On the use of Timed Species Counts to estimate avian abundance indices in species‐rich communities

Freeman, Stephen N.; Pomeroy, Derek; Tushabe, Herbert

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2028.2003.00481.x

Cited by 18 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…In a study area of approximately 13,000 ha, we conducted 277 one-hour timed species counts (TSC, Freeman et al 2003) in (the only remaining) ten forest fragments (188 counts), five exclosures (57 counts) and three grazing lands (32 counts). TSC is a flexible walking survey method that provides comprehensive species lists as well as data regarding relative abundance of individual species (Pomeroy and Dranzoa 1997;Freeman et al 2003). It allows observers to move freely throughout the sites -a particular benefit in our study area where point counts were unreliable due to the flushing of birds by local shepherds attracted by static observers.…”

Section: Field Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Land rehabilitation and the conservation of birds in a degraded Afromontane landscape in northern Ethiopia

et al. 2007

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The few remaining Afromontane forest fragments in northern Ethiopia and the surrounding degraded, semiarid matrix form a habitat mosaic of varying suitability for forest birds. To evaluate the effect of recent land rehabilitation efforts on bird community composition and diversity, we studied bird species distributions in ten small forest fragments (0.40-20.95 ha), five grazing exclosures (10-year-old forest restoration areas without wood extraction and grazing livestock) and three grazed matrix sites during the rainy season (July-October 2004) using 277 one-hour species counts. Based on the distribution pattern of 146 bird species, sites were assigned to one of three bird communities (birds of moist forest, dry forest or degraded savanna), each occupying a well-defined position along an environmental gradient reflecting decreasing vegetation structure and density. All three communities were representative of the avifauna of Afrotropical Highland open forest and woodland with a high proportion of invasive and competitive generalist species (31%). Apart from these, exclosures shared more species with forest fragments (20%) than did the grazed matrix (5%), indicating local ecosystem recovery. By increasing habitat heterogeneity, exclosures have the potential to enhance landscape connectivity for forest birds and are, therefore, an effective instrument for conserving species in a fragmented landscape. However, 52 bird species (36%) occurred exclusively within forest patches and many forest birds that use exclosures are unlikely to maintain viable populations when forest fragments disappear, particularly as forest fragments may be a critical resource during the hot dry season. This highlights the high conservation value of small isolated forest fragments for less tolerant, forest-limited and/or biome-restricted species

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Section: Field Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Land rehabilitation and the conservation of birds in a degraded Afromontane landscape in northern Ethiopia

et al. 2007

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“…Forest ecosystems in the Apennines host poor assemblages when compared with heterogeneous mosaic habitats, and the TSC method was found to be inappropriate for evaluating assemblage abundance parameters in these conditions (see Freeman et al 2003). In the sampled forest ecosystems, the species sampled first in TSC sampling sessions (i.e., those with high S TSCmean values) did not correlate with the mean species abundance values evaluated by means of PCM.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…Replicate 1 h sampling sessions are conducted to accumulate score values for each species; that is, the number of samples in which a species gained the score 0, 1, 2, etc. (Pomeroy and Tengecho 1986;Freeman et al 2003;Sutherland 2006).…”

Section: Sampling Design and Data Analysismentioning

confidence: 98%

“…A specific assumption in TSC is that the species sampled first (e.g., in the first 10 min) are more widely distributed and common than the species sampled in the next 10 min, and so on. There are some examples of the application of TSC to highly diversified bird assemblages (e.g., in tropical ecosystems; see Freeman et al 2003;Pomeroy 1992), where the priority is to obtain rapid checklists and assemblage data in terms of species richness (Sutherland 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Landscape heterogeneity affects the use of sampling methods: a case study of bird communities in mountains of Central Italy

Vignoli

Battisti

Bologna

2010

Rend. Fis. Acc. Lincei

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The point count method (PCM) and time species count (TSC) are thought to be applicable to specific bird assemblages and habitat types and to give different kind of outputs: quantitative (abundances) and qualitative (scores), respectively. In this work, we tested if the faster TSC method can be used instead of the time-consuming PCM. We compared results obtained from the application of both methods to bird assemblages in three different habitat types in mountains of Central Italy with different levels of spatial heterogeneity (oak and beech woods, and open-forest mosaics). The application of both methods to the forest ecosystems revealed the absence of a direct correlation between PCM abundance values and TSC mean scores, highlighting that the latter method did not explain the variation in species abundance. The opposite was true in the mosaic habitats. In the Apennine forest ecosystems, species sampled first in the TSC sampling sessions did not correlate with species abundance values evaluated by means of PCM. The species with the highest PCM values (i.e., the more abundant species) were randomly distributed in all of the TSC 10-min sampling subsessions. Therefore, we rejected the hypothesis that the species sampled first (e.g., in the first 10 min) in TSC are more abundant than those sampled in the next 10 min subsession, and so on. This result differs greatly from that found for non-Mediterranean habitat types that are richer in species number (e.g., tropical forests and savannahs), where scores obtained for single bird species when applying the TSC method correlate well with the species abundance parameters obtained using quantitative methods. In the mountainous complex of the Mediterranean area, the TSC method should only be applied in mosaic habitats, which are richer in species, more spatially heterogeneous, and possess a high c-diversity at the landscape scale, and thus show a direct correlation between species abundance and TSC scores.

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“…The major field methods applied in the surveys were 'Timed Species-Counts' and 'Point Counts' which were used for counting the number of bird species, and 'Counting methods for specific groups' was also used to survey bird groups. We applied step by step on the basis of guidelines stated by Pomeroy & Tengecho [24] Pomeroy [25], and Freeman et al [26]. 'Time Species-Count' was used to count the numbers of bird species over the certain time in two habitats (i.e.…”

Section: Bird Surveysmentioning

confidence: 99%

Restoration of Melaleuca Swamp Ecosystem for Bird Diversity in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam

Tran

Matusch

2017

MOJES

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This paper conducts an original study to examine the restoration of an endemic tropical wetland for bird enrichment in the Mekong Delta. Recovery of swamp Melaleuca forest was a key driver provided an appropriately structural landscape and environment to enrich bird diversity in the study area. During the period 2003 -2013, bird enrichment was increased to 159 bird species after a forest fire, happened in 2002, in which 15 waterbird species with 17,366 individuals; and populations of three waterbirds under the Global and Regional Endangered Lists with hundreds of individuals in UMT National Park. The recovery of forest and richness of birds were likely two important indicators of the successful restoration of Melaleuca swamp ecosystem in the area. Thus, relationships of six variables, involving Melaleuca recovery, bird richness, conservation values, technical awareness, tourism services, and wildfire, were considerable drivers needed to be understood for improving a sustainable management of forested wetland ecosystems. The restore of swamp Melaleuca forest can contribute an important role for the East Asian-Australasian Flyway of birds.

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On the use of Timed Species Counts to estimate avian abundance indices in species‐rich communities

Cited by 18 publications

References 10 publications

Land rehabilitation and the conservation of birds in a degraded Afromontane landscape in northern Ethiopia

Land rehabilitation and the conservation of birds in a degraded Afromontane landscape in northern Ethiopia

Landscape heterogeneity affects the use of sampling methods: a case study of bird communities in mountains of Central Italy

Restoration of Melaleuca Swamp Ecosystem for Bird Diversity in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam

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