The analyses of structure of the woodland bird communities in Japan

Abstract

1, This paper aimed at the classification of Japanese forest bird communities in the breeding season based on the structure and similarity analyses of various census data (84 plots) collected by the author and others.2, The similarities of the bird communities between forests or localities were analyzed using Whittaker's index of association (1952) about the eight major types of forest in Japan. And finally, fifteen types of bird community were classified with about 40% similarity.3. The bird communities in the coniferous forest at the subalpine zone and the coniferous young plantation at every locality are very dissimilar with the other forests. In the other bird communities, there are many cases of high similarity between them, excluding the similarity between the types in the temperate zone and the subtropical zone.4. The dominance ratio of summer visitor birds group was highest in the temperate zone forests (reaches to 40%), and lower in the young plantation and the subtropical zone forests.5. It was concluded to be reasonable in the naming of the fifteen types of the bird community to use the name of the dominant three bird species in each type as follows:A. Coniferous forest at the subalpine zone in Hokkaido Parus ater-Carduelis spinus-Regulus regulus AssociatinC. Pan-mixed forest in Hokkaido Emberiza spodocephala-Parus ater-Parus major AssociationD. Mature plantation at Tomakomai district in Hokkaido Phylloscopus occipitalis-Emberiza cioides-Emberiza spodocephala AssociationB. Coniferous forest at the subalpine zone in Houshu and Shikoku Parus ater-Phylloscopus borealis-Tarsiger cyanurus AssociationE. Fagus crenata zone in northeastern Honshu Parus major-Parus ater-Ficedula narcissina AssociationG. Quercus mongolica zone Ficedula narcissina-Phylloscopus occipitalis-Parus major AssociationF. Fagus crenata zone in southwestern district Parus ater-Sitta europaea-Parus montanus AssociationH. Coniferous forest at the temperate zone Parus ater-Parus major-Parus varius AssociationI. Deciduous broad-leaved forest at the subtropical zone Hypsipetes amaurotis-Emberiza cioides-Parus major AssociationJ. Evergreen broad-leaved forest at the subtropical zone Parus varius-Hypsipetes amaurotis-Parus major AssociationL. Mature plantation with broad-leaved tree layer at the temperate zone Erithacus cyane-Parus ater-Parus major AssociationK. Mature plantation with open crown layer at the temperate zone Emberiza spodocephala-Parus ater-Turdus chrysolaus AssociationN. Young plantation at the temperate zone Emberiza spodocephala-Cettia diphone-Emberiza cioides AssociationM. Mature plantation at the subtropical and lowland temperate zone Hypsipetes amaurotis-Emberiza cioides-Parus ater AssociationO. Young plantation at the subtropical and lowland temperate zone Cettia diphone-Emberiza cioides-Lanius bucephalus Association (alphabets coincide with Table 11)