Effects of forest management on bird assemblages in oak-dominated stands of the Western Carpathians – Refuges for rare species

Lešo, Peter; Kropil, Rudolf; Kajtoch, Łukasz

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2019.117620

Cited by 20 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…However, rapid global population growth and rapid development pose a threat to the resilience of natural forest ecosystems and bird species [7,9]. Birds are an acknowledged group of animals that are often used as proxies for other elements of biodiversity [10]. For instance, they are an important indicator of forest ecosystem health [3,11].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Community Structure, Conservation Status, and Functional Groups of Bird Species in Mbeya Range Forests, Tanzania

Ojija

Manyanza

2022

J. Basic Appl. Sci.

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The Mbeya range forest reserves (MRFRs) of the southern highland of Tanzania are an important hotspot for biodiversity conservation. However, its avian biodiversity has hardly ever been studied. Thus, for the first time, this study presents the inventory of bird species from MRFRs, demonstrating community structure, functional group, and conservation status. The study was carried out in four forest areas (i.e., Idugumbi, Kawetire, Mount Loleza, and Muvwa) within the MRFRs. The bird survey was carried out monthly between March 2018 and June 2018. Standardised line and point counts, as well as mist netting, were used to collect data. A total of 1052 individual birds, representing 41 species and 22 families, were recorded. Relative abundance, Shannon and Simpson species diversity, and species richness were high in Idugumbi forest and lowest in Kawetire forest. Species diversity differed significantly between the four forest areas. Moreover, Idugumbi and Muvwa had relatively low species composition dissimilarity compared to other forest areas. Different bird functional groups, i.e., insectivores, granivores, nectarivores, carnivores, frugivores, or combinations of these, were recorded in MRFRs. The insectivores were twice as abundant as granivores and nectarivores. The multi–layered vegetation structure of native plants in the Idugumbi forest appears to benefit and contribute to bird communities. The study reveals that MRFRs are an important hotspot for bird species that require ecological monitoring and protection. As a result, appropriate land–use practices near MRFRs should be followed to ensure long–term avian conservation.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Community Structure, Conservation Status, and Functional Groups of Bird Species in Mbeya Range Forests, Tanzania

Ojija

Manyanza

2022

J. Basic Appl. Sci.

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“…Habitat requirements of birds are most commonly reported in comparison to all other taxa [58,81] which makes birds more practical than other taxa [55,56]. Nevertheless, for this reason, birds are so frequently used as surrogates of biodiversity, and not due to their 'unique intrinsic value' as biodiversity indicators [73,82]. However, some authors find birds and other large vertebrates unsuitable as indicators for overall biodiversity, as these are 'highly mobile generalists that lack established tolerance levels and correlations with ecosystem change' [46,83].…”

Section: Forest Species Compositionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stand Structural Characteristics Are the Most Practical Biodiversity Indicators for Forest Management Planning in Europe

Cosovic

Bugalho

Thom

et al. 2020

Forests

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Including biodiversity assessments in forest management planning is becoming increasingly important due to the importance of biodiversity for forest ecosystem resilience provision and sustainable functioning. Here we investigated the potential to include biodiversity indicators into forest management planning in Europe. In particular, we aimed to (i) identify biodiversity indicators and data collection methods for biodiversity assessments at the stand and landscape levels, and (ii) evaluate the practicality of those indicators for forest management planning. We performed a literature review in which we screened 188 research studies published between 1990 and 2020. We selected 94 studies that fulfilled the inclusion criteria and examined in more detail. We considered three aspects of biodiversity: structure, composition, and function, and four forest management categories: unmanaged, managed, plantation, and silvopastoral. We used three criteria to evaluate the practicality of forest biodiversity indicators: cost-effectiveness, ease of application, and time-effectiveness. We identified differences in the practicality of biodiversity indicators for their incorporation into management plans. Stand-level indicators are more practical than landscape-level indicators. Moreover, structural biodiversity indicators (e.g., large trees, canopy openness, and old forest stands) are more useful in management plans than compositional indicators, as these are easily observable by non-professionals and can be obtained by forest inventories. Compositional indicators such are vascular plants, fungi, bryophyte, lichens, and invertebrate species are hard to identify by non-professionals and thus are impractical. Functional indicators (e.g., nutrient cycling) are not sufficiently addressed in the literature. Using recently updated existing databases (e.g., national forest inventories and bird atlases) is very time and cost-efficient. Remote sensing and other technology (e.g., smartphone applications) are promising for efficient data collection in the future. However, more research is needed to make these tools more accurate and applicable to a variety of ecological conditions and scales. Until then, forest stand structural variables derived from inventories can help improve management plans to prepare European forests towards an uncertain future.

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“…In the case of forests, forestry can be a fundamental determinant of the habitat use for forest species, hence altering their ecological niche [ 19 ]. Birds are affected by forestry operations at the level of individuals, populations, and communities, through habitat simplification, which deprives birds of important resources such as suitable nest sites or food supply [ 20 – 23 ]. However, landscape characteristics can contribute to alter the realized niche, despite the habitat conditions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Species co-occurrence and management intensity modulate habitat preferences of forest birds

et al. 2021

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Background Species co-occurrences can have profound effects on the habitat use of species, and therefore habitat structure alone cannot fully explain observed abundances. To account for this aspect of community organization, we developed multi-species abundance models, incorporating the local effect of co-occurring and potentially associated species, alongside with environmental predictors, linked mainly to forest management intensity. We coupled it with a landscape-scale analysis to further examine the role of management intensity in modifying the habitat preferences in connection with the landscape context. Using empirical data from the Black Forest in southern Germany, we focused on the forest bird assemblage and in particular on the cavity-nesting and canopy-foraging guilds. We included in the analysis species that co-occur and for which evidence suggests association is likely. Results Our findings show that the local effect of species associations can mitigate the effects of management intensity on forest birds. We also found that bird species express wider habitat preferences in forests under higher management intensity, depending on the landscape context. Conclusions We suspect that species associations may facilitate the utilization of a broader range of environmental conditions under intensive forest management, which benefits some species over others. Networks of associations may be a relevant factor in the effectiveness of conservation-oriented forest management.

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Effects of forest management on bird assemblages in oak-dominated stands of the Western Carpathians – Refuges for rare species

Cited by 20 publications

References 43 publications

Community Structure, Conservation Status, and Functional Groups of Bird Species in Mbeya Range Forests, Tanzania

Community Structure, Conservation Status, and Functional Groups of Bird Species in Mbeya Range Forests, Tanzania

Stand Structural Characteristics Are the Most Practical Biodiversity Indicators for Forest Management Planning in Europe

Species co-occurrence and management intensity modulate habitat preferences of forest birds

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