Effects of forest fragmentation on bird assemblages in a novel landscape context

We report findings of a large-scale study in a 100000-ha subsection of the Tumut region in southern New South Wales, southeastern Australia. The study was designed to measure the effects of landscape context and habitat fragmentation on forest birds. The study region consisted of a forest mosaic characterized by different landscape contexts: large, continuous areas of native Eucalyptus forest, extensive stands of exotic softwood (radiata pine, Pinus radiata) plantation, and remnant patches of native Eucalyptus forest scattered throughout the extensive areas of radiata pine plantation. A set of 85 eucalypt remnants was randomly selected across several stratifying variables: four patch size classes (1-3 ha, 4-10 ha, 11-20 ha, and >20 ha), two isolation age classes (<20 years and >20 years since fragmentation), and five dominant eucalypt forest type classes. In addition to the 85 eucalypt remnants, a further 80 3-ha sites were selected for study: 40 in large, continuous areas of eucalypt forest and 40 in radiata pine stands. Point-interval counts of forest birds at the 165 sites were conducted in 1996 and 1997. Of 90 species recorded, 23.1 species (95% confidence interval, 22.0, 24.2 species), on average, were present in continuous eucalypt forest, 20.6 (19.5, 21.7) species in patchshaped eucalypt remnants, 20.6 (19.5, 21.7) species in strip-shaped eucalypt remnants, and 16.7 (15.6, 17.8) species in radiata pine. Strong gradients in bird assemblages were found. These gradients were governed by a combination of landscape context, remnant size, and remnant shape effects, and, in the case of radiata pine sites, the extent of native forest surrounding the pine. These gradients could, in part, be explained by bird life history attributes such as foraging guild and nesting height. For example, birds more often detected in patch-shaped remnants were smaller, produced smaller clutches, were more likely to be migratory, and typically had cup nests or burrows. The results of our study showed that eucalypt fragments of all sizes and shapes have significant conservation value. This is because they contain many native species of birds, some of which are more abundant in fragments than they are in continuous eucalypt forests, and also because they increase native bird populations in nearby non-native pine plantations.