Avian species-assemblage structure and indicator bird species of mangroves in the Australian monsoon tropics
Mangroves are threatened worldwide yet they host diverse avian assemblages, especially in Australia. We examined the diversity, density and habitat use of birds in northern Australian mangroves to determine the influence of habitat patch-size and floristic composition on the structure of mangrove bi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BirdLife Australia
2015
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| Online Access: | http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/9840/ http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/9840/1/Avian.pdf |
| _version_ | 1848836647877083136 |
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| author | J., Mohd Azlan Noske, R.A Lawes, M.J |
| author_facet | J., Mohd Azlan Noske, R.A Lawes, M.J |
| author_sort | J., Mohd Azlan |
| building | UNIMAS Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Mangroves are threatened worldwide yet they host diverse avian assemblages, especially in Australia. We examined the diversity, density and habitat use of birds in northern Australian mangroves to determine the influence of habitat patch-size and floristic composition on the structure of mangrove bird assemblages. Birds were surveyed using line transects in 13 mangrove patches. A total of 70 species was encountered, with a mean density of 11.7 individuals ha–1,including 11 of 12 known mangrove-dependent species. Many species were strongly associated with, and indicative of, a specific mangrove plant zone, emphasising the importance of the number of zones to bird diversity at a site. Of six functional guilds, the insectivores were most dominant, followed by nectarivores. Accordingly, avian assemblage structure
was influenced by mangrove flowering phenology. Large mangrove patches supported fewer species than many smaller patches of equivalent combined area, and species richness was independent of area. In addition, there was no density compensation or a density–area relationship, implying that assemblages are not saturated with species and species interactions do not determine assemblage structure. In order of increasing importance, avian assemblage structure in mangroves is determined by the type and diversity of mangrove zones, the timing of mangrove flowering and the nature of the matrix surrounding mangroves. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-15T06:27:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | unimas-9840 |
| institution | Universiti Malaysia Sarawak |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-15T06:27:06Z |
| publishDate | 2015 |
| publisher | BirdLife Australia |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | unimas-98402022-01-26T08:22:45Z http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/9840/ Avian species-assemblage structure and indicator bird species of mangroves in the Australian monsoon tropics J., Mohd Azlan Noske, R.A Lawes, M.J QL Zoology Mangroves are threatened worldwide yet they host diverse avian assemblages, especially in Australia. We examined the diversity, density and habitat use of birds in northern Australian mangroves to determine the influence of habitat patch-size and floristic composition on the structure of mangrove bird assemblages. Birds were surveyed using line transects in 13 mangrove patches. A total of 70 species was encountered, with a mean density of 11.7 individuals ha–1,including 11 of 12 known mangrove-dependent species. Many species were strongly associated with, and indicative of, a specific mangrove plant zone, emphasising the importance of the number of zones to bird diversity at a site. Of six functional guilds, the insectivores were most dominant, followed by nectarivores. Accordingly, avian assemblage structure was influenced by mangrove flowering phenology. Large mangrove patches supported fewer species than many smaller patches of equivalent combined area, and species richness was independent of area. In addition, there was no density compensation or a density–area relationship, implying that assemblages are not saturated with species and species interactions do not determine assemblage structure. In order of increasing importance, avian assemblage structure in mangroves is determined by the type and diversity of mangrove zones, the timing of mangrove flowering and the nature of the matrix surrounding mangroves. BirdLife Australia 2015 Article NonPeerReviewed text en http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/9840/1/Avian.pdf J., Mohd Azlan and Noske, R.A and Lawes, M.J (2015) Avian species-assemblage structure and indicator bird species of mangroves in the Australian monsoon tropics. Emu – Austral Ornithology, 112 (4). ISSN 1448-5540 http://www.researchgate.net/publication/270808928_Avian_species-assemblage_structure_and_indicator_bird_species_of_mangroves_in_the_Australian_monsoon_tropics http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/MU12018 |
| spellingShingle | QL Zoology J., Mohd Azlan Noske, R.A Lawes, M.J Avian species-assemblage structure and indicator bird species of mangroves in the Australian monsoon tropics |
| title | Avian species-assemblage structure and indicator bird
species of mangroves in the Australian monsoon tropics |
| title_full | Avian species-assemblage structure and indicator bird
species of mangroves in the Australian monsoon tropics |
| title_fullStr | Avian species-assemblage structure and indicator bird
species of mangroves in the Australian monsoon tropics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Avian species-assemblage structure and indicator bird
species of mangroves in the Australian monsoon tropics |
| title_short | Avian species-assemblage structure and indicator bird
species of mangroves in the Australian monsoon tropics |
| title_sort | avian species-assemblage structure and indicator bird
species of mangroves in the australian monsoon tropics |
| topic | QL Zoology |
| url | http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/9840/ http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/9840/ http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/9840/ http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/9840/1/Avian.pdf |