Tolerance to habitat fragmentation influences the colonization of new habitat by forest birds
1994
Villard, M.A. (Carleton Univ., Ottawa, Ontario (Canada). Dept. of Biology) | Taylor, P.D.
The relationship between the ability of bird species to persist in fragmented forests and their ability to colonize new forest habitat was examined. Using a long-term data set on the colonization of a forest plantation, the hypothesis that bird species tolerant to habitat fragmentation would detect and colonize the new habitat faster than intolerant species was tested. The forest plantation under study is situated on an area of land reclaimed from the sea (a polder) in the central part of the Netherlands. An index of tolerance to habitat fragmentation was constructed and included it as a predictor variable in a set of three logistic regression models that compared the probability of colonization over four consecutive time periods. After controlling statistically for the effects of regional incidence, preferred habitat and life-history characteristics, there was a significant effect of tolerance to fragmentation on the ability of species to colonize the plantation, and a marginal effect on the timing of colonization.
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