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A comparison of bird communities in the anthropogenic and natural-tree fall gaps of a reduced-impact logged subtropical forest in Bolivia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 May 2008

Adam Felton*
Affiliation:
Instituto Boliviano de Investigación Forestal (IBIF), Av. 2 de Agosto esq. Cuarto Anillo, Casilla Postal 6204, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia
Jeff T. Wood
Affiliation:
Fenner School of Environment and Society, W.K. Hancock Building, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia 0200
Annika M. Felton
Affiliation:
Instituto Boliviano de Investigación Forestal (IBIF), Av. 2 de Agosto esq. Cuarto Anillo, Casilla Postal 6204, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia
David B. Lindenmayer
Affiliation:
Fenner School of Environment and Society, W.K. Hancock Building, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia 0200
Bennett A. Hennessey
Affiliation:
Armonía (Birdlife International partner in Bolivia), Avenida Lomas de Arena 400, Casilla 3566, Santa Cruz, Bolivia
*
* Author for correspondence. e-mail: [email protected].
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Abstract

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We studied bird community composition and abundance within four vegetation and disturbance categories located within selectively logged and unlogged forest in a Bolivian subtropical lowland forestry concession. The logged forest was subject to reduced-impact logging between 1 and 4 years prior to our study. The four categories were: 1) ‘gap’ points possessing natural or anthropogenic tree-fall gaps; 2) ‘target’ points with one of five commercial tree species of harvestable size; 3) ‘future’ points possessing a commercial tree below harvestable size and 4) ‘non-target’ points not possessing harvestable tree species. The bird community composition of logging gaps significantly differed from that found within natural tree-fall gaps in the unlogged forest P< 0.05. Species richness was higher in natural tree-fall gaps than in anthropogenic gaps. Furthermore, a higher proportion of disturbance sensitive species were associated with natural-tree fall gaps, whereas a higher proportion of disturbance tolerant species were associated with anthropogenic gaps. No significant difference was detected in the bird community composition for the other three vegetation categories surveyed. We discuss the conservation and silvicultural repercussions of these results.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Birdlife International 2007