Bird communities and vegetation composition in natural and semi-natural forests of megalopolis: correlations and comparisons of diversity indices (Kyiv city, Ukraine)

Abstract

Blinkova O., Shupova T.: Bird communities and vegetation composition in natural and semi-natural forests of megalopolis: correlations and comparisons of diversity indices (Kyiv city, Ukraine). Ekológia (Bratislava), Vol. 37, No. 3, p. 259-288, 2018. Assessment of correlations and comparisons of diversity indices between birds communities and vegetation composition of the forest ecosystem is an important subject of synecological research to identify the intensity of human impact on the flora and fauna in megalopolis. Urban recreation is one of the major causes of violation of the structural and functional integrity of the forest ecosystem. Studies on avian complex and phytocoenosis have focused on the impact of urban recreation on the soil surface, compositions of trees, shrub and herbaceous layers and species, trophic and ecological compositions of nesting-birds and feeding-birds communities. This article compares the measurement of the diversity of bird communities and forestry vegetation (diversity indices, dominance indices, evenness indices) in the natural and semi-natural forests of the Kyiv city on a gradient of recreational transformation. The stands formed consist of Quercus robur L., Carpinus betulus L., Acer platanoides L., Tilia cordata L., Ulmus glabra Huds., Fraxinus excelsior L. and Prunus avium L. The floristic list comprised 65 grass species. A total of 49 species of avifauna were found, including 44 species that were protected by the Bern, Bonn and Washington Conventions. There were significant correlations between vertical and horizontal heterogeneities of tree distribution and abundance, species richness and nesting density of birds. The interrelationship between species diversity of birds and floristic richness was also confirmed.

Syn-Ecological Connections and Comparison of Α-Diversity Indices of Plant and Bird Communities on Cultivated Coenosises

“…In our studies, we found a decrease in Pi of passive hollow nesters in communities in the midst of increasing their species number under the most significant anthropogenic load on biotopes. In the natural and semi-natural urban forests, the proportion of synanthropic species in bird composition increases by 1.5 times by the transformation gradient of the plant composition (the synanthropization index is 0.46-0.67 %) (Blinkova & Shupova, 2018). In terms of the trophic composition, the bird communities of the botanical gardens do not differ significantly from those of urban forests and the natural biotopes of city surroundings (Blinkova & Shupova, 2017;.…”

“…Meanwhile, no high association was found between the number of bird species (r=0,59) ( Table 1). The relationship between IVH and U index for birds has also been established (r=0,94, p<0,005) Table 1 There was no correlation between IVH and d index (r=0.66), unlike the data for natural and semi-natural forests of Kyiv (Blinkova & Shupova, 2018). The relationship between IVH and diversity indices proved to be weak (r=-0,21, DMr1; r=-0,03, DMr1; r=0,05, Н1).…”

Fruit and berry plants of forest belts as a factor of species diversity of ornithofauna during the breeding season and autumn migration period

“…Nevertheless, if the woody vegetation is thick enough, the clearing of the vegetation may have little impact on birds. If thinning is accompanied by selective tree clearing, the combined effect of these two factors on the bird assemblage is more intense (Shirihai et al, 2001;Blinkova & Shupova, 2018). This management practice reduces the number of undergrowth bird species, but thinning also causes changes in the composition of birds of the tree canopy and benefits other species associated with open agroforestry habitats (Shirihai et al, 2001).…”

The Influence of Transport Infrastructure Development on Bird Diversity and Abundance

“…Natural and semi-natural forests as a buffer for urban ecosystems play a key role in reducing the negative impacts of anthropogenic impacts (Blinkova, Shupova, 2018).…”