Distribution and species richness patterns of bird communities in high elevation forests of Virginia

Background/Question/Methods

The Southern Appalachians support a unique forest ecosystem at higher elevations in which the breeding distribution of several bird species of conservation concern extends to unusually southern latitudes. The dual threats of rising global temperatures and potential wind energy development may have critical impacts for this ecosystem by reducing or fragmenting preferred habitat. A better understanding of how elevation along with other habitat characteristics affects single species occupancy as well as species richness patterns is essential for local conservation management and may also explain regional patterns of diversity in the bird community. We conducted bird surveys and corresponding habitat surveys at 36 high elevation sites on public forests in Virginia to create a comprehensive record of bird species breeding in these forests as well as identify habitat characteristics which may be influencing patterns of species distribution and richness.

Results/Conclusions

We detected 95 species at 1,095 points, including 12 species of state or federal conservation concern. We identified ten species which were elevation sensitive and determined the relative contribution of different habitat characteristics for point and site occupancy. We contrasted habitat effects at different scales and found scale dependence of many covariates. In addition, we examined differences in species richness patterns at multiple scales and compared those to previously reported elevational gradient patterns. Results highlight the importance of considering scale of the response as well as predictor variables when determining species distribution and regional patterns of species richness as well as the need to consider multiple habitat factors in conservation planning and management.

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