Breeding bird communities in southern Tunisian oases: the importance of traditional agricultural practices for bird diversity in a semi-natural system

We investigated the diversity of breeding bird communities in 53 oases in southern Tunisia. In particular, we examined the similarity of bird communities among oases in relation to vegetation structure and geographic location. We found that oases close to each other supported similar bird communities, suggesting that the spatial distribution of oases has played an important role in shaping local communities. Accounting for oasis location, bird richness was related to oasis size and to vegetation traits, namely to the diversity of trees and herbaceous plants. Oases within which traditional practices are used to diversify the agricultural products were found to provide more suitable habitat conditions for birds than modern plantations created to maximize the production of dates. Traditional oases represent semi-natural habitats within which traditional human activities may be essential for maintaining their biodiversity, and we think that more attention to the conservation of these systems is to be paid.