Aggarwal, K and Chanda, R and Rai, S and Rai, M and Pradhan, DK and Munda, B and Tamang, B and Biswakarma, A and Srinivasan, U (2023) The effect of selective logging on microclimates, arthropod abundance and the foraging behaviour of Eastern Himalayan birds. In: Forest Ecology and Management, 541 .
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Abstract
Selective logging—the practice of removing a subset of commercially important trees from a forest—is a globally pervasive form of forest degradation. Selective logging alters both the structure and function of forests and the composition of ecological communities. Tropical insectivorous birds are highly vulnerable to microhabitat alterations in logged forest. Such altered microhabitats might affect the foraging of forest birds by altering (a) resource availability, and (b) foraging behaviour. We investigated the effect of selective logging on microclimates, prey availability, foraging behaviour and the foraging success of eastern Himalayan birds in the breeding season. Selective logging alters temperature-humidity microclimates and the composition of arthropod communities, both of which are likely to then collectively alter foraging behaviour by birds. We show that birds spent a lower proportion of their time foraging in primary compared with logged forest. Further, selective logging interacts with species traits such as body mass, preferred foraging stratum (understorey, midstorey or canopy) and foraging manoeuvre to influence foraging success. Gleaners generally foraged more successfully in primary forest and salliers in logged forest, although these patterns were modified by body mass and foraging stratum. Synthesis and applications: Our study shows how altered microclimates in anthropogenically modified habitats can influence resource availability and have downstream impacts on the behaviour of species at higher trophic levels.
| Item Type: | Journal Article |
|---|---|
| Publication: | Forest Ecology and Management |
| Publisher: | Elsevier B.V. |
| Additional Information: | The copyright for this article belongs to the Authors. |
| Keywords: | Arthropod density; Arthropod diversity; Foraging success; Forest degradation; Gleaner; Land-use change; Microclimate; Montane birds; Sallier; Time spent foraging; Understorey insectivores |
| Department/Centre: | Division of Biological Sciences > Centre for Ecological Sciences |
| Date Deposited: | 23 Jun 2023 07:09 |
| Last Modified: | 23 Jun 2023 07:09 |
| URI: | https://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/82026 |
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