation ◽

Point Counts ◽

Flying Insects ◽

Paranaguá Bay ◽

Conservation Plans

This study describes the mangrove bird community of Paranaguá Bay in Paraná - South Brazil. Seasonal surveys were conducted during September 1997 to September 1998 at three sites in Paranaguá Bay. Frequencies and abundances of birds were registered in 200m transects and one hour point counts. A total of 81 bird species were observed in the three sampling sites. Most of the bird species in Paranaguá mangroves are fruits, seeds and arthropods consumers, and predators of flying insects. The most frequent and abundant species were Egretta caerulea, Ceryle torquata, Chloroceryle amazona, Pitangus sulphuratus, Turdus amaurochalinus and Parula pitiayumi. The bird community of these three sites is composed mainly by forest bird species. The mangroves of Paranaguá Bay shelter one of the richest avifauna of Brazilian mangroves. Differences between sampling sites could be related to the proximity of the Paranaguá city and human impacts in the areas. Only in the most disturbed site were observed Passer domesticus and large flocks of Coragyps atratus. This study contributed to the knowledge of mangrove communities, and could be an important basis to fluvial-marine conservation plans in Paraná- Brazil.

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