Eucalypt plantations as habitat for birds on previously cleared farmland in south-eastern Australia

Loyn, Richard; McNabb, Edward G; Macak, Phoebe; Noble, Philippa

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2007.03.012

Cited by 72 publications

(57 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Yirdaw and Luukkanen [73] reported high species richness of understory wood plants in Eucalyptus plantations in the Ethiopian highlands. In Australia, Loyn et al [74] found that mean abundance of forest and woodland birds was higher in Eucalyptus plantations than in cleared farmland and only marginally lower than in native forest. In Australia, Hobbs et al [75] reported that amphibian, reptile, bird, and mammal use of Eucalyptus plantations was lower than in adjacent remnant vegetation but greater than in open pasture.…”

Section: Biological Diversitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Scientific Basis for Sustainable Management of Eucalyptus and Populus as Short-Rotation Woody Crops in the U.S.

Vance

Loehle

Wigley

et al. 2014

Forests

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Short rotation woody crops (SRWC), fast growing tree species that are harvested on short, repeated intervals, can augment traditional fiber sources. These crops have economic and environmental benefits stemming from their capability of supplying fiber on a reduced land base in close proximity to users and when sensitive sites cannot be accessed. Eucalyptus and Populus appear to be genera with the greatest potential to provide supplemental fiber in the U.S. Optimal productivity can be achieved through practices that overcome site limitations and by choosing the most appropriate sites, species, and clones. Some Eucalyptus species are potentially invasive, yet field studies across multiple continents suggest they are slower to disperse than predicted by risk assessments. Some studies have found lower plant and animal diversity in SRWC systems compared to mature, native forests, but greater than some alterative land uses and strongly influenced by stand management, land use history, and landscape context. Eucalyptus established in place of grasslands, arable lands, and, in some cases, native forests can reduce streamflow and lower water tables due to higher interception and transpiration rates but results vary widely, are scale dependent, and are most evident in drier regions. OPEN ACCESS

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Section: Biological Diversitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Scientific Basis for Sustainable Management of Eucalyptus and Populus as Short-Rotation Woody Crops in the U.S.

Vance

Loehle

Wigley

et al. 2014

Forests

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“…Nevertheless, the spatial scale at which birds select their habitat remains a matter of debate. Although several authors have pointed out that landscape is the most relevant scale accounting for turnover in bird communities (Christian et al 1998;Saab 1999;Bennett et al 2004;Barbaro et al 2007), others have reported that bird communities are mainly influenced by habitat patch features (MacFaden and Capen 2002;Loyn et al 2007;Styring et al 2011) or that local and landscape variables are equally influential (Herrando and Brotons 2002;Moreira et al 2005;Coreau and Martin 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Current national and regional forest policies aim to increase the area occupied by plantation forests, since establishing plantations on degraded land or agricultural land may have multiple benefits, such as wood and biomass production and biodiversity restoration (Hartley 2002;Carnus et al 2006;Loyn et al 2007;Brockerhoff et al 2008). However, if the effect on bird diversity of increasing area of planted forests has already been tested in Mediterranean landscapes (see Diaz et al 1998;Reino et al 2009), it has seldom been tested in landscapes including remnants of riparian forest, poplar plantations and agricultural land.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contribution of poplar plantations to bird conservation in riparian landscapes

Martín‐García¹,

Barbaro²,

Jactel³

2013

Silva Fenn.

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• Poplar plantations should not be used as surrogate habitat for native riparian forests with the aim of preserving bird species diversity.• Native riparian forests should be preserved or restored as far as possible.• Bird communities occurring in poplar plantations can still accommodate rich communities of forest bird species, providing that suitable management is applied at local and landscape levels. AbstractIn Mediterranean areas, riparian zones are particularly important for maintaining biodiversity. Nevertheless, the native vegetation in these zones has been modified or lost at an alarming rate during the last decades. The main objective of this study was to investigate the influence of poplar plantations on bird diversity in riparian zones, in order to estimate the ecological implications of a substantial expansion of poplar plantations. Breeding birds were sampled by the point-count method in twenty-four poplar plantations of I-214 clone, according to a factorial design combining stand age and understory management. Furthermore, the three native riparian forests remaining in the study area were also surveyed. Explanatory variables included (1) dendrometric, (2) understory and (3) landscape variables within six different radii of circular buffers. The species richness and abundance index were higher in riparian forests than in poplar plantations. Landscape variables (percentage of poplar plantations in the surrounding landscape) strongly influenced bird diversity in poplar plantations. Furthermore, at the local scale, understory cover was also a key factor in shaping bird assemblages. This suggests that poplar plantations should not be used as surrogates for native forests. Nevertheless, poplar plantations can still accommodate rich communities of forest bird species, providing that suitable management is applied at local and landscape levels.

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“…Golden Whistler, Grey Shrike-thrush, Brown Thornbill and White-browed Scrubwren Sericornis frontalis) (Friend 1982;Lindenmayer et al 2002;Loyn et al 2007). The dense vegetation in lower strata of plantations provides foraging opportunities for species that forage in understorey vegetation (Loyn et al 2007). This association suggests that the value of plantations is related more strongly to the resources it provides, albeit for only a limited number of species, than to its capacity to facilitate bird movements between otherwise isolated habitat patches in the landscape (e.g.…”

Section: Countryside Elements Provide Supplementary Habitat For Woodlmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Most of these species belonged to a suite of those regularly recorded elsewhere in plantations (e.g. Golden Whistler, Grey Shrike-thrush, Brown Thornbill and White-browed Scrubwren Sericornis frontalis) (Friend 1982;Lindenmayer et al 2002;Loyn et al 2007). The dense vegetation in lower strata of plantations provides foraging opportunities for species that forage in understorey vegetation (Loyn et al 2007).…”

Section: Countryside Elements Provide Supplementary Habitat For Woodlmentioning

confidence: 99%

Countryside vegetation provides supplementary habitat at the landscape scale for woodland birds in farm mosaics

Haslem

Bennett

2011

Biodivers Conserv

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Agricultural environments have a critical role in the global conservation of biodiversity, but the persistence of forest and woodland-dependent species in these systems is often limited by insufficient habitat. Modified or semi-natural 'countryside' (matrix) vegetation is used by many species, but its value at the landscape scale is rarely tested. Do such habitats simply provide additional resources for populations sustained by remnant native vegetation in the landscape, or can they enhance populations over and above that sustained by natural vegetation cover? We surveyed woodland-dependent birds in all types of landscape element in 27 farmland mosaics (100 ha each) in south-eastern Australia. Four measures of wooded vegetation cover were quantified: native vegetation only; and combinations of native vegetation plus scattered trees and/or tree plantations. We used an information-theoretic approach to compare the responses of 30 species to each measure of vegetation cover. Woodland birds were well represented in agricultural mosaics (65% of the regional species-pool); however, almost half were recorded only in mosaics with[20% native vegetation cover. The incidence of 23 species was positively related to measures of wooded cover, indicating increased occurrence in mosaics with a greater cover of wooded vegetation. For 12 species, scattered trees and plantations provided supplementary habitat that enhanced their population status at the landscape scale, beyond that sustained by native vegetation cover. While native vegetation has a critical role for conservation in agricultural environments, careful management of wooded countryside elements (such as scattered trees, tree plantations) offers additional benefits to the woodland-dependent avifauna. Abbreviations NatVegThe total amount of relatively intact native eucalypt vegetation in study mosaics (including remnant patches and linear strips) IndVegThe cover of indigenous wooded vegetation in study mosaics, regardless of disturbance level (NatVeg plus scattered trees) DenseVeg The extent of dense wooded vegetation cover in study mosaics, regardless of canopy composition (NatVeg plus plantation) AllVegThe total cover of all wooded vegetation types in study mosaics (NatVeg plus scattered trees plus plantation)

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Eucalypt plantations as habitat for birds on previously cleared farmland in south-eastern Australia

Cited by 72 publications

References 41 publications

Scientific Basis for Sustainable Management of Eucalyptus and Populus as Short-Rotation Woody Crops in the U.S.

Scientific Basis for Sustainable Management of Eucalyptus and Populus as Short-Rotation Woody Crops in the U.S.

Contribution of poplar plantations to bird conservation in riparian landscapes

Countryside vegetation provides supplementary habitat at the landscape scale for woodland birds in farm mosaics

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