防風(fēng)林的生長常常會形成網(wǎng)絡(luò)狀的森林棲息地。這種生長狀態(tài)能夠增加連通性從而對生物的多樣性起到保護(hù)作用,，但是還沒有關(guān)于這種保護(hù)效應(yīng)的研究,。
中科院西雙版納熱帶植物園協(xié)同進(jìn)化組的Rachakonda Sreekar與他的同事在印度南部高止山脈的KMTR自然保護(hù)區(qū)以及其附近的防風(fēng)林中進(jìn)行了對于以上問題的相關(guān)研究,。他們所研究的防風(fēng)林由殘存的當(dāng)?shù)刈匀簧纸M成，在茶田中以網(wǎng)狀結(jié)構(gòu)分布,。他們在三天的時間里,，運(yùn)用“51樣點(diǎn)-10分鐘計(jì)數(shù)法”對各個生境型中的鳥類物種豐富度與群落結(jié)構(gòu)進(jìn)行統(tǒng)計(jì)，然后對防風(fēng)林與自然保護(hù)區(qū)進(jìn)行比較,。所謂“51樣點(diǎn)-10分鐘計(jì)數(shù)法”即在原始森林與防風(fēng)林中各系統(tǒng)選取51個樣點(diǎn),，然后在每個樣點(diǎn)上用10分鐘對所能看到的鳥類進(jìn)行野外鑒定與統(tǒng)計(jì)。
他們發(fā)現(xiàn),，在原始森林與防風(fēng)林中,，鳥類的物種豐富度和多度是非常相似的，然而,，鳥類的群落結(jié)構(gòu)卻有一定區(qū)別,。重要的功能種群組，例如果食性鳥類與蟲食性鳥類,，它們的多度并未隨著棲息地的改變而改變,，蜜食性鳥類的種群在防風(fēng)林中卻相較與原始森林具有更高的多度。他們認(rèn)為,，造成這種現(xiàn)象的原因很有可能是因?yàn)轼B類將防風(fēng)林當(dāng)作移動的路線以及覓食與筑巢的場所,。這項(xiàng)研究顯示了自然防風(fēng)林有可能對保護(hù)生產(chǎn)用地中的鳥類具有重要的作用。
該研究以Natural Windbreaks Sustain Bird Diversity in a Tea-Dominated Landscape為題,，在PLoS ONE上發(fā)表,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0070379
PMC:
PMID:
Natural Windbreaks Sustain Bird Diversity in a Tea-Dominated Landscape
Sreekar R, Mohan A, Das S, Agarwal P, Vivek R
Windbreaks often form networks of forest habitats that improve connectivity and thus conserve biodiversity, but little is known of such effects in the tropics. We determined bird species richness and community composition in windbreaks composed of remnant native vegetation amongst tea plantations (natural windbreaks), and compared it with the surrounding primary forests. Fifty-one, ten-minute point counts were conducted in each habitat type over three days. Despite the limited sampling period, our bird inventories in both natural windbreaks and primary forests were nearly complete, as indicated by bootstrap true richness estimator. Bird species richness and abundance between primary forests and windbreaks were similar, however a difference in bird community composition was observed. Abundances of important functional groups such as frugivores and insectivores did not vary between habitat types but nectarivores were more abundant in windbreaks, potentially as a result of the use of windbreaks as traveling routes, foraging and nesting sites. This preliminary study suggests that natural windbreaks may be important habitats for the persistence of bird species in a production landscape. However, a better understanding of the required physical and compositional characteristics for windbreaks to sustain bird communities is needed for effective conservation management.
