Changes in the bird communities of Nothofagus forests in a long‐term plot in Tierra del Fuego

• Published in: Austral ecology 2024-02, Vol.49 (2), p.n/a
• Main Authors: Benitez, Julieta, Lencinas, María Vanessa, Chaves, Jimena Elizabeth, Cruz, Marcelo, Martínez Pastur, Guillermo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: austral forests; Biomass; Birds; Canopies; Cavity nesters; Climate change; Community structure; Deciduous forests; Density; Environmental changes; Forests; functional traits; Generalized linear models; Latitude; National Park; National parks; Nothofagus; Sampling; Species richness; Standard error; Statistical models
• ISSN: 1442-9985; 1442-9993
• DOI: 10.1111/aec.13464

Long‐term studies have proven to be important to characterize animal communities and analyse the ecological responses to climate and environmental changes. These studies are necessary to determine the natural community variability (e.g., richness and density) to develop better conservation strategies to face climate changes. Here, we analysed the natural changes in the structure and functional traits of bird communities over 13 consecutive years (2010–2022) and determined the number of years of sampling needed to obtain a good estimation of the community structure variables in deciduous high latitude Nothofagus forests. Using point counts, we studied closed (80% of canopy cover) and open (40% of canopy cover) forests inside the Tierra del Fuego National Park. Species richness, density, biomass, and functional traits (migratory status, trophic groups, nest type, and feeding strata) were analysed using generalized linear models with forest type (closed and open) and year (2010–2022) as the main factors, while the standard error (SE) of sampling obtained from one to 12 sampling years was compared. Richness was significantly higher in open forests (p 12 years for biomass. This study highlights the importance of long‐term studies to visualize natural variations in undisturbed habitats along time. Resumen Los estudios a largo plazo han demostrado ser importantes para caracterizar las comunidades animales y analizar las respuestas ecológicas a los cambios ambientales y climáticos. Estos estudios son necesarios para determinar las variaciones naturales de la comunidad de aves (ej. riqueza y densidad) para desarrollar mejores estrategias de conservación para enfrentar los cambios climáticos. En este trabajo analizamos los cambios naturales en la estructura y los rasgos funcionales de la comunidad de aves a lo largo de 13 años consecutivos (2010–2022) y determinamos cuántos años de muestreo son necesarios para obtener una buena estimación de las variables d