Linking vegetation structure and bird organization: response of mixed-species bird flocks to forest succession in subtropical China
Linking vegetation structure and bird organization: response of mixed-species bird flocks to forest succession in subtropical China
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DOI：
10.1007/s10531-013-0521-5
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发表时间：
2013-07
影响因子：
3.4
通讯作者：
Qiang Zhang;R. Han;Zhongliang Huang;Fasheng Zou
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Qiang Zhang;R. Han;Zhongliang Huang;Fasheng Zou
随着森林在人工造林后的自然演替，其鸟类组合也发生了变化。然而，与森林演替相关的种间鸟类社会组织尚未完全了解，特别是对混合种鸟群。为了阐明混合物种群是如何随着当地森林结构的变化而变化的，我们分析了中国南方亚热带森林中混合物种群的特征（特别是物种丰富度、聚集频率和倾向）和植被地貌，并同时分析了假定的演替序列（早期、中期和晚期）。正如假设的那样，月点计数表明，在局部尺度上，随着天然林演替的进展，鸟群的复杂性增加。先进森林在植被结构、种群特征和组成（特别是林下植被专家）方面与早期人工林有显著差异。重要的是，森林演替影响了群落模式，特别是与常规物种的群集倾向和核心物种（Huet 's fulvettaAlcippe hueti）的频率有关，这反过来决定了不同演替林分的群集发生。典型对应分析表明，林下聚落物种（主要为云杉科）与完整的原生冠层覆盖度、复杂的胸径多样性、高密度的枯死树和大树相关，代表了演替林分的成熟程度。研究表明，天然林演替对混种鸟群的影响具有物种特异性和行会依赖性。从保护的角度来看，尽管中国南方的松树人工林数量众多，但应优先保护拥有丰富林下植被集聚专家的先进森林。
As forests undergo natural succession following artificial afforestation, their bird assemblages also change. However, interspecific avian social organization associated with forest succession has not been fully understood, particularly for mixed-species bird flocks. To disentangle how mixed-species flocks change as a function of local forest structure, we analyzed flock characteristics (particularly species richness, flocking frequency and propensity) and vegetation physiognomies along a presumed successional series (early, middle, and advanced) simultaneously in subtropical forests in southern China. As hypothesized, monthly point counts demonstrated that complexity of flocks increases with the progression of natural forest succession at a local scale. Advanced forests differed significantly from pioneering plantations with respect to vegetation structure, flock characteristics and constituents (especially for understory specialists). Importantly, forest succession affected flock patterns particularly in relation to the flocking propensity of regular species, and the frequency of nuclear species (Huet’s fulvettaAlcippe hueti), which in turn determined flocking occurrence at different successional stands. Canonical correspondence analysis indicated that understory flocking species (mainly Timaliidae babblers) were significantly associated with intact native canopy cover, complex DBH diversity, as well as high densities of dead trees and large trees, representing a maturity level of successional stands. Our study reveals that the effect of natural forest succession on mixed-species bird flocks is species-specific and guild-dependent. From a conservation perspective, despite a high proliferation of pine plantation in southern China, priority should be placed on protecting the advanced forest with a rich collection of understory flocking specialists.