RT info:eu-repo/semantics/article
T1 Effects of wildfire on endemic breeding birds in a Pinus canariensis forest of Tenerife, Canary Islands
A1 García del Rey, Eduardo
A1 Otto, Rüdiger
A1 Fernández-Palacios, José María
A1 Gil Muñoz, Pascual
A1 Gil, Luis
K1 Breeding birds
K1 Community ecology
K1 Pinus canariensis
K1 Aves reproductoras
K1 Ecología del ecosistema
K1 Fire
K1 Incendios forestales
AB Fire is a key ecological force in pine forests worldwide, and faunal responses to this disturbance have been amajor topic of ecology, yet little is known for oceanic island environments. Using line transects we surveyed the birdcommunity of a natural Pinus canariensis forest burned in the summer of 2007 on Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. Ourgoal was to identify important environmental variables and the thresholds that influenced the pattern of bird abundance atthe community, foraging guild, and species-specific level. Models were constructed by means of regression trees and crossvalidation applying the 1-SE rule. Mixed results were observed and only 2 species were clearly affected by fire severity.Overall, total bird abundance, total species richness, and total bird diversity were positively influenced by low, very low,and moderate canopy fire severity, respectively, and the presence of either Erica or Myrica shrubs. Consequently, highcanopy fire severity had an overall negative effect on bird community characteristics. Abundance of Myrica shrubs affectedpositively general ground foragers such as common blackbird (Turdus merula cabrerae) and Canary Islands chiffchaff(Phylloscopus canariensis), a canopy forager. The number of thin trees was important for canopy foragers such as goldcrest(Regulus regulus teneriffae) and African blue tit (Cyanistes teneriffae teneriffae), but also for a bark forager, the greatspotted woodpecker (Dendrocopos major canariensis). European robin (Erithacus rubecula superbus) and the ubiquitousendemic blue chaffinch (Fringilla teydea teydea) were influenced by low and moderate canopy fire severity, respectively. Werecommend that land managers incorporate these results into future post-fire management plans. Priority post-fire actionsshould be directed toward the protection and conservation of the endemic blue chaffinch, a species of conservation concernon the nearby island of Gran Canaria.
PB Taylor & Francis
SN 1195-6860
YR 2010
FD 2010
LK http://riull.ull.es/xmlui/handle/915/16476
UL http://riull.ull.es/xmlui/handle/915/16476
LA en
DS Repositorio institucional de la Universidad de La Laguna
RD 24-abr-2024