25 Composition and Dynamics of the Bird Community
German Lopez-Iborra and Jose A. Gil-Delgado
25.1 Introduction
Birds have been a favourite subject of study in forest ecosystems. They are
easily detectable in comparison with other vertebrate groups, and their reproductive and feeding ecology are critically determined by forest characteristics, such as the composition and structure of both the tree canopy and
understory. Forest birds have been a focus of theoretical interest in competition, regulation of populations and life history strategies, and include one of
the most studied groups of birds - the Tits (Paridae). They have received
much attention also from an applied point of view, since conservation of
their populations is in many cases linked to the conservation and appropriate
management of their forest habitat. Thus, much information is available especially for temperate forests (Keast 1990).
Within the Palaearctic, bird communitites of deciduous and northern coniferous forests are best known, while studies on Mediterranean forest bird
communities started in the 1970s, mainly with the works of J. Blondel and
C.M. Herrera. Although composition of forest bird communities is broadly
similar throughout European forests (Blondel and Farre 1988), some specific
characteristics of Mediterranean ecosystems could determine important
differences in bird community dynamics with respect to their more northern
counterparts. The mild Mediterranean climate and the evergreen condition
of most forests in this area make it possible for an important percentage of
birds to remain in the forests during winter. On the contrary, the hot and dry
summer may impose new limiting conditions for birds in some Mediterranean forests. Moreover, the geographical position of these forests on the
main migratory pathways allows for the overlap of different populations of
the same species in Mediterranean habitats. Thus, seasonal dynamics of bird
communities may be more complex in Mediterranean than in more northern
forests. This aspect needs to receive more attention, since only a small fraction of studies published have followed the bird community during a period
longer than 1 year; thus, intra-annual and inter-annual fluctuations in Mediterranean bird communities remain poorly known.
Ecological Studies, Vol. 137
Ferran Rodil et al. (eds) Ecology of Mediterranean
Evergreen Oak Forests
© Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg 1999
German Lopez-Iborra and Jose A. Gil-Delgado
25.1 Introduction
Birds have been a favourite subject of study in forest ecosystems. They are
easily detectable in comparison with other vertebrate groups, and their reproductive and feeding ecology are critically determined by forest characteristics, such as the composition and structure of both the tree canopy and
understory. Forest birds have been a focus of theoretical interest in competition, regulation of populations and life history strategies, and include one of
the most studied groups of birds - the Tits (Paridae). They have received
much attention also from an applied point of view, since conservation of
their populations is in many cases linked to the conservation and appropriate
management of their forest habitat. Thus, much information is available especially for temperate forests (Keast 1990).
Within the Palaearctic, bird communitites of deciduous and northern coniferous forests are best known, while studies on Mediterranean forest bird
communities started in the 1970s, mainly with the works of J. Blondel and
C.M. Herrera. Although composition of forest bird communities is broadly
similar throughout European forests (Blondel and Farre 1988), some specific
characteristics of Mediterranean ecosystems could determine important
differences in bird community dynamics with respect to their more northern
counterparts. The mild Mediterranean climate and the evergreen condition
of most forests in this area make it possible for an important percentage of
birds to remain in the forests during winter. On the contrary, the hot and dry
summer may impose new limiting conditions for birds in some Mediterranean forests. Moreover, the geographical position of these forests on the
main migratory pathways allows for the overlap of different populations of
the same species in Mediterranean habitats. Thus, seasonal dynamics of bird
communities may be more complex in Mediterranean than in more northern
forests. This aspect needs to receive more attention, since only a small fraction of studies published have followed the bird community during a period
longer than 1 year; thus, intra-annual and inter-annual fluctuations in Mediterranean bird communities remain poorly known.
Ecological Studies, Vol. 137
Ferran Rodil et al. (eds) Ecology of Mediterranean
Evergreen Oak Forests
© Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg 1999