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Rapid colonization of a Hawaiian restoration forest by a diverse avian community
Author(s) -
Paxton Eben H.,
Yelenik Stephanie G.,
Borneman Tracy E.,
Rose Eli T.,
Camp Richard J.,
Kendall Steve J.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
restoration ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.214
H-Index - 100
eISSN - 1526-100X
pISSN - 1061-2971
DOI - 10.1111/rec.12540
Subject(s) - reforestation , deforestation (computer science) , colonization , forest restoration , ecology , afforestation , understory , disturbance (geology) , biological dispersal , habitat , geography , bird conservation , wildlife , biodiversity , restoration ecology , seed dispersal , introduced species , agroforestry , forest ecology , biology , ecosystem , paleontology , population , demography , canopy , sociology , computer science , programming language
Deforestation of tropical forests has led to widespread loss and extirpation of forest bird species around the world, including the Hawaiian Islands which have experienced a dramatic loss of forests over the last 200–800 years. Given the important role birds play in forest ecosystem functions via seed dispersal and pollination, a bird community's response to forest restoration is an important measure of the success of such conservation actions. We evaluated the bird response to reforestation at an important bird sanctuary, Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, Hawai′i Island, using 26 years of bird count data. We show that most species from within the diverse avian community increased significantly, but species colonized the restoration forest at different rates. Distance from intact forest and time since restoration were both important predictors of colonization rate, interacting such that for most species it took more time to colonize areas farther from the intact forest. In addition, both forest cover and understory diversity helped to explain bird densities, but the effect varied among species, suggesting that different habitat requirements may help drive variation in colonization rates. This article provides the first detailed evaluation of how a diverse community of birds has responded to one of the largest, ongoing reforestation projects in Hawai′i.