Abstract

UGALDE-LEZAMA, Saúl et al. Vegetation physiognomy and abundance of birds in a temperate forest with two disturbance levels in the Eje Neovolcanico Transversal. Rev. Mex. Biodiv. [online]. 2012, vol.83, n.1, pp.133-143. ISSN 2007-8706.

From November 2003 to June 2004, we studied the abundance of bird species and their relationship with vegetation physiognomy (structure) in a temperate forest under 2 conditions: undisturbed forest (ZOQ1) and disturbed forest (ZOQ2) of the Zoquiapan Forest Experimental Station (EFEZ, acronym in Spanish) in central Mexico. Birds were recorded using the method of fixed radius point counts (25 m). We identified the major gradients of variation of descriptive variables of vegetation using Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and the relationship between vegetation physiognomy and bird abundance through Poisson regression analyses (ARP). The three main axes of PCA explained the 84.3, 83.4 and 81.7% of the variability present in the vegetation of ZOQ1, ZOQ2 and ZOQ1-ZOQ2, respectively. Tree cover, diameter and tree height explained the 41.5, 43.7 and 41.8% of the variance for component 1. Bush cover, diameter and bush height contributed to 28.4, 25.0 and 25.3% for component 2, while herbaceous and bush cover explained the 14.4, 14.6 and 14.5% for component 3. The ARP indicated a statistically significant relationship (p< 0.05) between vegetation physiognomy (described by the first 3 axes of the ACP) and the abundance in 19 (ZOQ1) and 24 (ZOQ2) species of birds recorded; as well as in the three groups of birds analyzed, which indicates that some habitat features had an effect on the abundance of particular bird species.

Keywords : counting points; undisturbed pine forest; disturbed pine forest; Eje Neovolcánico Transversal; abundance of birds; vegetation physiognomy.