Abstract
Tropical forests have been extensively exploited and cleared for various reasons over the past years. Therefore, conservation emphasis has been given to protect natural forests and to assist regeneration of secondary forests. In the current study the composition and abundance of bird species in a natural forest (NF) and an adjacent regenerating forest (RF) in Maragamuwa, Naula in the Matale District of Sri Lanka were compared using a point count integrated line transect method. A clear variation was seen in the bird composition, diversity and evenness in both forest types and also during different time sessions of the day. In all the instances the values shown by the RF was greater than that of the NF and the species evenness showed high values for both forest types. The species composition showed no seasonal variation in NF throughout the study period while RF showed a seasonal variation. The endemicity of birds in the NF was higher than that of the RF. Hence, the current study shows that early successional forests support a rich bird diversity while the species richness of endemic bird species increases thereby enabling these measurements to be used as indicators in long term conservational practices.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/cjsbs.v42i2.6610 Ceylon Journal of Science (Bio. Sci.) 42(2): 71-78, 2013
Highlights
Tropical forests are well known for their high biodiversity and support a rich wildlife communities
While conservation emphasis has been on establishing reserves that protect mature forests, the importance of disturbed areas such as secondary forests for conservation of fauna has been increasingly recognized (Vandermeer and Perfecto, 1997; Chazdon, 2008)
The 0600h-0800h is the time session where the bird activity was highest for both forest types natural forest (NF) and regenerating forest (RF), with a mean number of species of 55.6 and 67.5, and a mean number of individuals of 229.8 and 340.88 respectively
Summary
Tropical forests are well known for their high biodiversity and support a rich wildlife communities. At least two-thirds of the world’s animals and plants are found in tropical forests. Many of these forests have been extensively exploited and cleared for timber and other land uses over the last century (Zakaria et al, 2005). Primary forests account for 36 percent of total forest area but have decreased by more than 40 million ha since 2000. This is largely due to reclassification of primary forest to ‘other naturally regenerated forests’ because of selective logging or other human interventions (FAO, 2010). While conservation emphasis has been on establishing reserves that protect mature forests, the importance of disturbed areas such as secondary forests for conservation of fauna has been increasingly recognized (Vandermeer and Perfecto, 1997; Chazdon, 2008)
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