Abstract

UGALDE-LEZAMA, Saúl et al. Richness, abundance and diversity of birds in temperate forest with different conditions of perturbance. Agrociencia [online]. 2010, vol.44, n.2, pp.159-169. ISSN 2521-9766.

Little research has been carried out into the way perturbances in temperate forests affect bird communities with respect to richness, abundance, and species diversity. The presence of bird species was studied (November 2003-June 2004) in two zones of the Estación Forestal Experimental (Forest Experimental Station) Zoquiapan (EFEZ), Estado de México: one with slightly altered pine forest (ZOQ1) and the other with disturbed mixed forest (ZOQ2). Capture methodologies with mist nets and point count at fixed radius were used. In ZOQ2 there was species richness significantly higher (F=8.42; P=0.0082) than in ZOQ1 for point count with fixed radius. These data followed a log-normal series (=7.16 <14.06; gl=7) distribution in abundance for ZOQ1, and a geometric series (= 31<43.77; gl=32) for ZOQ2. Capture data obtained with mist nets followed a geometric series in ZOQ1 (= 4.9 < 33.92; gl = 22) as well as in ZOQ2 (= 46.26 >43.77; gl=32). Shannon diversity (H') for ZOQ2 (H'=2.9) was significantly higher (F=0.06; P=0.0472) than for ZOQ1 (H'=2.7), for capture with mist nets. The conservation of disturbed zones in temperate forests on local (study area) and regional scale (Sierra Nevada) is important, due to the fact that they involve ecological processes determining structure and dynamics of the bird communities throughout time.

Keywords : conservation; Shannon index; distribution models; point count; mist nets; Zoquiapan.