The effect of woody plant diversity and other stand and landscape factors on the diversity and abundance of birds using farm shelterbelts.

2011 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 22 ◽  
Author(s):  
R S Bonifacio ◽  
C M Kinross ◽  
G M Gurr ◽  
H Nicol

Shelterbelts are common features of farm landscapes that provide shelter for livestock and crops and timber but may also benefit wildlife. The importance of shelterbelt plant diversity for birds was investigated by a survey of 62 sites in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. An area search technique was used to assess bird occurrence. An all subsets and exponential regression analysis approach explored the relationships between woody plant diversity and avifauna diversity (using Hill’s diversity index), whilst seasonal variations were analysed using restricted maximum likelihood. Sixty-six bird species, including many that are woodland-dependent, representing eight foraging guilds, were observed in the shelterbelts. More species of birds occurred and at higher density in more floristically diverse shelterbelts. Other factors found to influence avifaunal use of shelterbelts were woody plant density, shelterbelt width, structural complexity, tree height, crown cover index and elevation. Seasonal analysis confirmed the importance of these independent variables but also revealed the significance of shelterbelt’s proximity to water during summer for birds using this habitat. This study shows that floristic diversity, amongst other factors, is a significant predictor of avifauna diversity in shelterbelts and suggests that shelterbelts may be designed to optimize their wildlife habitat and biodiversity conservation values.

2002 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 261 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Watson ◽  
Alexander Watson ◽  
David Paull ◽  
David Freudenberger

The clearance of woodlands and the simultaneous creation of alien environments have been identified as the primary reasons for the decline of many woodland birds in southeastern Australia. This study measured how the size of woodland remnants and habitat structural complexity affected bird composition and distribution in the northern Australian Capital Territory and bordering areas of New South Wales. Within this region only 8% of the original woodlands remain, embedded as patches in a matrix of pasture and suburbia. Woodland birds were surveyed in 72 woodland remnants of different size and vegetation structural complexity. Avifaunal species richness was found to increase with remnant area and habitat complexity (p < 0.01). Of the 31 resident woodland bird species detected, 22 were significantly affected by woodland patch size reduction and 20 species were significantly affected by habitat complexity loss (p < 0.05). Of the species affected, 19 were affected by both reductions in patch size and vegetation complexity. Seven species (Weebill, Brown Thornbill, Buff-rumped Thornbill, Spotted Pardalote, Grey Shrike-thrush, Scarlet Robin and White-winged Chough) not previously identified as threatened by habitat fragmentation occurred significantly less often in small remnants with low habitat complexity. Assessment of avifaunal guilds based on body size and foraging behaviour showed that all large species (n = 4) and 85% (n = 17) of insectivorous species that foraged above the ground were statistically affected by patch size and/or loss of habitat complexity. The occurrence of three species (50%) of granivores was also significantly affected (p < 0.05) by patch size and/or habitat complexity reduction. These results show that the distribution of many bird species, including some considered "common" and "widespread", is affected by patch size and habitat complexity. There are few, large complex woodland remnants within the study area, which continue to reduce in size and complexity. It is therefore predicted that the decline of woodland bird species will continue unless appropriate habitat conservation strategies are applied.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 30
Author(s):  
Badia Roy Ricardo Nababan ◽  
Sugeng P. Harianto ◽  
Agus Setiawan

University of Lampung (Unila) is one of the Green Open Space (GOS) in Bandar Lampung City which has vegetation. Vegetation in green open space has a role as a wildlife habitat for example birds. Various bird species can be indicators of the quality of open green space at the University of Lampung. This research was conducted to determine the diversity of bird species and as an indicator in determining the index of green space quality at the Unila Campus. Research is conducted from November 2016 to March 2017 and December 2018. The study was conducted at the Unila Campus which is divided into eight blocks. An inventory of the diversity of bird species carried out with concentrated observations in eight blocks. The value of diversity of bird species uses an analysis of shannon-wienner heterogeneity index value and the quality of green open space through the calculation of green space quality index values. Based on the results of the study there were 20 species of birds on the Unila campus. The diversity index of bird species is classified as moderate (H '= 2.74). The GOS quality index at the Unila Campus is 59.2 with the intermediate category.


Biologia ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 67 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Archana Naithani ◽  
Dinesh Bhatt

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.


1984 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 663 ◽  
Author(s):  
DM Dexter

Four intertidal sandy beaches with different exposures, La Perouse, Ocean Beach, Dolls Point, and Towra Point, were studied for temporal and spatial changes in faunal composition and community structure. Each of these beaches was sampled from 6 to 12 times between July 1980 and July 1981 using a 500 �m sieve. A stratified random sampling procedure across the intertidal zone isolated 40 660 individuals representing 85 species. Distribution and abundance of species were strongly influenced by tidal level. Densities changed during the year but no seasonal changes in intertidal zonation patterns were found. Changes in density were correlated with the reproductive activities of the abundant species, especially Pseudolana concinna and Exoediceros maculosus at La Perouse, and Spio pacifica at Dolls Point and Towra Point. The number of species increased from high to low tide, and also increased with decreasing exposure to wave action. Crustaceans dominated the fauna in the most exposed site and decreased in abundance with increasing protection. Ocean Beach experienced the least fluctuation in physical factors such as wave action, salinity, and temperature, and its fauna exhibited the highest diversity index (H') and evenness (J'), the most stable density, and the greatest stability in faunal composition through time. The highest densities and the most species were found at Towra Point, which also was the most protected site.


1994 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 505-516 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.J. Rescia ◽  
M.F. Schmitz ◽  
P. Martín de Agar ◽  
C.L. Pablo ◽  
J.A. Atauri ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yonglin Zhong ◽  
Yudan Sun ◽  
Mingfeng Xu ◽  
Yi Zhang ◽  
Yongqiang Wang ◽  
...  

2002 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 775-794 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luci Ferreira Ribeiro ◽  
Marcelo Tabarelli

Four structural types of cerrado vegetation were examined to test the following hypotheses: (1) there are predictable changes in woody plant density, species richness and life-history strategies from one structural type to another; and (2) plant species composition in the less-rich structural types represent particular and impoverished subsets of those found in the richer ones. The study was conducted at Fazenda Palmares (5°33′S, 42°37′W) Piauí State, Brazil. A 47% decrease in woody plant density between cerradão (forest) and the least-dense type of cerrado sensu stricto (scrub) was associated with a 40% decrease in species richness. The percentage of lower-layer species was reduced by 29% in the least dense type of cerrado sensu stricto compared to cerradão. The proportion of species that flower and fruit during the rainy season was also reduced by one third. Species were not distributed as impoverished subsets along the cerradão–cerrado sensu stricto gradient. It is argued that the reduction in woody plant density and richness is partly due to factors limiting the occurrence of species with particular life-history strategies. The species composition of structural types is affected by the ‘mass effect’ and also by surrounding biotas, which provide species that colonize particular types of cerrado vegetation. Both these processes reduce the likelihood that the species composition in the poorer structural types are simple subsets of those present in the richer types.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 191-196
Author(s):  
Inggar Damayanti ◽  
Iskandar Z. Siregar ◽  
Sri Rahayu

In the tropical rainforests of Jambi, Sumatera, a particular group of epiphytes, species in the genus Hoya, have significant potential to be developed as commercially valuable ornamental plants, because of the uniqueness and beauty of their flowers. Hoya spp. are epiphytic vines whose survival depends largely on the presence of carrier trees, i.e. phorophyte trees. The study reported here was conducted to identify the level of epiphytic association between phorophyte trees and identified Hoya species. The study found four Hoya species, namely: Hoya rintzii, Hoya revoluta, Hoya coronaria, and Hoya cf. caudata. The four species of Hoya were found growing on eleven different species of phorophyte trees. Based on the results of t-contingency tables it was found that there is no association between particular Hoya species and the particular phorophyte tree species. This conclusion was supported by the calculation of Jaccard association indices demonstrating that the association between Hoya spp. and phorophyte tree species is relatively weak. Crown cover and the diameter of the tree are two habitat variables that affect the presence of Hoya revoluta at the sites. The presence of Hoya caudata was influenced by the variable temperature, while the presence of Hoya coronaria was associated with humidity, but the degree of association was relatively weak. The most significant variables affecting the presence of Hoya rintzii were tree height and elevation.Key word: association, ephyphites, Hoya spp, phorophyte.


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