Lizard assemblages in a fragmented landscape of central Chile

We studied lizard assemblages assessing abundance, richness, and nestedness in a fragmented landscape of central Chile including native temperate forest, forest fragments, and commercial pine plantations. Fragmentation and plantations increase the availability of edge habitats triggering both the support of additional lizard species, absent at the continuous forest, and the nestedness of lizard assemblages, where interior habitats of forest and plantations are nested subsets of habitat edges. A vulnerable lizard (Liolaemus tenuis) thrives at fragments in abundance similar to the continuous forest. Therefore, remnants ought to be considered in the conservation of lizard assemblages.     

Abundance and Movement of Understory Birds in a Maulino Forest Fragmented by Pine Plantations

Understory birds are especially vulnerable to habitat fragmentation because of the reduction in habitat quality and bird movement. We study the separate effects of understory, overstory and landscape on four understory birds (tapaculos), in Central Chile, comprising a landscape mosaic of pine (Pinus radiata D. Don) plantations and native Maulino forest fragments. We also determined whether habitats with poor understory could be barrier to tapaculos movements. Abundance was measured using stationary playbacks and habitat barrier through playbacks. Understory structure was the main factor that predicted tapaculos presence and abundance. Two species, the Andean Tapaculo (Scytalopus magellanicus fuscus Gmelin) and the Ochre-flanked Tapaculo (Eugralla paradoxa Kittlitz), were positively associated with dead pine branches and negatively to forest fragment size. Tapaculos were less abundant in mature native forest, but appeared willing to cross between different habitat types. However, the Chestnut-throated Huet-huet (Pteroptochos castaneus Philippi and Landbeck), did not move from forest fragments to pine with poor understory. Overall, tapaculos species varied in their response to fragmentation depending on their habitat selection and movement capacities.     

Contrasting effects of mosaic structure on alpha and beta diversity of bird assemblages in a human‐modified landscape

Habitat loss and fragmentation are key processes causing biodiversity loss in human‐modified landscapes. Knowledge of these processes has largely been derived from measuring biodiversity at the scale of ‘within‐habitat’ fragments with the surrounding landscape considered as matrix. Yet, the loss of variation in species assemblages ‘among’ habitat fragments (landscape‐scale) may be as important a driver of biodiversity loss as the loss of diversity ‘within’ habitat fragments (local‐scale). We tested the hypothesis that heterogeneity in vegetation cover is important for maintaining alpha and beta diversity in human‐modified landscapes. We surveyed bird assemblages in eighty 300‐m‐long transects nested within twenty 1‐km² vegetation ‘mosaics’, with mosaics assigned to four categories defined by the cover extent and configuration of native eucalypt forest and exotic pine plantation. We examined bird assemblages at two spatial scales: 1) within and among transects, and 2) within and among mosaics. Alpha diversity was the mean species diversity within‐transects or within‐mosaics and beta diversity quantified the effective number of compositionally distinct transects or mosaics. We found that within‐transect alpha diversity was highest in vegetation mosaics defined by continuous eucalypt forest, lowest in mosaics of continuous pine plantation, and at intermediate levels in mosaics containing eucalypt patches in a pine matrix. We found that eucalypt mosaics had lower beta diversity than other mosaic types when ignoring relative abundances, but had similar or higher beta diversity when weighting with species abundances. Mosaics containing both pine and eucalypt forest differed in their bird compositional variation among transects, despite sharing a similar suite of species. This configuration effect at the mosaic scale reflected differences in vegetation composition among transects. Maintaining heterogeneity in vegetation cover could help to maintain variation among bird assemblages across landscapes, thus partially offsetting local‐scale diversity losses due to fragmentation. Critical to this is the retention of remnant native vegetation.     

Composition and distribution of ground-dwelling beetles among oak fragments and surrounding pine plantations in a temperate forest of North China

In this study, we compared ground-dwelling beetle assemblages （Coleoptera） from a range of different oak fragments and surrounding conifer plantations to evaluate effects of forest size and surrounding matrix habitat in a temperate forest of north China. During 2000, beetles were sampled via pitfall traps within two large oak fragments （ca. 2.0-4.0 ha）, two small oak fragments （ca. 0.2-0.4 ha） and two surrounding matrices dom- inated by pine plantations （〉4 ha） in two sites of different aspects. Overall, no significantly negative effects from forest patch size and the surrounding matrix habitat were detected in total species number and abundance of ground-dwelling beetles. However, compared with small oak patches or pine plantations, more species were associated with an affinity for at least one large oak patch of the two aspects. Multivariate regression trees showed that the habitat type better determined the beetle assemblage structure than patch size and aspect, indicating a strong impact of the surrounding matrix. Linear mixed models indicated that species richness and abundance of all ground-dwelling beetles or beetle families showed different responses to the selected environmental variables. Our results suggest that more disturbed sites are significantly poorer in oak forest specialists, which are usually more abundant in large oak fragments and decrease in abundance or disappear in small fragments and surrounding matrix habitats. Thus, it is necessary to preserve a minimum size of forest patch to create conditions characteristic for forest interior, rather than the more difficult task of increasing habitat connectivity.     

Habitat use by Oncifelis guigna and Pseudalopex culpaeus in a fragmented forest landscape in central Chile

Native forests in Chile have been replaced by exotic plantations, generating a mosaic of forest fragments immersed in a matrix of plantations and farms. This landscape change could affect habitat availability for native carnivores such as Oncifelis guigna (Felidae) and Pseudalopex culpaeus (Canidae). We determine the potential impact of native forest fragmentation on these species, assessinghabitat use by these carnivores. The study was carried out in continuous forest (150 ha), native forest fragments (<10 ha) and surrounding pine plantations in central Chile (35°59 S, 72°41 W). We placed scent-stations (SSs) in three types of habitat from January to August 2000, setting a total of 620 SSs to determine habitat selection. We characterized structure and composition of 100 m² of vegetation aroundevery SS, and measured its distance to nearest native forest patch, road and bottom creek. O. guigna preferred habitats with dense bush cover, far from roads and close to large patches of native forest, being almost exclusively restricted to this type of habitat. On the other hand, P. culpaeus preferred openhabitats, close to roads, relying extensively on pine plantations but scarcely using forest and forest fragments. Our results suggest that native forest fragmentation, considering habitat use only, would have a negative effect on O. guigna populations. Thus, forest size reduction and isolation may reduce O.guigna survival in a pine dominated landscape. In contrast, P. culpaeus, a generalist species that would use habitat depending on its abundance, may adapt to changes in this landscape.     

Roles of fragmented and logged forests for bird communities in industrial Acacia mangium plantations in Indonesia

Industrial timber plantations severely impact biodiversity in Southeast Asia. Forest fragments survive within plantations, but their conservation value in highly deforested landscapes in Southeast Asia is poorly understood. In this study, we compared bird assemblages in acacia plantations and fragmented forests in South Sumatra to evaluate each habitat’s potential conservation value. To clarify the impact of habitat change, we also analyzed the response of feeding guild composition. Five habitat types were studied: large logged forest (LLF), burnt logged forest (BLF), remnant logged forest (RLF), 4-year-old acacia plantation (AP4), and 1-year-old acacia plantation (AP1). Estimated species richness (Chao 2) was highest in LLF then AP4 and BLF, while AP1 and RLF had lower estimated species richness. Community composition was roughly divided into two groups by non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination: acacia plantation and logged forest. Sallying substrate-gleaning insectivores, such as drongos, broadbills, and some flycatchers, were restricted to LLF, whereas acacia plantation hosted many terrestrial frugivores, such as doves. Although fragmented forests in our study site lacked several common tropical forest species, these fragments provide an important habitat for some sallying and terrestrial insectivores. A network of small riparian remnant forests could be a complementary habitat for some species, while the conservation value of burnt forest might be low. In conclusion, the highly fragmented forests in plantations are suboptimal habitats for birds but are still very important, because large primary forest blocks have been nearly lost in the surrounding landscape.     

南亚热带退化植被重建中土壤动物群落变化

在广东省中部的鹤山市鹤山丘陵综合试验场,分别在草坡、松林、荷木混交林(荷混林)、马占相思林(马占林)和豆科混交林(豆混林)选取5块样地,分别代表5种处理方式(重建植被类型)。在2003~2004年的4个不同季度内分3层取土样,利用Tullgren干漏斗法采集土壤动物,并分析土壤动物群落个体数量、类群丰度和DG指数的变化。研究结果表明,季节、植被类型和土层深度对土壤动物群落的各项指标都有极显著影响(P<0·01,three-way-ANOVA):土壤动物群落指标,在秋季显著为高(P<0·05,DMRT),而夏季显著为低(P<0·05,DMRT);随土层加深而逐级显著降低;不同植被类型比较,豆混林>马占林>荷混林、松林和草坡。此外,植被类型还与季节和土层间存在显著的交互作用:土壤动物群落各项指标秋季最高,不同植被类型间的差异也最大;而土壤动物群落各项指标较高的植被类型内不同土层间的差异也较大。由此推测,对退化生态系统进行人工改造是有积极意义的,而不同植被类型间土壤动物的差异可能与凋落物的数量与质量密切相关。     

Population density, sex ratio, body size and fluctuating asymmetry of Ceroglossus chilensis (Carabidae) in the fragmented Maulino forest and surrounding pine plantations

Habitat fragmentation results in new environmental conditions that may stress resident populations. Such stress may be reflected in demographical or morphological changes in the individuals inhabiting those landscapes. This study evaluates the effects of fragmentation of the Maulino forest on population density, sex ratio, body size, and fluctuating asymmetry (FA) of the endemic carabid Ceroglossus chilensis. Individuals of C. chilensis were collected during 2006 in five locations at Los Queules National Reserve (continuous forest), in five forest fragments and in five areas of surrounding pine plantations (matrix). In each location, once a season, 40 pitfall traps (20 in the centre, 20 in the edge), were opened for 72 h. Population density of C. chilensis was higher in the small fragments than in the pine matrix, with intermediate densities in the continuous forest; sex ratio did not differ significantly from 1:1 in the three habitats. Individuals from the centre of fragments were smaller than those from the centre of continuous forest, and FA did not vary significantly among habitats. These results suggest that small forest fragments maintain dense populations of C. chilensis and therefore they must be considered in conservation strategies. Although the decrease of the body size suggests that small remnants should be connected by managing the structure of the surrounding matrix, facilitating the dispersion of this carabid across the landscape and avoiding possible antagonistic interactions inside small fragments.     

Ferns,frogs, lizards,birds and bats in forest fragments and shade cacao plantations in two contrasting landscapes in the Atlantic forest,Brazil

The traditional shade cacao plantations (cabrucas) of southern Bahia, Brazil, are biologically rich habitats, encompassing many forest-dwelling species. However, a critical question for the conservation management of this specific region, and the highly fragmented Atlantic forest in general, is to what extent the conservation value of cabrucas relies on the presence of primary forest habitat in the landscape. We investigated the relative importance of cabrucas and forests for the conservation of five diverse biological groups (ferns, frogs, lizards, birds and bats) in two contrasting landscapes in southern Bahia, one dominated by forest with some interspersed cabrucas, and one dominated by cabrucas with interspersed forest fragments. The community structure (richness, abundance and diversity) of all biological groups differed between cabrucas and forests, although these differences varied among groups. A high number of forest species was found in the cabrucas. However, there were pronounced differences between the two landscapes with regard to the ability of cabrucas to maintain species richness. Irrespective of the biological group considered, cabrucas located in the landscape with few and small forest fragments supported impoverished assemblages compared to cabrucas located in the landscape with high forest cover. This suggests that a greater extent of native forest in the landscape positively influences the species richness of cabrucas. In the landscape with few small forest fragments interspersed into extensive areas of shade cacao plantations, the beta diversity of birds was higher than in the more forested landscape, suggesting that forest specialist species that rarely ventured into cabrucas were randomly lost from the fragments. These results stress both the importance and the vulnerability of the small forest patches remaining in landscapes dominated by shade plantations. They also point to the need to preserve sufficient areas of primary habitat even in landscapes where land use practices are generally favorable to the conservation of biodiversity.     

Arthropod assemblages deep in natural forests show different responses to surrounding land use

Many contemporary landscapes have vast areas of production land-uses within landscape mosaics, which may impact species dispersal and occurrence. Here, we determined the extent to which commercial exotic plantation forests affect arthropod diversity associated with natural Afrotemperate forests in the southern Cape Afrotemperate landscape mosaic, South Africa. Natural forests and fynbos vegetation naturally coexist here, with the addition of exotic plantation forests to form a heterogeneous landscape. Epigaeic arthropods were collected by means of pitfall trapping at stations along transects from inside natural Afrotemperate forest, across the edge and into the surrounding land use, which included natural fynbos vegetation, mature forestry plantation blocks (Pinus radiata) and areas where plantations have been clear-felled. Stations were set at 5, 10, 20, 30 and 50 m to both sides of the forest edge with the addition of 100 m stations situated in the natural forest. Arthropod assemblages were distinct in all land-use types. Natural edge effect between forest and fynbos, as measured by arthropod compositional changes, was 20 m into natural forests, yet when bordered by plantations this edge increased up to 30 m into the forest. Once plantations were clear-felled, edge effects increased up to 50 m into natural forests. Responses in terms of assemblage composition and species richness were however taxon specific. Results show that (1) pine plantations are not alternative habitat for native Afrotemperate forest arthropods, (2) there were stark changes in arthropod assemblage composition at edges between these land-use types and (3) that the effects of timber plantation practices (re: clear-felling) also penetrate deep into surrounding natural forests and need to be considered in regional landscape planning. The need for an effective rehabilitation strategy of clear-felled areas is identified as key priority for bordering natural forests. Ongoing monitoring in both the disturbed area and the adjoining natural forest should be undertaken to ensure sufficient recovery.     

The spatial distribution of birds and carabid beetles in pine plantation forests: the role of landscape composition and structure

Aim To evaluate the joint and independent effects of spatial location, landscape composition and landscape structure on the distribution patterns of bird and carabid beetle assemblages in a mosaic landscape dominated by pine plantation forests. Location A continuous 3000‐ha landscape mosaic with native maritime pine Pinus pinaster plantations of different ages, deciduous woodlands and open habitats, located in the Landes de Gascogne forest of south‐western France. Methods We sampled breeding birds by 20‐min point counts and carabid beetles by pitfall trapping using a systematic grid sampling of 200 points every 400 m over the whole landscape. Explanatory variables were composed of three data sets derived from GIS habitat mapping: (1) spatial variables (polynomial terms of geographical coordinates of samples), (2) landscape composition as the percentage cover of the six main habitats, and (3) landscape structure metrics including indices of fragmentation and spatial heterogeneity. We used canonical correspondence analysis with variance partitioning to evaluate the joint and independent effects of the three sets of variables on the ordination of species assemblages. Moran's I correlograms and Mantel tests were used to assess for spatial structure in species distribution and relationships with separate landscape attributes. Results Landscape composition was the main factor explaining the distribution patterns of birds and carabids at the mesoscale of 400 × 400 m. Independent effects of spatial variables and landscape structure were still significant for bird assemblages once landscape composition was controlled for, but not for carabid assemblages. Spatial distributions of birds and carabids were primarily influenced by the amount of heathlands, young pine plantations, herbaceous firebreaks and deciduous woodlands. Deciduous woodland species had positive responses to edge density, while open habitat species were positively associated with mean patch area. Main conclusions Forest birds were favoured by an increase in deciduous woodland cover and landscape heterogeneity, but there was no evidence for a similar effect on carabid beetles. Fragmentation of open habitats negatively affected both early‐successional birds and carabids, specialist species being restricted to large heathlands and young plantations. Several birds of conservation concern were associated with mosaics of woodlands and grasslands, especially meadows and firebreaks. Conserving biodiversity in mosaic plantation landscapes could be achieved by the maintenance of a significant amount of early‐successional habitats and deciduous woodland patches within a conifer plantation matrix.     

Taxonomic and functional β-diversity of ants along tree plantation chronosequences differ between contrasting biomes

The replacement of natural by anthropogenic habitat changes biological communities in any biome. Variations in environmental conditions along the chronosequence of tree plantations may act as a gradient of environmental filtering where the gain or loss of species occurs. It is expected that environmental filtering increases with the decrease in environmental similarity between the plantations and the natural habitat. Young tree plantations are structurally more similar to grasslands than to mature plantations, which in turn are structurally more similar to subtropical forest than young plantations. This study compares patterns of beta diversity across exotic pine plantation chronosequences in contrasting biomes. We predict that taxonomic and functional beta diversity between plantation and the natural habitat assemblages increase with plantation age in grasslands and decrease in the subtropical forest. We sampled epigean ants and measured environmental variables at 54 plantations of different ages and natural habitats in grassland and forest biomes in Argentina. Taxonomic and functional beta diversity between natural habitat and pine plantations were estimated through dissimilarity indexes of turnover and nestedness. To assess the response of beta diversity estimators to plantation age we performed general linear and non-linear models. Results revealed opposite beta diversity patterns between biomes along the plantation cycle. Turnover increased and nestedness decreased with declining environmental similarity between pine plantations and the natural habitats; changes in the identity of the species were coupled to changes in their functional characteristics. Thus, a given environmental gradient may produce different diversity patterns depending on the regional species pool. Forestry practices that generate environmental conditions similar to natural environments could help to conserve species from the natural habitat.     

Assemblage-level responses of phyllostomid bats to tropical forest fragmentation: land-bridge islands as a model system

Aim Working within a system of high structural contrast between fragments and the surrounding matrix, we assessed patterns of species loss and changes in species composition of phyllostomid bats on artificial land‐bridge islands relative to mainland assemblages, and evaluated the responses of bats to forest edges. We further examined the relative influence of local‐scale characteristics (e.g. vegetation structure, island area) versus landscape attributes (e.g. forest cover, patch density) and the importance of spatial scale in determining phyllostomid species richness and composition on islands. Location Islands in Gatún Lake and adjacent mainland peninsulas in the Barro Colorado Nature Monument, Panama. Methods Bats were sampled over a 2‐year period on 11 islands as well as at forest‐edge and interior sites on adjacent mainland, resulting in > 8400 captures. Results The islands harboured a less diverse and structurally simplified phyllostomid bat fauna. Islands far from the mainland were especially species‐poor. This decline in species richness was associated with compositional shifts towards assemblages strongly dominated by frugivores with good dispersal abilities. Members of other ensembles, most importantly gleaning animalivores, were much less common or absent. Although overall species composition was not significantly altered, species richness at continuous forest‐edge sites was significantly lower compared with that at interior sites. Distance from the mainland and amount of forest cover in the landscape were the best predictors of species richness and assemblage composition. Responses were scale‐dependent. At the local scale, species richness was independent of island area but was correlated positively with distance from the mainland. In contrast, area effects became more important at larger spatial scales, suggesting that many species use multiple fragments. Main conclusions Our results underline the conservation value of small habitat remnants, which, even when embedded in a hostile matrix, can support a relatively diverse bat fauna, provided that there is a low degree of patch isolation and spatial proximity to larger tracts of continuous forest. Although the results at the assemblage level were inconclusive, we demonstrate that certain bat species and ensembles, particularly gleaning animalivores, exhibit high edge‐sensitivity. Our results point to habitat loss rather than changes in landscape configuration as the main process after isolation underlying phyllostomid bat responses, suggesting that conservation efforts should focus on habitat preservation instead of trying to minimize fragmentation per se at the expense of habitat amount.     

Heard but not seen: Comparing bat assemblages and study methods in a mosaic landscape in the Western Ghats of India

We used capture (mist‐netting) and acoustic methods to compare the species richness, abundance, and composition of a bat assemblage in different habitats in the Western Ghats of India. In the tropics, catching bats has been more commonly used as a survey method than acoustic recordings. In our study, acoustic methods based on recording echolocation calls detected greater bat activity and more species than mist‐netting. However, some species were detected more frequently or exclusively by capture. Ideally, the two methods should be used together to compensate for the biases in each. Using combined capture and acoustic data, we found that protected forests, forest fragments, and shade coffee plantations hosted similar and diverse species assemblages, although some species were recorded more frequently in protected forests. Tea plantations contained very few species from the overall bat assemblage. In riparian habitats, a strip of forested habitat on the river bank improved the habitat for bats compared to rivers with tea planted up to each bank. Our results show that shade coffee plantations are better bat habitat than tea plantations in biodiversity hotspots. However, if tea is to be the dominant land use, forest fragments and riparian corridors can improve the landscape considerably for bats. We encourage coffee growers to retain traditional plantations with mature native trees, rather than reverting to sun grown coffee or coffee shaded by a few species of timber trees.     

Sugarcane and Eucalyptus plantation equally limit the movement of two forest‐dependent understory bird species

Habitat fragmentation results in landscape configuration, which affects the species that inhabit it. As a consequence, natural habitat is replaced by different anthropogenic plantation types (e.g. pasture, agriculture, forestry plantations and urban areas). Anthropogenic plantations are important for biodiversity maintenance because some species or functional groups can use it as a complementary habitat. However, depending on plantation permeability, it can act as a barrier to the movement of organisms between habitat patches, such as forest fragments, reducing functional connectivity for many species. Anthropogenic plantations are becoming the most common land use and cover type in the Anthropocene and biodiversity conservation in fragmented landscapes requires information on how different plantation types affect the capacity of the species to move through the landscape. In this study, we evaluated the influence of the type and structure of plantations on the movement of two forest‐dependent understory bird species – plain antvireo (Dysithamnus mentalis) and flavescent warbler (Myiothlyps flaveola) – within a highly fragmented landscape of Atlantic Forest hotspot. Knowing that forestry plantation is assumed to be more permeable to dependent forest bird species than open ones, we selected six study areas containing a forest fragment and surrounding plantation: three with sugarcane plantation and three with Eucalyptus sp. plantation. We used playback calls to stimulate the birds to leave forest fragments and traverse the plantations. Control trials were also carried out inside the forest fragments to compare the distances crossed. We observed that individuals moved longer distances inside forest than between plantation types, which demonstrate that plantations do constrict the movements of both species. The two plantation types equally impeded the movements of the species, suggesting the opposite of the general assumption that forestry plantations are more permeable. Our results indicate that, for generalist species, plantation type does not matter, but its presence negatively impacts movement of these bird species. We highlight that plantations have negative influences on the movements of common bird species, and discuss why this is important when setting conservation priorities.     

Buffering of native forest edge microclimate by adjoining tree plantations

Abstract In the Waikato Region of New Zealand, Pinus radiata (D. Don) plantations are becoming increasingly common on land adjacent to native forest fragments. It is unclear whether this juxtaposition is beneficial or detrimental to native forest fragment quality and persistence. We hypothesized that adjacent dense plantations buffer native fragments from microclimatic exposure, reducing edge effects and expanding the area of interior‐like native forest. Microclimate parameters were measured in native forest fragments adjacent to grazed pasture (‘abrupt’ edges) and in fragments adjacent to mature P. radiata plantations (‘embedded’ edges) during late summer. Photosynthetically active radiation, air temperature and vapour pressure deficit (VPD) were measured along transects perpendicular to edges during the mid‐afternoon, when gradients were typically steady and maximal, to investigate spatial variation. At paired abrupt versus embedded edges these same variables were monitored for week‐long periods to determine temporal variation. In fragments adjacent to pasture, conditions were significantly lighter and warmer (but not drier) than the interior along transects at distances up to 20 m from the edge. In contrast, no variables differed significantly along transects adjacent to pine. The different microclimate variables measured at edges (except VPD) contributed to edge effects at different times through a daily cycle. Photosynthetically active radiation was significantly different between abrupt and embedded edges at all times of the day. Air temperature was significantly different during mid‐day and afternoon, but not during the morning nor at night. Vapour pressure deficit varied considerably over time and between sites, but was never consistently higher at one type of edge. We conclude that pine plantations in the Waikato Region provide valuable microclimate buffering during the day, principally due to their effect in reducing light and temperature to interior‐like conditions at native forest edges. Consequently, plantations are a compatible neighbouring land use to forest fragments. Such buffering could be extended through the pine harvesting‐replanting phase with appropriate management, such as leaving an undisturbed margin during harvest.     

Bird assemblages in pine plantations replacing native ecosystems in NW Patagonia

Forest plantations of exotic conifers represent an important economic activity in NW Patagonia, Argentina. However, there is a remarkable lack of information on the impact of forestry on native biodiversity. We analyzed the effect of Pinus ponderosa plantations on bird communities, considering different stand management practices (dense and sparse tree covers), and different landscape contexts where they are planted (Austrocedrus chilensis forest and steppe). Ultimately we wished to assess in which way plantations may be designed and managed to improve biodiversity conservation. Bird richness and abundance did not change significantly in the steppe, although community composition did, and was partially replaced by a new community, similar to that of ecotonal forests. In contrast, in the A. chilensis forest areas, species richness decreased in dense plantations, but bird community composition remained relatively constant when replacing the native forest with pine plantations. Also, in A. chilensis forest, stand management practices aiming at maintaining low tree densities permit the presence of many bird species from the original habitat. In the steppe area in turn, both dense and sparse plantations are unsuitable for most steppe species, thus it is necessary to manage them at higher scales, maintaining the connectivity of the native matrix to prevent the fragmentation of bird populations. We conclude that pine plantations can provide habitat for a substantial number of native bird species, and this feature varies both with management practices and with the landscape context of areas where afforestation occurs.     

Accompanying vegetation in young <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus radiata</Emphasis> plantations enhances recolonization by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ceroglossus chilensis</Emphasis> (Coleoptera: Carabidae) after clearcutting

The replacement of native forests by Pinus radiata plantations modifies habitat availability and quality for wildlife, constituting a threat to species survival. However, the presence of understory in mature pine plantations minimizes the negative impacts of native forest replacement, rendering a secondary habitat for wildlife. Whether forest-dwelling species recolonize clear-felled areas pending on the spontaneous development of accompanying vegetation growing after harvesting is yet to be assessed. In this context, we analyze the abundance, movement and habitat selection of the endemic ground beetle Ceroglossus chilensis (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in an anthropic forest landscape consisting of native forest remnants, adult pine plantations (>?20 years) with a well-developed understory, and young (1–2 years) pine plantations with varying degrees of accompanying vegetation development. Particularly, we analyze the likelihood that C. chilensis would recolonize young pine plantations depending on the presence (>?70% cover) or the absence (<?20% cover) of this accompanying vegetation. C. chilensis shows a greater probability of selecting habitats with understory (pine plantations and native forest) and young plantations with accompanying vegetation (future understory) than habitats without such vegetation. Movement of C. chilensis also favors their permanence in habitats with understory vegetation, coinciding with higher abundances than in young pine plantations devoid of accompanying vegetation. Hence, the effect of clearcutting could be mitigated by allowing the development of accompanying vegetation into a future understory, which facilitates the recolonization of pine plantations and its use as secondary habitat for wildlife.     

The effect of matrix on the occurrence of hazel grouse (Bonasa bonasia) in isolated habitat fragments

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of matrix on the occurrence of hazel grouse (Bonasa bonasia) in habitat fragments. The study was conducted in two kinds of landscape: (1) an agricultural landscape, where the censused forest habitat fragments were surrounded by farmland, and (2) in an intensively managed forested landscape, where the censused habitat fragments were surrounded by nonhabitat coniferous forest. Occupied and unoccupied habitat fragments in the agricultural landscape differed significantly in distance to the nearest suitable continuous habitat, with hazel grouse occurring only in habitat fragments closer than 100 m from continuous forest. In the intensively managed forest landscape, the effect of isolation was less evident, but there might be a threshold around 2 km. Effects of isolation occurred over much shorter distances when the surrounding habitats consisted of farmland than when it was forested habitats. The size of the habitat fragments was important in both landscapes, with larger habitat fragments more often containing hazel grouse.     

Bat and Bird Assemblages from Forests and Shade Cacao Plantations in Two Contrasting Landscapes in the Atlantic Forest of Southern Bahia, Brazil

In the core region of Brazilian cocoa production, shade cacao plantations (so-called cabrucas) are important components of regional landscapes, constituting potential habitat for a vast array of the regional biota. This research focuses on the ability of cabrucas to harbor bird and bat species in two nearby districts – Una and Ilhéus – with contrasting landscapes. At Una, cabrucas represent less than 6% of the land and are surrounded by large tracts of forest, whereas at Ilhéus these shade plantations are the landscape's dominant feature. Bird and bat communities were richer in cabrucas located in Una compared to nearby forest, while cabrucas from the Ilhéus landscape were significantly poorer in species than nearby forest fragments. However, bird assemblages in cabrucas were characterized by the loss of understory specialists and the increase of more open area and generalist species, whereas forest dwellers still comprised most of the bat species reported in cabrucas. Species richness and composition differed between the two landscapes. Forest fragments and cabrucas from Ilhéus harbored fewer forest-dwelling species than similar habitats in Una. Our study shows that cabrucas support high species richness of birds and bats from the native assemblages but are no surrogates for intact forests, since the presence and representativeness of some forest species apparently depends on the existence of nearby forests. A landscape dominated by cabrucas with a minor portion of native forest is unlikely to ensure long-term conservation of many target species, particularly those of major conservation concern.