Presence and abundance of the Eurasian nuthatch <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sitta europaea</Emphasis> in relation to the size,isolation and the intensity of management of chestnut woodlands in the NW Iberian Peninsula |
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Authors: | Juan P González-Varo José V López-Bao José Guitián |
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Institution: | 1.Dep. Biología Vegetal y Ecología,Universidad de Sevilla,Sevilla,Spain;2.Estación Biológica de Do?ana, CSIC,Sevilla,Spain;3.Dep. Bioloxía Celular y Ecoloxía,Universidade de Santiago,Santiago de Compostela,Spain |
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Abstract: | Throughout most of the north-west Iberian Peninsula, chestnut (Castanea sativa) woods are the principal deciduous woodland, reflecting historical and ongoing exploitation of indigenous forests. These
are traditionally managed woodlands with a patchy distribution. Eurasian nuthatches (Sitta europaea) inhabit mature deciduous woods, show high site fidelity, and are almost exclusively found in chestnut woods in the study
area. We studied the presence and abundance of nuthatch breeding pairs over two consecutive years, in relation to the size,
degree of isolation and intensity of management of 25 chestnut woods in NW Spain. Degree of isolation was assessed in view
of the presence of other woodland within a 1-km band surrounding the study wood. Wood size was the only variable that significantly
predicted the presence of breeding pairs (in at least one year, R
2 = 0.69; in both years, R
2 = 0.50). The number of pairs was strongly predicted by wood size, isolation and management (R
2 = 0.70 in 2004; R
2 = 0.84 in 2005); interestingly, more isolated woods had more breeding pairs. Breeding density was likewise significantly
or near-significantly (P ≤ 0.1) higher in small isolated woods, which is possibly attributable to lower juvenile dispersal in lightly forested areas
and/or to lower predator density in smaller and more isolated patches. Breeding density was higher (though not significantly
so) in more heavily managed woods, possibly due to the presence of larger chestnut crops and larger trees (with higher nuthatch
prey abundance). Our findings highlight the complexity of the relationships between the patch properties and the three studied
levels (presence, number and density of pairs), and also the importance of traditionally managed woodlands for the conservation
of forest birds. |
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Keywords: | Habitat fragmentation Sitta europaea Forest birds Traditional management Castanea sativa Presence Number of pairs Breeding density Habitat quality |
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