Branta Issues > Issue №12 (2009)

Composition and diversity of passerine bird assemblages in the floodplain deciduous forests during the breeding season (Belarus)

Sakhvon V.

The results of the study of species richness, diversity and bird density carried out in in 199-2007 eight areas situated in three types of floodplain deciduous forests of Belarus (two types of alder stands («southern» and «northern») and oak forests) are presented and compared. The line transect method with some elements of the territory mapping technique was used for analysing bird assemblages. Densities were calculated for 37 species of breeding passerine birds (in total 48 species).MDS-analysis showed that the structure of bird assemblages was determined by woodland structural complexity. The highest number of species (28) and total bird density (15.87 pairs/ha) was observed in «southern» alder forest. In contrast, the «northern» alder forests with impurity of spruce were the simplest habitat type, where the bird assemblages were characterized by most lower quantitiy parameters. The structure of bird assemblages was found to be rather similar among «southern» alder forests and oak stands.