Temporal changes in Mediterranean bird communities across fragmented and continuous forests (original) (raw)

2015, Ecological Research

Habitat loss and fragmentation are recognized as the main causes for the global biodiversity crisis. Most of the studies investigating the issue of habitat fragmentation in vertebrates are cross-sectional, whereas long-term studies are least available. We surveyed bird communities in 17 forest fragments (FF) and a single continuous forest stands (CF) in central Italy twice, 10 years apart (i.e. in 1996 and in 2006). All community parameters showed a contrasting pattern between 1996 and 2006, i.e. an increase of abundance and diversity measures in CF and a decrease or a stability of the same parameters in FF. Insectivorous and migratory bird species were the most prone to population declines associated with fragmented landscapes. Differences in species turnover between CF and FF were due to a higher extinction rate in the latter forest type. There was substantial population increase between 1996 and 2006, especially in FF, of opportunistic predator species like corvids. This fact may be responsible for the observed dropping in species number, evenness and diversity in FF. Hence, we conclude that, in FF, the bird community is far from being either stabilized or resilient, as it is rapidly evolving into a more simplified assemblage, dominated by generalist species.

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