Edge effects on the distribution and abundance of birds in a southern Victorian forest

2001 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lainie Berry
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Fragmentation ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Forest Edge ◽  
Bird Communities ◽  
Forest Edges ◽  
Forest Interior ◽  
Open Country ◽  
Habitat Edge ◽  
Malurus Cyaneus ◽  
Grey Shrike

An important consequence of habitat fragmentation for wildlife communities is the effect of an increase in the ratio of habitat edge to interior. This study compares the bird communities at forest/farmland edges and in forest interior at Bunyip State Park, Victoria. Overall, there was a significantly higher number of bird species and individuals in forest edge than in forest interior sites. The greater diversity of species at edge sites appeared to be due to an increase in forest-edge specialists, as opposed to an influx of open-country species. Four bird species: the white-throated treecreeper (Cormobates leucophaeus), the superb fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus), the grey shrike-thrush (Colluricincla harmonica) and the grey fantail (Rhipidura fuliginosa) were significantly more abundant in edge sites. There were no species that were significantly more abundant in interior sites. Differences between the bird communities in edge and interior sites were attributed to increased foraging opportunities in the open country adjacent to forest edges.

Predation rates of artificial nests in the edge and interior of a southern Victorian forest

2002 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 341 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lainie Berry
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Nest Predation ◽  
Forest Edge ◽  
Forest Edges ◽  
Artificial Nests ◽  
Avian Predators ◽  
Forest Interior ◽  
Grey Shrike ◽  
Predation Rates

Predation rates of nests at human-induced habitat edges may be greater than in forest interior due to differences in predator assemblages and predator activity. I compared the predation rates on 192 artificial nests containing plasticine eggs placed in forest edge and interior sites at Bunyip State Park, Victoria. The nest-predation rates at the forest edge sites were significantly greater (mean = 52–58%) than that at the forest interior sites (mean = 30–39%). The relative rates of predation by birds compared with mammals were significantly greater at forest edge sites (mean = 78–94%) than at forest interior sites (mean = 36–67%). Higher rates of nest predation at forest edges appeared to be due to greater densities of avian predators such as the grey shrike-thrush (Colluricincla harmonica), and/or lower abundances of small mammals. However, biases towards certain predator types may mask real, or create false, patterns in predation rates of artificial nests. A better understanding of how predators respond to artificial nests compared with natural nests is required. Until then, results of predation studies that use artificial nests should be interpreted with caution.

scholarly journals Bird species that occupy river edge in continuous forest tend to be less sensitive to forest fragmentation

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 172-186
Author(s):  
Barbara Rocha Arakaki Lindsey ◽  
Gabriela Menezes Bochio ◽  
Luiz dos Anjos
Keyword(s):  
Forest Fragmentation ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Forest Edge ◽  
Bird Communities ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Small Stream ◽  
Edge Habitat ◽  
Forest Interior ◽  
Continuous Forest ◽  
Significant Difference

AbstractAlong a distance gradient from a given river, two types of habitat can be recognized: natural river edge and forest interior, each one with its own vegetation characteristics and dynamics. In a continuous area of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, we investigated (1) if bird communities are different between a riverbank of a small stream and an inland forest habitat; (2) if the species of the river edge habitat are the ones that persist in the most in forest fragments after deforestation of a continuous forest; (3) if the river edge habitat species are those that are less sensitive to forest fragmentation. It is expected that there are differences in the bird communities and the occupancy of some species between the two habitats. We allocated 16 sampling points in each of the habitats and sampled the birds by point counts with a short radius of 30 m. Results suggest that there is a significant difference between the composition of the bird communities of the river edge and forest interior habitats, although the species richness is similar. Six species were more likely to occupy the river edge and 14 species had a greater probability of occupancy in the forest interior. Species associated with the river edge habitat (15 species) tend not to be sensitive to forest fragmentation (12 species). In this study, we demonstrated that river-border species of continuous forest areas form a significant part of the bird communities that persist in small forest fragments, with intense edge effect. This shows that not all forest edge species are the result of the colonization from open areas. Congruently, species that occupy the most distant areas from the river vegetation in a continuous forest are those more sensitive to forest fragmentation.

scholarly journals Can clearcuts increase bird species richness in managed forests?

2008 ◽  
Vol 54 (No. 4) ◽  
pp. 189-193
Author(s):  
M. Żmihorski
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Communities ◽  
Cumulative Number ◽  
Managed Forests ◽  
Managed Forest ◽  
Bird Species Richness ◽  
Forest Interior ◽  
Transect Counts ◽  
The Difference

Clearcuts are one of the results of forest management. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of clearcuts on bird communities in a managed forest in Western Poland. I applied the method of point transect counts. 20 points were located near clearcuts (less than 100 m from the nearest clearcut) and 25 points in the forest interior. In total, 36 bird species were recorded. On average, I found 9.20 bird species at points located near clearcuts and 6.72 species at points situated in the forest interior, and the difference was significant. The cumulative number of bird species for a given number of sampling points in the vicinity of clearcuts was higher than in the forest interior. The obtained results indicate that in managed, even-aged forests the generation of clearcuts can lead to an increase in local bird species richness.

scholarly journals Studies of Ant-Following Birds North of the Eastern Amazon

1972 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshika Oniki ◽  
Edwin O. Willis
Keyword(s):  
Forest Edge ◽  
Forest Edges ◽  
Army Ants ◽  
Forest Interior ◽  
Second Growth

Abstract Birds that prey on arthropods flushed by army ants north of the eastern Amazon were studied at Serra do Navio and Reserva Ducke (Brazil) and at Nappi Creek and Bartica (Guyana). Regular ant-followers are two medium-sized antbirds (Percnostola rufifrons and Gymnopithys rufigula) and two smaller ones (Pithys albifrons and Hylophylax poecilonota), plus five woodcreepers of differing sizes (from very large Hylexetastes perrotti through Dendrocolaptes picumnus, D. certhia, and Dendrocincla merula to medium-sized Dendrocincla fuliginosa). Four other regular ant-followers occur in the region but were not found at the study areas. Forty-five species of casual or nonprofessional ant-followers, including 16 antbirds, 5 woodcreepers, and 5 manakins, also were recorded. Percnostola rufifrons tends to be at the forest edge or in second growth. Pithys albifrons works around Gymnopithys rufigula, Hylophylax poecilonota peripheral to both, in the forest interior. The large Dendrocolaptes picumnus and medium-large Dendrocincla merula often capture prey near the ground, like antbirds. Unlike antbirds, which use vertical or horizontal slender perches, the woodcreepers use thick vertical perches. Dendrocolaptes certhia and Dendrocincla fuliginosa also tend to capture prey high over the ground-foraging antbirds. The woodcreepers tend to forage lower at midday. Hylexetastes perrotti is rare, and overlaps strongly with D. picumnus. There is fairly large overlap among the 9 professional ant-followers, and large ones chase away smaller ones. Nonprofessional birds tend to forage briefly or peripherally when or slightly after the professional species are active. They also forage above the antbirds and below or above the woodcreepers, and concentrate at forest edges or in second growth. The guild of ant-following birds in this region differs fairly widely from guilds in Panamá and at Belém, Brazil; the absence of large antbirds and the predominance of large woodcreepers north of the Amazon are the major differences.

Intraspecific and interspecific variation in use of forest-edge habitat by snakes

2006 ◽  
Vol 84 (10) ◽  
pp. 1440-1452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerardo L.F. Carfagno ◽  
Patrick J. Weatherhead
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Prey Availability ◽  
Interspecific Variation ◽  
Forest Edge ◽  
Thermal Ecology ◽  
Forest Edges ◽  
Elaphe Obsoleta ◽  
Edge Habitat ◽  
Forest Interior ◽  
Underlying Causes

Variation in use of edge habitat among populations and species of snakes should reflect underlying causes (e.g., thermal ecology, prey availability) and consequences (e.g., predation on birds' nests) of habitat selection. We compared the habitat use of ratsnakes, Elaphe obsoleta (Say in James, 1823), in Illinois and Ontario and compared habitat use by ratsnakes and racers, Coluber constrictor (L., 1758), in Illinois. Ratsnakes in Illinois used upland forest more and forest edges less than ratsnakes in Ontario. Female ratsnakes in Illinois used edges less than males, regardless of their reproductive status. Relative to ratsnakes, racers preferred forest edges and avoided forest interior. Female racers used edges more than males, especially while gravid. These results, and most of the seasonal patterns in habitat use, were broadly consistent with variation expected from differences in thermoregulatory needs, although other factors potentially influencing habitat use cannot be ruled out. Although it has been proposed that some forest fragmentation is likely to be beneficial for ratsnakes in Canada, such fragmentation may be detrimental to ratsnakes in Illinois but beneficial to racers. Thus, relative to forest-interior species, edge-nesting birds should be more vulnerable to predation by ratsnakes in Ontario, and fragmentation should increase the vulnerability of forest birds to nest predation by racers.

scholarly journals Breeding Bird Communities in a Naturally Fragemented Forest Ecosystem in Grand Teton National Park

1998 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
pp. 37-37
Author(s):  
Gregory Schrott
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Fragmentation ◽  
National Park ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Bird Communities ◽  
Western North America ◽  
Breeding Bird ◽  
Grand Teton National Park ◽  
Bird Populations ◽  
Natural Processes

This project examined the bird species breeding in the morainal forests on the valley floor in Grand Teton National Park. These forests are very patchily distributed and range in size from less than 1 hectare to over 700 hectares, allowing for a unique opportunity to study the responses of the local bird species to a forest system that has been fragmented for centuries through natural processes. This information can be useful for predicting the potential long-term impacts of human-caused forest fragmentation on bird populations in western North America. Until quite recently very little was known of the tolerances of western forest bird species to habitat fragmentation and this project could represent an important step towards understanding their needs in this regard.

scholarly journals Differential responses to forest edges among populations of Oophaga pumilio (Anura: Dendrobatidae) from Panama

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 247-253
Author(s):  
J. P. Lawrence
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Fragmentation ◽  
Forest Edge ◽  
Forest Edges ◽  
Bocas Del Toro ◽  
Oophaga Pumilio ◽  
Environmental Perturbations ◽  
Individual Distance ◽  
Physical Traits ◽  
Interpopulation Variation ◽  
Differential Responses

Differential responses to forest edges among populations of Oophaga pumilio (Anura: Dendrobatidae) from Panama. As habitat fragmentation increasingly becomes a prevalent feature in tropical systems, investigating how such novel features affect the distribution of species is of vital importance for understanding species’ ecology and conservation concerns. Species that show interpopulation variation in features that may affect their ecology (i.e., coloration) should be of high priority for elucidating the effects fragmentation may have. It is possible that these features unique to certain populations could promote or constrain the population’s ability to adapt to change. I investigated nine populations of the Strawberry Poison Frog (Oophaga pumilio) throughout the Bocas del Toro archipelago in Panama. By running transects from forest edge into interior forest, I assessed both population density and individual distance from forest edge for each population. One population was signifcantly denser than six of the other eight populations. Three populations showed increased numbers farther from forest edges while six populations showed no variation. This research highlights how reactions to habitat fragmentation may be population specifc, possibly linked to physical traits of individuals within the population. This research suggests that high interpopulation variation should be taken into account when examining species’ reactions to environmental perturbations.

scholarly journals Response of Passerine Birds to Forest Edge in Coast Redwood Forest Fragments

The Auk ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 118 (3) ◽  
pp. 678-686 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Arriana Brand ◽  
T. Luke George
Keyword(s):  
Bird Species ◽  
Forest Edge ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Passerine Birds ◽  
Catharus Ustulatus ◽  
Coast Redwood ◽  
Species Response ◽  
Forest Interior ◽  
Pacific Slope ◽  
Brown Creeper

Abstract The response of passerine birds to forest edge was examined in old-growth and mature second-growth coast redwood (Sequoia sempivirens) forest in northern California. The study objectives were to determine which common passerine species are sensitive to edges during the breeding season and to estimate edge width for forest interior species. Response to edge was measured along twelve 100 × 400 m plots extending from the edge into the forest interior to obtain relative density of birds. Plots were surveyed 4 to 5 times in 1996 and 8 to10 times in 1997. We found that 14 common passerines showed a gradient of edge sensitivity. Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri) and Swainson's Thrush (Catharus ustulatus) had higher relative densities near edges than in the forest interior (P < 0.05) and were categorized as edge species. Brown Creeper (Certhia americana), Winter Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes), Pacific-slope Flycatcher (Empidonax difficilis), and Varied Thrush (Ixoreus naevius) had lower relative densities near edges (P < 0.05) and were categorized as interior birds. Based on exponential regression models, estimated edge widths were 140 m for Varied Thrushes, 85 m for Brown Creepers, 120 m for Winter Wrens, and 125 m for Pacific-slope Flycatchers. Creation of edges would probably benefit Steller's Jays (which may be a nest predator), may not benefit Swainson's Thrushes, and may be detrimental to species that avoid edges. We recommend that edge effects be taken into consideration when planning for the conservation of bird species in the region.

scholarly journals Life on the edge: behavioural and physiological responses of Verreaux's sifakas (<i>Propithecus verreauxi</i>) to forest edges

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Klara Dinter ◽  
Michael Heistermann ◽  
Peter M. Kappeler ◽  
Claudia Fichtel
Keyword(s):  
Edge Effects ◽  
Group Living ◽  
Forest Edge ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
Forest Edges ◽  
Activity Budgets ◽  
Propithecus Verreauxi ◽  
Edge Habitat ◽  
Forest Interior ◽  
Edge Site

Abstract. Forest edges change micro-environmental conditions, thereby affecting the ecology of many forest-dwelling species. Understanding such edge effects is particularly important for Malagasy primates because many of them live in highly fragmented forests today. The aim of our study was to assess the influence of forest edge effects on activity budgets, feeding ecology, and stress hormone output (measured as faecal glucocorticoid metabolite – fGCM – levels) in wild Verreaux's sifakas (Propithecus verreauxi), a group living, arboreal lemur. We observed five habituated groups: three living in the forest interior and two at an established forest edge. There was no difference in average daily temperatures between edge and interior habitats; however, within the edge site, the average daily temperature incrementally increased over 450 m from the forest edge towards the interior forest of the edge habitat, and the population density was lower at the edge site. Activity budgets differed between groups living in the two microhabitats, with individuals living near the edge spending more time travelling and less time feeding. Groups living near the edge also tended to have smaller home ranges and core areas than groups in the forest interior. In addition, edge groups had elevated average fGCM concentrations, and birth rates were lower for females living in the edge habitat. Combined with lower levels of fruit consumption at the edge, these results suggest that nutritional stress might be a limiting factor for Verreaux's sifakas when living near a forest edge. Hence, Verreaux's sifakas appear to be sensitive to microhabitat characteristics linked to forest edges; a result with implications for the conservation of this critically endangered lemurid species.

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