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Changes in bird species composition on a remote and well-forested Wallacean Island, South-East Asia

Trainor, CR (2007). Changes in bird species composition on a remote and well-forested Wallacean Island, South-East Asia. Biological Conservation,140(3-4):373-385.

Document type: Journal Article
Citation counts: Scopus Citation Count Cited 10 times in Scopus Article | Citations

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Title Changes in bird species composition on a remote and well-forested Wallacean Island, South-East Asia
Author Trainor, CR
Journal Name Biological Conservation
Publication Date 2007
Volume Number 140
Issue Number 3-4
ISSN 0006-3207   (check CDU catalogue open catalogue search in new window)
Scopus ID 2-s2.0-35448961935
Start Page 373
End Page 385
Total Pages 13
Place of Publication Oxford, United Kingdom
Publisher Elsevier
HERDC Category C1 - Journal Article (DEST)
Abstract In South-East Asia patterns of forest loss can predict the number of threatened birds. on the oceanic islands of Wallacea, small-scale agriculture, rather than commercial logging, is the main cause of forest loss and conversion, but few studies have directly examined their responses to land use. In 2001, 1 studied the birds of primary forest and anthropogenic gardens on the well-forested, and remote, Damar Island (198 km(2)) in the Banda Sea. Furthermore, I examined broad changes to the islands bird fauna by comparing baseline bird lists obtained in the 19th century with 2001 data. The conversion of primary forest to garden resulted in substantial changes in avifaunal composition, and to the abundance of individual bird species, particularly to frugivorous and globally restricted-range species. Of 15 common birds, four were significantly more abundant in primary forest (blue-tailed imperial pigeon Ducula concinna, northern fantail Rhipidura rufiventris, golden whistler Pachycephala pectotalis and red-chested flowerpecker Dicaeum maugei) and one (scaly-breasted honeyeater Lichmera squamata) was more abundant in garden habitat. Incidental observations provided further evidence that many forest specialists (including the island endemic Damar flycatcher Ficedula henrici) rarely, if ever, used garden habitats notwithstanding its relative proximity. The number of resident birds recorded in 2001 (39) was similar to the 1890s (38), but six forest-dependent passe-rines were extirpated between samples. These losses are associated with the conversion of 25% of the primary forest to modified habitat since the 1890s, but given the sparse species and environmental change data available it is impossible to definitively pinpoint this as the only cause underlying the species losses. This study demonstrates that remote and relatively well-forested islands are not immune to the threatening processes impacting bird populations elsewhere in South-East Asia. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords Damar island
Banda sea
Wallacea
forest birds
tropical forest
small-scale agriculture
disturbance effects
habitat use
restricted-range
decline
extirpation
PAPUA-NEW-GUINEA
EXTINCTION RISK
LAND-USE
CONSERVATION
INDONESIA
PATTERNS
SULAWESI
AVIFAUNA
SERAM
BURU
DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2007.08.022   (check subscription with CDU E-Gateway service for CDU Staff and Students  check subscription with CDU E-Gateway in new window)
 
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