Bird communities in traditional wood-pastures with changing management in Eastern Europe

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Bird communities in traditional wood-pastures with changing management in Eastern Europe. / Hartel, Tibor; Hanspach, Jan; Abson, David J. et al.
In: Basic and Applied Ecology, Vol. 15, No. 5, 08.2014, p. 385–395.

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

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@article{8dd1e8505acd4a418437d6a7a2ce6b36,
title = "Bird communities in traditional wood-pastures with changing management in Eastern Europe",
abstract = "Wood-pastures are fragile ecosystems because they were formed by, and depend on specific, low-intensity multifunctional management. Although their ecological and cultural significance is high, wood-pastures are rapidly deteriorating all over Europe, mainly due to changing land use. We still lack a basic understanding of the ecological value of wood-pastures, and in which features they differ from other landscape elements. In this paper we investigated the ecological value of wood-pastures for passerine birds by (i) comparing bird assemblages of wood-pastures with those of closed forests and open pastures and (ii) exploring the relationships between variables describing wood-pastures and species traits of the bird assemblages. Our study region (Southern Transylvania, Romania) provides a unique opportunity to understand the importance of a traditional cultural and ecological environment for many different organisms. Wood-pastures had a higher overall number of bird species, and a higher spatial turnover in bird community composition than closed forests and open pastures. We found significant associations between bird species traits and habitat structural elements in wood-pastures such as large trees, oak- and pear trees and shrubs. Our findings suggest that traditional wood-pastures in Southern Transylvania have distinct and rich passerine bird communities. This richness is inextricably linked to the multifunctional, low-intensity land use traditionally applied in the wood-pastures that promotes high niche diversity. For effective conservation of the biodiversity of wood-pastures, a detailed understanding is needed of how different management regimes may influence the key structural elements of wood-pastures relevant for biodiversity and these should be protected.",
keywords = "Environmental planning, Dead trees, Grazing, Scattered trees, Traditional cultural landscape, Biodiversity, Conservation, Dead trees, Grazing, Romania, Scattered trees, Shrub, Traditional cultural landscape",
author = "Tibor Hartel and Jan Hanspach and Abson, {David J.} and Orsolya M{\'a}th{\'e} and Moga, {Cosmin Ioan} and Joern Fischer",
year = "2014",
month = aug,
doi = "10.1016/j.baae.2014.06.007",
language = "English",
volume = "15",
pages = "385–395",
journal = "Basic and Applied Ecology",
issn = "1439-1791",
publisher = "Elsevier B.V.",
number = "5",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Bird communities in traditional wood-pastures with changing management in Eastern Europe

AU - Hartel, Tibor

AU - Hanspach, Jan

AU - Abson, David J.

AU - Máthé, Orsolya

AU - Moga, Cosmin Ioan

AU - Fischer, Joern

PY - 2014/8

Y1 - 2014/8

N2 - Wood-pastures are fragile ecosystems because they were formed by, and depend on specific, low-intensity multifunctional management. Although their ecological and cultural significance is high, wood-pastures are rapidly deteriorating all over Europe, mainly due to changing land use. We still lack a basic understanding of the ecological value of wood-pastures, and in which features they differ from other landscape elements. In this paper we investigated the ecological value of wood-pastures for passerine birds by (i) comparing bird assemblages of wood-pastures with those of closed forests and open pastures and (ii) exploring the relationships between variables describing wood-pastures and species traits of the bird assemblages. Our study region (Southern Transylvania, Romania) provides a unique opportunity to understand the importance of a traditional cultural and ecological environment for many different organisms. Wood-pastures had a higher overall number of bird species, and a higher spatial turnover in bird community composition than closed forests and open pastures. We found significant associations between bird species traits and habitat structural elements in wood-pastures such as large trees, oak- and pear trees and shrubs. Our findings suggest that traditional wood-pastures in Southern Transylvania have distinct and rich passerine bird communities. This richness is inextricably linked to the multifunctional, low-intensity land use traditionally applied in the wood-pastures that promotes high niche diversity. For effective conservation of the biodiversity of wood-pastures, a detailed understanding is needed of how different management regimes may influence the key structural elements of wood-pastures relevant for biodiversity and these should be protected.

AB - Wood-pastures are fragile ecosystems because they were formed by, and depend on specific, low-intensity multifunctional management. Although their ecological and cultural significance is high, wood-pastures are rapidly deteriorating all over Europe, mainly due to changing land use. We still lack a basic understanding of the ecological value of wood-pastures, and in which features they differ from other landscape elements. In this paper we investigated the ecological value of wood-pastures for passerine birds by (i) comparing bird assemblages of wood-pastures with those of closed forests and open pastures and (ii) exploring the relationships between variables describing wood-pastures and species traits of the bird assemblages. Our study region (Southern Transylvania, Romania) provides a unique opportunity to understand the importance of a traditional cultural and ecological environment for many different organisms. Wood-pastures had a higher overall number of bird species, and a higher spatial turnover in bird community composition than closed forests and open pastures. We found significant associations between bird species traits and habitat structural elements in wood-pastures such as large trees, oak- and pear trees and shrubs. Our findings suggest that traditional wood-pastures in Southern Transylvania have distinct and rich passerine bird communities. This richness is inextricably linked to the multifunctional, low-intensity land use traditionally applied in the wood-pastures that promotes high niche diversity. For effective conservation of the biodiversity of wood-pastures, a detailed understanding is needed of how different management regimes may influence the key structural elements of wood-pastures relevant for biodiversity and these should be protected.

KW - Environmental planning

KW - Dead trees

KW - Grazing

KW - Scattered trees

KW - Traditional cultural landscape

KW - Biodiversity

KW - Conservation

KW - Dead trees

KW - Grazing

KW - Romania

KW - Scattered trees

KW - Shrub

KW - Traditional cultural landscape

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84906944008&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.baae.2014.06.007

DO - 10.1016/j.baae.2014.06.007

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 15

SP - 385

EP - 395

JO - Basic and Applied Ecology

JF - Basic and Applied Ecology

SN - 1439-1791

IS - 5

ER -