Songbird use of gallery woodlands in recently cleared and older settled landscapes of the Selva Lacandona, Chiapas, Mexico

• Published in: Conservation biology 1995-10, Vol.9 (5), p.1095-1106
• Main Authors: Warkentin, I.G. (Memorial University of Newfoundland, Corner Brook, Canada.), Greenberg, R, Oritz, J.S
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ANIMAL SALVAJE; ANIMAL SAUVAGE; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; arroyo vegetation; Arroyos; Aves; BIODIVERSIDAD; BIODIVERSITE; BIODIVERSITY; Biological and medical sciences; BIRDS; CONSERVACION DE LA NATURALEZA; Conservation biology; CONSERVATION DE LA NATURE; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; Environmental degradation: ecosystems survey and restoration; FARMLAND; Forest conservation; Forest cover; Forest habitats; FORET CLAIRE; FORMACION BOSCOSA; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Habitat conservation; MEXICO; MEXIQUE; NATURE CONSERVATION; OISEAU; Old growth forests; PAJAROS; Songbirds; species abundance; SPECIES DIVERSITY; species richness; TERRE AGRICOLE; TIERRAS AGRICOLAS; TROPICAL ZONES; Vegetation; WILD ANIMALS; WOODLANDS; ZONA TROPICAL; ZONE TROPICALE
• ISSN: 0888-8892; 1523-1739
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1523-1739.1995.951095.x

Many regions of Central America have undergone wide-scale habitat change as land has been converted for cultivation or grazing. Clearing for agriculture often leaves a variety of regenerating and remnant patches of wooded vegetation. Of particular importance is arroyo vegetation, or strips of trees or tall shrubs growing along streams. Although it is widely acknowledge that tropical arroyo vegetation supports high densities of birds, as avian habitat it remains poorly studied. We used point counts to study populations of migrant and resident songbirds in the arroyo vegetation of settled areas of the Selva Lacandona adjacent to the Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve of southeastern Mexico. Two study areas were established on lands that had been cleared and settled 20-35 and 10 years previously. Our objectives were to assess the value of arroyo vegetation to the conservation of avian species diversity and abundance in agricultural landscapes and to compare the composition and abundance of songbirds in cleared areas settled at different times over a 35-year period. Arroyo vegetation had a wide diversity of songbird species that, in overall terms, differed little between those landscapes cleared recently and those cleared up to 35 years previously. In both areas we found a high abundance of habitat generalists and a smaller number of forest-dependent species, particularly migrants. Loss of forest specialists occurs rapidly, with little further loss as the arroyos become increasingly isolated. Our data also suggest that birds do not crowd into limited habitat as the surrounding vegetation is eliminated, implying that the overall carrying capacity of the agricultural landscape is greatly enhanced as larger areas of arroyo vegetation are protected. Protection of arroyo vegetation will increase the diversity of birds living in agricultural areas and can be achieved simply by expanding upon land-use practices currently in use.