Birds as indicator of forest management
Author(s)
Balestrieri, Rosario
Date Issued
June 6, 2017
Type
Doctoral Thesis
Abstract
This PhD project has the goal of developing indices that can interpret avian response to forest operations and combine the conservation of biodiversity with forest exploitation. To achieve this result, the guild forest bird population was studied on a different scale along an imaginary vertical transect in study areas provided by the Project Life MANforCBD (www.manfor.eu/new) from the Alps to Calabria. In addition 77979 data were acquired from the Project MITO2000 (www.mito2000.it) related to bird communities in forest environments in the areas close to those of the ManForCBD project. Investigations at the population scale concerned the insectivorous cavity species in a small home range, namely Certhia brachydactyla which was studied in relation to density and other environmental parameters. In addition to this, the reproductive biology of Cyanistes caeruleus was also investigated in Turkey oak forests cut at different times, using nest boxes and monitoring their use from occupation to the fledging of young. Overall there is an obvious correlation between the birds and the characteristics and/or the forest management at any scale investigated. Hence the breeding forest species can tell us with their abundance and/or reproductive success whether the management of a forest area is eco-sustainable.
Additional information
Dottorato di ricerca in Scienze, tecnologie e biotecnologie per la sostenibilità
Subjects