Plasticity and Stereotypy in Avian Foraging during Secondary Succession in Temperate Forests

Serong, Merrilyn; Lill, Alan

doi:10.3184/175815516x14628979803437

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 38 publications

(65 reference statements)

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“…Some argue that individual species conform to one or other of a relatively narrow set of responses to time since fire when other relevant variables are accounted for (e.g., Smucker et al 2005;Watson et al 2012b). However, Burbidge (2003) reviewed Western Australian studies of several species that showed that species may respond differently to fire at different sites or under different fire conditions at the same site, possibly indicating sentient decisions and flexible behavior within limits in response to fire and the choices that fire creates in landscapes (Kaplan 2015;Serong and Lill 2016). Such responses may drive changes in assemblage composition within forest blocks and yet result in stable species richness at forest-block and local scales.…”

Section: Responses Of Individual Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wildfire and fire mosaic effects on bird species richness and community composition in south-western Australia

Wills¹,

Liddelow²,

Tunsell³

2020

fire ecol

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Background: A fire management strategy of deliberate patch-mosaic burning (PMB) is postulated to promote biodiversity by providing a range of habitat patches with different fire histories, habitat qualities, and vegetation ages at a given scale. We investigated the response of avian fauna to fire, particularly species richness and community composition, in a landscape composed of a diversity of vegetation ages including long-unburned refuges (age 26 years), compared with a landscape of uniform vegetation ages recovering from an extensive and intense fire. Results: There was no effect of heterogeneity in vegetation age on species richness at whole forest management block (about 6000 ha), or local (2 ha) scales. There were different responses of particular species to vegetation age. Nine species showed responses to vegetation age at local (2 ha) scales, which is presumably a surrogate for availability of key resources and which changes over time. Australian Pipit (Anthus australis Vieillot, 1818) were absent from swamp vegetation <3.5 years old, while Spotted Pardalote (Pardalotus punctatus Shaw & Nodder, 1792) were only found in forest vegetation <3.5 years old. Year-to-year changes in local assemblages were detected after removing the effect of time since fire. There was no difference in effect of the two fire regimes on assemblage composition or feeding-guild structure. Conclusions: Mosaics of different vegetation ages had no net benefit for biodiversity, as measured by species richness and assemblage composition, at the forest block management unit scale. Different responses to vegetation age among bird species did not lead to increased bird richness at the scale of forest management block. A potential advantage of mosaics in conservation of avian biodiversity is through preservation of patches of older vegetation ages in the landscape, compared to the periodic extensive loss of older vegetation ages in wildfires. However, the absence of large-scale effects of vegetation age on bird species richness, the tendency for birds to specialize to fuel ages >5.5 years in the landscape studied, and indications of flexible responses of some species at landscape scales allows some flexibility in fuel management strategies and the scale at which they are applied with respect to avifauna.

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Section: Responses Of Individual Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wildfire and fire mosaic effects on bird species richness and community composition in south-western Australia

Wills¹,

Liddelow²,

Tunsell³

2020

fire ecol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Globally, birds are recognised as key predators of lizards (Martin & Lopez 1996;Padilla et al 2007). Birds are a highly mobile and ubiquitous group of animals that have the ability to forage over wide areas (Cummings et al 1997;Serong & Lill 2016). They are efficient predators, utilising a 'search image' of prey, which allows them to detect even cryptic species within an environment (Langley 1996;Veselý et al 2013).…”

Section: Predator-prey Interactions In New Zealandmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing bird predation on New Zealand’s lizard fauna using lizard-mimicking replicas

Florence-Bennett¹

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<p>Wildlife management is fraught with challenges due to the complexities of community ecology. Interventions aimed at restoring ecosystems, or managing species, can have unintended negative outcomes for target species. The effect of avian predation on native lizard fauna in New Zealand is not clearly understood, despite birds being regarded as top predators within mammal-free ecosystems. At least thirty-one species of bird have been recorded preying on native lizards, but few studies have directly addressed avian predation on lizards, with the majority of evidence sourced from published anecdotes. New Zealand’s herpetofauna are already vulnerable due to range contractions resulting from mammalian predation and habitat loss, with 87% of New Zealand lizard species considered ‘At Risk’ or ‘Threatened’. Understanding the risks posed to lizards will help to inform successful management of vulnerable populations. I used lizard-mimicking replicas to identify and assess predation rates exerted by bird species on lizard populations within the Wellington region of New Zealand. I examined the use of lizard replicas as a tool to quantify predation by examining how birds interacted with replicas and comparing attack rates with novel items simultaneously placed in the field. I determined which bird species were preying on replicas, the extent of such predation, and whether site vegetation or daily weather influenced the probability of avian attack on replicas. Although attack frequency did not differ between novel items and lizard replicas, birds exhibited a realistic predatory response by preferentially attacking the head of lizard replicas. Interactions by birds with lizard-mimicking replicas cannot be confirmed as true predation attempts, but lizard replicas can nevertheless be used to quantify predation pressures exerted on lizard populations by opportunistic bird species. Seven ground-foraging bird species were found to attack lizard replicas. Two species, the pūkeko (Porphyrio melanotus melanotus) and southern black-backed gull (Larus dominicanus dominicanus), were identified as high impact species. The average predation risk experienced by lizard replicas varied greatly across environments, with 0 – 25% of replicas attacked daily at sites. Canopy cover and daily rainfall were not significant predictors, but potentially decreased the likelihood of replica attack. Predation risk varied for lizard replicas as a result of differing assemblages of bird predators at sites, and the presence and foraging behaviour of specific predatory birds. Predation by birds is likely to be an issue where predation pressure is high, or lizard populations are small, range restricted, or recovering from the presence of mammalian predators. When managing vulnerable lizard populations, managers should take into account the threats posed by avian predators so that lizard communities can recover successfully following the same trajectory as native birds.</p>

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Plasticity and Stereotypy in Avian Foraging during Secondary Succession in Temperate Forests

Cited by 2 publications

References 38 publications

Wildfire and fire mosaic effects on bird species richness and community composition in south-western Australia

Wildfire and fire mosaic effects on bird species richness and community composition in south-western Australia

Assessing bird predation on New Zealand’s lizard fauna using lizard-mimicking replicas

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