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Birds in the matrix: the role of agriculture in avian conservation in the Taita Hills, Kenya

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posted on 2023-06-09, 00:12 authored by Olivia Norfolk, Martin Jung, Philip J Platts, Phillista Malaki, Dickens Odeny, Rob Marchant
Agricultural conversion of tropical forests is a major driver of biodiversity loss. Slowing rates of deforestation is a conservation priority, but it is also useful to consider how species diversity is retained across the agricultural matrix. Here we assess how bird diversity varies in relation to land use in the Taita Hills, Kenya. We used point counts to survey birds along a land-use gradient that included primary forest, secondary vegetation, agroforest, timber plantation and cropland. We found that the agricultural matrix supports an abundant and diverse bird community with high levels of species turnover, but that forest specialists are confined predominantly to primary forest, with the matrix dominated by forest visitors. Ordination analyses showed that representation of forest specialists decreases with distance from primary forest. With the exception of forest generalists, bird abundance and diversity are lowest in timber plantations. Contrary to expectation, we found feeding guilds at similar abundances in all land-use types. We conclude that while the agricultural matrix, and agroforest in particular, makes a strong contribution to observed bird diversity at the landscape scale, intact primary forest is essential for maintaining this diversity, especially among species of conservation concern.

Funding

MSc Travel Grant; DANIDA; A26811

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Accepted version

Journal

African Journal of Ecology

ISSN

0141-6707

Publisher

Wiley

Issue

4

Volume

55

Page range

530-540

Department affiliated with

  • Biology and Environmental Science Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2016-11-21

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2018-02-25

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2016-11-19

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