Forest structure determines spatial changes in avian communities along an elevational gradient in tropical Africa

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216208%3A11310%2F19%3A10409380" target="_blank" >RIV/00216208:11310/19:10409380 - isvavai.cz</a>

Alternative codes found

RIV/67985939:_____/19:00519180 RIV/68081766:_____/19:00519180 RIV/60460709:41320/19:80328 RIV/61989592:15310/19:73597180 RIV/60076658:12310/19:43904346

Result on the web

<a href="https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=KvVzuXBcUc" target="_blank" >https://verso.is.cuni.cz/pub/verso.fpl?fname=obd_publikace_handle&handle=KvVzuXBcUc</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jbi.13688" target="_blank" >10.1111/jbi.13688</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Forest structure determines spatial changes in avian communities along an elevational gradient in tropical Africa

Original language description

Aim To test if tree species richness and forest structure drive spatial variation in avian communities along a tropical elevation gradient and to present information about the role of detailed forest parameters. Location A 2,000-m long elevational gradient of tropical forest on Mt. Cameroon, west-central Africa. Taxon Birds and trees. Methods We performed bird censuses and vegetation mapping at the same plots across six forested sites at elevations of 350, 650, 1,100, 1,500, 1,850, and 2,200 m a.s.l., with 16 plots per elevation. We tested the effects of elevation, forest structure and tree diversity on the species richness, functional diversity and beta-diversity of birds (Bray-Curtis dissimilarity). We used conditional inference trees based on random forests (RF) to investigate these relationships across all elevation sites as well as within elevations. Results Both tree and bird species richness declined monotonically with elevation. Vegetation structure correlated with elevation, and all vegetation attributes significantly differed among elevations. The RF explained 70% of the variance in avian species richness, with the most important predictors being elevation, proportion of dead trees, tree species richness and herb layer coverage. We found that elevation (and shrub layer) was a particularly important predictor of avian functional diversity. We identified no important predictor of bird species richness after standardization within elevations, and the proportion of dead trees was the sole important predictor of functional diversity. Within-elevation beta-diversity in avian community composition was determined by the dissimilarity of the tree community and differences in leaf area index, solar radiation and spatial distance. The functional dissimilarity was best explained by leaf area index. Main conclusions Apart from elevation itself, spatial distance even within elevations correlated with compositional and functional variation among avian assemblages. Forest structural traits can have a significant influence on distribution of birds. Thus, gaps in the spatial distribution of species such as along elevations might be caused by fine-scale recognition of suitable habitats.

Czech name

—

Czech description

—

Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

10618 - Ecology

Project

<a href="/en/project/GB14-36098G" target="_blank" >GB14-36098G: Center for tropical biology</a><br>

Continuities

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)

Publication year

2019

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Journal of Biogeography

ISSN

0305-0270

e-ISSN

—

Volume of the periodical

46

Issue of the periodical within the volume

11

Country of publishing house

GB - UNITED KINGDOM

Number of pages

13

Pages from-to

2466-2478

UT code for WoS article

000486535800001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85073793966