Authors: CARRASCAL, L. M. and TELLERÍA, J. L.
Published: Volume 37(2), December 1990. Pages 247-266.
Language: Spanish
Original Title: Impacto de las repoblaciones de Pinus radiata sobre la avifauna forestal del norte de España
Keywords: forest birds, North of Spain, plantations of Pinus radiata, habitat preferences, forestry and succession.
Summary:
Well-developed plantations of Pinus radiata in the Basque Country (North of Spain) make suitable habitats for forest avifauna because they lodge many of the birds inhabiting natural broadleaved woodlands (a mixture of Fagus sylvatica and Quercus spp.). Four species (Sitta europaea, Parus major, P. caeruleus and P. palustris) decrease or dissapear in these plantations while other eight species show an increase (Dendrocopos major, Prunella modularis, Phylloscopus collybita, Regulus ignicapillus, Parus ater, P. cristatus, Troglodytes troglodytes y Fringilla coelebs). The breeding avifauna of the plantations of Pinus radiata is richer in species and denser, but less diversified than the one inhabiting broadleaved forests. The height of timber, the number of tree species and the bush cover increase the density and richness of the breeding avifauna of the plantations. Therefore, plots of bushes and growing broadleaved trees should be protected within these reaforestations. Density and richness increase along the development stage of plantations. However, dominance decreases during the first years, probably due to the ecotonic features of young plantations (time ecotone). The plantations of Pinus radiata promote fast development of forest bird communities, but their early logging (around 20 years from planting) avoids these woodlands to support most of the more specialized forest birdsof the Basque Country.
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